Latest news with #MiriamDevaprasana
The Star
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
How theatre resists: breaking silence, challenging stigma, reclaiming voices
Penang-based theatre group Dabble Dabble Jer Collective is bringing its powerful 2023 piece on sexual violence, Burden Of Proof, to Klang Valley audiences for the first time. The show will be performed at Papan Haus in Section 14, Petaling Jaya from July 3-6. Inspired by real accounts, the 90-minute production blends monologue, movement, original music, and visual art to spotlight the experiences of sexual violence survivors. Miriam Devaprasana, the show's co-writer and creative advisor, says that the decision to first perform Burden Of Proof in George Town two years ago was purposeful. 'It wasn't just because we're based there. We wanted to start from the ground up, in a place where conversations around sexual violence are still relatively limited and often confined to specific circles," says Miriam. 'Compared to Kuala Lumpur, where public campaigns, advocacy and visual messaging are more present, Penang felt quieter and we saw the need to bring the issue into community spaces in a more visible and embodied way,' she adds. The Dabble Dabble Jer Collective members were encouraged by the meaningful feedback it received from the audience in 2023 – some shared that the show helped them name or recognise experiences they had previously been unable to articulate, while others spoke about how eye-opening it was to witness the various forms of sexual violence. Dabble Dabble Jer Collective members (from left) Ysabel Loh, Miriam Devaprasana, Charity Yong, Darynn Wee, Bernardine Abeysekra and Justin Khaw. Photo: Dabble Dabble Jer Collective Burden Of Proof was also its debut stage production. 'For some, they told us that the show made the statistic '1 in 3' feel personal. The stories were no longer far away or abstract – they were here, reflected in strangers around them. What we hope to do this time is to take that emotional proximity even further,' says Miriam. New ways of storytelling Previously staged at Jetty 35 in George Town, the performance, with support from the Hai-O Arts and Culture Grants, has now moved to a more intimate venue at Papan Haus, a semi-detached house set in a residential neighbourhood. Writer and director Ysabel Loh, who also acts in the performance, says that the new location allows the audience to move and stand, follow the actors and navigate the space themselves. The show's other co-writer is Charity Yong, another integral member of the Dabble Dabble Jer Collective alongside Bernardine Abeysekra (music and sound), Darynn Wee (production) and Justin Khaw (set, lighting, artist). Writer-director Ysabel Loh, who also performs, says the new venue - Papan Haus in Petaling Jaya - lets audiences move freely, follow the actors, and navigate the space on their own. Photo: Dabble Dabble Jer Collective 'The previous production was very text-heavy – we focused on telling the story through monologues or dialogue. In this 2025 rendition, we wanted to experiment with new ways of storytelling through different forms of performative art," says Loh. 'We explored how certain details could be highlighted through varied performative elements such as movement, sound or spatial design to allow audiences – who may otherwise disengage by simply 'watching' – to connect more deeply with what victim- survivors endured,' she adds. Each story invites audiences to be active spectators: one testimony may emphasise healing through poetry and dance, one might internalise better through back-and-forth dialogue, and another may challenge reflection through simulations or abstract movement. There will also be immersive elements, such as reflection, questioning and audience participation during and in between the stories. Carrying the weight The 2025 restaging features both familiar and new faces, with Loh, Sofea Lee and Villmett Thanakody making a return, while Chrisalynn Lim and Matthew Tan are the new names on board. Lee, 29, says that her experience in the 2023 production had been challenging, but humbling. 'For the restaging, I do feel that my performance will be different than last time, as I have grown as both a person and an actor. The emotional nuance and range expected with the 2025 production feels more intense, so I'm excited to rise to the occasion and bring these stories to a wider audience,' she says. If you're looking to discover theatre talent from Penang, the young cast of 'Burden Of Proof' is a strong place to start. Photo: Dabble Dabble Jer Collective For Lim, 21, it's been a sombre process to get into the right headspace for the show. 'Not to say that the rehearsal process hasn't been fun or exciting or devoid of positive emotion – far from it! But the weight of the subject matter of this show is a constant presence. I think all of us involved are very sensitive to that weight and want to do it justice," says Lim. 