Friday, November 12, 2010

Paalam Ophelia Alcantara Dimalanta...

Tanawing Walang Hadlang

Dahil nasunog ang aking kamalig
Wala nang humahadlang sa tanawin
Ng pinakamaliwanag na buwan.

-Masahide

oo, kitang-kita ko na ngayon
ang pangkalahatan ng kalangitan;
walang mga punong umuusbong,
walang nagtataasang hadlang
na pumipigil sa pagdaloy nito.

ang lahat inaangkin ko, gaya ng
pag-angkin nito ng buo kong pagkatao,
malinaw ang mata at walang abala.

parang bang tinitingnan ko ang mundo
sa kagandahan ng kanyang kawalan,
gamit mga bagong mata, bagong kaluluwa.
lahat ng mga linggal at mga pagbabawal
ng mga nakaraan kong buhay nalipol,
kasing linis ng kumot na kinula.

wala nang natira pa.

tila isa akong tabula rasa,
walang balakid na nakatingala
sa langit na hindi kumikinang,
ang buwan di natitigatig, buong-buo,
walang palawit kaya walang
sabit... bukod-tanging nag-iisa,
at ako na walang buhay na nakaraan;
at ang bukas ko ay kailangan pang
isulat muli para sa bagong pagkabuhay.

walang kapansin-pansin na mga palatandaan
ng dating ako dito habang nakatingala
sa isang malayang dumadaloy na langit
at sa nag-iisang buwang walang palamuti,
ngayon ako’y magsisimula muli sa pagtatag
ng mga kawing, makisama, tumutok,
habang kinakatha ko sa gabing ito ang akda
ng mga bagong araw na paparating, dito
mula sa isang tanawing walang hadlang.


(Salin ni Ralph Semino Galan ng tula ni Ophelia A. Dimalanta na pinamagatang "An Unobstructed View" from the poetry collection Lady Polyester: Poems Past and Present)

Monday, November 1, 2010

2010 GAWAD BUHAY! Second Quarter Citations

PHILSTAGE bares second quarter citations for 2010 Gawad Buhay!

With 11 performance and technical citations in various categories, Tanghalang Pilipino’s Tatlong Mariya, a Filipino adaptation of Anton Chekov’s timeless classic Three Sisters, topped the second quarterly citation of the 2010 Gawad Buhay!: The PHILSTAGE Awards for the Performing Arts.

Tatlong Mariya is set during the Martial Law period and depicts the life of the three Ballesteros sisters who struggle to liberate themselves from the dreariness and hopelessness of their provincial existence while yearning for the excitement of their former happy and respectable life in Manila. It garnered citations for outstanding play, stage direction (Loy Arcenas), ensemble performance in a play, adaptation or translation (Rody Vera), female lead performance in a play (Angelie Bayani and Mailes Kanapi), female featured performance in a play (Che Ramos), male featured performance in a play (Mario O’Hara), set design (Loy Arenas), sound design (Jethro Joaquin) and lighting design ( Barbi Tantiongco).

Coming in second place with eight citations is Repertory Philippines’ Duets, a comedy of four different vignettes exploring the lighter nuances of romance and relationships in seemingly impossible but hilarious situations. It was cited for outstanding stage direction (Ana Abad Santos), ensemble performance in a play, female lead performance in a play (Joy Virata), male lead performance in a play (Miguel Faustmann), set design (Tuqxs Rutaquio), costume design (Joy Virata), sound design (Jethro Joaquin),and lighting design (Martin Esteva).

Also cited for individual achievements are Cris Villonco and PJ Valerio for outstanding female and male lead performances in a musicale (both for Repertory Philippines’ Romeo and Bernadette); Robert Sena for outstanding male lead performance in a musicale (PETA’s Si Juan Tamad, Ang Dyablo at ang Isang Milyong Boto); Lisa Macuja-Elizalde and Rudy de Dios for outstanding female lead performance in a dance production (Ballet Manila’s Ballet and Ballads); Camille Ordinario-Joson for outstanding female lead performance in a dance production (Ballet Philippines’ Neo-Filipino 2010); and Veronica Ylagan for outstanding featured female performance in a dance production (Neo-Filipino 2010).

