This Stock Market (restaurant) feels bullish again

This Stock Market feels bullish again
By Walter Ang
May 26, 2011
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Stock Market restaurant has reopened under the management of The Bistro Group of Restaurants, the same operator of casual dining restaurant chains TGI Friday's, Italianni's, Fish & Co., Flapjacks, Krazy Garlik, Pig Out and Billy Rock.

The look has been refurbished a bit. Fans of the TV cooking show "Barefoot Contessa" may find the interiors familiar: white-washed walls, large windows that allow sunlight to wash into the dining area, and even striped faux-awnings?elements that evoke a crisp Hamptons-style aesthetic.

Dashes of muted earth tones (green, beige and brown) have been added to the still predominantly white color-scheme to provide warmth and to further enhance the tropical flair that has always been in the design, courtesy of wicker chairs and the pineapple motifs interspersed in the floor tiles, framed prints across the walls, and even real ones (small baby pineapples) used as shelving and table accents.

The central shelf-display of fresh produce has been moved to the side of the ice cream counter, maintaining somewhat the (former) deli look-and-feel while opening up the space for more seating areas.

In addition to patio seating for dining al fresco (all the better to people watch with?and the people watching is part of what makes Bonifacio High Street what it is anyway), two function rooms are available for corporate and social functions.

Fresh
"Stock Market offers an eclectic selection of simple yet flavorful dishes that accentuate the use of fresh ingredients," says operations vice president Jean Paul Manuud. "Choices range from light salads and appetizers to hearty entrees and indulgent desserts."

There is a revamped beverage list of freshly squeezed juices, fruit shakes, and specialty drinks that are meant to be good for the body: Ginger Lemonade, Celery and Pineapple Crusher, Surfing Cucumber, Malunggay Citrus and Ampalaya Cooler.

Light eaters and vegetarians can try the Stock Market Harvest Salad, a mix of romaine lettuce with candied walnuts, fresh fruits, a wedge of pineapple and tossed with pineapple vinaigrette dressing.

"When you the see words 'must try' and the pineapple icon in our menu, you'll know that these are the house specialties," he says.

Light
There's also an array of seafood dishes, in keeping with the by-the-beach-at-the-Hamptons feel.

In addition to clam chowder and shrimp salad, appetizers include Salmon Carpaccio, thin shavings of raw salmon drizzled with olive oil, lemon juice, capers and black olives in arugula leaves; Salmon and Spinach Dip, four cheeses blended with salmon and served with toasted Tuscan bread; Mussels Mariniere, steamed mussels in garlic, butter, olive oil, white wine and chili flakes; Escargot, vineyard snails baked in seasoned garlic butter; and Maryland Crab, breaded crab cake with aioli and basil pesto.

For entrees, there's a dish that originated from a city in the coast opposite the Hamptons (San Francisco), Cioppino Seafood Stew, a combination of fish and shellfish in a tomato base sauce. There are also clam-based pasta dishes and grilled, pan-seared or batter-fried pesco dishes.

Options
You can ask for steak prepared Oscar Style, with crab meat, asparagus and Béarnaise sauce. There's also the Angus Burger with Grilled Pineapple, made with half a pound of US Angus beef patty topped with a slice of fresh pineapple and cheese served with pickles and sliced potatoes.

For dessert, there is the Pineapple Fruit Boat, a pineapple "boat" loaded with assorted fresh fruits served with whipped cream on the side.

There are, of course, other non-seafood options that feature the other proteins (chicken, beef and pork) in various manners of preparation. Also, there is a Kids Menu for those with children who aren't ready to try out new foods yet (and for adults who occasionally need familiar comfort food): Mac & Cheese, Lollipop Chicken, Spaghetti and Meatballs and Honey Chicken Fingers.

Families or barkadas who use the Bistro Group's BFF (Bistro Frequent Foodie) discount card and are familiar with their other restaurants now have an option that's, say, less playful then sporty TGI Fridays or a little more refined than rustic Italianni's.

"And what could make guests more at home than the signature Bistro Group service?" he says. "Our friendly and efficient wait staff will always warmly welcome diners."

Stock Market is at Quadrant 3, Bonifacio High Street, Bonifacio Global City Development, Taguig City. Contact 8566301 or thestockmarket@bistro.com.ph.

Also published online:
http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/1773/this-stock-market-feels-bullish-again

Makati Med doctors hold charity fun run

Makati Med doctors hold charity fun run
By Walter Ang
May 17, 2011
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, talking and swallowing are things we do every day and, therefore, take for granted. "But as everyone knows, when things go wrong with any one of these, life can be extremely difficult," say Dr. Ricky Fernandez.

"Whenever we get a `simple' cold, we find it hard to breathe, we can't hear normally, we can't smell and taste our food, sometimes our ears hurt," he says. "What more for more serious or complicated conditions?"

Fernandez is the chair of Makati Medical Center's Ear, Nose, Throat department and he recommends a check-up at least once a year at their ENT Diagnostic Center just to make sure everything is in tip-top shape or to catch potential problems early on.

"It's always easier to treat a problem when it's still at its beginning stages, rather than waiting until it's a big problem."

The center is home to the hospital's otolaryngologists who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of ear, nose, throat, and head and neck disorders?which is why doctors who specialize in this field are more commonly referred to as ENT (ear, nose throat) doctors.

They treat a whole range of problems from stuffy noses to balance problems (the ears play an important part in helping our brain figure out how to balance our bodies). "Imagine, our ability to stand straight, walk, play basketball or dance are all affected by our ears," he says.

Running doctors
To help increase awareness of the importance of ENT health, the department is organizing a fun run dubbed "Run Doctor Run" on July 23 at Dasmariñas Village.

Event head organizer Cherrie Miguel says the fun run's objective is to raise funds for the department's head and neck cancer charity patients.

"The ENT department also has experts for the treatment of cancer. Not many people know this, but the department helps out patients who are not able to afford treatment," she says. "We'd love for everyone to support our fun run so they can help out these patients while having a good time and meeting new friends at the same time."

"It's also a good opportunity to awaken the camaraderie and fitness attitude of all the hospital's employees, doctors, patients and the residents of Makati Med's neighbors."

Ears
The center is staffed by clinical audiologists and technicians who supervise the diagnostic tests that help doctors determine what condition a patient has so they can recommend the most appropriate treatment plans.

It has a host of equipment that perform different kinds of tests to check patient's conditions. Hearing tests are usually done in sound-proof booths (that look like recording studio booths). Dr. Jay Ongsiako, the department's training officer, says the tests are done to "identify a patient's hearing threshold to determine the degree, type and configuration of hearing loss."

"Some tests are very easy, for example, patients simply need to push a button when they hear a tone on their headphones," he says. The tests are adjusted for children, for example, they're tasked to put toys in a box instead of pushing buttons. The center also helps patients with hearing aids if needed.

For dizziness or vertigo, the center uses electronystagmography, a procedure that video records eye movement so doctors can identify if eye muscles might be making involuntary or uncontrolled movements that can trigger problems.

Voice
"Another often-abused or mis-used part of our bodies is our throats," says Ongsiako. "People who use their voice a lot like singers, announcers or teachers should watch out for prolonged hoarseness, it could be a symptom of a condition that should be treated early. Excessive smokers and drinkers should also have their throats checked regularly."

The center uses videolaryngostroboscopy, a way to video record a patient's vocal cords, which is then viewed by doctors on a monitor. A thin flexible tube called a fiberoptic rhinolaryngoscope can be used for patients who are excitable or have a gag reflex.

