APPLIED drama and psychology students from Singapore Polytechnic yesterday became characters from the past and present to tackle the topic of conservation in Bugis Street.

The show, entitled Pieces Of Me, exposed students and guests to conservation and urban renewal issues at the Arts House, a multi-disciplinary arts centre.

About 50 audience members spoke to various characters - the coolie, the rich housewife, the office worker - regarding their views on redevelopment.

After the interviews, the audience discussed whether to keep the old buildings in the area and try to recreate the 1970s charm, or tear down the shophouses to make way for malls and hotels.

Singapore Polytechnic student Gail Yeo, 17, acted as a contractor's wife bent on redevelopment. She said the play helped her learn more about a place that young people simply treat as a shopping zone.

'I didn't know about the transvestites until I started this programme,' she said. Bugis was once infamous for its transvestite population.

National Heritage Board chairman Michael Koh praised the interactive theatre piece, saying the programme was a wonderful idea and more importantly 'a fun way to learn'.

MELISSA SIM

This article was first published in The Straits Times on Sept 11, 2008.

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