Ordained by Heaven

Super late updates as usual... finally I am uploading behind the scene production photos from November. "Ordained by Heaven" It was a performance that I joined by Not So Loud theatre company. I played a role of female general and second wife of Mr. Missing Something (clown-protagonist). It was an adaptation of Beijing Opera by Li Yu. How often do I get a chance to say I performed in a story from Qing dynasties! (1610-1680) Directed by Tom Hope and translated in English by Martin Merz, the story was presented with Jerry Springer style narration! It was a great experience to learn a little bit more about Beijing Opera from Ghaffar Pourazar who came to Hong Kong for this production. Ghaffar's workshop truly inspired me as a performer. His devotion and passion for Beijing Opera was so deep and it was amazing to hear his story of how he learned Beijing Opera being Iranian-British. (www.beijingopera.info)

I also helped them painting our original masks for the performance. I was a fun comedy performance where I made many great friends!!

Musicians: You guys were so awesome!!!!

Red Dragonflies screening in Tokyo!!!

Last week, I recieved a great news from the director of Red Dragonflies Jiekai Liao. The featured film that I had a part in, will be screening at Tokyo International Film Festival on Oct 26th and the 29th!!!

The film has been getting a lot of great reviews!

Thanks again for the cast and crew for the amazing time in Singapore! I miss all the amazing food that I tried and warm friends that I met there.

Here is the link to one of the review for Red Dragonflies !!

To find more about Tokyo International Film Festival!

Thank you!

From Portrait to Doodles

-photos from the opening night-

Thank you everyone so much for your continuous support :) The night was fun and it was good to share at last! Thank you EVENT for letting me speak about my work at SPEAK UP!

Sincerely,
Haruka

From Portrait to Doodles- ART EXHIBITION

Hello everyone, Gabe and I are putting together a new exhibition "FROM PORTRAIT TO DOODLES" with our friend Jessica Tse. The exhibition includes watercolor portrait paintings, ink drawings and mix media art work by

Gabe Ostley (sequencial artist)
Haruka Ashida Ostley (painter/performer)
&
Jessica Tse (painter)

Opening!
This Friday Sep 24th 7:00pm
@philia lounge
4 arbuthnot rd
Central, Hong Kong
Tel:2147 2389

There will be free drinks and we will have special guests Peter Scheer and Ken Rose for great jazz music!

Please stop by and hope to have a good time and catch up with you all soon :)

Radheya by Samrit Lwagun

Amazing original song "Radheya" by our friend Samrit. This song was dedicated to his mother.  Gabe and I met him through our mutual friends. He was looking for a place to record and film his original song.  

I always think how amazing God brings people in your life to inspire, share and support each other.

I love his story telling through his music. Thank you for sharing Samrit. You are truly inspirational. :)) I hope many people will listen to your music and bring happiness in their heart by thinking of their own mother. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvqnI2RkaQA

Filmed by Hari Ravi

Recorded at Takumi Studio by Anthony Cheng

Produced by Gabe Ostley, Sunny Fan 

Mural : "Effort, Courage, Strength, and Faith"

This is a mural that I am working on in front of the gym area at the scondary school campus. I was moved by watching an interview with this year's Olympic Ice skater from Japan.

I admire their daily effort, courage, strength and faith in risking everything for their one big moment. As I was inpired by them, I wanted to paint a mural to inspire students to never give up and challenge themselve for their big dreams!

Amazing time at Jeanne's Acting Workshop

Speechless...  Jeanne Hartman's workshop really made me feel so alive as an actor.  

Jeanne created an atmosphere that made everyone feel so safe and able to trust each other.  I felt that within every scene study we gave our all because we trusted and witnessed that Jeanne would find the way to take us to the next level. She knew how to guide us to the truthful moments where we would feel so excited to explore more.  And it was amazing to experience and see in others how her coaching made each scene so vibrant.  

I AM READY, to work and work.  I have to trust myself now and keep practicing just like any other professional athlete.  

No more fears :)))  I am very excited to think about the new possibilities.  

Really great people make you feel that you, too, can become great. - Mark Twain

Thank you so much Jeanne, and your words, the time I shared with great new friends, and this book will stay with me forever. 

Antigone - bigger than life

April 23rd, the revival of the Theatre du pif production, Antigone ended successfully.  My role was Ismene, the sister of Antigone, who attempts to dissuade Antigone from her act of rebellion against the king (against the law).  The moment I read the script, I was so struck with the story. It was a powerful story. It is so amazing to think that though it was an adaptation of ancient Greek tragedy, it still speak so strongly till this day. The power of classic...   Antigone

Anything classical, Greek tragedy, or Shakespearean used to give me a heavy weight feeling just to think about them. But surprisingly I enjoyed the process more than anything. It was an intense, focused rehearsal time.  Working with the director, Jovanni Sy, and the cast of Antigone, was an unforgettable experience. The more you chew on the text, it reveals so many layers to discover.  It was a never ending exploration.  Forget it is a classical play. The character of a sister who truly cares for her younger sister is timeless, especially when its talking about life and death.  

Bonni Chan, who played Antigone was incredible. She was wonderful to work with, and learn from. Not just because she won the HK APA  best Actress award for three consecutive years!! LOL , but because of her will to go all the way with the character and one's desire.

Watching her scene arguing with King Creon reminded me of one of Stella Adler's quotes.

"When you stand on the stage you must have a sense that you are addressing the whole world, and that what you say is so important the whole world must listen." - Stella Adler

The power of committing to the words and the will of the character is so striking. 

Antigone was bigger than life. 

With Nanny - Margaret

Antigone - Bonni Chan

Making of the film .. The Pink Elephant

The Pink Elephant Blurb - (written by Crystal Koo)
A burned-out writer and an architecture student with manic-depression find each other in an apartment corridor of alienation and unfulfilled dreams. Set in the hyperreality of modern life, The Pink Elephant is a film about friendship, conviction, and the courage to hold on to what is truly real.

This was a short film project that I worked on during last Easter break, directed by my husband Gabe Ostley. Originally it was a short story, written by my writer friend Crystal Koo. She wrote this short story based on true event that happened during her college year. I was immediately intrigued by the story and the characters.

Jim Lee, the drummer of Good Fellas  joined as the other lead character for this film.

It was amazing how everything came together from finding cast, crew, equipments, and locations under the pressure of "low.... almost no budget movie" making. Our crew friends, people who supported us with the locations and equipment, they were all there with this incredible understanding of the passion for making.

It was such a learning experience for me in every step as usual. There were many struggles and restless nights, but in the end, three days intense shooting were done almost like a dream. It was incredible...

The biggest learning?? yes....

I am not in this alone.

There were some moments I was judging myself as an actor, and kept thinking how I should have done differently. I was kept hoping that I wish I had more time to rehearse and prepare things etc.... However, I had such an eye opening moment when I read what Jeanne Hartman wrote on her Alive not Dead blog.

"Putting the focus on the desire and the want of this character more than your own personal feelings. "

In the end, it is not about how well I play the character or how well I prepare for the scene. It is about Sophie and her desire.

There were many discoveries, that were very different from theater work.

I am very excited.

New media, new discoveries...
I was so thankful for everyone who joined the team and made this all happen.

FAR AWAY Trailer

I went to see the Far Away production opening tonight.  Though I read the script and worked on their special trailer making project, I had no idea how my friend Vee would direct the play.  I thought it was a very difficult script to direct and execute well.  But Wow... she really nailed it.  It was greatly shown that the actors and the director communicated very well and the whole set, light and costumes were supported the story very well.  Congratulation Vee :))

Far Away trailer

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=299674371103