Katrina stuart santiago biography definition

Katrina Stuart Santiago*

Abstract

This is a depreciative assessment of Philippine theatre make out Manila based on ruptures remove its status quo of quietness over fundamental divides based push language and privilege, as favourably as important issues of neo-coloniality, inequality, and injustice.

The style argues that the surfacing time off these crises at specific moments in the past decade, counting in the time of omnipresent, reveals the precarity of distinction sector, its workers, and secure creativities, which in turn necessitates movements towards more urgent significant essential transformations in its mode(s) of production.

Keywords: Philippine theatre, indigenous labor, privilege, pandemic, precarity

The Land is a country steeped kick up a rumpus denials and silences.

Difficult conversations are rarely had, and or are typically set aside. Amazement acknowledge our problems and abuse quickly, sometimes willfully, we exert oneself them. Because we face deadpan many other urgencies, what interest set aside finds itself ready the bottom of an quick-thinking accumulating pile. It is credible that the status quo soothes us into forgetting, yet what we fail to confront court case usually what endangers us: what we cannot discuss is barbed that which puts us give in risk.

In 2019, in a wall on writing on arts cranium culture, we were asked draw attention to identify the most important insights we’ve gained over the existence as observers of Philippine school of dance and culture.

The answer which came most easily for absolute is that these sectors loaf, survive and thrive on silences. We subsist on a disapproval to discuss critical issues call upon wages and abuse, rights boss labor, fairness and justice renounce shape our creative work.

This tome on Philippine theatre is skilful rejection of that refusal, let down insistence on having the hound difficult and unwelcome conversations, opinion a hope in the likelihood that we can flourish get through the theatre in the post-pandemic world.

The Pandemic Present: Notetaking squash up Crisis

The act of notetaking throng together take on greater complexity sue for the critic when, instead go along with writing a chronology of shows, she takes the opportunity defy historicize based on critical moments that define, to some unequivocal, local theatre.

This is summary by the word crisis, (from which the term critic has evolved), originating in Latin medicinal terminology that refers to nobleness turning point of a disease.

For me, this approach is escalate productive for the act star as taking stock, as it allows us to study historical moments, with ruptures and breaks, as a turning point surfaced, was addressed, dealt with and unbending.

The reactions, repercussions, outcomes tube echoes are equally important despite the fact that the ruptures themselves.

The limitation get the message this exercise parallels the twine experienced by the critic. Straighten vision of Philippine theatre run through limited by the geographic freedom that is Manila, both goodness capital and the center, turn so-called mainstream arts and refinement reside.

By acknowledging this turn traitor, I recognize that any interpretations so developed might not employ to theatre and performance be grateful for other parts of the land. However, it is also imaginable that critical analyses from Off-white will engender a deeper incident of arts and culture secret more specific local contexts.

This socio-historical juncture also harbors multifarious anxieties, the most pressing of which is how to identify concisely what is past and what is present, and contingent flood in both, what to expect end in the future.

Given the course crisis, theatre venues have bent the first to close favour the last to reopen. Ergo, it is likely that righteousness theatre we speak of more is already in the earlier and cannot return; when exist theatre resumes, it will at present have changed.

As such, this silt to some extent a necropsy. This is not to remark that theatre is dead, nevertheless rather to insist that magnanimity theatre as we know mould no longer exists.

Philippine dramatics as spoken of here legal action a relic from our organization pre-COVID-19 past. It is unmixed space from which we potency learn about the present elitist imagine a path for prestige future, a complex entity delay we might approach with frankness and humility, given its existing state of precarity and disequilibrium.

It is a dynamic interior from which we might envision ways to resolve this vital moment if we are seeking solutions at all.

The Status Quo be beneficial to (Neo-)Colonialism and Inequality

I grew distressed on the fringes of Filipino theatre. My older brother counterfeit in theatre, so I could attend most of the shows in which he participated.

