I still remember the night this nonsense started.
It was around 2013. I was new to Penang, slightly sleep-deprived from raising a baby and a toddler, and desperate for an adult evening out. So my husband and I went to watch a local theatre production. A doctor friend of mine was performing, which, frankly, was the main selling point.
By the end of the evening, I said to myself, “Hey, that looked like good fun. If he can do it, maybe so can I.”
I did what most sensible people do with such thoughts. I ignored it for about ten years.
Then one day, somewhere between ‘midlife crisis’ and ‘itchy backside syndrome,’ I decided, “OK la, time to flex those theatre muscles.”
Immediately, the doubts came marching in.
“You got no training, no experience. Siao ah?”
“You're 40 already, can do acting meh?”
Like many people, I assumed there was a proper, respectable path into acting. Classes, certifications, maybe some secret initiation ritual. I didn’t have the patience for all that. I wanted to get straight into it but I had no idea where to start.
Except… I knew one person. That same doctor friend.
So I did what any self-respecting adult does when they have no plan: I WhatsApp-ed him.
“Doc, I want to act la. How ah?”
He passed me a contact. I messaged her - cold, direct, slightly paiseh. Her advice was simple, “Follow theatre groups and production houses on Facebook. They post auditions there. Just start.”
That was it. No gatekeeping. No ‘you must train for five years first’. Just… show up.
Honestly? I was a bit shocked. That’s it ah? Just go for auditions?
So I did.
Not long after, I came across an open casting call. Requirements: submit a 2-minute monologue video.
I cobbled something together. When I watch it now, I cringe.
But that geli-inducing video did something important. It got me seen.
That one small, slightly embarrassing step opened doors that would have otherwise remained shut if I had not summoned up the mad bravado to follow through. It led to a monologue performance later that year. It led to meeting other orang seni who were generous with their time, their knowledge, and their opportunities. It led to a role in a theatre festival.
The following year, I somehow found myself in lead roles in two productions.
This year? I’ve just completed a musical production and am currently preparing for another theatre show—and I’m having the time of my life.
Not bad for someone who started with zero clue and a questionable monologue.
So, was it luck? Maybe.
I was lucky to meet people who believe in growing the scene, not guarding it. People who truly believe in cultivating fresh talent and giving newbies a fair chance to learn and hone the craft as they go. But luck alone doesn’t do much if you’re sitting at home overthinking.
This is what I’ve learned: Penang’s performing arts scene is more open than you think. It’s not reserved for the ‘trained’ or the ‘young’ or the ‘already connected.’ Plenty of people come in with full-time jobs, families, and zero background, then figure it out along the way.
The real barrier isn’t access. It’s hesitation.
You don’t need to have it all sorted. You don’t even need to be brilliant—yet. You just need the courage to look a little foolish at the start, and the faith to trust the process.
Do it before you’re ready. Do it scared.
As my sons like to remind me, after years of me preaching to them, “Don’t be afraid to try.”
Annoying, but correct.
Because really, tak cuba, tak tahu.
Disclaimer: Follow at your own risk. Results may vary. Known side effect: 100% chance of personal growth.
About the writer:
Lauren Tan believes in doing things before you’re ready, asking “can meh?” and diving in any way because that’s where the best stories happen. By day, she juggles real-life responsibilities. By night (and on some weekends), she willingly subjects herself to rehearsals, auditions, and public embarrassment, all in the name of ‘growth.’
Seni:Kita (pentaspena.pg@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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