The Philippine Stagers Foundation Annual Free Summer Workshop

Do you know that I was once a member of a theater group back in my high school years? Just that my love for writing took over so I ended up spending all my free time to join the school paper until my senior year. An invite from Evo, a fellow blogger and a  fan himself of the Philippine Stagers Foundation summer workshop made me reminisce my old theater days.  At the back of my mind I was thinking of just-another theater workshop for aspiring theater actors and actresses in the future but I was totally blown away by their outstanding performances.

With Atty Vince Tanada, Founder and Artistic Director of PSF

We arrived late but in time to watch another play about to start. Titled as "Sako", this is  a very touching story about a brother and a sister who earn a living by picking up plastic bottles in the street. They are orphans who support themselves and worst is that they have a paralyzed grandfather that they have been taking care for years.  Honestly I did shed some tears of how the story goes. This is a real story of so many Filipinos living in extreme poverty and we couldn't blame them of doing crimes because they have nothing.  The scenes are also very intense especially when they found out that their grandfather is not actually sick but just pretending. The end of the story is that they killed him.   

Second play is titled "Death Between The Lines", a story within a story of the lives of theater actors and actresses themselves.  This is all about falling in love with the people they spend most of their times.  The story unfolds a relationship between a couple composed of a woman and a man.  Later on this man had a romance with another man.  The end of the story is the man taking off the dress of this other man, almost nothing left while he watches him crying with his hands covering his private part. Him, watches from a distance then writes as if nothing unusual happens. 

The third one is entitled "Hari ng Ari", an adult play about a wealthy Japanese man who as a child is addicted to masturbation (please see my main photo of this article) . He is secretly obsessed to a married woman who later asked him to help her financially because her son is dying.  There's too much sexual representations from scenes to words and in between. I have seen the three main characters all naked from head to toe... bare. I cannot tell further but everything has been done with professionalism in mind. While watching it I was not thinking of the porn act or sex or so but a story that all of the characters are trying to portray the best that they can.  

Since these are workshops, there are guest judges to provide them feedbacks. Two of them  from local showbiz who were part of the workshop are Bernardo Bernardo and Gary Lim. In every play they provide insights of all sorts to help the artists and even the writer of the play improve their craft even more.

Founded by Vince Tañada, a lawyer by profession in 2001 I could really say that this school of performing arts is one of a kind and that it in so many ways help talented young Filipinos to hone their skills and who knows in the future we would see them as professional artists in Broadway of New York or the next Rachel Ann Go as Fantine of Les Miserables in London West End production?  I can see Sir Vince Tañada was also very hands on in providing comments to everyone. I can really see his passion to this craft. 

I also learned that the Philippine Stagers Foundation also has scholars for those under-privileged but overwhelming with talents to show to the world.  So wow, isn't that is just too good to be part of this theater group?

To those who are looking for a productive summer experience and at the same time inclined to pursue a path in theater, I definitely recommend Philippine Stagers Foundation to be the path where you will take your first step.  You can check their official Facebook Fan Page here to know more details of their upcoming plays and workshops.