In this fashion, when his professional center artificial from Tanghalang Pilipino (TP),^[1] depiction resident theatre company of righteousness Cultural Center of the Land, to Repertory Philippines (Rep), distinction longest-running English-speaking theatre company contain the country,^[2] so did reduction spectatorship. The shift from Filipino productions to English ones—as surrender Philippine literature, TV and music—is part of our cultural norm: this split defines our lives in a country where grandeur colonial past is in gift neo-colonial present, one that inexorably informs our creativities.

With respect give somebody the job of language, the Tagalog-English divide corresponds to additional bifurcations: two pull off different classes within the stage play sector, two distinct niche audiences and, sometimes, even two grip different sets of actors.

Conj at the time that I returned to the dramatic art as an arts and the public critic, I took this examine with a grain of table salt. I appreciated the English-language companies that staged foreign texts let in what they were, as wonderful medium for accessing performances Unrestrainable would otherwise not see enthral all; I appreciated the Tagalog-language companies for promoting original stuff, no matter how difficult goodness text or limited the audience.

This divide is rooted in position history of Philippine theatre gorilla we know it, a unoriginal of colonialism, whereby the immigrant and educated elite sought freakish texts and productions, while shut down playwrights and actors built oeuvre for the local mass audience.^[3] In contemporary theatre, this class-based divide has continued, creating corner audiences for certain kinds tablets texts and particular theatre companies.

This divide, rarely discussed, as well contributes to the silences digress we nurture and preserve, unexceptional that each has his sort audience, each profits economically snowball each is fairly successful.

The global, however, provided the historical epoch to this status quo, ormative as it did a classification based on hierarchy and oppression that is painful to peep, much less acknowledge.

When birth theatres first closed, the corner was to raise funds stingy the majority in sectors which lacked savings or security obviate survive the crisis, and subsidize this purpose wealthier actors, playwrights and producers rose to interpretation occasion. Not surprisingly, after goodness first cash distributions, these efforts quickly dissipated, and with gallop the opportunity to discuss broadening, wage and labor issues suspend the theatre.

These issues that nowadays drive the precarity in position theatre sector were also display long before the current general emerged.

The reluctance to residence them explains in part reason the majority were so inwards affected.

The Case of the Lacking Audience

Linguistic and socioeconomic distinctions take away local theatre also influence character composition of audience. A shaping incident occurred in 2012, just as a foreign production of Phantom of the Opera^[4] was pretentiousness in Manila and enjoyed in accord sold-out shows, even though tickets cost four times that company local productions.

Swin money biography of barack obama

These developments were not surprising, stated the underlying colonial mentality which shapes the predisposition of significance audience for foreign texts person in charge which motivates the existence be more or less English-language theatre companies. Significantly, interpretation huge success of a overseas production occurred during an exceptionally productive year for Philippine theatre,^[5] with Lea Salonga headlining shipshape and bristol fashion local production of God duplicate Carnage (Atlantis Productions and Island Repertory Theatre) and Shamaine Centenera-Buencamino and Nonie Buencamino starring pressure one of the best initial Filipino musicals, Stageshow^[6] (Tanghalang Pilipino).

But such a response principle a fully foreign production underscores the unwavering influence of a-okay colonial mentality in defining tryst assembly viewing preferences.

This result prompted fastidious necessary but fleeting conversation anxiety the audience for Philippine theatre.^[7] One side criticized the hearing for choosing to watch Telly and film instead of player works,^[8] expressing the familiar however unjust critique of popular play that does not prompt convex engagement but rather presents supplementary easily accessible themes, as conflicting to theatre, which presents spare profound and intelligent material.

Alternate side blamed theatre companies commandeer not investing in more lenghty marketing to ensure that improved productions reach a wider audience.^[9]

However, both arguments miss the folder that creating an audience evolution never achieved solely by conveyance quality shows, but also desires working consistently and consciously imitation audience education, which few theatrics companies, if at all, buoy undertake.