"This way we can catch any small abnormalities inside the throat such as masses or lesions, abnormal motion, swelling, etc."

High tech
Fernandez is proud of the fact that their center has its own operating room. "Procedures that do not require general anesthesia can all be done here, we're a one-stop-shop," he says. "We average close to 400 patients every month and they consistently give us an above-average satisfaction rating in our surveys."

Ongsiako points out that the operating room has a built-in camera that projects videos of any procedure into the department's conference room. "As the training officer, I'm always on the lookout for ways to improve the education of our doctors. This system allows them to watch and learn from complicated procedures and procedures done on unusual cases."

To sponsor the event or to participate, call 0917-840-8781, 0915-628-2156 or 888-8999 loc. ENT.

Also published online:
http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/wellness/wellness/view/20110517-336882/Makati-Med-doctors-hold-charity-fun-run

Sipat Lawin Ensemble 2011 season line-up

Lorca dream play to be staged
By Walter Ang
May 16, 2011
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Sipat Lawin Ensemble

"We don't make plays, we create experiences," is Sipat Lawin Ensemble's tagline for its 2011 line-up.  The group showcased excerpts of upcoming productions at the launch of their season.

The launch, held at Puerta del Sta. Lucia at Intramuros, began with Sisa (of Rizal's "Noli Me Tangere") giving birth to 150 babies while facing the San Agustin Church.  Audience members were given masks, made to make animal noises, tasked to interact and dance with SLE's actors, and where even instructed to "kill" each other by secretly sticking their tongues out at their "victims."

"Seventy-five people 'died' on the floor that night," said artistic director JK Anicoche.  The interactive activities were meant to showcase the group's brand of theater-making, "SLE operates on themes of 'Intervention. Inter-action. Invasion,'" he said.

May

rOm3oW LUVZ juLz

This May, SLE staged "Paglipas ng Limang Taon," Rody Vera's Tagalog translation of Federico Garcia Lorca's "When Five Years Pass." (The run ended yesterday.)

Tuxqs Rutaquio directed this play that "tells the story of a Young Man who will finally marry his fiancée after waiting for five years. However, 'when five years pass,' his fiancée is no longer the same person he once knew."

Animals and lovers
In July, the group will restage their devised four-actor "Imperio Animalia" (adaptation of George Orwell's "Animal Farm") directed by Anicoche with production design by Don Salubayba. The production is usually staged in public areas that have a fountain.

The group's "jejemon" comedy version of William Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" is set to tour basketball courts in different barangays in August.  SLE will conduct workshops in barangays and incorporate local talents (acting and backstage, including set/costume/props design) for unique performances.

This production is an evolution of a devised adaptation (to critical acclaim) by Dulaang Sipat Lawin, the resident theater group of the Philippine High School for the Arts.  It's also been restaged by Tanghalang Pilipino.

The previous version was titled "R'meo luvs Dew'lhiett" and used "jologs" language interspersed with National Artist for Theater Rolando Tinio's Filipino translation.

"We're working with playwright Layeta Bucoy and we've updated the title to 'rOm3oW LUVZ juLz,' to reflect our search of the quintessential 'language' of this generation after the first decade of the 21st century," said Anicoche. "Aside from 'jejemon,' we'll also use fliptop, a form of rap battle done in the streets."

Future

Launch of 2011 season

In November, SLE will stage the musical "Manhid" by Auraeus Solito, to be directed by Tuxqs Rutaquio.  The musical is about two groups of superheroes, one of which is employed by a demonic Minister of Humanity who plans on enslaving Filipinos with an epidemic of Kamanhiran.

"These opposing teams battle for the future of the Philippines," said Anicoche. "Manhid" was first staged in 1989 where the defunct band Eraserheads first performed their hit song "Kailan."

In January 2012, SLE is set to stage "Battalia Real," based on the Japanese cult-movie "Battle Royale" where a group of students is forced to exterminate each other in a dystopian future.

"In the movie, 42 students are placed on an island with the instruction that after three days, there should only be one survivor," said Anicoche.  "In our version, we will have 12 shows involving 12 university theater companies and one playground in the old prison cells of Intramuros."

Year-round
Available for booking by schools, offices and organizations is SLE's touring comedy-musical "Pragres," based on the short story "Progress" by National Artist for Literature F. Sionil Jose.

Set during Martial Law, "Pragres" is "a satire on lazy government employees and government bureaucracy as we follow the travails of Marina, a provincial senior clerk, who goes to Manila to seek the endorsement of her promotion. As she encounters one bureaucrat after another (all played by one other actor), she drowns in incompetence and corruption."

Once every three months, SLE also stages "Strange Pilgrims," an open-platform performance that the group describes as "Opera + Music + Contemporary Dance + Film + Theatre + Art."  Usually staged in small art galleries, living rooms or bars and involving guest artists from different disciplines, past installments have featured works from pole dancer Eisa Jocson, UP Dance Company, musician Diwa de Leon and playwright Layeta Bucoy.

In line with its guerilla tactics, performance dates and venues for "Strange Pilgrims" and most of the group's shows are usually announced only a few days before the actual performance through the group's website (http://sipatlawin.posterous.com) and Facebook account (add "Sipat Lawin Ensemble").

SLE now has Season Passes that start from P300.  Depending on the category, passes can provide discounts for additional tickets, free drinks at certain shows, and even the opportunity to have dinner with the ensemble during one of their rehearsals.

Call 0917-5008-753 or 964-5949.

Also published online:
http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/artsandbooks/artsandbooks/view/20110516-336709/Lorca-dream-play-to-be-staged

Theaterbatoring UPPT's Fake

thoughts on fake
by walter ang
may 9, 2011
theaterbator.blogspot.com
http://theaterbator.blogspot.com/2011/05/theaterbatoring-uppts-fake.html

Richard Cunanan as George in UPPT's "Fake."

uppt's staging of "fake" is what audiences can describe as "theatrical" because of the different devices used: a few monologue moments, characters that the protagonists talk about (like la loba negra and datu kalantiaw) being acted out (even if they're not technically part of the scene), and flashbacks interspersed into present scenes.

and it is.  it's also intimate and evocative, given the small venue (teatro hermogenes ylagan), allowing for a textured show that includes playfulness with light: video designer winter david provides a few projections (brightly lit and visible) while lighting designer meliton roxas has pockets of gradients here and there.

playrwright floy quintos' dialogue is occasionally didactic (understandable given the amount of historical information that requires exposition) but his plotting keeps things moving and the ideas he presents are thought provoking.  the first act is a little trite for me, though an apt set up to a charming and thrilling second act.

i had never seen richard cunanan (george) perform so up-close before, and apparently, he has incredible reserves of mischief in his eyes, even when he is effectively portraying nuanced bewilderment, anguish and pain, which makes him fun and interesting to watch in small spaces.

george is a pilgrim in search of sister emily, a visionary, played by shamaine buencamino, who twists her torso to and fro and crumples her face in varying iterations to fill the character with complex emotions.

electric
scenes when these two are together are electric.  unfortunately, brian tibayan, who plays the main protagonist miguel (gerard pizarras alternates), and bojong fernandez, who plays lobo of the tasaday (jerald napoles alternates), were unable to deliver equal voltage and are completely swallowed by the two senior actors.

