Kularts

this is part 2 of my artistic adventures in the city by the bay. day 2 consisted of going to 2 programs put together by Kularts - the nation's premier presenter of contemporary and tribal Pilipino art (http://www.kularts.org). the two programs were 3rd ANNUAL BRONZE LIT and POMO 2008.

Bronze Lit
this program featured writing by some amazing artists who wrote around the theme of healing. i think what i came away the most with was the content of what was written, stories that were so personal to the writer that the words felt real. that the combination of consonants and vowels spoken from the written page had a heart, memory, and soul within its meaning. recently, i have been constricted in a dramatist world of creating character and conflict. analyze and digging deeper into what makes the characters conflict with each other. what i witnessed and heard went beyond this technical aspect of where i ultimately want to go with my pieces. i remember one day i wrote down what kind of writer i wanted to be. the answer was to share the human condition. somehow, i lost my way and my focus lasered into wanting to be immortal. i wanted my writing to last beyond me. and the only way i thought i could do that was to write for my audience. constantly asking myself, what will make them laugh, what will make them like the character, what will make them remember the play long after the last curtain call. i never gave MYSELF a thought. what would make me happy? what kind of story would do it for me... that it that says i can be proud to say that i wrote it for me. granted, i've subconsciously taken that step with my latest play THE GIFT. i wrote it for me. there's still A LOT of work to do to tighten up the character and plot, but it will get there. but i just have to keep remembering that i'm writing for me and not the audience.

and one way to do this is by bringing what i learned from bronze lit - to make a piece written for me is to expose me. scary visual? try taking that visual and stripping myself onto a written page. really think about that. now what's scarier? being stripped to reveal skin or stripped naked to reveal your inner secrets, thoughts, fears... soul. Sean San Jose, Aimee Suzara, Jason Magabo Perez, and Oscar Penaranda had done that with what was presented for a packed room at the YBCA Artist's Lounge. for the first time in a while, i stopped thinking about their stories broken down into characters, intentions, and throughline... i just listened to their stories - their soul.

POMO 2008
The Post Modern American Pilipino Performance Project's artists just furthered my belief that the source of creation is beyond technique and is really in what lies within.

THE FIDES ENRIQUEZ DANCE COLLECTIVE
I was excited to see this collective because Lori Abucayan was singing with them :) really cool. and as always, her family is always there to support her. and in general, they're a really nice and supportive family. it's just nice to see that when Leejay has a gig or if Lori has something going on, it's nice to see a family unit together. something i wish i had. but inspiring nonetheless. uh... back to the show. i miss seeing dance. i definitely don't do enough of it as i mostly watch theater, film, and music. so, it was really great to see contemporary dance with amazing filipino inspired music by florante aguilar.

KULINTRONICA
I was blown away by the fusion of beats, octovina, ukele, electic guitar, and kulintangs all put together live by Ron Quesada. beautiful melodies combined with the the tones of the kulintang keeps pushing music further while still respecting the artform. take a listen: http://www.myspace.com/kulintronica i'll definitely be on the lookout for more of his work, which happily can be found on the PAGBABALIK CD which features his music for Aimee Suzara's play, PAGBABLIK. Please come out and support the CD release on June 21st at 8pm at the Manilatown Heritage Center at the I-Hotel. more info can be found on Aimee's site: http://www.aimeesuzara.net/

IRENE FAYE DULLER presents
How to Skywalk with Alitaptap
Great theater piece with very talented actors and dancing... (from the kularts site) a boundless theatrical expression of ancestral home-coming and(mis)communication. This multi-styled suite of awkward comedy reminds us that coming home isn't meant to be romantic most times. The piece is an earth-toned tapestry of performance lit, movement, and sound, where romantic neo-tribal fantasies clash with the realities of the homeland. much props to joedobo! perfect timing and delivery. now i'm all intimidated by him! this was inspiring because the words were sometimes written as a poem, but the acting of the words was very "real".

BROTHER'S KEEPER
4 guys trading filipino play on word jokes e.g. use ... in a sentence. but in between "jokes" lies the bridge to each of their search for their own identity in this time, in this space for who they are as filipino men. jokes strung with spoken work with movement and escrima defines hip-hop theater for the new generation of filipino art. i've been fortunate to work with a couple of them, and expect nothing more from me then to be inspired and to bring my own voice to complement theirs. much props to Gregory Manalo, Jason Mateo, Jay-Ar Isagani Pugao, Jay Jasper Pugao under the direction of Marc Bamuthi Joseph.

paalam!