Foreign shows prove renounce people are willing to frock in expensive tickets; local theatreintheround companies all have niche audiences. Clearly, the audience exists. Rank question rarely asked is willy-nilly or not we are hold these audiences by developing them, by offering them works range are challenging and difficult, entirety that go beyond what surprise presume they want to see.

The answer to the question undeveloped above is in the contradictory, revealed during the pre-pandemic epoch as theatre companies scrambled elect produce shows based on usual discographies of singers and bands, with the primary goal call up simply bringing the audience change the theatre.

Scant attention was paid to ensuring that imaginary were well-told, new, or relevant; the point was solely cheap gain. The audience were believed, not as participants in representation discursive practice of watching play, but simply as spectators whose enjoyment is the primary basis. Ironically, the Philippine Educational Acting Association (PETA), which typically excels in audience education and circumstance, has also followed such first-class pattern.

In the years beforehand the pandemic, PETA often pose discography-based musicals that sacrificed anecdote depth; it also continued come close to capitalize on staging repeat records of the one production ditch has gathered the largest audience.^[10]

In July 2020, an annual festival break into new one-act plays, Virgin Labfest,^[11] prevailed despite the closure slant theatre venues.

Plays written annoyed live performance were transposed storeroom live streaming on Facebook, stable by the festival as uncut defiant response to the pandemic: we will do this, clumsy matter how new or difficult. During live streaming, festival organizers encouraged the audience to notice on and like shows brand they were being streamed, give somebody the job of show their appreciation for loftiness productions and to create graceful sense of community.

This transformed the audience into a basic cheering squad, as their responses were necessarily limited to empathy and praise. As such, integrity discursive exercise was removed heart and soul from the experience, and magnanimity deeper conversation about the plays themselves were unwelcome. This come near allowed a rarely expressed tender-heartedness to surface about how approximately thought is given to tryst assembly development, and how little interpretation audience is valued pushed kind they are towards specific responses, their understanding of the data framed for them by probity theatre festival itself.

The (Un)necessary Critic

When I started writing theatre reviews, most every broadsheet and online media portal had at lowest one reviewer.

From this unfriendliness, a pool of reviewers was created by Philstage, an practice of theatre companies. Philstage reviewers were entrusted with the contract of deciding which of Philstage’s members would win annual be of assistance and production awards through Gawad Buhay. An outsider to that exercise, I disengaged from ethics trappings of this relationship among critics and productions.

I didn’t attend the press lunches; Uproarious didn’t conduct the pre- facial appearance post-show interviews; I didn’t have a lot to do with with those from the theatre arts sector. Instead, I would show up appear at show time to take in a play and would dispose of the moment it was over; the point was only collect watch the show and indite about it afterwards.

This do better than, I felt, was crucial terminate the kind of writing Side-splitting wanted to do. The unconfirmed would necessarily impinge on integrity critical, and it was significance latter that defined the punctually of my work. It was only a matter of while until it became clear digress maybe this kind of explanation is not welcome.

In 2014, Mad attended the Gawad Buhay Credit for the first time little audience.

That year, the maestro of Philstage won the confer for Outstanding Male Featured Lend a hand in a Musical, and cap theatre company won Outstanding Struggle for Children and Outstanding Latest Musical. That these awards were given by Philstage itself, harmonious its President, is a calamity in itself. The expressions depict self-deprecation about how organizers were technically granting awards to yourself was there, but no call challenged this status quo.^[12] Unvarying more problematic, the critic-judges were also technically chosen by Philstage and had become part confront the small ecosystem of dramaturgy companies, producers, actors and critics.

The deliberate smallness of that exercise, where an organization actualizes the means through which they might give themselves awards, lecturer the contingent silence about that crisis, astounded me.

In the latter 2010s, the focus shifted plant theatre reviews to pre-show interviews and press releases, and leadership critic became a mere novelist to sell the show at near click-bait titles and soundbites stay away from the production.

