UNSEX ME!

UNSEX ME! is a theatre production by the Drama and Theatre Department, School of The Arts, Universiti Sains Malaysia. The production was created for an invitation to perform at the 2021 14th APB Theatre School and Director's Conference Online Festival, with the theme of Shakespeare and Multimedia. This online program is going to be the premiere for public audiences. The performance duration is 40 minutes in English and Mandarin language with English subtitle.

 

 

Muhanniz Mesri
 

Muhanniz Mesri, is a Penang based theatre performer who participated in local theatre productions such as Lina: Lijah, and Jungle Book the Musical. Muha, a graduate of the Bachelor of Fine Arts (Hons) Acting and Directing programme from University Sains Malaysia have also done some notable work as an event programmer at George Town Festival over the years.

Daphne Fang May Chi 
 

Daphne is a third year theatre student at University Sains Malaysia. As a performer, a sentence she always believes is "There's no pain and there will be no gain". If we don't pay as much or sacrifice as much, then we don't get back as much. She hopes that she can explore more about art and share it with others. To let them know more about the beauty of the art. 

Monica Eddie A/P Subramaniam
 

Monica Eddie is a final year theatre student at Universiti Sains Malaysia. Other than aspiring to be a more seasoned performer and young arts maker in the near future, she is interested in bringing arts to overarch with themes and values of youth advocacy and activism. She also believes theatre allows people to experience and explore different worlds and fictional real

Chan Jia Yi
 

Jia Yi is a fresh graduate theatre student from USM. She has performed in productions that were directed by the esteemed Nur Hilyati Ramli and Izzardzafli Padzil such as Jungle Book the Musical (2019), Antigone (2018) and Psychosis 4.48 in Singapore Performing Arts Festival (2019). She then proceeded to undergo her internship with the distinguished Aida Redza in Studio Pentas. Despite having a later start, these great role models took her in and enlightened her to the world of Performing Arts. Jia Yi now carries the discipline that was imparted to her into every production with hopes that she would be triumphant in bringing the director's creative visuals to life and ultimately to make her role models proud.

Director
Nur Hilyati Ramli

Nur Hilyati Ramli is a Penang-based theatre practitioner from Melaka. Graduated from Universiti Sains Malaysia with a degree and a Master's degree in Fine Arts, she has been involved in several aspects of performance, such as acting, directing and dancing since 2004. Her talents has brought her not only around Malaysia but also to several countries in South East Asia whereby she has performed at the Penang World Dance Day, Melaka Art & Performance Festival, George Town Festival, Butterworth Fringe Festival, Kaki Seni International Arts Festival, Grass Straw in Taiwan and MY PHAT - Asia Pacific Bureau Drama/Theatre/Dance School Festival in Vietnam, Indonesia and Shanghai. Her serious involvement in the performing arts industry has also immersed her into professional stage management skills. Prior to her current post, she has been lecturing and facilitating children’s workshop performances and performing arts classes in Penang, under the patronage of several organizations such as Ombak-Ombak ARTStudio, Arts-ED Penang, Performing Arts Centre of Pulau Pinang (penangpac), College International Yayasan Melacca, Sultan Idris Education University, People Theatre Taiwan and Universiti Sains Malaysia.

Artistic Director            
Assoc. Prof. Dr A.S Hardy Shafii

Associate Professor Dr. A.S. Hardy Shafii trained in acting at Goldsmiths’ College, University of London during his M.A. degree in ‘Performance Studies’ in 1994-1995 and completed his Ph.D in 2004 at School of The Arts, Universiti Sains Malaysia. His academic publication was published by Routledge in 2017 titled “Makyung Titis Sakti: Reflections on Malay Traditional Performance, Culture and the Malay Worldview through an Adaptation of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, “Makyung: Perspectives on Malaysia’s Traditional Theatre” by the Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2015 and his latest publication is titled ‘Local Knowledge Through the Integration of Design and   Perspectives of Visual and Performing Arts’ in 2021 by Penerbit USM. 
As a theatre director, he has ventured into different types of theatre genres ranging from absurd (‘It is Not A Suicide’ in Vietnam, 2013), tragedy (‘Hamlet’, 2014 at Penangpac), traditional theatre (‘Boria Jawi Peranakan’, 2014), experimental to a devised play at UNESCO-APB (Asia-Pacific Bond) Theatre School Directors’ Conference & Festival titled ‘Reflections On anOTHER’ performed in Shanghai (Shanghai Theatre Academy), China (2014), ‘ The Sound of Silence’ (La Salle College of the Arts) in Singapore (2015), ‘Kiri Kanan’ (Left Right) in National School of Drama, New Delhi, India (2016), ‘Bayang’ at Institut Seni Indonesia (ISI), Yogyakarta (September 2018) and ‘Amok’ in collaboration with Victoria College of the Arts (VCA), Melbourne University, performed in Hanoi, Vietnam in September 2019. He was appointed as a research fellow at University of Minnesota, USA in 2018 and currently he is lecturing at School of the Arts, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM).

