Bulletin Spring‧Summer 1981

Mr. Hardy S.C. Tsoi Apart from giving professional guidance and advice to students who plan to put on shows in the venue, the Sir Run Run Shaw Hall also offers theatre courses so that students can be introduced to the theoretical and practical aspects of the theatre and related media. Before any school of performing arts is established in Hong Kong, The Chinese University can be proud of the unique opportunity it offers to its students in this particular field. Act i vi t i es In the first two to three months, the Sir Run Run Shaw Hall catered for some simple bookings, which served the purpose of 'warming up' its opera­ tion. The real house-warming will come in August, when 14 guided tours will be given to guests both inside and outside the University over a period of two weeks. External bookings will be accepted at the hire rate of $1500 per four hours for arts perform­ ances and $1000 per four hours for assemblies and the like. It is believed that only by bringing quality pro­ grammes into the Hall would it be possible to test out the new facilities and enhance in the long run, its role of arts promotion. For this reason, the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra has been arranged to perform on 15th October, 1981. In late October and November, it will present cinema shows and dance performances in conjunction with the Hong Kong Film Culture Centre and the City Contem porary Dance Company respectively. In November, it will play host to the visiting Yan Ken Benevolent Association Choir from Malaysia in the Sino- Malaysian Folk Song Night. The first programme in the joint presentation schedule in 1982 will be a stage play, Robert Bolt's A Man for Al l Seasons in its Cantonese premiere in Hong Kong. Although the Sir Run Run Shaw Hall is still young, it has already embarked upon a worthy journey in the realm of education and arts. The Manage r — Mr . H a r d y S.C. Tsoi Mr. Hardy S.C. Tsoi received his training at Northcote College of Education in Hong Kong from 1966 to 1968. On completion of his teacher's certi­ ficate course, he took up a teaching post at St. Paul's College Primary School and later at St. Paul's College. He left for the United States in 1974 to pursue further studies at Seton Hall University in New Jersey, and obtained his Bachelor's degree in Com­ munication Arts in 1977. He then returned to Hong Kong and assumed posts as Director and Head Director of English Subject, and later Producer of Spceial Programmes in the Education Television Section of Radio Television Hong Kong. He joined The Chinese University of Hong Kong in May, 1981 as Manager of the Sir Run Run Shaw Hall. Besides having been a television producer by profession, Mr. Tsoi is rich in theatre experience, which dates back to 1966 when he was acting and directing in post-secondary drama festivals and later directing in educational circles, particularly in school productions at St. Paul's College. His university course work in the United States was heavily theatre­ oriented and he was employed by the Theatre-in-the- Round of his university in various capacities, and finally as Production Manager. In his television career in Hong Kong, his interest in directing drama­ tic programmes and popularizing stage drama via the medium of television led to his production of Radio Television Hong Kong's 10-episode serits, Hong Kong Playhouse, in which ten plays in the Hong Kong Repertory Company's repertoire were condensed into half-hour television programmes, his favourite ones in the series being St. Joan, Macbeth, and Antigone. His stage work with the Hong Kong Re­ pertory Company in recent years includes his partici­ pation as actor in The Great Trial, as Executive Director in Witness f or the Prosecution, and as Director in Ah! Wilderness. With his appointment as Manager of the Sir Run Run Shaw Hall, he will have more opportunities to work in the theatre. He believes that, within the fine cultural ambience of The Chinese University, the Hall has every potential to become yet another cultural centre in Hong Kong. At present, among the many activities going on in the new venue, Mr. Tsoi is busily organizing theatre courses for students and giving guidance and assistance to their productions, in drama as well as in. performing arts of other kinds. The Cantonese premiere of his own stage production, A Man For Al l Seasons, has already been scheduled for March 1982. 15