"Madcap and Magical" Monday

Being a longtime reviewer, I experienced a pleasant reversal of sorts yesterday when Gibbs Cadiz’s review of the Virgin Labfest 2 plays came out in the Inquirer yesterday. Here’s what he has to say about First Snow of November:

“Alfonso Dacanay’s First Snow of November, adapted from Bienvenido Santos’ The Day the Dancers Came, limned the loneliness of exile with exquisite feeling. More wondrously, the play was also performed (and co-directed, with Go) by PHSA’s Dulaang Sipat Lawin—high-school students whose emotional transparency could give older actors a run for their money.

Abner Delina Jr., all of 16, essayed the role of Filemon Acayan, the aging Pinoy expat in a Chicago nursing home who remembers the US visit of a Bayanihan-like dance troupe 20 years ago. Elegiac and autumnal, First Snow of November played like a heartfelt, bittersweet note on a violin. Among Labfest’s entries, it cut the deepest.”

It may have stormed yesterday, but it might as well have been sunny for me. Ü

Speaking of storm, here’s what Typhoon Glenda did to my family’s santol tree earlier today:


I’m just glad it didn’t fell over my parents’ bedroom.

Olfactory Offense

Now, something light this time:

Two years ago, I enrolled in a couple of Spanish-language courses at the Instituto Cervantes in Manila. Being the cheapskate that I am I usually rode a jeep from the MRT Taft Station to Vito Cruz, specifically to Estrada Street where the Instituto used to be located. But there had been times I was running late, so I sometimes took the LRT just to get to class on time. I didn't exactly look forward to these times, because of the unpleasant smell that stuck on the coaches. I really thought then the coaches' age had something to do with it.

I now think differently ever since the MRT became sex-segregated. The past few weeks had me riding the MRT before or during rush hour to catch the rehearsals and shows at the CCP. The dried sweat, the unrelenting clashes between different body odors on the last two coaches--it's almost like an olfactory assault. Now I have an idea what Doña Lupe felt in The Summer Solstice as she watched the virile participants of St. John the Baptist's daytime procession pass her by.

I'll get used to it. Eventually.

Wet Weather on a Wonderful Weekend

What a weekend.

I’m relieved it’s done. I’m relieved that a surprisingly good number of people watched the show last Saturday, despite the gloomy weather that afternoon. I’m glad the audience in both shows didn’t seem to fall asleep while my play was being performed (but I have to admit the matinee performance dragged somewhat; the show that evening was much better). Different thoughts popped up in my head as I watched: Shit, my play is really technically challenging. Jesus, I’d love to trim down some of the dialogue right now. Abner (who played Fil) is really amazing.

My teenage actors JM Cordero (left) and Abner Delina Jr.
and I, with me holding the “magic sound mirror.”

How did the audience react to the play? During the matinee show, I noticed a teenage girl in the front row looking as if she’s about to choke with emotion. And later that night, a PDI reviewer, who I was introduced to earlier and who, in fact, was sitting behind me, congratulated me afterwards, adding: Napaiyak mo ako (or something like that). And during the intermission following my play, an audience member forgot his cellphone at a table in the lobby and I peered momentarily at the LCD: The play was exceptional. Good thing he went back to retrieve it just before the intermission ended.

I just smiled. What else could I do? Ü

Thank you so much to those who watched, especially Dean, Nikki, Vin and the Osias couple.

Some Bloc members (joined by a few, ehem, “friends”) at
Icebergs near CCP after yesterday’s matinee performance.

Showing on Saturday

A provincial senior clerk (Lovely Balili) approaches one of the many bureaucrats (Nar Cabico) she meets in her quest to have her promotion papers approved in Dulaang Sipat Lawin’s Pragres.


Fil Acayan (Abner Delina Jr.) shyly attempts to invite a group of dancers for dinner at his apartment in Alfonso I. Dacanay’s First Snow of November.


Baboy Ramo (Delphine Buencamino) tries to dissuade her adopted human daughter (Amihan Ruiz) from going to town to search for her beloved in Rody Vera’s Ang Unang Aswang.

(Photos taken from the 2006 PHSA Grand Recital. Courtesy of Tanghalang Pilipino.)

The Literary Life

I picked up a copy of The Manila Times today and pleasantly came across this little note:

New and published authors are welcome to contribute their stories, poems, essays and other forms of creative expression to this section (The Literary Life). Manuscripts in Word format disk, together with a hard copy, may be sent to the editor (Elmer Ordoñez), Sunday Times Magazine, 371 A. Bonifacio Drive, Port Area, Manila 1018.

So, what are we waiting for? Ü

Seven Days Before Showtime

During a Writers Bloc meeting some years ago, I recall Rene Villanueva asserting his belief that a play, as text, is already a complete, fully realized work in itself. This prompted several strong reactions from people in the group, myself included. Rody Vera, in particular, strongly disagreed with Rene, stressing that a play’s full potential is only realized when one brings it to life onstage.

I have to agree with Rody. A play, especially a good one, is meant to be staged. That’s truly the only way to know if it really works. Imagination can only go so far. There are plays that read well, but turn out to be terrible onstage; and plays that seem underwhelming on paper actually turn out pretty well when performed. And un­like fictionists and poets, playwrights get to collaborate with a lot of talented people, people with only one goal in mind: to interpret the playwright’s vision, as embedded in the play, in the best possible way.

I am again reminded of this, now that the opening of Virgin Labfest 2 is on Friday. For the past few weeks I have been coordinating with the other playwrights involved and the Tanghalang Pilipino staff, acting as a middle man between the two. But it’s no big deal. Last Sunday was especially busy, for the entire production had a pictorial which lasted through much of the afternoon and evening. It’s a good thing I was able to attend a rehearsal of my play that evening.

As a playwright, I make sure that I allot time to attend rehearsals, at least some of the time. I have learned long ago that it pays to stick around at rehearsals, because: (1) you can check if the director and cast are staying true to what you want to show in the play; and (2) you can personally make changes in the script when needed. So far I’m quite pleased with what Herbie Go and his actors were doing with the play, and they seem to appreciate my presence that time.

Fil and Tony are played by a pair of young Negrense actors, and that Sunday they translated good chunks of the dialogue into Ilonggo, perhaps to make it easier for themselves. I have no problem with them using a regional language, as long as it’s used moderately; they went somewhat overboard with it. At one point I leaned over to Herbie and told him to instruct his actors not to revert to Ilonggo so much, or else the audience will not understand what they’re saying. Then and there he told the actors what I had said to him. And when Herbie practically disregarded an important stage direction that accompanied a certain line, I immediately pointed it out to him and explained to him why it’s important. He then saw my point, and in turn explained it to his actors. As much as possible, I only give my comments and observations to the director, never to the performers.

Things will be more hectic from now on, since it's only several days away before showtime. I still have more to do, and there’s the small exhibit to oversee, the dress-and-technical rehearsal that I have to attend on Thursday, the books that need selling during the festival. But I feel surprisingly relaxed about it; I wish I can say the same for Herbie. In any case, I hope my play, and the other plays as well, turn out well. That’s really all I ask for.