Here, for now.

3:26am
Folks’ room

Now I write not for anything but for myself. Been meaning to update but I guess I just don’t have the time for it.

I miss writing with abandon. Structuring words to become sentences that become thoughts that ultimately become a reflection of my deepest sentiments.

For quite some time now, I’ve been discerning on stuff. Some are old stories while some are new addition to my facts-turned-fiction life.

Love and career. Two words.

Two powerful words.

Learned that an old friend is waiting to be staged again. That feeling of nothing suddenly changed to distress, anxiety (or excitement?) and longing. Questions left unanswered will always find meaning and definition.

I don’t want an explanation. I just want a statement.

Been oblivious to career lately. Told myself I needed this. But when it was given, I suddenly felt the urge not to accept. Siling maanghang. But then it’s magical. It has a purpose. It has no endings. Begin. Start. Again.

Maybe one day these two will stop questioning and just unfold right before my very eyes. Maybe, just maybe, I’m supposed to succumb myself, yet again , to the familiar feeling just to exhaust the flames.

For what it’s worth, I’m two steps ahead.

Forward always forward. I miss that feeling of excitement.

Again, I write.

At, gumaan yung loob ko kahit papaano.

The Final Stage

This blog is a reaction to this Article
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We all grow in time.

I still remember my very first production with Dulaang UP (UP Theater). We were doing a production of Lysistrata and the Director, Professor Amiel Leonardia, called me into his office and asked for my commitment in doing a chorus role. He was not too keen in casting me because I was a freshman back then. He wanted his cast to be a mix of amateur and professional actors and he picked me to learn from my seniors.

The production was both a stepping-stone and validation of my love for the Theater.

Much has happened since. I did more productions in the following season and found my love for designing music for the Theater. Looking back, the sleepless nights, the traumatic experiences, the unending joys and the verification of support grew in me. It made my love for the Theater absurdly connected.

And that love has not abated me ever since.

Much like what the article proposes, the journey of Peter and the Starcatcher was not an easy task. The article narrates the process it underwent from being an Off Broadway production and the writing process it had to go through. Different collaborators funded time, artistic views, differences and effort to come up with a production that had to be staged in Broadway.

“It took 5 years. All the hard work paid off.”

Growing is inevitable. Understanding that matter and learning in the process is crucial for making your diamond shine with luster and brilliance. As the cliché goes, the only constant thing is change and that change is part of growth.

The Theater will always be there. The productions will always be rewritten, restaged and revalidated by audience members.

The journey is what makes it exciting. Peter and the Starcatcher’s journey took years before it finally arrived to its’ destination.

My journey in the Theater will always be a reminder that once upon a time, I was called into an office to do a role that will catapult my heart onstage.

And thank God I opened the door.

—
Lysistrata
Peter and the Starcatcher

Opener

This blog is a reaction to this Article
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Opening a show is one of the most fantastic feelings a production can ever have. It is when you finally come in terms with everything you worked hard for and you are now ready to showcase what you have and make the audience realize the message you want to come across.

The article about King Kong opening in 2013 is short but sweet.

The collaborators of this production are set to conquer the Melbourne stage by 2013 with a world premier of a classic. It is exciting to note how they will actually portray onstage a movie classic and how visual, text and spectacle will be utilized to tell the story of the beast.

In retrospect, a show’s opening is a brutal but a very rewarding process.

I remember when we were first doing the world premier of St. Louis Loves dem Filipinos the Musical back in 2005.

The musical is about the St. Louis World Expedition that happened in 1904. Different cultural minorities were brought to the United States of America to be showcased and in the long run, ridiculed. The play talked about how the first migrant Filipinos lost their identity as Filipinos while surviving in a foreign land. Dreams were built, shattered, tested and resurrected in a fusion of songs, dances, texts and memories.

The production was an astounding success.