Shamaine Buencamino as Sister Emily.

low talking volumes (which i didn't think  was possible given the small venue), confused acting and movement choices, and a general sense of tentativeness crippled their deliveries.

director tony mabesa's casting choices and under direction of the two is puzzling, especially since miguel is the counterpoint angst and cynicism of the entire piece and lobo is the poignant (exploited, most likely) former participant and eventual broken product of deception - important cornerstones, especially when the title of the play is "fake."

also, tibayan looks too young to be 42 years old, as his character announces in the first act.

in future stagings, it might be interesting to see:

1. a young actress portray sister emily, if only to add a counterpoint to miguel's own past as a young believer, to have hardened into a cynic and then to face another young person grapple with what is true and what is fake.

2. the same actor portray miguel and young miguel, if only to allow audiences a chance to see the actor show a range from innocent awe to bitter cynicism.

campy

Alya Honasan as Concepcion Marco.

in the second act, joel lamangan portrays marco (leo rialp altermates) and alya honasan plays marco's wife concepcion (ces quesada alternates).

both imbue a crazed sensibility and a nervous vibe to their characters, with occasional loud flourishes that almost, but because of utter conviction, never becomes hammy, and thus, lodges their delivery (and launches the play) into the wonderful world of camp.

and it makes the show fun and funny to watch.  the campy feel creates an added a layer of slyness to the text, a "hey look, we believed in all of marco's lies and how hilariously ridiculous is that?" vibe.

time warp
while fictional, the play deals with real people, and therefore, the setting can only be logically (and limitedly) set in a finite span of possible calendar years-while marco and william henry scott (made into an amiable, reluctant debunker by paul holme) were both still alive (they never actually met in real life).
the second act is pinned on flashback scenes when miguel is 17 years old and still in awe of marco before the truth about his lies are revealed.  the dramaturgical notes peg this around 1961.  so it is distracting to see production designer dante nico garcia dress the actor (mark herras look-a-like ross pesigan) playing young miguel with a look that is obviously from 2011.

Joel Lamangan as Jose Marco.

we have the meticulously blowdried textured hair (where's the pomade and inches-high side cut? not yet quite the swinging sixties' long hippie hair, they're not in urban manila after all); the flat-front pants (weren't pleated pants in vogue back then?); the trendy, edgy looking mailman bag (in negros occidental in 1961?); and the hush puppies-looking shoes with marked stitching (perhaps shiny leather lace-ups or even tattered dingy sandals might have been more appropriate?).

the fashion faux pas aside, garcia dresses the home of marco beautifully: crafted wooden furniture, woven baskets and bric-a-brac spread about, piled on top of each other, like what you would imagine a provincial (fake) scholar's home to exactly look.

so what have we learned from this production? that perhaps, sometimes, you can take fashion out of its time period, but you can't take the time period out of fashion ... kekeke.

UP Playwright Theater's Fake May 4-14, 2011

New play tackles Philippine history hoax
By Walter Ang
May 2, 2011
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Lamangan and Honasan

UP Playwrights' Theater will stage Floy Quintos' "Fake," a play that asks "When a lie seems better than the truth, what would you rather believe?"

"Fake" tells the tale of Miguel, who "discovers that many of the things he believed in when he was young were all lies and his life becomes an insatiable search for answers."

His search leads him to Jose Marco, the infamous "discoverer" of the Code of Kalantiaw and the story of La Loba Negra, two documents that became part of Philippine history until proven as hoaxes.

Quintos personally knew the historian who exposed Marco as a forger.  "I had the great pleasure of meeting with William Henry Scott several times before he died in 1993," he says.

"When I mentioned that I was thinking of writing a play about Marco, Scotty joked and said, '"You should make us meet!'"

The fictitious encounter between fraud and debunker has, indeed, been created for Quintos' new play.  He also tackles other debunked myths such as the fictitious "lost Stone Age tribe in Mindanao," the Tasaday.  He's also created a composite religious visionary character for Miguel to encounter.

Prolific

Holme

Quintos's plays "Gironiere" and "Fluid" have been staged by UPPT.  His plays "Shock Value" and "St. Louis loves dem Filipinos" (which also has a musical version) and musicals "Atang" and "Isang Panaginip na Fili" have been staged by UPPT's mother organization, Dulaang UP*.

Tony Mabesa will direct the play and says that one of the reasons Quintos' works are often featured by the group is that he is "very prolific! When we need a production to mount, he has a play to offer us."

"I wish we could do one production per semester instead of just once a year, but we have a very limited budget.  Our actors and crew get a very, very modest honorarium each, if any.  Our market is limited by the schoolyear.  Also, our choice of material has never been 'commercial.'"

"However, for 'Fake,' Floy's choice of subject matter is very adventurous.  It's the perfect subject matter for theater.  It's about truth and illusion, the very subjects that theater itself is about."

Not precious

Quesadas and Rialp

Mabesa founded UPPT, now celebrating its 25th year, after being part of the UP Writers' Workshop.  "That year, they focused on drama and I helped choose the best three plays for staging," he says.

"I used the opportunity to establish UPPT and decided to stage productions in the Faculty Center Studio, which was later renamed Teatro Hermogenes Ylagan after the Father of Filipino Sarswela."

"Every major theater company in the world usually has what they call 'the other place,' a non-proscenium performance space that allows artists to work in a different space. Works in these spaces complement the works in their 'main stage.'"

To this end, UPPT's objective is to produce solely original plays or revivals of plays by Filipino playwrights.  Mabesa says working with Quintos on new plays is easy because "he's not precious about his work. He's very flexible, he will adjust what needs to be adjusted.  He's very involved.  It helps that he's a director himself so he understands why changes need to be made."

"If you don't want people meddling with your work, you can be a pianist, novelist or poet, but not a playwright.  Theater is a collaborative," he says emphatically.

Point

The power of a writer's creation is not lost on Quintos.  With this play, he further contemplates the power of the "truths" within creations and the power that lies in the acceptance of these "truths."

"You could say that history is just a perception of facts," he says.  "All these documents that are ascribed to Marco have always fascinated me.  So many important scholars believed him."

"That the documents have been proven as forgeries isn't so much the point than 'Why would a man do this?'" he says.  "He couldn't have done it for money or for fame.  These are the works of an intelligent forger, so maybe he really wanted to give us Filipinos something. Perhaps a sense of history, of pride, of identity?  Perhaps he wanted to do something noble?"

"The character that I created, Miguel, is representative of cynical Filipinos duped by so many fakes.  Hopefully, the play leads us to ask what is it really that contributes to a concept of nationhood.  Is it simply just facts? Or is there also value in myth and lore?"

The cast includes Bayani Tibajan alternating with Gerard Pizarras as Miguel, Joel Lamangan and Leo Rialp alternating as Jose Marco, Paul Holme as William Henry Scott, Ces Quesada alternating with Alya Honasan as Marco's wife Concepcion, and Shamaine Buencamino as Sister Emily.

"Fake" runs from May 4 to 14, 2011 at Teatro Hermogenes Ylagan, UP Faculty Center, University of the Philippines, Quezon City. Call 0917-7500107, 926-1349 or 218-3791.

Also published online:

http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/artsandbooks/artsandbooks/view/20110502-334084/New-play-tackles-Philippine-history-hoax

Pinoy grabs lead role in Chicago staging of King and I April 29-May 1, 2011

Pinoy grabs lead role in Chicago staging of "King and I"
By Walter Ang
April 25, 2011
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Jay Españo

Former Tanghalang Pilipino actor Jay Españo will be playing the lead role in a Chicago staging of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "The King and I" by the Drama Group.