Now on its third year, Gawad Buhay! is the first-ever industry awards exclusively for the performing arts juried by an independent panel of critics, scholars, artists and theater enthusiasts. Outstanding individual and group achievements in various artistic and technical aspects of play, musical and dance productions and performances are honored based on quarterly citations deliberated by the jury who are required to watch all productions of PHILSTAGE member-companies for the entire year. From the four quarterly citations, the jury will select the final nominees qualified to win the awards by the end of the performance season. Awarding ceremonies will be during the National Arts Month celebration in February 2011.

PHILSTAGE is the only alliance of professional performing arts organizations in the Philippines. Its members include Ballet Manila, Ballet Philippines, Gantimpala Theater Foundation, Organisasyon ng Pilipinong Mang-aawit (OPM), PETA, Repertory Philippines, Tanghalang Pilipino and TRUMPETS.

Below is the complete list of the 2010 second quarter citations in various categories:

Outstanding Production of a Play: Tanghalang Pilipino’s Tatlong Mariya

Outstanding Musical Production: Repertory Philippines’ Romeo & Bernadette

Outstanding Dance Production: Ballet Manila’s Ballets and Ballads and Ballet Philippines’ Neo Filipino 2010

Outstanding Stage Direction: Ana Abad Santos (Repertory Philippines’ Duets). and Loy Arcenas (Tatlong Mariya)

Outstanding Ensemble Performance in a Play Production: The Casts of Duets and Tatlong Mariya

Outstanding Ensemble Performance in a Musical Production: The Cast of Repertory Philippines’ Romeo & Bernadette

Outstanding Ensemble Performance in a Dance Production: The Casts of Ballet Manila’s Ballets and Ballads and Ballet Philippines’ Neo-Filipino 2010

Outstanding Female Lead Performance in a Play : Angeli Bayani and Mailes Kanapi (Tatlong Mariya); and Joy Virata (Duets)

Outstanding Male Lead Performance in a Play: Miguel Faustmann (Duets)

Outstanding Featured Female Performance in a Play: Che Ramos (Tatlong Mariya)

Outstanding Featured Male Performance in a Play: Mario O’Hara (Tatlong Mariya)

Outstanding Female Lead Performance in a Musical: Cris Villonco (Romeo & Bernadette)

Outstanding Male Lead Performance in a Musical: Robert Sena (PETA’s Si Juan Tamad, Ang Dyablo at ang Isang Milyong Boto) and PJ Valerio (Romeo & Bernadette)

Outstanding Featured Female Performance in a Musical: No citation

Outstanding Featured Male Performance in a Musical: No citation

Outstanding Female Lead Performance in a Dance Production: Lisa Macuja Elizalde (Ballet and Ballads) and Camille Ordinario-Joson (Neo-Filipino 2010)

Outstanding Male Lead Performance in a Dance Production: Rudy de Dios (Ballet and Ballads)

Outstanding Featured Female Performance in a Dance Production: Veronica Ylagan (Neo-Filipino 2010)

Outstanding Featured Male Performance in a Dance Production: No citation

Outstanding Original Script: No citation

Outstanding Original Libretto: No citation

Outstanding Original Music Composition: No citation

Outstanding Adaptation or Translation: Rody Vera (Tatlong Mariya)

Outstanding Musical Direction: No citation

Outstanding Original Music Composition: No citation

Outstanding Choreography (Dance): Bam Damian’s Reconfigured (Ballet and Ballads); Carissa Adea’s Rey-Sing, Novy Bereber’s To Whom It May Concern, and Alden Lunasin’s Words and Phases (Neo-Flipino 2010)

Outstanding Choreography (Play or Musical): No citation

Outstanding Set Design: Loy Arcenas (Tatlong Mariya) and Tuqxs Rutaquio (Duets)

Outstanding Costume Design: Joy Virata (Duets)

Outstanding Lighting Design: Martin Esteva (Duets) and Barbi Tantiongco (Tatlong Mariya)

Outstanding Sound Design: Jethro Joaquin (Duets) and Jethro Joaquin (Tatlong Mariya)