'Model Citizens': The tragic story of three women in Singapore
Night or day? Siti Khalijah (left) and Karen Tan as ladies with their own stories to tell.What does it take to be a model citizen -- that’s the question posed in The Necessary Stage’s latest stage production, "Model Citizens". The story unfolds in English, Mandarin and Malay, as it tackles the issues faced by three very different women, each struggling with a personal tragedy. We catch up with two of the three all-female cast, Siti Khalijah and Karen Tan, who tell us just how 'model' they are as citizens.
CNNGo: What's it like to work with an all-female cast -- is the atmosphere any different?
Karen Tan: I think every production starts with its unique working atmosphere and each performer brings a different energy. In "Model Citizens", it's been a blast working with Guat Kian and Siti -- they're both terribly intelligent and carry the weight of the play, while I just float along in my Karen Tan way, wondering if anyone notices I'm eating biscuits on the sly.
Siti Khalijah: The chemistry between the three of us is really wonderful. We're really comfortable with each other and we can go from discussing about the script and suddenly go off topic talking about kuehs (local cakes and pastries) and bulging tummies! But seriously, it's great because we can easily connect emotionally and 'feel' each other when we're performing.
