Getting to know... 

Another side of Anne 

SHE stood in front of the class, holding up our revered textbook as if she was about to throw it out the window, and said, "I want you to think." 

Very few teachers would choose to digress from the syllabus. But Anne James was different. She did not seek to regurgitate textbooks. Instead, she broke the mould by challenging her students to form their own independent thought. Anne was one teacher who made a lasting impression on me, and I'm sure, many others. 

But there's another side to Anne James. Local theatre-goers may know her as the prolific actress who has graced many a play with her profound interpretations and talent. 

Anne has two faces - slef assured stage persona and shy, reflective person.

Anne James: English teacher, slave driver, performer extraordinaire, director, and I knew her before she made it big! 

"I'm basically a shy person, but I've always wanted to be on stage," she says, her eyes still glowing with the enthusiasm of a 16-year-old when she speaks about her work as a performer. 

I met Anne recently during a preview of Salam Benua - Tribute to Usman Awang. It's been 10 years since I saw her last. 

In heels I now tower over her but she hasn't changed much except perhaps for a few strands of grey hair. 

Almost a recluse, because she makes selective appearances on stage, Anne has been heaped with accolades for her deft performances. Yet she remains the shy, small-town teacher I knew a decade ago. 

Anne fell in love with dancing at the age of five, but her home town in Kedah didn't have any ballet teachers. Her dreams were only realised when she went to University Sains Malaysia, Penang, to do theatre. 

"My father didn't approve, " she recalls, "so I took up teaching as well as theatre to please him." 

Anne remembers that time fondly, the words "mind-blowing" littering her recollections of the experimental 70s. It was the era that gave us Usman Awang, Krishen Jit, Marion D'Cruz; when theatre and folk art was the way of the wayward. 

"It was a great time, fun and, I suppose wild. University was a place to expand your mind, try out new ideas. You were allowed to explore your own creative potential." 

"At that time, we had a very forward-thinking Chancellor who had a vision of creating a generation of thinking students. Nowadays, students even have to wear collared T-shirts! Which is so sad, because I feel that our country has been robbed of its youth," laments Anne. 

Being a teacher probably plays a big part in her interest in the education of this country, but Anne is not merely just an actress or just a teacher, she is a person who seeks to say something and maybe make a difference. 

"I pick plays that have something to say. I don't just say the words, I make it my words," she says. "Sometimes it is hard to find well-written plays. But I enjoy working with different directors and writers to get exposure." 

In the old days, she used to practise the tried and tested Method Acting. Wacky Marion D'Cruz soon changed that, taking Anne back full circle into the dancing realm. 

"It was great being able to express myself physically and to merge this with acting. When you get into the core of something and merge it with text, it becomes all the more powerful, and this is important to me," says Anne. 

She looks wistful when she talks about dancing, but her work with Marion has opened her to fresh perspectives, something she treasures. 

Being driven, Anne has now delved into a new area - directing - and one of her works is Mergers and Accusations, a production that features young talents. 

"It's great to pass on what I've learnt over the years; it's also enjoyable to work with people with very little experience, since there's so much more to give," she says. 

One could probably call her an altruist when it comes to knowledge, because she shares whatever she can, while seeking more. 

The same goes for her teaching. Though she admits she doesn't like her profession, she says she has "become a teacher after 20 years of teaching." 

In the end, it's her love or need to impart knowledge that keeps her going back to the classroom. 

Anne has been in my "Teachers Hall of Fame" for years, and all this time, she didn't even like her job! An actress indeed. Cut. 

Anne James has acted in The Sandpit, Caught in the Middle, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, among others. Her latest performance will be a dance, choreographed by herself and Marion D'Cruz in Salam Benua - Tribute to Usman Awang, which will be on from Nov 26 to 28. Tickets (RM25) can be obtained at the Actor's Studio. For more information, call 03-294 5400/292 5927.