Lisa Congdon

I'm a sucker for when art + typography + wise words meet. Here, pieces made by artist and illustrator Lisa Congdon on life as the binge we're all indulging in, patience, and the refusal to be silenced. Please check out her site for her profile and many illustrations.

On stage in MNL

Staying put in Manila for July and the first weeks of August. There are so many things happening in the city, it's silly to complain.

For one, Philippine theater is doing plenty jazz hands. If you're not a regular theater goer, give it a try! There's more to theater than the hoity-toity activity it's reputed to have. May I suggest three shows you for you to see?

1. The William re-staging by PETA

Fresh na fresh from its win as Outstanding Play and Outstanding Ensemble Performance from the recent Gawad Buhay 2011, "William" returns to the PETA Theater for a limited run. If you missed it last year, try to catch it this time around.

The William barkada - don't expect stereotypes
*Special wave to Erwin (played magnificently by Ian Segarra,
who won Male Lead Performance for his role as the hip-hop loving class tukmol)* 

Who is William for?  Everyone. Whether you're in high school 20 years ago or trying to survive your literature subjects this semester, William will give you a whole new appreciation for William Shakespeare, Philippine theater, even for rap music.  

One of the best things about "William" is how it makes the Bard relevant in the Filipino context, seen in the way William Shakespeare's text crossed-over to the lives of Pinoy high school students in the play. Which could also be a statement of literature's place in our lives, really.

You don't have to be a fan of the Bard or know anything about his works. Be warned though that William's well-written libretto may convince you to give that dusty William Shakespeare book(s) lying around your house a read. 

There's plenty of fun in William, i.e. the clever use of rap and hip-hop dancing. If you've always thought plays are boring and so you've never gone, "William" will change your mind. 

For a review of William, click here.

The staging is on July 27-29, 10am and 3pm at the PETA Theater Center.

For inquiries and ticket reservations, call 7256244 and look for any of PETA's marketing staff.

2. God of Carnage, the Manila leg

"It’s  ‘Let’s just jump into hating each other,’ ”  - Lea Salonga

Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo and Lea Salonga? A play that's straight acting? I'm so there!

Seeing this at the end of the month & I can't be more excited.

The plot: two pairs of parents discuss their children's squabble. Conducting themselves as reasonable adults at first, they become increasingly childish as the night wears on.

The play also stars Adrian Pang and Art Acuna.

I didn't know Art Acuna is Pinoy. Having only seen him at the "Kitchen Musical," I thought he was Singaporean. I want a picture with him! Teehee. 

God of Carnage is co-produced by Atlantis Productions and the Singapore Repertory Theatre. The first leg of the production happens from July 13 to 22 at the Carlos P. Romulo Theater of the RCBC Plaza (they're flying this to Singapore after). 

For tickets, check Ticketworld.

3. Walang Sugat, a sarswela by Severino Reyes, at the CCP

Movie poster of the screen adaptation of  "Walang Sugat"

I've seen this sarswela on stage twice two successive years in a row (2009 and 2010) and I've loved it each and every time.

In a nutshell, it's the story of Tenyong and Julia set in the final stages of the Philippine Revolution against Spain. Tenyong has to leave Julia behind to join the Katipuneros. Julia lets him go but promises to wait for him. Her mother, however, pressures her to marry Miguel, her rich suitor. As the fighting intensifies, so does the pressure from Julia's mother, made worse because nothing is heard from Tenyong. 

Politics, nationalism, revolution- they're all here. The play ends with a clever twist. 

Every Filipino should see it because Walang Sugat is really about love for country. Severino Reyes, the known "Father of the Tagalog Zarzuela", wrote this as his "statement against imperialism" in 1902 (Wikipedia). In fact, so subversive was the play considered that American authorities threw Reyes in jail. 

Another reason I love this play is because it showcases how beautiful Tagalog is. I heard this year's Julia will be played by Cris Villonco. Amazing as Maria in last year's Noli, Cris seems perfect for the part. I bet she'll turn in another well-nuanced performance. 

Walang Sugat runs from Aug. 9 to 26 at the CCP Little Theater.

For tickets, please check Ticketworld.

Enjoy the theater!

What April brought in: roles we wish to juggle

Hello, April!

Stumbled upon this series by Heidilender Photography called "She can leap tall buildings." I love the series name + merging of doodles and photography + the gaze of the ka-womenan portrayed. The obscured face and the exaggerated wig? By no means not new, but clever still and executed well. This project is just effin' beautiful (and cute, too). 

The gaze & the roles are perfect on those days I daydream about coming from the First World side of the equation and, hence, that it's possible to be a Sex and the City character or a frazzled but accomplished woman in the 70s trying to climb to the top, juggling it all (and now I realize how appropriate this entry is for April Fool's day :p).  

Travel Planner

Yogi

The Lover

Doodles for Comfort

Then

Post-it silly doodling, mine

Now

Doodle-postcard by Montalut

When it pays to have a graphic representation of your state (to remember) & a visual reminder of what you're trying to achieve (so you don't slip).

*Montalut is Johanna B. Pilar. Check out her works at montalut.com. 

So Anyway (from Next to Normal)

"Rather than let chance take me, I'll take the chance." 

This song killed me. Two days later, several scenes from Next to Normal still makes me weep mentally. 

Uncle Ho at the Fine Arts Museum (Hanoi)

If classical Philippine visual arts in the 19th century was shaped by the Spanish (think Juan Luna, Felix Resurrection Hidalgo and even Fernando Amorsolo), modern Vietnamese art (also dating from the 19th century onwards) have been largely influenced by the French, who put up the École Supérieure des Beaux Arts de l’Indochine (Indochina College of Arts) in the 20th century to teach European methods to the local Vietnamese. 

As with most colonial society, Vietnamese artists have adapted these influences and used it to enrich representations of their own culture, document history, and, more powerfully, as a tool of protest against the very same colonizers who taught them the method. 

One of the highlights of our trip to Hanoi was taking the afternoon off for the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum. If you plan to take in everything, prepare to spend about 2-3 hours there, where you will find sections devoted to Buddhist sculptures, lacquer art, woodblock prints, folk arts, and the modern paintings. 

To me, the Social Realist (SR) art of Vietnam was the main attraction of that museum. These are paintings that depict their revolutionary ideals- the guerilla life, warfare and the everyday tragedies and victories of the community. 

What struck me about Vietnamese SR art is how intimate they appeared. One of my favorites of the bunch was this portrait of Uncle Ho, which shows the leader placidly smoking and sitting amidst a gorgeous Hanoi landscape painted largely in blue. What this painting highlights: the revolutionary leader's accessibility, wisdom, and calm. There's no show of outwardly strength or brute force; there is gentleness, but also strength, the kind that is internalized by the leader and the land. Most depictions of Uncle Ho follow this tradition, whether it be in paintings, photographs, or sculpture. No wonder the Vietnamese love him with so much affection to this day. 

***The Fine Arts Museum is located across the Literature Temple and is surrounded by Pho shops. A very strategic location, especially for foodies and culture-hobs.