'As a newcomer to the show and also the youngest member of the team, I was slightly apprehensive about the rehearsal process in the beginning. But I can say now that the emotional support, camaraderie and respect displayed throughout our preparations for the show have reassured me that we are taking art in the right direction,' she adds. A space to be Alongside the performance is The Quiet Space, a companion installation work designed to centre community voices and invite deeper reflection. Conceived as a space for stillness and shared witnessing, it features written stories from survivors of sexual violence, with visual interpretations by artist Khaw. As set designer and multi-tasker, he says more survivors have come forward since the last run, prompting them to expand the space to include new stories. For Dabble Dabble Jer Collective, the addition of an installation piece gives the show a new dimension. Inspired by real accounts, the 90-minute production blends monologue, movement, original music, and visual art to spotlight the experiences of sexual violence survivors. Photo: Dabble Dabble Jer Collective Miriam says that The Quiet Space acts as both a balance and a contrast to the weight of the show. 'I had been deeply struck by Singaporean artist Jevon Chandra's 2022 installation Other Things, especially the idea that truth doesn't always need to be performed. Sometimes, it just needs to be there: unmoving, waiting to be witnessed. So I was drawn to the possibility of having both truth spoken aloud on stage, and truth that simply hung in the air," says Miriam. 'In the performance, the actors create and hold space for each story. In The Quiet Space, the reader is the one who must hold the story. We've intentionally left the texts largely unedited, aside from some light grammatical corrections. Most are shared exactly as we received them. There's something sacred in that rawness and authenticity,' she adds. Khaw adds that the collective felt a responsibility to create a space that could hold the heavy feelings brought on by the performance and transform them into something constructive. 'The Quiet Space was designed as that bridge. We didn't want the experience to end when the curtain falls, leaving people with a sense of helplessness. By making the installation participatory, we are dissolving the barrier between the viewer and the issue, and providing a direct, tangible way for the audience to channel their empathy into action. 'It's an invitation that says, 'Your response matters. You are not just a spectator; you can be an active part of this conversation, a part of the support system, a part of the change,'' he concludes. Burden Of Proof will be performed at Papan Haus in Section 14, Petaling Jaya from July 3-6, accompanied by The Quiet Space installation. For mature audiences.
Rakyat Post
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Rakyat Post
Inside ‘Burden of Proof': Miriam Devaprasana On Art, Advocacy & Urgent Truths
Subscribe to our FREE What does truth feel like? It's a question that lingered in Miriam Devaprasana's mind long after the political theatre had ended. In 2021, she was part of a women-in-politics initiative in Penang – the kind that promised change. She wrote an entire Just a month prior, Miriam had lodged her own police report for a public act of verbal sexual harassment. The response she received mirrored the same systemic failures she'd now been asked to ignore. 'There was a lot of disappointment. A lot of anger. And hurt,' she says. Months later, Miriam Other Things , and in it, he referenced Martin Luther. It wasn't the loud act of nailing his theses to the church door, but the charged silence before that resonated with her: 'What does it feel like to tell the truth? What does truth feel like?' That question became the seed of Burden of Proof . (Dabble Dabble Jer Collective) The immersive theatre production by Dabble Dabble Jer Collective, co-written and co-devised by Miriam, first premiered to a sold-out audience in Penang in November 2023. This July, it returns to Petaling Jaya with new layers, a new home, and the same unflinching commitment to storytelling, healing, and change. 'I began to imagine how theatre, as a bottom-up approach, could move hearts in ways policy can't,' she says. 'I felt certain it could stir something deeper.' Building with Reverence (Dabble Dabble Jer Collective) From the beginning, Burden of Proof was never just a show – it was a communal act of witnessing. When Miriam shared the initial vision with friends, every single one said yes. I also realised something – that for each of us, this wasn't just a cause. It was personal. Every single person I spoke to had either experienced or witnessed some form of sexual violence, either directly, or through someone in their close network. There was no distance from the issue. Miriam Devaprasana. This intimacy demanded a new kind of responsibility. 