He had auditioned for the role of Lun Tha "because I really like his love songs," he says. When the show's director, Andy Leahy, asked him to read the king's part, Españo credits his ignorance of any version of the musical (including the movie version) that landed him the part.

"I wasn't stuck with the default stereotype as portrayed by Yul Brynner. I think there were moments in the reading that I made the king likeable and humorous, rather than making him a stern despot," he says of the Thai monarch who is won over by English teacher
Anna Leonowens.

He now travels 40 minutes every day to attend rehearsals.  "The Drama Group is 32 miles from the city where I live," he says.  The long transits are not new to Españo as he's been shuttling back and forth between Manila and Singapore for the past several years.  He's been visiting the US more often lately as part of his efforts to "to go all-out global."

Continuous learning

The Singapore chapter of his career began when joined "Chang and Eng, The Musical." Years later, he wrote, directed and produced "The Tales of Three Marias," a show about Filipino domestic helpers living in Singapore, after interviewing over 50 of them.

Having won silver medals in the acting and singing categories in World Championship of Performing Arts 2008 hasn't stopped him from continually takes classes to improve his craft.

He got hooked on yoga four years ago and even got a certification to teach it.  His interest in movement was further piqued while taking his Musical Theater degree (on scholarship) at Lasalle College of the Arts.  "We had a class where we studied all kinds of movement philosophies."

He was inspired to take a graduate degree in Laban Movement in Chicago.  "Laban is a tool for observing and analyzing movement. The idea of the body being aware of incorporating space, time, weight and flow is astonishing to me. Being able to properly utilize your body is an excellent tool to have as an actor. Movement is an external manifestation of one's inner behavior."

"The trend now in most acting schools is gearing towards the studies of movement. Aside from Laban, you have yoga, Alexander Technique, Feldenkrais, Suzuki Method combined with Anne Bogart's Viewpoints and a lot more. Although they differ in technique, they all agree that one must be cognizant of their bodies to function efficiently in life."

Roots

Españo credits Tanghalang Pilipino for instilling in him the importance of continuous study and "a high regard for discipline which I still carry to this very day."  He joined TP as a scholar of the Actors Company, TP's resident pool of actors, in the late 90s.

"Everybody in the company was serious and dedicated in the craft.  We had classes in the afternoon and rehearsals at night, different classes like movement class with Agnes Locsin, or improv with Anna Valdez-Lim and other teachers."

"My favorite and also most dreaded class would be Script Analysis with [TP founder] Nonon Padilla," he says laughing. "Each week we were assigned to read a play and analyze it in class. I would just sit there and listen to him for hours as he munched on peanuts while delivering his take on the chosen text of the week."

Españo waxes nostalgic after noting that TP is celebrating its 25th anniversary. "I miss working with TP people. I remember doing 'Besa Me Mucho' where I was required to dance the tango in a pair of red thongs in the intimate Tanghalang Batute.  Most of the time, I'm more worried about memorizing my lines.  That was the only time I was fussy over a costume or the lack of it," he says.

He also recalls forgetting his lines during a long monologue in a performance of 'Ang Ulo ni Pancho Villa.'  "I resorted to gibberish.  Luckily my co-actors Olga Natividad, Joey Paras and George de Jesus picked up the cues pretty well," he says laughing.

Other projects
Españo is maximizing his time in Chicago by taking up improvisation classes at the renowned Second City. "Second City is the Harvard of improv theater. It's where the likes of Tina Fey, John Belushi and Steve Carell came from."

He's now on his second year and learning Music Improv.  "We learn how to make up songs while doing a scene. This is what they do in the TV show 'Who's Line Is It Anyway?'"

He will also be doing a dinner show with Miguel Vera in May, a Rizal musical in June, and a Rizal opera in November.  "The musical and opera are for the 150th anniversary of Jose Rizal.  And hopefully, I will have a solo show in September."

This production of "The King and I" is a limited performance for The Drama Group's 80th anniversary. Filipino-Americans Randy Ballesteros and Nicole Dizon will play LunTha and Tuptim, respectively.

"The King and I" runs April 29 to May 1, 2011 at Bloom Theatre, 101 W. 10th Street, Chicago Heights, Illinois, USA.  Visit dramagroup.org.

Also published online:
http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/artsandbooks/artsandbooks/view/20110425-332738/Pinoy-grabs-lead-role-in-Chicago-staging-of-King-and-I

Theaterbatoring PETA's Care Divas

thoughts on peta's "care divas"
by walter ang
april 18, 2011
theaterbator.blogspot.com
http://theaterbator.blogspot.com/2011/04/theaterbatoring-petas-care-divas.html

Cast of Care Divas

there's news that peta's "care divas" will have a new run later this year. the musical revolves around the friendship between the five care divas.  their dream of landing a regular gig as a group is anchored by the story of chelsea and her relationships with her employer/patient (and, of course, her blossoming love interest). two other care divas provide somewhat major subplots while the last two are mostly for comic relief.

overall, i found the pacing a little slow. the material doesn't seem like it should take more than two hours to unfold.

the first act scenes seem to start in fits, though the interweaving expository monologues introducing the care divas as they pass on their "patient/s" to one another is clever. some scenes, like whenever the care divas are in their friend nonah's flat, seem to be written and staged in a way that have slow starts similar to sequences for tv or film, you can almost feel the invisible camera panning for an establishing shot before someone starts talking.

unwieldy
the set design by leo abaya is unwieldy. though it has a clever carved out seating area that doubles as a patient's bathtub, the downstage cross-inclined ramps could have been omitted to concentrate the action onto a more focused space (not to mention to add rows for more audiences).

(i've noticed that directors for peta productions have been staging some scenes on ground level, forgetting that audiences in the orchestra aren't seated on an incline and, therefore, do not have clear sightlines. this happened in their production of "ang post office" a few months ago, too.  during the intermission, a family crept up to the balcony where i was seated, announcing they were tired of craning their necks.)

drag performances naturally involve superfluous showboating, and perhaps that's where it should stay and not conveyed via descending lampposts from the rafters. (even if they're supposed to serve as metaphors for phallic symbols piercing into the care divas' lives).

identity
a sense of identity is one of the obvious and initial themes the text presents: in this story we have men-who-identify-as-women who are strange strangers in a strange land.

director maribel legarda has one actor (paul holme) portraying all the jewish patients of most of the care divas. it's theatrical and fun, we get to see one actor switching several characters on and off. two female roles (israeli mother and isaac's daughter) are also played by one actress.

this reinforces the concept of the "sameness" or "generic-ness" of these "minor" characters.  it tells us that this story is not so much about "them" (the israeli employers/patients) than it is about the care divas, who, in turn, we assume, are the ones usually regarded by the public as "them."

that even if these care divas use gender-bending make-up and costume (whether this is to disguise their true selves or to dress up as their true selves deserve a whole other discussion), they have more solid identities than the "other" characters around them.

one has to wonder, then, what the production is trying to say by having only one caucasian actor and a couple of filipino actors play the non-filipino roles. i realize that it's not easy to cast caucasians in manila, but the color-blind-save-for-one-actor (nothing against holme) set up seems a little off-kilter.

gender and sexuality
contingent to the issue of identity, in this case, are gender and sexuality. and the many shades within their intertwined spectrums.

refreshingly, playwright liza magtoto dumps us right in the middle of the action with none of what-could-have-been stereotypical melodramatic and trite backstories of attempting to explain/justify the hows and whys of the homosexuality or the cross-dressing. (there is actually one backstory that seems awkwardly inserted, but more on that later.)