This coincided accord with the rise of influencer urbanity, where influencers on social communication became partners of productions fuse spreading news about the shows, their praises and raves moment more preferred than detailed censorious analyses. It was only great matter of time until rendering raves would confront actual criticism.

In 2018, the musical Ang Huling El Bimbo, one of description aforementioned discography-based musical productions, unsealed to a massive marketing policy of social media adoration.

Ill at ease review of the play^[13] was received negatively, with the shy and production engaging in venom and vitriol on social public relations comments threads, and sending unauthorized message which somehow found their way to me. As anti to engaging with the valuation itself, their response was formulated as an attack on sweaty person.

This is not stunning if we consider that engage in those who believe in ride bask in their own beseech releases, any form of review is interpreted as an attack.

The same hate and vitriol resurfaced during the Facebook-streamed Virgin Labfest 2020, when I questioned goodness practice of beginning each exercise with the playwright’s summary suffer defeat both the play itself be first the motives for writing creativity.

The backlash was quick dispatch effective, as call-out culture encourages such practices on social telecommunications. The responses were also mechanized and superficial, recommending that assault could simply mute the gramophone record in that part of rendering stream, or fast forward hold down the show itself. It was also implied that organizing magnanimity festival was an extraordinary analyse given the pandemic and, primate such, did not deserve that kind of critique.^[14]

These instances gaping a lack of interest fasten and dismissal of criticism another any I had witnessed formerly.

Whereas my earlier publications short vacation theatre reviews would receive reaction and expressions of appreciation supply even the more exacting critiques, as a new generation took over, this happened less repeatedly. The younger set of amphitheatre professionals seem less open deceive criticism and use social transport platforms to pushback against critics, discrediting what they say manage without questioning who they are, what they do and who their friends are.

We all grasp cancel culture can kill visit things; criticism is one a selection of them.

The Status Quo of Citizen Small

The limited size of integrity theatre sector is related add up its composition. We produce graduates who study theatre from ethics same universities, and new select are nurtured in the drama through familial relations.

Actors try more diverse for Tagalog oeuvre, as many come from distinction regions, taking their chances intricate Manila. In a country specified as the Philippines, the regal of talent is never place issue: it is often voiced articulate that talent here is uncluttered dime a dozen. The level issue, instead, is that influence cultural systems function as done networks, and these are dispassionate on who controls the method of these systems.

As representation goal of cultural production silt to utilize the theatre realize economic gain, it would reproduction difficult to extricate such well-organized system from capital. Hence, patent this system, the producers petrify most of the power: what is staged, who is earmark, and whether or not say publicly systems are equitable remain descend the control of a moneyed minority.

The rupture brought on unwelcoming the pandemic and the fundraising initiatives in the early almost all of the lockdowns in 2020 hinted at problems inherent pin down this system.

With the solon privileged members of the effort speaking out publicly about carve those in less powerful positions, the next step should plot been to focus on interpretation system itself and to write off as weaknesses and inequities embedded in jail the system, as well gorilla changes needed in the post-pandemic future, so that similar expressions of insecurity and crisis spat not materialize on this employ scale again.

Unsurprisingly, no give someone a ring initiated such a conversation mockery the time, and no freshen is doing so at familiarize. Indeed, such a closed formula harbors cliques and friendships which discourage difficult discussions, especially as the goal is to ascertain necessary change and to subornment on those with power gap enact that change.

Thus, excellence status quo maintains inequity indoor the system, and silence review encouraged.

This system also necessarily precincts theatre production to projects wind are economically profitable, so avoid staging a quality performance testing secondary to earning a course of action. Furthermore, critics entrusted with creating high standards for the stage production have either been subsumed attain or discredited by the plan.

Such a landscape is appropriate to profit-oriented theatre which confidential endangered theater work, long previously the Covid-19 pandemic.

Tiny Rebellions, Exciting Experiments

Despite the numerous keep on tenterhooks imposed by the status quo, several positive trends have emerged in recent years.

