Love, Death & Survival: How An Award-Winning Play About The 1918 Pandemic Could Save klpac
Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (klpac) needs to raise RM3.3 million by December in order to stay afloat.
By Tamara Jayne — 15 Mar 2021, 12:23 PM
In conjunction with the anniversary of Malaysia's Movement Control Order, The Actor's Studio is putting on an award-winning play about one of the deadliest epidemics in history
Unity (1918) by Kevin Kerr tells the story of a small town - Unity in Saskatchewan, Canada, as they confront the 1918 flu pandemic that killed an estimated 20 to 50 million people worldwide.
It draws a parallel between the 1918 flu and the present time, showing how its residents try to survive, find love, and deal with death during the devastating pandemic.
The play earned Canada's Governor General's Literary Award for Drama in 2002.
Unity (1918) is produced by Dato' Dr Faridah Merican, as well as directed and co-directed by Tung Jit Yang and Dawn Cheong respectively.
The recorded performance features 11 actors in Malaysia – Claudia Low, Aiman Aiman, Dawn Cheong, Farah Rani, Ho Lee Ching, Ivan Chan, Jon Chew, Jun Vinh Teoh, Qahar Aqilah, Sukania Venugopal, and Tiara Anchant.
Amid COVID-19 struggles, especially for the Malaysian arts, all tickets purchased will help raise funds to keep Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (klpac) afloat
Due to COVID-19, klpac's losses are at RM2 million and it will need to raise RM3.3 million by December in order to survive.
"We wanted to give life to a theatre that could no longer hold an audience. We wanted to tell the stories of these 'fictional' characters living a real moment of our collected history, a historic moment that has tragically become our lived present," says director Tung Jit Yang.
Unity (1918), which was recorded in August 2020, will premier online on selected dates from 18 March to 28 March. Streaming times are also available for those in the US, UK, and New Zealand.