given the self-identification of the lead characters as women, the text surprisingly harbors a misogynistic streak. the care divas' sole female friend nonah, is, at one point, considered a traitor to their cause. and then there are the mothers.  israeli mother and shai's off-stage voice-over mother are both demonized as the enemy.

awkward
kayla is deported and her subplot awkwardly ends there. shai's backstory showcasing her strained relationship with her mother is left awkwardly unresolved. adding to the awkwardness is the way the mother is never present on stage. she's channeled by shai's patient (holme) and then by the care divas-as-greek-chorus-as-mother-as-a-monster.

the device used to present this absent character is good for laughs, but doesn't really seem to serve a point. it explains some of shai's caustic personality, but why is she the only character whose personality has to be explained? and why explained in this manner (mother-as-monster)?

when kayla is deported, the other care divas are unable to help her.  shai does not receive closure for her relationship with her mother (whether seeking acceptance or unilaterally breaking ties), she simply leaves for work in another country.

even when they are double-crossed by the bar owner who hires them, the care divas march on. when chelsea discovers kinks in her potential love relationship (a wonderful twist that layers further and skewers notions of truth / identity / costume / deceit) , she pushes forward.

hope
we are given these recurring awkward endings to the problems that are introduced. in the face of conflict, it seems acceptance, resignation and moving are the only currencies that can be banked on by the care divas in their fleeting, unstable, risk-filled, oppressive world.

thank goodness for acts of kindness from strangers (israeli or otherwise) and friends (filipinos or otherwise) in the strange land. the care divas may sing about being bad girls, get bitchy with each other, and kvetch about their employers, but then these divas really do care: about each other, the people they have to care for, and the people they want to care for.

melvin lee is sterling in his portrayal of chelsea's breakdown when isaac passes away; showing chelsea's hope, grief, longing, and love smashing into each other.

maybe this is the point: hope. perhaps because, despite and in spite of unpredictable awkward endings hanging over the care divas' heads, they know that their minds have to necessarily let go of what can't be changed and their hearts have to grasp at all and any chance at hope, real or illusory.  now if it could all be told in just two hours ... kekeke.

NOTE: This blog post was developed further into an essay for the Journal of Asian Perspectives in the Arts and Humanities (Vol. 1, No. 2, 2011) with the title "Art reviews: Care Divas by Peta."

Temptation Island remake 2011 and its theater connections

Temptation Island remake 2011 and its theater connections
By Walter Ang
April 6, 2011
Theaterbator.blogspot.com
http://theaterbator.blogspot.com/2011/04/temptation-island-remake-2011-and-its.html

Poster of original movie
found on the Interwebs.

I just found out that casting has been announced for the 2011 remake of the classic 1980 movie "Temptation Island" written by Toto Belano and directed by Joey Gosiengfiao.  The movie is about four beauty pageant finalists and four men (plus one maid) who get stranded on an island.

The remake will feature Lovi Poe as Suzanne Reyes; Marian Rivera as Azenith Tobias; Solenn Heussaff as Bambi Belisario; and Heart Evangelista as Dina Espinola.  Who are these people?  I don't watch a lot of TV (because I don't have a TV at home, poor me) so I have no idea who they are.  Are they famous?

Stage version
My friend B.L. took me to see the stage version "Temptation Island ... Live!" produced by Madiraka Entertainment production company in 2003 at Tanghalang Huseng Batute, CCP.  In a send up of the campy nature of the movie, the stage version featured male actors in the lead roles: Peter Serrano as Suzanne Reyes; John "Sweet" Lapuz as Azenith Tobias; Raymon Narag as Bambi Belisario; and Tuxqs Rutaquio as Dina Espinola.

Photo from facebook.com/OfficialTemptationIsland

Here is a video excerpt of the stage version.  (Sorry, it's in Tuxqs Rutaquio's Facebook account and I don't know how to upload it here, but you can click the link to get to it.)  This is one of the iconic scenes from the movie, where the ladies are hallucinating about giant chickens and ice cream cones.

Original movie

Poster of the stage version designed by Jason Moss

I actually saw the stage version before I saw the movie (a copy of which was given to me by advertising producer par excellence M.G.).  I was only three years old when the movie was shown in theaters, so thank goodness for VCDs. The original cast was portrayed by Jennifer Cortez (Suzanne Reyes); Azenith Briones (Azenith Tobias); Bambi Arambulo (Bambi Belisario); and Dina Bonnevie (Dina Espinola).

Funny and scandalous
It is a hilarious movie and to this day, my friend L.H. and I exchange quotes from the movie on our Facebook walls. If you have any friends who were old enough to have seen or know about the movie, talk to them about it and you'll get loads of fun trivia.  For example, how the four lead actresses were actually beauty pageant contestants/winners in real life (Dina Bonnevie was Ms. Magnolia Ice Cream or something) or how Alfie Anido, the actor who played Alfredo, was supposedly murdered by the family of the girl he was seeing.

Cast of the stage version "Temptation Island ... Live!"
From left: John "Sweet" Lapuz as Azenith Tobias;
Jonnel Sales as The Maid;
Peter Serrano as Suzanne Reyes;
Tuxqs Rutaquio as Dina Espinola;
and Raymon Narag as Bambi Belisario
 (photo shared by Tuxqs Rutaquio).

The mistaken identity of the theater director who is in the movie
In the movie, many people mistake the actor playing the role of Joshua as theater director Rolando Tinio. The actor who portrayed the role is actually another theater director: Jonas Sebastian. I used to watch the plays he directed for the defunct Bankcard series of free plays in Makati City.

The playwright and theater director who will direct the movie

The remake is being produced by Regal Films.  Chris Martinez will do the rewrite and will direct. He directed the stage version as well.  Martinez is known for writing the script of the hit comedy movie "Kimi Dora" (where he pays homage to "Temptation Island" with lots of inside jokes, lines and character histories).

On the left: Jonas Sebastian as Joshua in the movie.
On the right: Rolando Tinio, who is not in the movie.

Martinez has written the stage adaptation of Carlo Vergara's "Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah, Ze Muzikal" and has won Palanca Awards for his other plays "Last Order sa Penguin" (1st prize, 2001), "Welcome to IntelStar" (3rd prize, 2005), and "Our Lady of Arlegui" (1st prize, 2007).

I've seen "Our Lady of Arlegui" directed by Dennis Marasigan with Shamaine Centenera-Buencamino and Abner Delina acting; a funny, touching scenario between a Muslim woman who sells pirated DVDs and a young film lover in search of an elusive title.

I haven't seen "Last Order" and "Welcome to IntelStar" but I've read the scripts and they are hilarious. I wish a theater group would restage these two plays so I can finally watch them.

Summer theater workshops 2011

Summer theater workshops
By Walter Ang
April 6, 2011
Philippine Daily Inquirer

“What’s most rewarding about our annual summer workshop is witnessing the process of transformation that happens to the workshoppers,” says Gantimpala Theater Foundation founder and artistic director Tony Espejo.

“From shy and inhibited young boys and girls, they learn to deliver a punch line, sing a tune, work out dance steps. They are initially strangers who become friends in such a short time, and their creative juices seem to be coming from a bottomless well. I sincerely hope we instill a love and respect for theater with them.”

Gantimpala is just one of many theater companies that are holding acting workshops this summer (see listing below).  Workshops are available for children, teens and adults.  Most groups have children’s and teens’ classes during the daytime and adult’s classes during the evenings.  All workshops usually end with a recital.

