Monday, April 21, 2008
Do Not Enter This Auditorium: Elitism and other misconceptions about Philippine theater
Yes, this is one of those seryoso blog posts that I have to write sober -- haven't written one of these in a while. It was inspired by this little snippet in an online conversation I had with a fellow theater buddy, while I was urging her to bring her family along to catch my current cause celebre, Repertory Philippines' Altar Boyz:
"No, that's not their kind of thing. As my dad said recently, 'the only thing I know about theatre is that it's for the rich and the intellectuals.'"
I insisted that Altar Boyz, with its unpretentious humor and broad appeal, could be the one thing to change her father's mind. Meanwhile, in the back of my head, that quote sparked an epiphany in me: Is that what has been holding people back from appreciating theater all this time? That people think theater is an exclusive little club for the country's ilustrados and koniotic children like me and my friends? (And I'll maintain that "konyo" is an unfair label to describe me, because I'm really not, but I've been hit with it so many times that I've stopped trying to defend myself. Hurts to hear it nga, pero nakakapagod rin.)
That was a strange and rather unfounded argument to make, considering that the last time I checked, the good folks at TicketWorld didn't grill potential buyers on their IQ level, pop culture knowledge or personal income before selling them tickets to next Saturday's showing of Hamlet. And ticket prices? Come on, it's P170 to catch a flick at Greenbelt 3. It wouldn't cost too much more to get a seat at a Repertory Philippines show, and I'm sure other, equally well-staged productions (such as those by Dulaang UP or Blue Repertory) sell for even less than that. It's better value for money, too -- what you'll get for P250 at a theater production is much, much more than what you'll get for P170 to see bloody Snakes on a Plane. ...Okay, unfair comparison, but even with any other movie title, it still holds.
Then, while penning down all my rebuttals to the "theatre is only for the elite" theory, I realized that I myself am not fit to argue against it. Not because I'm part of that aforementioned elite class (look, I'm a Radiohead-worshipping, Ramones-shirt-wearing alterna-chick who happens to like Broadway), but because I may have bought into that theory myself.
I've been downright militant in my efforts to get more people into theater ever since attending the Theater Talk seminar with prolific playwright Floy Quintos last year. It was hugely moving, and I wish I could get to see Floy again to thank him for being such an inspiration. If he could only see me now. I've applied the same fervor in insisting to anyone who will listen that they catch Altar Boyz before it closes, not only because I think the show is great, but because, along with Avenue Q, I think it's the perfect catalyst to spark people's interest in seeing local productions. I don't just ask them to watch Altar Boyz, you see. I ask them to watch it, and then afterwards I nag them to bring their friends and family to see it, and to buy Rep season tickets for next year (great seats at low prices, kamon mamon!).
But then I have to ask myself, why only those two shows? Would I have invited any of my un-theater-y friends to watch Dogeaters? Honest answer: No. I worry that it might have bored them and scared them away from checking out other productions. I shamefully admit that there is some condescension in that decision.
[while exiting the OnStage theater after Altar Boyz]
Me: One publication said that the guy we just saw? He's the future of Philippine theater!
Friend: (laughing) There is no future of Philippine theater. It's dead.
Me: Then what have I been supporting all this time? We just came from Altar Boyz, and it's doing pretty good.
Friend: That's not Philippine theater. That's American theater in Philippine shores.
I failed you, Floy Quintos. The only things I've bothered watching this year were all Pinoy restagings of Western plays and musicals, despite your urging us to catch Pinoy-written plays and musicals. My excuses, if anyone would ask, were that Skin Deep was too far away, I didn't know about Orosman at Zafira or EJ: Ang Pinagdaanang Buhay nina Evelio Javier at Edgar Jopson until it was too late. 66.67% of these excuses are lies (I really, really didn't know about EJ). Skin Deep was in the PETA Theater, where I went before to attend the Floy Quintos talk. I just wasn't motivated enough to go back to see this play. The Orosman at Zafira organizers even added me to their Multiply circle -- no idea how they found me -- months before they opened. I just didn't go because I have a hard time understanding things that are in full Tagalog, and I was too lazy to even try. And I truly regret not trying, because I heard that OZ was spectacular. I also wouldn't have checked out Dogeaters if I didn't get the tickets for free.
The bottom line is, I only wanted to put more asses in the seats, even if that meant taking the easy route by inviting people to more mainstream shows like Altar Boyz. I'll justify my decision, though, by saying that theater is an acquired taste. I'm not part of the theater elite, I'm just a theater fangirl geekazoid who started with Wicked and graduated to The Last Five Years. Hell, if someone gave me the chance to see Sunday in the Park with George or The Light in the Piazza, I'd totally go, even if I don't think I'm smart enough to see either show.
My point? We all have to start somewhere, and I think Altar Boyz is a great place to start. It's fun, catchy, uplifting, it has no specific target demographic, and it's an excellent way to spend your Saturday afternoon. I wouldn't introduce someone to Richard Linklater films by starting with Waking Life, I'd start with Before Sunrise and then Dazed and Confused and then eventually Waking Life or A Scanner Darkly after that.
You know what else? At least I'm trying. I may not be everything that Floy Quintos wanted us blogger attendees to be, but I got a good amount of people to see this wonderful Repertory Philippines musical, week after week, and they all liked it so much that they promised me they'd come back the following week with their own groups of friends. And hopefully those friends will come back with their own groups of friends, and so on. I contributed! It may not be huge, but I contributed! If I can't be an Advocate of Philippine Theater, I can at least be an Advocate of Philippine English Language Musical Theater. I put asses in those seats, just like I told myself I would. That's my personal offering to the Shrine of Floy, and I hope he'd be proud of me anyway. I'll try harder next time, I promise.
A person does not have to be cultured or wealthy or intellectual to enjoy theater, in the same way that you don't have to be Japanese to like sushi. Theater can be masa if more people were just motivated enough to give it a shot. That's the key word, "motivation," and that's what I am: a super-makulit cheerleader for the cause.
I'm not even getting paid for this. ;)
In closing, I only have this to say: fucking watch Altar Boyz before it closes, you mofos! It's on its last weekend! Reserve tickets with Rep at 887-0710 or at TicketWorld. And then after that, we can check out more shows. If by some miracle Orosman at Zafira comes back, I'm dragging ALL your sorry asses with me to UP. And if Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah has another run? Not even a tornado could stop me.