Much like King Kong, we were all working at the edge not knowing if we were doing something right. All we know is that we want to communicate a message. We want to make the Filipino audience realize that this short but unheard part of our history is worth retelling because of its’ archetypal message: that no matter where we are, we need to be proud of who we are because in the end, this is what matters and this is what sustains us.

Show openings are a call for celebration.

It is also an eye opener for a message that a production wants to portray.

—
King Kong 2013
St. Louis Loves Dem Filipinos

Breaking Limitations

This blog is a reaction to this Article
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An actor’s primary duty is to convey the message of the written text (script) and infuse it with his / her own humanity. This objective has been the driving force of theater actors in bringing about a message of truth that captivates (and sometimes disturbs) the audience members.

With Kevin Bacon and his portrayal of his role in the first movie version of Footloose, his duty was to perform with the best of his ability and drive his humanity into dancing – whatever it takes.

I could very much relate to Bacon’s stigma in constantly challenging himself to dance and do the role without the need of a ‘double’ (or in Theatrical terms: an alternate, swing or stand-in). Doing a role is like fostering a child. You need to make sure that you attend to it completely and invest time, effort, education and your own fulfillments to make sure that you groom him well.

The frustration of Bacon in having a double during the famous warehouse scene of Footloose proves that good Actors challenge themselves and portray the role with selfish abandon. The fulfillment of Actors after a performance is what drives them to excel and to perform.

Actors like Bacon take time to rehearse, get to know their bodies, argue with restraint and exercise their vessel. They prove to themselves that they can do it given the right skill, the right frame of mind and the never-ending belief that fulfillment is a reaction from hard work.

This in turn makes the objective of the Actors come alive. This is what drives them to bring the message across. This is what separates a good actor from the rest.

Of course one can always argue about limitations and beliefs.

But then again, limitations are self-imposed.

—
Footloose
Limitations

Memories

This blog is a reaction to this Article
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A great professor once told his students, “For memory to exist, it has to continue”.

And up to now, I still sustain my belief in that notion.

The production of Follies on Broadway is interconnected with the concept of memory and decay; actors reliving (and in the process extinguishing) the past and glorifying the good old days. One cannot forget but one can also look back.

The article proved to be a success because the tones used and the reviews done were all in good fashion. The writer noted history by citing previous versions of the production and made his own impressions on the brutal and colorful opus of the play.

It is important to note, however, that the play was written as a reaction from the current situations transgressing back then.

With all the efforts of Follies, I believe that it is important to revive and relive glorious productions of the past and show them in a whole new light onstage. These productions are reminders of the colorful history Broadway has and how it evolved from Business to Art to Compassion and to Subjection. Much can still be written and much can still be said.

Going back to the thread of memory, being in an old Theater and reminiscing on your highlights are magnificent and lonely. We cannot bring back the past but we can always choose to remember. Being a performer onstage requires skill and a thirst for humanity. The mergence of skill and humanity is memory. The way you look back into things and how you did it all in the fashion of the human spirit ultimately defines your tools as an actor.

Yes, for memory to exist, it has to continue.

And we always remember to look forward with the sweet smile of the past.

Image Sources

The Follies Poster
Persistence of Memory by Salvador Dali

On Collaborations

This blog is a reaction to this Article
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Collaboration is a growing trend in modern Theater. Everyone in a production now has a ‘say’ on how to do about a performance that ultimately shapes the production. This trend of collaboration is a reaction from the autocratic period where the Director steers the engines of a production and gives his / her vision without any room for propositions from the rest of the team.

The article gives a positive note on collaboration from actors and directors using the works of Eugene O’Neill. The classic texts of O’Neill are all “direction heavy”; a style where each stage direction is implicitly stated to give an imperative direction to actors playing their parts. The efforts of the New York Neo-Futurists in poking gentle fun in the text of O’Neill give hues of collaboration and performs modern Theater today’s era. The article is effective in sending the message of how playing with the text can actually bring about a modern point of view in age-old classics.