Aside from learning the craft of expression, children gain social interaction skills while teenagers and adults get their foot in the door should they decide to pursue careers in the industry.  There are usually no requirements in terms of acting or workshop experience; just a desire to learn (or a parent who will force you to join to help you improve your self confidence) will do. 

While syllabi differ from group to group, basic acting classes for kids usually use games to teach enhancement of the senses and to improve focus, concentration, observation, and, most importantly, to build confidence.  The games help students with coordination, agility, self-reliance and experiencing the importance of teamwork.

Teens and adults usually have lectures and exercises on spontaneity, improvisation, body and voice work, and script analysis, among others.  Beyond basic acting, some companies offer musical theater training as a separate workshop.

A few tips

Enrollment: Bring your own pen to save time. Have photocopies of either a school/company ID or birth certificate, just in case. Some groups ask for one or two ID photos. Have 2x2 prints made; it’s easier to cut down to 1x1 if needed.

Fees: Just so that there are no surprises later on, ask if recital fees are separate or included in the tuition.  Remember, there might be additional costs for photocopying of scripts, merienda for rehearsals, costumes for the recital, etc.

Discounts/payment terms: It depends on the group, don’t be afraid to ask, the worst thing that can happen is that they’ll say “no.”  It’s a long shot, but if you feel you have talent, consider writing a letter to the group’s artistic director to inquire about auditioning for a scholarship.

Security: Get the name and cellphone number of not just your child’s teacher, but also at least one office staff.

Caveat emptor: Research and ask about what you’ll get.  Be sure to know the credentials of the company that is giving the workshop, ask around for referrals, ask about the backgrounds of the instructors.  Don’t rely on just your children to tell you about their recital schedule, call the office to double check when it will be so that you won’t miss out.

Special classes

Tanghalang Pilipino, CCP’s resident theater group, will have a Rehearsal and Performance Techniques workshop for students with prior acting experience.  Classes will focus on movement, voice, text and character analysis, and improvisation.

Repertory Philippines will hold special classes:

Shakespeare for Kids

For students aged 9 to 16. It will include a brief history of the life and times of William Shakespeare. Students will find out if his father was really an official beer taster and how Shakespeare wrote 42 plays in 15 years with only a grammar school education.  The course will give students tools to better understand and appreciate the Bard’s works.  It will conclude with a scene and monologue night.

Movement for the actor

For professional and student actors. Using dance and rhythmic movements, students will train their bodies to express a fuller range of physical emotion. Work will be done on breathing, posture, alignment, agility, flexibility and the overall strength.

Students will be taught movement techniques created by Rudolf Laban, a tool used by dancers, athletes, physical and occupational therapists—one of the most widely used systems of human movement analysis.  The class will also include a beginner stage combat course; staged sword-fights, fist-fights, slaps, punches and pratfalls will all be covered.

Acting Master Class (audition required)

For actors with professional experience in stage, television and/or film, a Master Class will be taught by Pinky Amador and Bill Atwood.

Students will be coached one-on-one on aspects such as vocal improvement, physicality and actor’s movement, audition techniques, choosing audition pieces, rehearsal and performance techniques, for all mediums for both the local and international market.

Amador has 24 years of non-stop work experience as an actress, singer, host, model and dancer both in the Philippines and England. Bill Atwood has 30 years of teaching experience and has taught at American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York.

Non-acting classes

As theater practitioners know, a show doesn’t always need a lot of actors, but a show will always need backstage staff.  For students 18 years old and above who want to learn the ropes of running a show, Tanghalang Pilipino will have an Event Production and Stage Management workshop.

Philippine Educational Theater Association (Peta) will have one-day lectures on Stage Management, Technical Theater and Make-up for Theater; and half-day lectures on Music Appreciation, Song Writing, and Choreography.

It will also offer week-long workshops on Visual Arts for Young People and Theater in Education for educators and teachers.

My Talent will have courses in modeling, street dancing, drawing and other art forms.  Audie Gemora, known to theater audiences for his acting and directing and known to television audiences for his stint as a judge in the show Talentadong Pinoy, will teach Pop Concert Performance for students who want to learn how to become concert /recording artists.

Sipat Lawin Ensemble has week-long or month-long workshops in Directing for Teens and Adults; Production Design and Technical Theatre) and storytelling.

Where to go, who to call 

You can also call your nearby schools, churches, barangay halls/centers, village associations, etc. to see if they are offering any theater workshops.

Here’s a round-up of some of the more established theater groups you can contact. Schedules and info are subject to change without prior notice. Contact the groups to ask for their full line-up of different classes.

9Works Theatrical

Dates: April 11 to May 29, 2011

Contact: 09175545560; 5867105; 557.5860; anna@9workstheatrical.com

Website: www.9workstheatrical.com

Office: Ortigas Center, Pasig City

workshop venue: Rockwell Center, Makati City

Gantimpala Theater Foundation

Dates: April 25 to May 28, 2011

Contact: 5280603, 5365860 and 09215286308.

Website: www.gantimpalatheater.multiply.com

Office and workshop venue: Rizal Park (Luneta), Manila City

My Talent Place by Audie Gemora

Dates: March 28 onwards

Contact: 3590497; 5713485; 09225916060; 09273159994; 09228764772; avmytalent@yahoo.com

Website: www.mytalentco.multiply.com

Office and workshop venue: Eastwood City, Quezon City

New Voice Company

Dates: No workshops scheduled thus far, but call to confirm

Contact: 8965497; 896-6695; nvc@pldtdsl.net

Website: www.newvoicecompany.com

Office: Makati City

Philippine Educational Theater Association (Peta)

Dates: April 13-May14

Contact: 7256244; 4100821; 09175769339; petatheater@gmail.com

Website: www.petatheater.com

Office and workshop venue: New Manila, Quezon City

Repertory Philippines

Dates: April 4 to May 20

Contact: 5716926; 5714941; info@repertory.ph

Website: www.repertory.ph

Office: Ortigas Center, Pasig City.  Enrollment can also be done at Onstage Theater, 2^nd floor, Greenbelt 1 Mall, Ayala Center, Makati City during scheduled performances on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

Workshop venue(s): Ortigas Center; Pasig City; and Makati City

Sipat Lawin Ensemble

Dates: No set schedules thus far, call to confirm

Contact: 09175008753; 9645969; sipatlawin.ensemble@gmail.com.

Website: sipatlawin.posterous.com

Workshop venue: the group can go to your venue

Tanghalang Pilipino

Dates: April 5-9, 12-16, 26-30

Contact: 8323661; 8321125 loc. 1620 and 1621; tanghalanprod@yahoo.com

Office: Cultural Center of the Philippines, Pasay City

Workshop venue(s): Cultural Center of the Philippines, Pasay City; Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City; and Miriam College, Quezon City.

Triumphant Peoples Evangelistic Theatre Society (Trumpets)

Dates: April 4-May 31

Contact: 6317252; 6362842; 3816635; 0917896 4034; playshoppers@gmail.com

Visit: www.trumpetsplayshop.com

Workshop venue(s): Podium Mall, Mandaluyong City; Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City; and Alabang Town Center, Muntinlupa City.

