EXCLUSIVE! Hanging Out with Insiang

Tanghalang Pilipino, in cooperation with Bright Eyed Boys Events&Ideas, Inc., brings back the stage production that bagged 4 major Aliw awards in 2003 – Best Stage Actor Ricky Davao, Best Stage Actress Malu de Guzman, Best Director Chris Millado and Best Non-Musical Production. INSIANG also earned nominations for Best Actress Sheenly Vee Gener and Best Supporting Actress Mae Paner. INSIANG is the story of a young innocent girl who transforms into a malevolent and scheming character who shocks the community with her revenge. Lino Brocka’s film version of the same title garnered major awards at the Cannes Film Festival. Mario O’Hara’s adaptation of his own screenplay, under the direction of Chris Millado, was dubbed as the “theater event of the season”.

And now for a CokskiBlue Exclusive! In collaboration with one of the hippest and most popular bloggers today – AJ Matela of BaklaAko.com, we got to sit and hang out with Insiang‘s amazing cast! Recorded live from this country’s “first ever” Quad Media Conference at the Cultural Center of the Philippines and together with other famous bloggers, Gibbs Cadiz, McVie, Karla Maquiling of Pinoy Centric, and Rick of Project Manila, we got to witness the unveiling of THE “theater event this season” (There’s a more detailed account of the event on AJ’s post). So watch, relax and enjoy this 4-part special vodcast:

Episode 20: The Gold Mine

Each and every one of us is a gold mine; but like any other of its kind, you have to dig out the good substance.The Gold Mine Theory – this is what stuck to me upon finishing last Saturday’s PETA Tour. This principle states that every person has this infinite potential to excel on any activity as long as they get the proper education and have the very determination to do so.

The blogging group included Arpee, Martin, Kai, Jun, Diego, Melissa, Carla, Benj, Cielo, Jeff , Joe, Coy, Chris, Faith, Karla, and Gibbs.

With this thought I just realized, I can be whoever I want to be. Just like playing a character in a play, you can be anyone if you just put your mind to it. You can be Juliet, Plato, or even Rizal if you only internalize that character – which requires not only knowledge of the material but also the passion to believe that you can be.

So just like what Mrs. Cecille Garrucho explained, anybody can do theater. And from a similar point of view of Pepe, from PETA’s “Batang Rizal”, anybody can be a hero too.

“Kung walang pinagbago ang panahon mo sa panahon ko, bakit kailangan ko pang mamatay?” A daunting question made by our young national hero. I almost teared up that moment when he left the stage leaving everybody wondering the same thing. Did he indeed die for nothing? Does our present condition reflect what he was fighting against?

Silence waved through the place as Pepe’s question kept lingering in my mind. Honestly, as I was sitting there, dumbfounded by the query, I didn’t really know the answer. And I was scared to believe that it was, in reality, all for nothing.

But as the play neared its end, I got to realize that it was not really about what he died for, but how he lived his life. And if one boy had this one great vision for our country and brought it to realization, then what stops today’s youth of achieving the same greatness? With enough will and persistence, you and I can be a hero in our own right. And with that in mind, we can be our nation’s gold mine.

“…Sino ka sa kanila, sino ka?
Kahit bata ka pa dapat alam mo na.
Piliin ang landas hangga’t maaga
Tayong kabataan ang pag-asa ng bayan
Ika’y Pilipino ‘wag kalilimutan
Talino at lakas ialay mo sa bayan.”

Photos by: Gibbs Cadiz, Arpee Lazaro

Music by: Bamboo

Special Thanks to: Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA), PinoyCentric, and Gibbs Cadiz

Episode 16: High School Musical

The movie sucked. Yep, it did. And even with all the buzz, the songs weren’t that good either.

Until this happened.

Yeah, the movie still blows. But there’s something about High School Musical On Stage that saved Disney’s sorry excuse for a movie. This even got me to download (illegally) the whole damn soundtrack album! What has got into me? Or maybe the question is, what mojo has Stages and Trumpets Playshop conjured that’s making all this noise(LSS in my head)?

Oh, it was just pure talent then. That works.

Photos from: Click The City, Super Bong, Gibbs Cadiz, Coy, Pinoy Centric

Music from: High School Music OST