Producer            
Dr Mumtaz Begum, Dean, School of The Arts, USM

Mumtaz Begum Aboo Backer is the Dean of School of The Arts (SOTA), Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang. She is an “academic-dancer/, actor-lecturer”. Trained in Bharatanatyam, Malay traditional dances, contemporary dance techniques and Drama & Theatre, Mumtaz uses movement exploration, drama, role-play and story-telling to engage and reach out to children, students and the communities around her. She has collaborated with leading choreographers, directors, dancers, composers and NGOs in Malaysia for various artistic activities, workshops and performances.  Her research interest focuses on children with special needs, marginalized communities, traditional and modern theatre, dance and gender studies in the arts.  

Assistant Director/Scenographer
Izzardzafli Padzil

Izzard is a Penang-based theatre practitioner who hails from Selangor. He works closely with Arts Ed, Penang as a facilitator in many of their children's workshop performances, and performs extensively with Ombak Ombak ARTStudio, working closely with renowned dancer/choreographer Aida Redza. Notably, Izzard also have directed a few playwright such as Dan Tiga Dara 2015, Lina:Lijah 2016 and a full length dance performance, Homeland 2016, a theatrical concert, Menua Kitai, a Sada Borneo Theatrical Concert in 2017, and the his latest direction are Jungle Book The Musical, September 2019. Started getting himself in visual art in the early years of his life, he has only started producing his artworks mostly in posters and logo designs. From the year of 2015, he has started producing artworks, primarily focusing his work on pen and scribble art, and have been awarded with a Consolation Award in the Penang Art Open Competition 2018, organized by Penang State Museum & Art Gallery, and having the artwork exhibited in the Penang Art Open 2018 Exhibition, as well as the 2020 Belang Art Exhibition.

Director of Photography/Videographer    
Jarvis Chan

Jarvis is a currently a junior director for Laparpo Production, a digital commercial content company based in Penang.  Graduated from Universiti Sains Malaysia with a degree in New Media Design and Technology and minoring in theatre directing, he possesses a great interest in creating interactive media as well as curating creative content for video purposes. He has been working closely with homegrown local artists and directed several commercial ads that viraled on social media. He aspires to grow as a more experienced director and venture into his own production company in the future.

Floor Manager/Videographer            
Desmond Ngooi    

Based in Penang, Desmond has both his foot in Media Production and the Performing Arts Industry. Despite having a Degree in Media Production, he has always had a serious interest in the Performing Arts Industry. It started with his love for music which got him into the Penang Junior Orchestra, the Penang Symphony Orchestra and the Penang Jazz Society as the principle bassist. Then he was given the opportunity to perform as an actor in a production called "Syiok Sendiri". With that opportunity, the passionate fire in him grew bigger and he went on to join other productions in order for him to learn more. The UNSEX ME production has now offered him a once in a lifetime opportunity to be their videographer and Desmond hopes to learn as much as he can from all of the seasoned and veteran performers.    

Costume Designer        
Safia Najwa Suhaimi

Safia Najwa Suhaimi is currently based at the Graphic Communication Design department of Universiti Sains Malaysia. She received her Ph.D from Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, in the field of experimental aesthetics and a Master’s degree in design from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. As a young lecturer and researcher, she is keen to explore and focus on studies that address the applicability of visual design for E-culture and transforming commercial product value. She has internationally presented and published papers in the areas of E-culture, design and experimental aesthetics. Apart from research, she enjoys creating and exhibiting visual design pieces that vibrantly communicate to various audiences.

Movement Coach/Stagehand
Aiman Che Azlan

AIMAN is a Penang-based theatre performer and who hails from KELANTAN. AIMAN also have perform a theatrical concert, Menua Kitai, a Sada Borneo Theatrical Concert in 2017, and the latest direction are Jungle Book The Musical, September 2019, he also perform in a physical theater,title called BAYANG and NAFAS ,direct by MISS HILYATI and  IZZARD.

Stagehand        
Muhammad Azrul Masjin

Azrul is a 3rd year theatre student from Universiti Sains Malaysia. he always trying to get as much experience as he can afford for his future use because for him today is an oppurtunity to build the tomorrow he want. he believes the experience he gained today will make him a successful performer in the future.