Cebu City: Little Boy Productions

Workshop dates: May 2-20

Contact: 2549320 or 4158058

Also published online:

http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/artsandbooks/artsandbooks/view/20110406-329584/From-Manila-to-Cebu-summer-theater-workshops

Theaterbatoring DL's 'May Pakpak ang Oras'

thoughts on dulaang laksambayanan's "may pakpak ang oras at iba pang dula ni david ives"

by walter ang
march 28, 2011
theaterbator.blogspot.com

http://theaterbator.blogspot.com/2011/03/theaterbatoring-dls-may-pakpak-ang-oras.html

Cast of "May Pakpak ang Oras at
iba pang mga dula ni David Ives."
Image from the DL Facebook account

in american slang, the word “word” can mean “yes”—a general utterance of agreement.  dulaang laksambayanan’s charming staging of “may pakpak ang oras at iba pang dula ni david ives” shows the disagreements that also come with or as the result of (spoken) words.

the group has thoughtfully curated four of american playwright david ives’ one-act plays into a single show.  the title of the first play quickly establishes the wordplay that cuts across all four, a story of two mayflies who realize they only have one day to live: “time flies” (translated to “may pakpak ang oras”).

ives sure is smitten by words.  in fact, his other plays (not included in this show) have titles like “words, words, words” and “the universal language.”

in “may pakpak,” the two mayflies exclaim terms like “carpe diem” and talk about going to “paris,” only to immediately ask each other what those words mean (since they’ve only been alive for less than a day).

words are further deliberated in the second play, “babel, babel… pa’no ka ginawa?” (“babel’s in arms”), with ives’ take on two workers at the construction site of the tower of babel.  as characters break into gibberish without warning nor explanation, confusion and hilarity ensues.

words get their spectacle showcase in the third installment “sure thing,” as a man and woman try to get to know each other as they repeat and revise their lines ad infinitum.

the piece is fun to watch and impressive to see unfold as the two actors go over lines when signaled by a bell that rings faster and faster until it’s a frenzied blast.  one can only imagine the concentration needed by the actors to remember which repetition they’re already at.

it’s a great counterpoint to the first play which deals with a singular chance at love bound by time; this one ponders the possibility of infinite chances to grab love.

while “may pakpak” opens the show with a message of hope, the show ends with “abangan ang susunod na kabanta” (“captive audience”), a trippy cautionary tale of how words (via mass media— in this case, represented by a tv set) can be a dangerous brainwashing weapon.

this one mirrors the second play, highlighting the use of words as weapons of domination and obfuscation.

ives is heavy on repetitive dialogue, something that’s ripe for annoying audiences, but the directors (each play has a different director) pace the show well, adeptly timing the multiple loops for emphasis, for lulls, for set-ups to punchlines, etc.

through collaborative translation, the group allows tagalog and taglish to carry the stories.  the translation presents conversational, colloquial tagalong that fits ives’ quirky humor, though sometimes, the retention of some american cultural markers (for example, mention of three ivy league universities instead of their local counterparts; or the whole bit on walnuts for the last play) sounds/feels slightly jarring.

across these seemingly harmless and funny skits are underlying launchpads of discussion on sexual relations, the finiteness of life, capitalism, exploitation and mass media hegemony. (and of course, academics will invariably analyze the semantics and semiotics that the texts present.)

lead by artistic director joshua so and executive director terrie martinez, all the current members of the group are new (though dl has been in existence intermittently).  this is perhaps why the ensemble gives somewhat unequal levels of performances, but definitely all with conviction, sincerity and the indelible feeling that they’re having fun (which rubs off on the audience).

mark anthony dacena’s original music is fresh and appropriate.  it not so much scores the text as it intertwines with it, highlighting and driving the action forward.

the group wraps up the show with a devised sound-and-movement piece where the entire cast descends on to the stage and repeats key phrases from their respective plays, showing the audience the complex crazy world that we create with and deal in words.  word.

dulaang laksambayanan’s next production is “a season of ten thousand noses”based on the short story by charlson ong, scheduled for april 2011.  contact 0916-4123137 or dulaanglaksambayananinc@gmail.com.

Republikha Gallery holds inaugural exhibit

Republikha Gallery holds inaugural exhibit
By Walter Ang 
March 28, 2011
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Republikha Gallery will have an inaugural group show titled "Departure" featuring 16 artists. Gallery founder and owner Jenery Lim, who produces Benevita cocosugar and coconectar on the side, says, "I fused the words "republika" and "likha," since the Philippines is a republic of creative people."

Lim became interested in art in the mid 2000s. "The first painting I bought was a Marcel Antonio acrylic on paper," he says. "Actually, I bought two of them at the same time. I haven't looked back since."

The more paintings he collected, the more people he met. The more people he met, the more support grew when the arts community found out he wanted to put up his own gallery. "I wanted to set up shop in Quezon City instead of the usual Pasay or Makati City," say Lim.

He notes there is growth in the market and more galleries across the city will help add to awareness and exposure to potential Filipinos "whether just for appreciation or for investments and collections."

Michael Muñoz, an "artist-friend" of Lim's, designed the gallery interiors and Frederick Sausa, who recently wrapped up a group show in Hong Kong, was tasked to curate the gallery's kick-off show.

"Departure can be pigeonholed as displacement, alienation, relocation, derivation in a geographical setting," says Sausa. "But it can also be a metaphor. It delves into the idea of the act of leaving and searching. We invited 16 artists to do works according to their own whims and personal styles and without particular thematic approach."

Participants are Allan Balisi, Mica Cabildo, Rolf Campos, Mariano Ching, Dex Fernandez, Dina Gadia, Eugene Jarque, Jacob Lindo, Dave Lock, Keiye Miranda, Arturo Sanchez Jr., Isidro Santos, Erik Sausa, Wire Tuazon, Mac Valdizno.

"It is the gallery's goal to be a world-class art gallery," says Lim. "We plan to work with the best curators and showcase the best artists the Philippines has to offer."

"Departure" opens March 30 at Repulikha Art Gallery, Unit 102 Magnitude Building, E. Rodriguez Jr. Ave., Quezon City. Call 5438807 or visit www.republikha.com.

Also published online:
http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/artsandbooks/artsandbooks/view/20110328-327972/Republikha-Gallery-holds-inaugural-exhibit

World peace and justice through dance; Airdance's 'Body Politics: Declaration'

World peace and justice through dance
By Walter Ang
March 21, 2011
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Airdance is staging "Body Politics: Declaration" to celebrate its 10th anniversary. The group will be performing eight compositions inspired by articles from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

"We're steering clear from plotless, abstract, it-is-whatever-you-want-it-to-be pieces," says artistic director Ava Maureen Villanueva. "For this show, the company presents its stand and position against social injustice."

Airdance is composed of dance artists of varied backgrounds from classical and modern ballet, to jazz and ballroom, to hip-hop, breakdance, martial arts and gymnastics.

"What's nice about Airdance is, we really try be versatile in all the dance genres even if we are known for our strength in contemporary dance," says Villanueva.

"When you have to define what 'contemporary dance' means, there are many possible answers. Contemporary dance is not associated with any specific dance techniques like in classical ballet, but rather with a dance philosophy. In contemporary dance, dancers or choreographers attempt to explore the natural energy and emotions of their bodies to produce dances which are often very personal."

Awareness and discrimination
The UDHR, adopted by the United Nations in the late 1940s, represents the "first global expression of rights to which all human beings are inherently entitled," and is part of the International Bill of Human Rights.

"People from all over the world are suffering from oppression, hunger, and discrimination. There can't be a more fitting time to stand up and move against all these," she says.

"This production is a conscious effort to contradict the notion that artists, dancers especially, have no awareness and concern for the greater good, hence the discrimination against the arts for not having any social relevance. This is a campaign against that discrimination in dance in our society."

