At the Old Court Black Box Theatre a play entitled “Men Project” will be staged tonight and tomorrow night in which three men examine their thoughts and universes as they go through their midlife crisis.

According to a statement by the organiser, D’As Entranhas Macau Cultural Association, “at the beginning of time they stole Adam’s rib, which didn’t work out well for men. It unbalanced us! Then, to make up for it, they stuck a lump in our throats and now we’re forced to deal with it!”

The Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) is the play’s sponsor, while the Orient Foundation (FO) is its institutional partner.

Men Project is performed by three men – American Kelsey Wilhem playing 30-year-old singleton Big Mike, Portuguese Jorge Vale playing the 40-year-old married Carlito and Chinese Machi Chon playing Richard Tong, a 50-year-old divorcee. Each man speaks in his native language in the play that has been adapted and rewritten by Artistic Director Vera Paz so that it resonates more with local audiences.

Men Project is a comedy and a tragedy rolled into one about man and the male condition nowadays. Men Project is directed by a woman and performed by three men.

The Macau Post Daily sat down with the actors and director at the Old Court Black Box Theatre in the central district on Wednesday to talk about the play.

Paz said: “I have kept the concept of the original play, the title is the same but the content is totally different, with different ages as men’s situation in Macau is different to the men’s in Portugal.”

She added, “The actors are all local amateurs, mostly ex-journalists.”

Chon is involved in films and the local Patuá theatre group.

According to Wikipedia, Macanese patois, known as Patuá to its speakers, is a Portuguese-based Creole with a substrate from Cantonese, Malay and Sinhala, which was originally spoken by the Macanese community in Macau. It is now spoken by a few families in Macau and some families in the Macanese diaspora.

Vale said, “I want to be a bad guy in the play, some parts of my character I hate, I don’t want to be this guy,”

Wilhem said, “We are playing different age groups and the difficulties we are facing. In the play we are 30, 40 and 50 and have different cultural backgrounds, what we are portraying is drawn from our personal experiences.”

Chon said, “I consider this part a challenge, I have a play to do next week and one is in December and originally recommended someone else as I was shocked to be asked to take part. I am Chinese! Why me? Then I knew if I take this challenge it would be a good chance so I didn’t want to miss it.”

Vale said, “We have developed a brotherhood so if I miss something the others are there like a safety net. In live shows you need to work as a team. I like to work like creating this lifestyle. If you play Shakespeare [it] is all lines on paper and the audience know if you make a mistake, not with this [play].”

Wilhem noted, “It is a flexible script which can change at any time. There are three monologues [in the three languages] about our inner feelings and the rest is scripted conversation and interaction.”

Chon said, “I feel proud, this is the first time I have worked with other nationalities.” He laughed and said, “It is a big chance to improve my English and learn Portuguese.”

The team say that their body language should help people understand what the play is about.

Unfortunately, for those who would like to see the play the show is sold out, although Paz said that she hopes they can put it on in another venue sometime after Christmas. 

Cast and director of Men Project pose at the Old Court Black Box Theatre on Wednesday evening – Machi Chon (from left to right), Vera Paz, Kelsey Wilhem, and Jorge Vale. Photo: Lesley Wells