'We knew we were carrying real stories of violence, silence, survival,' Miriam explains. 'Navigating that ethically meant asking ourselves hard questions at every step: Are we honouring this story? Are we being careful not to overstep, or sensationalise? Are we letting the survivor's truth lead?' (Dabble Dabble Jer Collective) One of the most difficult moments came during story collection. 'I realised that nearly 70% of the stories submitted were from people I know: friends, collaborators, people I've done life with,' she says. 'That changed everything. It wasn't just about curating or writing. It became about carrying these truths with reverence.' Reverence became the compass – whether through monologue, movement, music, or visual art. Each story was treated not as content to be shaped, but as testimony to be held. 'We always resisted the urge to combine or simplify stories for narrative convenience,' she says. Each story held its own texture, rhythm, and weight, and deserved to remain whole. Miriam Devaprasana. The Quiet Companion Not all stories made it to the stage. And that's how The Quiet Space was born – a contemplative installation that runs alongside the performance. 'I was drawn to the possibility of having both: truth spoken aloud on stage, and truth that simply hung in the air – still, quiet, but no less powerful.' Visitors enter the space to read stories exactly as they were submitted – lightly edited for grammar, but otherwise left untouched. 'There's something sacred in that rawness,' says Miriam. 'Throughout the process, we've always been careful not to frame The Quiet Space as an exhibition. There's a fine line between holding space and putting stories on display. We never wanted to cross that.' Justin Khaw Miriam Devaprasana The space, designed by Justin Khaw, acts as an intentional counterbalance. 'The performance space holds urgency, confrontation, and emotional weight. The Quiet Space , in contrast, is stillness. It's calm. A place to breathe, to settle, to just be.' A House, Not a Hall (Dabble Dabble Jer Collective) The 2025 restaging of Burden of Proof takes place not in a hall, but in a house. This change is deliberate. A house holds very different energy. It carries the weight of familiarity, privacy, and proximity. It allows us to immerse audiences more directly in the world of the work. Miriam Devaprasana. This intimacy brings new risk – and new power. 'There's less room to hide,' she admits. 'Which I think is very much in the spirit of Burden of Proof .' They've also revised parts of the script, this time in closer dialogue with the survivors who contributed the stories. 'We wanted to make sure we were capturing the right tone, the right emotional nuance, especially for pieces that were particularly layered or vulnerable.' Small reflective prompts are now embedded throughout the show, inviting audiences to pause, feel, and sit with discomfort. Radical, Quiet, True (Dabble Dabble Jer Collective) As co-founder of Dabble Dabble Jer, Miriam is no stranger to the power of small collectives. 'I knew I couldn't do it alone,' she says of the project's early days. 'So I thought, let's make a kampung out of it.' The collective name, Dabble Dabble Jer , speaks to their spirit of experimentation. We try things, we experiment, and we figure it out together. Miriam Devaprasana. In an arts ecosystem like Penang's, that sense of community isn't optional – it's essential. 'In Penang, people often work in silos. But because the ecosystem is so fragile, that fragmentation feels even more pronounced. We wanted to push against that.' For Miriam, radical art-making in Malaysia doesn't have to shout. 'It can be quiet. It can be tender. But it must be honest and willing to unsettle.' Burden of Proof isn't about resolution. It's about recognition. 'As a survivor myself, I can say, yes, life goes on. Sometimes we heal. Sometimes we don't even know what we need healing from… But something this personal, this intimate, changes us.' If Burden of Proof could speak for itself? 'I've told you the truth. Will you listen? Will you believe?' That is the question at the heart of the work. Not just for the audience, but for a society that has too often asked survivors to carry the burden of proof – and then demanded more. 'It's not about offering neat resolutions. It's about shifting the conversation – and starting from a place of truth.' Because the truth, as Burden of Proof reminds us, should always be enough. Get your tickets for Burden of Proof . For more information, follow on Instagram. 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