‘[G]reater government and institutional support may give theater — and arts in
general — the much needed boost it deserves.’
2024 Gawad Buhay Best Featured Actor Phi Palmos, star of “Delia D,” followed the earlier forum on the glut of theater productions in Manila, and he said, “I do remember that at one point ‘Rak of Aegis’ outrun ‘Wicked.’ And ‘Chicago,’ though a top-notch production, was performing on many empty seats but local shows were filled. Those were pre-pandemic [days] and so much has changed since then.
“I do agree that a broader and robust market and industry research should be made especially when the theater industry is really thriving. There’s also a rise of new theater companies. These things will help further the community and anticipate trajectory in terms of audience development and marketing.”
CCP Artistic Director Dennis Marasigan went technical and shared these figures, “There is overwhelming data from studies worldwide that there is a core of between 1 to 3% of any given population who are predisposed to theater-going, and another 7 to 12 % who maybe willing audiences. Given that the Metro Manila population is now estimated at 15 million, that’s at least a million and a half to four and half million residents of Metro Manila who are current and potential regular theater audiences (that this figures somehow match with the number of Social Class A and B1 population may not entirely be coincidental). The physical and economic considerations then play a part (location of the theater, cost of tickets and travel), along with sales locations/accessibility (social media and block buyers are a great boon). Since theater capacities are not that large for most venues, there is a great potential for growth, even more so for the establishment of public venues (as contrasted with those in schools and other enclosed areas, including military camps) in otherwise underserved areas.”
Truly, this is an important area of concern as more and more professional theater companies and productions are being put up aside from the members of PhilStage like Encore Productions (staging “Grace” now at the PETA Center), Scene Change (with “Dagitab” coming up at the Ateneo Comm Studio), then there’s Arete doing its own version of “Larawan” translated by Jerry Respeto and to be directed by Guelan Luarca, Idea First Company (with the rerun of “Anino sa Likod ng Buwan,” and soon the theater version of “About Us But Not About Us,” and “Die Beautiful”) and PhilStagers (with the Pride Plays at the PSG Blackbox Studios), plus soon the original works and re-imagined classics of Teatro Meron. Even the collaboration of Viva, Philippine Star and Newport World Resorts which will bring about the theater version of the iconic youth movie “Bagets” is due early next year.
Before the end of the year we shall have the rerun of PETA’s “Walang Aray” (with Jolina Magdangal and Ice Seguerra joining the cast), Barefoot Theatre Collab’s “Bar Boys” and Tanghalang Pilipino’s “Pingkian: Isang Musikal.”
So many more fresh plays are featured now in the ongoing 20th edition of the Virgin Lab Fest (VLF) at the CCP Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez (now on its closing week).
On top of these, we also recognize the outstanding works of school based production like Dulaang UP, Tanghalang Ateneo, Entablado, Blue Repertory, the FEU Theater Guild, Teatro Tomasino and a lot more.
Soon we will see the international touring productions of “Burn the Floor,” “Dear Evan Hansen” and “Chorus Line” and the local versions of “Shrek, The Musical” and “The Bodyguard.”
SUDI National Music Awards winner Steven Fernandez went beyond being just Manila-centric and said, “Collate data outside of Metro Manila to distribute what constitutes our Theatre Industry. Then we get a good enough sight of the country’s total theatre GDP.
“We need to put in plans on how to improve the Supply-Demand cycle nationwide to provide inclusive opportunities.”
Theater actor Yan Yuzon cites the idiom, “A rising tide lifts all ships” reminding us that a general improvement in economic conditions will benefit everyone, regardless of their individual circumstances. It suggests that when the overall economy is doing well, most people and businesses will experience positive effects. Now, is that the situation with us Filipinos? We hope it’s not the case of diminishing returns as the market gets saturated.
Truly, the Philippine theater scene is experiencing a surge in activity, outpacing the local film industry. To maintain momentum and ensure long-term sustainability, it’s crucial to support and prioritize quality productions and foster a distinctly Filipino direction that showcases the country’s rich cultural heritage. Next steps could include developing more nuanced and authentic storytelling that explores the Filipino experience; investing in artist development programs to nurture local talents not only onstage but also within the creative and production teams; encouraging collaborations between established and emerging artists to drive innovation; establishing stronger industry partnerships to support productions and promote Philippine theater globally; and creating platforms for critical discourse and feedback to continually improve the quality of productions.
Aside from artists helping each other, which is almost always the case, greater government and institutional support may give theater — and arts in general — the much needed boost it deserves.
