AFTER THE SHOW

The managers and performers of the professional troupes feel that wayang will survive for as long as traditional Chinese religious beliefs are maintained. Nevertheless, it is becoming increasingly difficult to stage operas in the streets. An "Approved Wayang List" issued by the Public Entertainment Section of the Ministry of Information and the Arts limits the number of available sites. and licenses and permits are required if a stage is to be erected in a public place.

Dismantling the stage

Tragically, impermanence has become a fact of life for the itinerant wayang troupes themselves. Twenty years ago, they were a common sight through much of urban and suburban Singapore. Today, their numbers are half of what they are and they are still decreasing.

The amateur troupes try their best to promote Chinese opera. The Chinese Opera Circle, for example, runs English and Chinese subtitles on either side of the stage whenever it performs at the National Theatre or the Victoria Memorial Theatre. The Ministry of Information and the Arts also sponsors and encourages performances every year during such events as the Drama Festivals, the Festivals of Arts; there are too, the free operas presented several times a year by professional and amateur troupes.

There thus seems little doubt that Chinese opera, as a form of expression, will survive in Singapore. Whether the customs and beliefs that brought wayang tot he streets and temples courtyards of Singapore will remain strong enough to keep it there is a question that defies an answer. One can only hope that this unique heritage will never disappear.