A Life in the Theater

" We were told that it showed that we were having fun. I was pretty darn glad to hear that. Some people couldn't believe we managed to pull off a full-length 3-act play. But we made it happen." While I have to confess I enjoyed reading the entire blog post of Christine Hogi Cadlum, about her experience in the Rehearsal and Performance Techniques workshop that was part of the 2015 Tanghalang Pilipino Summer Theater Adventure at the CCP, I have to assert that it was more because I share with her the joy and pride she experienced with her classmates, who I all consider as fellow learners.  For her complete post, here is the link:  http://simply-tymeless.blogspot.com/2015/05/push-rehearsal-and-performance.html?spref=fb

Every year, the Virgin Labfest assembles an outstanding assortment of DIRECTORS and PERFORMERS, coming from various groups and persuasion, brought together by a shared desire to do theater. I have always been awed by the suprises I find in the Labfest, and I should like to think that the playwrights whose works are being performed for the first time as well as the audiences that watch the performances should only be too eager to rush to the CCP from June 25 to July 6, 2014. The names of the playwrights are in all of the posters and collaterals, but those who will be trooping to the Cultural Center of the Philippines for the Virgin Labfest 10:The Harvest will also be seeing the works of any of the following Directors and Actors.     DIRECTORS JK Anicoche  Emman Dela Cruz  Law Fajardo  Audie Gemora  Rolando Inocencio  Jenny Jamora  Ed Lacson Jr.  Melvin Lee  Joshua Lim So   Dennis Marasigan  Chris Martinez ...

Behn Cervantes had been part of our family conversations even while I was a schoolboy about to graduate from secondary school in Lipa City.  He had directed a film called “Sakada” that was banned and confiscated by the Marcos regime; it had not been reported widely but somehow my parents had heard about it.  When I was about to enrol in U.P., one of themore specific instructions they had given me was not to be involved in any anti-government activity or organization, lest I become like Behn Cervantes. It was not long after enrolment that I got to watch U.P.Repertory Company’s production of Bonifacio Ilagan’s “Pagsambang Bayan”, directed by Behn, with film actor Orestes Ojeda as the priest.  It was an eye-opener, so different it was from all other plays that I had been in or seen up to that point (which was not that many).  The “fourth wall” was non-existent; the cast literally and figuratively gets the audience to stand up and join in the actio...

Elmar (far left) along with other artists in Congress for a hearing on the National Artists Awards. With his tall and lanky frame, he could not be missed as he entered a meeting room or walked along the corridors of the Cultural Center of the Philippines. He worked in the Visual Arts Division; I was with the Theater Operations Department. Occasionally, we would find ourselves together in the Coordinators Meetings attended by representative s from the CCP Artistic Units. Next thing I heard, he taken a position in Thailand to work for an international agency promoting arts in the Southeast Region. In that position, he managed to organize an international conference on the role and problem of arts audiences in the region, hosted by the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Returning to Manila, he took the job of Executive Director of the Organisasyon ng mga Pilipinong Mang-aawit. When the Philippine Legitimate Artists Group was organized, he also became its Execut...

Guess what? Two of the actors who sent heart rates soaring in the previous Cinemalaya festivals are back, this time in one film. In the first Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival 2007, the surprise hit with both audiences and critics was “ANG PAGDADALAGA NI MAXIMO OLIVEROS.” Next to Nathan Lopez who played the title role, it was PING MEDINA who connected to the audiences the most with his touching portrayal of Maxie’s older brother. The following year, it was SID LUCERO’s turn to charm audiences and critics alike with his seemingly effortless portrayal of a BIO (Butanding Information Officer) in in “DONSOL”, a role that fittingly won him Golden Screen’s Award for breakthrough performance. For this year’s edition of Cinemalaya, both actors are back to tempt audiences anew as they pit talents against each other in Dennis Marasigan’s “TUKSO”, one of the full-length feature film finalists. Sid and Ping are only too happy to be part of “TUKSO” playing two men who become romantica...

The 2nd and final weekend performances for Virgin Labfest 3 take place at the CCP beginning today until Sunday, July 8. Do not be like those who wait until the last day to come, only to find out that there are no longer any tickets left. Call the CCP Box-Office (832-3704) or the Tanghalang Pilipino office (832-3661) for schedules and tickets. (Look up Gibbs Cadiz' blog at http://www.gibbscadiz.blogspot.com/ to read more about some of the plays being staged this year. He also has links to other bloggers who have seen some of the plays.)