Collaboration is a key to success most especially in today’s business on the Arts. Different designers collaborate with directors, actors, producers and other conglomerates to find purpose and create art. Together, they go to an extensive approach of finding goals and finding spaces all linked to the pervading truth that brings about a production worth watching.

The effort of the New York Neo-Futurists is a slice of what Theater has to offer today. Through the article, we see how changing (and adapting) a classic can have a fresh turn and outlook in today’s performances. This step is a reaction to tradition. This step brings about a new line of understanding in the world of the Performing Arts.

I guess at the end of the day, what matters is how much we stood up for what we believe in.

An art, in general, is a communication of what we want to say and what our ideals are.

Collaboration is powerful.

After all, two heads are better than one.

—

Image Sources

The New York Neo Futurist
A Performance of the NYNF

The Art of the Spirit

This blog is a reaction to these clips:
Part One
Part Two

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He sustainability of Theater depends on its’ ability to move people both from the outside and within.  For some, the Theater is a form of therapy: a way of exercise to come in terms with their senses and their surroundings. This form of Therapeutic Theater aids actors in defining roles that are fit to a performance and, in the long run, make them remarkable individuals on and offstage.

The efforts of Gospel for Teens pose the same counseling to the black teens of New York. The remarkable talents are joined together to form a group that is meant to ‘sing their hearts out.’ They are forced to ‘leave everything behind’ and just follow the ‘soul of the song’ for them to transcend music into themselves and themselves into action.

The accomplishment of the Gospel for Teens and Theater are both aligned and united. Both art forms cultivate the human spirit and exercises the deep compartments of performance that is both a remedy and a source of inspiration for its’ performers. Actors come from different backgrounds bound by the love of performance marked by the script (or sometimes dance and music) while the teenagers of Gospel for Teens are congregated to relive the essence of Gospel music and make them remember the roots of their past.

The movie clip is both inspiring and instigates a call for action. Often, we find ourselves moving into this fast and changing world that we forget our roots and our history. We partake in the union of one another not knowing the underlying capacity that ultimately binds us as human beings. The article inspires individuals to be resilient and believe in the power of the humanity. It gives them something to believe in when all seems lost in the great progression of the world.

We are in constant motion and we deliver to this world with a purpose.

The power of music (and Theater) is there to remind us that a link still binds us lifting one another in unison and harmony.

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Image Sources:
Gospel for Teens Performing
60 Minutes: Gospel for Teens

Come Rain / Come Shine

This blog is a reaction to this Article

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“The show must go on” is the precursor of “There are no excuses in the Theater. The only exceptions are either you are dead, dying or getting married.”

These words often echo in our heads back in the days when we were still doing production work with Dulaang UP, the official performing group of the University of the Philippines. These maxims built character, established relationship (or sometimes fear) and, however futile and injurious it might be, made us fall in love with the Theater.

Dr. Cortez, the Artistic Director of Dulaang UP

But till when do we put the ‘extra mile’ in doing things and loving the Theater? The article briefly discusses the impending calamity bound to hit performances on Broadway. Because of the upcoming storm, shows are being canceled all for the ‘safety of the patrons’ with a guarantee of ticket refund. This exception, for me, only makes Theater a more fluid art that is able to amend itself on a case-to-case basis.

But then again, there is a big line between the artists and the audience members. We breathe, live and enjoy Theater because we want to communicate a pervading truth in our performance. We want to inspire, disturb and challenge the audience’ mind come rain, come shine.

Ultimately, having no excuses, built an indomitable passion towards Theater and the need to relay a meaning to the audience.

One of the greatest lessons Theater taught me is the sense of commitment regardless of circumstance. The fact that we agreed to do this production is already a contract bound by sweat, hard work, obligations and trust. Unknowingly, things that were hard to accept at first became second nature as the years of loving the Theater progressed.

Broadway shows, much like any performance, are assessed on revenue brought about by the audience. Their safety is a primary concern.

After all, we showcase our talents based on a truth and passion that is to be understood by the members of the audience.

