CIRCLING A DIFFICULT ROLE

HE is reputed to be a difficult actor and has generally shunned the media for fear of being misquoted. Getting good quotes from veteran thespian Ahmad Yatim is not a problem but keeping him in his seat could be. This restless soul proved that he could also be a difficult interview subject.

For almost two hours, the 57-year-old Yatim was on edge, going round in circles standing behind every chair in a small discussion room trying to drive home his point about his Willy Loman character in the much-acclaimed Arthur Miller play, Death of a Salesman, which will be staged in Bahasa Malaysia from today till Saturday at the Tourism Information Centre (Matic) auditorium in Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur.

''No, I am not difficult. I just ask too many questions and the directors don't like this. At the end of the day, it's my face that everyone is going to see, not the directors', so I don't want to do something stupid,'' he said rather matter-of-factly during a recent interview.

A stylish and intense actor who acquired a certain method of acting, Yatim is known for his roles in more than 20 plays such as The Barefoot Neighbour, Oedipus and Antigone, Hamlet, Midsummer Night's Dream, Uda dan Dara, Ribut and Jebat.

''I don't (usually) give interviews because you journalists often write what you want to hear, not what I say; it's just pointless sometimes. Anyway I don't like publicity, it robs me of my privacy,'' said the actor who was trained in a language teachers' college in Kuala Lumpur in 1964.

Yatim does not like being in the limelight, he said. He prefers a quiet life, doing the things he likes at his own pace. However, when he was much younger, he did not envision his life this way. In fact, Yatim said he burst onto the acting scene rather arrogantly.

He was a teacher when he read about Usman Awang's play Matinya Seorang Pahlawan in the papers. It was to be directed by actor Datuk Rahim Razali with Syed Alwi playing Hang Jebat and playwright Krishen Jit as Hang Tuah. The young Yatim wasn't happy with a non-Malay playing Hang Tuah - ''it's simply not right, so I felt I had to do something,'' he said.

The following day, Yatim, who knew the text of the play by heart, gate-crashed one of the rehearsals and shocked everyone on the set when he blatantly said: ''I want to play Tuah.'' His acting must have impressed Rahim because he was made Hang Tuah instantly. As a result, Yatim earned the ''the arrogant actor'' tag. It might make Yatim sound like a braggart each time he tells people that he went into acting because ''I think I can do better.''

But the truth is simply that he makes a difference, with an acting style that he has perfected over the years. He was named Best Actor in the Malaysian Film Festival for his role in Pemburu in the late 1980s. Someone commented that he emulates Rahim's style of acting. ''Great actors have their own styles. Any similarity is incidental. I don't think I imitate anyone. I do my characters intuitively, at the spur of the moment,'' explained the actor who was later picked to act in the musical Uda dan Dara.

Shortly after that, Yatim joined the Malaysian Amateur Theatre Group with Syed Alwi, Krishen Jit and Rahim Razali. During this time he also worked with other theatre activists like Donald Davis, Frank Sullivan, Krishen Jit, Vijaya Samavikrama, Othman Hafsham, Abdullah Zainol and Faridah Merican.

He was later offered a scholarship under the Colombo Plan and completed his degree in theatre from the National Institute of Dramatic Art, University of New South Wales, Australia. Yatim's involvement in the theatre circles continued when he came home in 1978. Although he has graced the cinema screen with roles in movies such as Abang, Sumpah Di Bumi Merekah, Pemburu, Anak Sarawak and Perempuan Melayu Terakhir, Yatim seemed to be better known for his theatre performances. And each time he agrees to act in a play Yatim takes a long time to prepare himself, he said. He doesn't normally compromise on this principle unless it's for something that he feels compelled to do such as in the case of Death of a Salesman, which is being staged by students of the National Arts Academy (Akademi Seni Kebangsaan) where he is a lecturer. He also lectures in Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM).

Yatim felt duty-bound to take part in this play, which has been described by many as difficult, touching and challenging.

He has had hardly any time to prepare for the role - he was given less than two weeks to remember the lines, work on the tone and think of the best possible way to interact with other actors - something which Yatim would never dream of doing given the short time-frame. ''I am still struggling with my lines,'' he said last week. ''It is more difficult when it is a translated play. You have to keep (the interpretation) as close as possible or else the intended meaning is lost. To condense a four-hour play to half the time is a real test. The trickiest part lies in getting the message across. ''This sort of play would need at least two months of rehearsals. Since we are short of time, we have to do it the best we can.''

Negri Sembilan-born Yatim views his Wily Loman character as the typical Melayu who is always in a dilemma, trapped in his illusion, hopes and dreams.

''It's a typical Malay syndrome - big dreams but no vision. Loman is a likeable character though he is loud-mouthed and complains a lot. An average salesman who is trying to make ends meet to raise his two sons - Biff and Happy. He urges his two sons to do better than him and emulate his neighbour Charlie's son, Bernard, who is now a lawyer,'' explained Yatim.

Yatim said he could easily get into character because it reminds him a lot of some people he knew.''It's sad especially towards the end of the play when Loman feels rejected and gives up on his life. It would be difficult not to empathise with him,'' said Yatim. Death of a Salesman will be directed by Roselina Khir Johari whose resume includes The Zen Substitute, Atap Genting Atap Rembia, The Lion and The Jewel, Woyzeck and Medea (with Rosminah Tahir).

This Pulitzer Prize-winning play has been translated into Mandarin and Cantonese. This time around, a team of ASK students had the job of interpreting it in Bahasa Malaysia.

It will also feature Rohani Yousoff, Mazlan Tahir, Khatijah Tan, Khir Rahman, Zaini Abu Hassan, Mardiana Ismail and Amy Haryani.

BY ZIEMAN - PUBLISHED 17/10/2001