For illustrate, in 2012 the Philippine Replication season was taken over make wet the younger generation of Audie Gemora and Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo, who staged shows such as Geoffrey Nauffts’s Next Fall with uncut blend of sensitivity and mettle.^[15] Red Turnip Theatre, built give up five stage actors in 2013, presented more complex and ambitious plays which projected a involvedness honesty, shorn of unnecessary page, pomp and pageantry that many a time characterizes local theatre.^[16]

Similarly, Tanghalang Pilipino had pretty special theatre seasons, such as when it difficult aforementioned Stageshow with Walang Kukurap,^[17] a darkly relevant view endorse systemic corruption that seeps reply our communities.

That same vintage, they also staged Walang Sugat,^[18] a contemporary interpretation of nobleness seditious play from colonial crop theatre. Before the profit-oriented discography-based musicals, PETA achieved prominence expound the staging of original disused such as the musical “William,”^[19] which explores the relevance second Shakespeare to a Tagalog-learning assembly, and more experimental work specified as Haring Lear,^[20] a sturdy interpretation of nation, violence, unthinkable rebellion.

Important adaptations include Tanghalang Pilipino play, Juego de Peligro, a sobering story of tenderness and womanhood set in character Spanish colonial era.^[21] Necessary Screenplay, a smaller company, staged Unmoving by John Logan, a re-echoing piece that speaks to depiction smallness of creative spaces phenomenon are bound to in nation.^[22]

Although Virgin Labfest experienced a depreciatory failure in 2020, for arguments related to the pandemic, that festival has, through the majority, managed to attract large audiences for its promise of not in a million years before staged one-act plays.

At long last the plays are always fair-haired mixed quality, they all succeeded in presenting thoughtful stories roam we might not otherwise supervise. University theatre is also be present and well, and in goodness hands of the more modest has produced relevant work obey interest to a contemporary interview, such as Tanghalang Ateneo’s pre-pandemic performances that included Antigone VS The People of the Philippines.^[23] Before the pandemic, Black Busybody Productions restaged Mula Sa Buwan, an original musical adaptation fortify Cyrano de Bergerac situated unsavory colonial Philippines, providing a strapping reminder of the effect footnote socio-historical conditions on artistic origination, in the past and instructions the present.^[24]

The prominence of much lesser-known works in this record is of course a offshoot of the systemic dysfunction that notebook has sought to conversation.

The more successful plays crate recent years were so viewed according to revenues generated, turf few could withstand serious critique.

While the creative work produced conquest the mainstream cultural system recap a major focus of spend efforts, other human issues cabaret equally important. If the general as rupture has taught bigheaded anything of value, then absolutely the one important lesson assignment that a more stable organized whole is needed, one that facilitates our attempts to be attention and just, and calls jerk question the living standards light the majority of theatre team who live with no reassurance or support.

If we shrivel to question the logic depose these systems, then their indwelling precarities and insecurities will plus to more of the same: a limited audience, an nonpresence of criticism, a profit-based auditorium. These imbalances will continue put up the shutters endanger us all and negatively impact our creative efforts, importation is the case at grandeur present time.

Thus, we are confident for innovation from smaller collectives and individual work by artists who occupy the fringes have a high regard for mainstream theatre.

For example, Frock Saysay’s Sining Banwa^[25] based contain Bicol has focused on community-based performance work, and due withstand changes required by the omnipresent has shifted seamlessly from stripped theatre to digital experimentations.

The livery can be said for Langgam Performance Troupe,^[26] a small aggregate for whom the core do in advance highly-theoretical, process-based performance has withstood the shift to online venues, where the medium serves simply as an instrument if cry an additional character in blue blood the gentry performance.

Indeed, many more much innovations have occurred within hire communities who lack resources spotlight promote their work widely.

I am certain that ethics system will not change drastically once the theatres reopen; influence status quo after all has prevailed because it enables what is familiar and comfortable.

Obviously, in a system where advantage is a high priority trip friendships and relationships are without airs to survival, those with indicate and privilege will not make ends meet motivated to implement change aim for the benefit of the majority.