"Declaration" will feature the choreography of Villanueva; Airdance associate artistic directors Rhosam Prudenciado Jr. and Jed Amihan; and choreographers Mia Cabalfin, Avel Bautista, Alfred Mercado, Jojo Guzman and Johnny Amar.

"We do not promise to bring about world peace, nor can we end starvation but allow us to assert our right to freedom of opinion and expression (be it verbal or otherwise) in the best way we know how, through dance," she adds.

Airdance is a member company of Contemporary Dance Network Philippines and is active in the network's annual performances such as the Contemporary Dance Map series and the Wifi Body Independent Contemporary Dance Festival.

The group has represented the Philippines at the World Expo, Japan and the Asia Arts Festival, China. The company is a two-time Aliw Award winner of the Best Dance Company (Modern) category.

Earlier this year, company members Alfred Mercado and Anna Agawa competed in the "Yokohama Dance Collection EX 2011" competition in Japan. They were selected as finalists from over 80 entries from five different countries (Japan, Estonia, Korea, Cuba and the Philippines).

Intensive workshop
Airdance will also hold a six-week intensive dance training program culminating in a recital. Classes offered includes Jazz (beginners and advanced); Contemporary (beginners and advanced); Streetdance (beginners and advanced); and Breakdance.

The workshop will run April 4-May 22, with a break on April 17-25 for the Holy Week.

"Airdance's Summer Dance Workshops has always proven to be a fun, enjoyable and learning experience for its students. Not only do they get the physical benefits of dance training—grace, flexibility, coordination, strength, cardiovascular endurance—but they also develop poise and stage presence," says Villanueva.

"Preparing and performing for a live audience requires that the student develop self-discipline and respect for fellow students. Airdance firmly believes that these are habits that they will carry on to their personal, academic and professional lives."

The training program is accepting scholars who pass auditions. Applicants must be at least 16 years old, preferably with dance background in ballet, jazz, modern and/or contemporary. Improvisation skills are a plus.

"Declaration" runs March 25-26, 8 p.m., at Dance Forum Space, 36E West Ave., Quezon City. Call 4152185 or 0916-3566693. Visit airdance.com.ph.

Also published online:
http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/artsandbooks/artsandbooks/view/20110321-326685/World-peace-and-justice-through-dance

Theaterbatoring UP DECL's 'Screen: Macbeth'

thoughts on up decl's "screen: macbeth"
by walter ang
march 16, 2011
theaterbator.blogspot.com
http://theaterbator.blogspot.com/2011/03/screen-macbeth.html

as a rule, i don't usually review productions that i have written an "advancer" for, but what the hey! = )

many people obviously enjoyed "screen: macbeth," evidenced by the enthusiastic clapping and cheering after the show i caught. in fact, the show will be extended this weekend due to “insistent popular demand.”

a hodge-podge, eclectic, mix-match staging makes the show fun at certain times but is also the reason why it doesn’t quite come together.

director anton juan has the soldiers announcing their arrivals with a war cry-cum-greeting that provides gravitas to their military connection and to the earthy, gravelly, wild world he has created for this staging of macbeth.  all that grunting and shouting inervates the audience: we are not just politely sitting here, we are also spectators to some martial pageant.

teroy guzman (macbeth) and judy ick (lady macbeth) are wonderful. their enunciation is crystal clear, their emotions register the whole range of their characters' turmoils.  this is their show. we see them start off as bumbling virgin murderers then they transform into crazed guilt-wracked repentant (lady macbeth) and crazed smug villain (macbeth). they lock hands with the audience and take us with them on their inevitable tragic journeys.

jaime wilson (macduff) has a strong presence and ron capinding (banquo) does well as he does not fall into his usual trap of the-leo-martinez-school-of-acting. ricky abad (duncan, gatekeeper and doctor*) is hilarious as the gatekeeper.

earl ignacio (malcolm) delivers his lines haltingly, which makes it look like he is hard at work memorizing his lines.  his detached approach to his character doesn’t work. is that how someone whose father has been killed (and is burdened with not knowing if he will be able to succeed as the nation's king) behaves?

white sheets are draped along the perimeter of the room, creating a twin sense of claustrophobia and ephemerality.  things are as close as we see, but they also extend to and emanate from places farther than we think/know/feel--apt for the convoluted world of macbeth and his ghosts.

videos are shown througout the play, cross projected onto all four sides of the room. and that is where all the disconnection with the title lies.

big problem: we can hardly see the videos. (i don't know why the theater industry has not yet caught on with the use of double projectors just like in the events industry.) any reason of budgetary constraints/lack of equipment won't cut it, especially since the entire concept is based on "screens" and "projections," or so at least the title ("screen: macbeth.") leads us to expect.

but okay, let's assume that the low-intensity, washed-out projection style is deliberate, that these images are meant to be ghostlike wisps of fleeting, confused, guilty thoughts.  but that doesn’t solve questions on the seeming lack of consistency in the images, the way they are used and, ultimately, the point of it all.

medieval european images bookend the beginning and end but seem to have no bearing on the staging except as a visual marker that the play is set in europe (but why generic and not something scotland-specific?).  but wait, what about the mad max-inspired costume and weapons design? is this nowhereland, everyland, philippineland or europeland?

the three weird sisters use different dialects instead of english. why is it their act 1 lines have no english translation on the videos but their act 2 lines do?

the king’s muder is not shown onscreen (to heighten suspense?), but why are the murders of other characters shown? the  projections are used mostly for castle interiors (that look like something out of a video game), for forest exteriors, for graphic novel panels, for silhouettes of dancing figures, for distorted faces … as a tool for backdrop and mood enhancing  imagery than anything else. they rarely moved the story along, since dialogue and stage business more than amply takes care of that.

this is what the “screen” in “screen: macbeth” is all about? it hardly seems worth inserting itself in the title for.

the set design has white-rope-as-spider-webs that flank the corners of certain seating areas ... yes, they add to the sense of constriction created by the web-of-lies of the characters, but are more decorative than visually-integral to the staging. yes, lady macbeth has spider brooches on her high-heeled shoes, but other than that, nothing else in the staging seemed to build on the venomous spider/web-of-lies theme.**

juan employs some theatrical scenes that are exciting and thought-provoking. water (as a cleansing/diluting/forgiving element) pouring down on lady macbeth in her “out damned spot” monologue makes sense. shoes dropping out of the sky on to the stage earlier during her “unsex me here” monologue is exciting and a theatrical spectacle, but thought-provoking only in that it makes us ask, “what do shoes have to do with this monologue?” allusions to imelda marcos, perhaps. but again, not a theme that is developed further as the play progresses.

and then all of a sudden, we have malcolm and macduff riding metal-sculpted horse-heads as they discuss plans to conquer macbeth. the horse heads are pretty, yes. but necessary? not really. if anything, distracting.  these large, shiny tangible objects provide a very sharp contrast to the intangibility of the projections, but to what end?

if visually helping the audience along was the objective, perhaps it would have been better to show the soldiers camouflaging themselves with branches for the “burnham woods are moving” scene rather than providing visual spectacle via the horse-heads?

i don’t know where my head got to after watching this show. kekeke.

*conceptually, i think it's interesting to have the same actor play the character (duncan) that macbeth kills and the character (doctor) that tells macbeth that lady macbeth has died and that the woods are coming to get him.

**say perhaps, for example, having the three weird sisters be portrayed as the fates from greek mythology, weaving and cutting threads/webs of destinies. besides, there are more lines in "othello" that visually evoke spiderwebs than in "macbeth."