And we want to communicate that to the fullest.

No excuses.

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Image Sources:
Alex Cortez
The Lion King

Paradigm Shifts (From Page to Stage)

This blog is a reaction to this Article

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Writing, in general, is a communication from the author’s deepest self to the rudimentary artifices of the reader. It allows expression, confession and, ultimately, creation.

Writing for the stage, on the other hand, brings about a different meaning in building a world for the reader (which in turn becomes the audience). The playwright builds a world that the actors, directors, artistic team and crew emanate from paper. Together they form a bond that links the playwright’s vision to the director’s objective to the artistic team’s expression to the crew’s determination and ultimately to the artists’ creation.

But this process was (and never will be) easy.

Much like what happened with David Seidler who wrote The King’s Speech on film, some texts are bound to be re-written and realigned to fit the over all aesthetic value of the production. True that a play begins with the text, but some of these, even the classical ones, are currently being adapted, re-adapted, devised to fit the modern trend in a Theatrical Production.

The King’s Speech being a marvel shares the sentiments of adaptation and revision to fit the stage.

An important note here though is the unwavering intention of Seidler in penning the stage version. He wanted to find a “way to work out the relationships of the characters to himself.” There is a big difference in transmuting work from film (or other texts like literature, books, poetry, songs, etc) to the stage. Quite often, characters will become alive and real. The paradigm shifts from screen (or page) to reality. We see characters that move and breathe as we breathe. We are compelled to explore our emotions through theirs.

Playwrighting will always marvel in its’ own mystery.

As the great playwright Eugene O’Neill said,

“It is Mystery — the mystery any one man or woman can feel but not understand as the meaning of any event — or accident — in any life on earth … [that] I want to realize in the theatre. The solution, if there ever be any, will probably have to be produced in a test tube and turn out to be discouragingly undramatic”

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Image Sources:
David Seidler
Eugene O’Neill

Actor = Superman

This blog is a reaction to this Article

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The Stanislavsky Method of Acting

Acting is a mirror of life. Actors undergo different processes to achieve optimal results in their performances onscreen and onstage. Great actors consume the science and art of acting in generous proportions. To study acting is to explore the vast boundaries of the human spirit and experience.

The article briefly discusses the course Henry Cavill is undergoing to achieve the physique of Superman. He is taking initial preparation focusing on physical changes with a massive diet and an exercise routine. In a broad spectrum, these are only parts of what an actor must do in order to achieve and portray a role.

Besides the physical preparation one must do, there are emotional, psychological and cultural manifestations in acting. The great Constantin Stanislavsky devised a system (internalization, script analysis, dramaturgical work, etc.) for actors to aid them in preparing and creating a role. After doing the groundwork, the actor may now get in touch with further developments (the Magic If, Motivation, Objectives, etc.) for the role. The process is tedious and mind-blowing. Focus and determination are key factors in leading to the success of the system. However, Stanislavsky also notes that there is no strict system, for everyone. Since acting is a personal journey, an actor must learn the basics, practice them, and adapt to his needs all for the accomplishment of the role

The next Superman

The initial preparation Cavill is doing for his role is reasonable but much work is yet to be done. More than being a fictional character, Superman is a symbol and a monumental figure people can relate to. Different aspirations from different cultures are linked with the the man of steel. In this light, Cavill’s obligations in portraying the role (with focused preparation) are very crucial.

The goal of acting is to search for truth. Actors are compelled to synchronize their realities and emotions with that of the characters they are portraying to showcase talent and bridge a message the audience can relate too. Acting, therefore, is a high form of communication.

Lee Strasberg, another great acting teacher, sums it all up.

“The human being who acts is the human being who lives.”

 

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For more information about the Stanislavsky sytem, you may read the following:

 Stanislavski, Constantin. 1936. An Actor Prepares. London: Methuen, 1988. ISBN 0413

Image Sources:

Henry Cavill
Constantin Stanislavsky