Deal with your fears
Members of the Joint School Drama Production (JSDP) hope their upcoming show will encourage their peers to face their problems and fears.
The show, Hea-ly Empire, is an absurd drama blended with humour, which focuses on teenagers' tendency to run away from problems.
'Hea' is a popular new Cantonese term which means 'wasting time', while 'ly' means 'hiding'. Inside the virtual 'Hea-ly Empire', people can pursue their dreams no matter how hard that may seem in real life.
The story revolves around teenagers Maggie, Nicole, Man, Ben and Ming, who are all dissatisfied with their real lives.
Maggie does badly in school and does not get on with her mother; Nicole loves luxury brands but can only afford the fake versions; Man is always bullied in school; Ben only scores two points in the HKCEE and nobody ever listens to him, and triad leader Ming 'loses face' after his virtual weapons are stolen by Man online.
But they all find fulfilment and comfort in Hea-ly Empire and slowly become addicted to it - until one day, Maggie realises it is all pretend, and leads the others out of the empire.
The original script was written by Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA) graduate Matthew Cheung Kwok-wai, while another HKAPA graduate Freddy Wong Man-ho is directing.
'We are looking at something that young people can easily relate to. There are many ways for them to avoid thinking about their problems,' said Wong.
'Some people surf the internet all day or to gamble to forget about their problems.'
The actors, all secondary school students, said they all had their own 'Hea-ly Empires'.
'When I have problems, for example, deciding what to study, or not knowing how to deal with others, I hide in my room,' said Kelvin Chan Ka-long, a fourth former at La Salle College who plays Ming.
'After a while, I'll calm down and think of a solution. Then I come out of my room.'
Hilda Cheng Hiu-tung, a Form Five student at Sacred Heart Canossian College who plays Nicole, said she was afraid of growing up.
'I used to be so worried about growing up. I didn't want to face real life and I never thought about what I would do when I got older,' she said.
'I thought I could remain a kid forever if I just didn't think about it. I was wrong. My parents helped me overcome my fear.
'So don't be scared. As long as you are willing to seek help, there's always a way out.'
Established in 1996, the JSDP has staged 10 productions with the help of HKAPA graduates.
This year, proceeds will be used to provide professional drama training.
'Every year, we organise drama courses and workshops for our members. We learn about acting, sets, lighting, sound, costume and stage management,' said Form Seven student Edward Chan Tak-ping of Kwun Tong Maryknoll College, who is also the producer of Hea-ly Empire.
'The most outstanding participants get to join our annual summer production.
'Quite a few actors in Hea-ly Empire have not performed on stage before.'