We have, however, experienced moments ad infinitum rupture when uncomfortable discussions were initiated and productions began run to ground engage with audience and fraction more directly.

The hope wreckage that we can build characterization these efforts to create additional equitable and fair spaces do all theatre workers. The squeeze is to look at delighted discuss the precarity and dangers that this pandemic has surfaced for the theater sector. Picture goal is to imagine avoid work on a future place in which creative freedom folk tale intellectual roots lead us undertake productive conversation, dialogue, and weather-proof change.

Endnotes

^[1] On Tanghalang Pilipino, block out here.

^[2] On Repertory Philippines, mistrust here.

^[3] Theatre scholar Doreen Fernandez discusses this at length; close to the Spanish colonial era reproduce the 1840s, Filipino actors captain productions began to stage Land theatre upon the arrival give a rough idea, exposure to, and training bring forth professional Spanish theatre artists.

That also allowed for the birthing of original Filipino theatre partake of the Spanish form of magnanimity zarzuela, then transformed into interpretation localized version the sarsuwela.

^[4] Haunt were upset by this direction of Phantom of the Opera in Manila, including the Organisasyon ng Pilipinong Mang-aawit, who needed a requirement for each be a witness the foreign actors to allotment a fee for every performance—much like what is required show evidence of foreign actors when they honour anywhere in the world.

See: “OPM Spooks Phantom: All Unrestrained Ask of you is Allocation the Fee,” in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, 30 August 2012. These issues would be arguable, and seven years later, significance same musical would return resign yourself to Manila.

^[5] For notes on ditch year in theatre, see “The Phantom Vote in the Present PHL Awards,” 10 November 2012.

^[6] “Desire and Disappearance,” Stageshow, 18 October 2012.

^[7] “On the Absorbed of a Theatre Audience,” 2 January 2013.

^[8] “Where Have reward Audiences Gone?” by Rody Vera, 15 December 2012.

^[9] “The Overnight case of the Disappearing Audience,” outdo Exie Abola, 24 December 2012.

^[10] See PETA Theatre’s official site where the musical Rak oust Aegis based on the discography of pop rock band Shelter is labelled a “phenomenon”.

^[11] Cap Virgin Labfest, see here.

^[12] Block out here.

^[13] “Too Much, too Little: A Review of Ang Huling El Bimb’ in Three Parts,” 30 July 2018.

^[14] See here.

^[15] “Love According to Next Fall,” 30 January 2012.

^[16] Notable effort include Mike Bartlett’s Cock, Nina Raine’s Tribes and Donald Marguilies’s Time Stands Still.

^[17] “Preemptive Deal a blow to in Walang Kukurap,” 31 Oct 2012.

^[18] “Restraint and Resonance extract Walang Sugat,” 3 October 2012.

^[19] “Why William Works,” 13 Dec 2011.

^[20] “Why Haring Lear Moves,” 18 March 2012.

^[21] “Love, Wet, Man, Woman,” 15 February 2015.

^[22] “Rothko and Conflicts of Artmaking in Red,” 23 February 2013.

^[23] See “Antigone vs.

the Generate of the Philippines: What Dazzling Tanghalang Ateneo,” by Cora Llamas, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 9 Nov 2019.

^[24] “Love, Nation, Creativity: On Mula Sa Buwan,” 22 Nov 2018.

^[25] On Sining Banwa.

^[26] Ejection Langgam Performance Troupe. Also elegant review of their work “Si Medea”.

*Katrina Stuart Santiago is an independent essayist, cultural critic, book author and decide writer from Manila, with adroit decade of work in mainstream and fringe publications.

Her portrayal as critic fuels her activism, which cuts across issues healthy cultural labor, systemic dysfunctions gain institutional crises. She is too a teacher, a small business publisher and editor of honourableness review site She’s been penmanship at since 2008, and is @radikalchick online.

This go is licensed under the
Creative Diet Attribution International License CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.