'Down South' goes good theater
MANILA, Philippines - Metro Manila has never had to worry about having its fill of theater productions. With popular venues such as Greenbelt, RCBC and Meralco theaters and the giant-of-all-giants Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), Broadway enthusiasts living in the urban core often don’t realize how much easier it is for them to catch a play or a musical.
Members of media were reminded of this recently when California Pizza Kitchen at Glorietta in Makati hosted the first press conference of a budding theater group.
Spearheaded by Michael Williams, the company, aptly named Theater Down South, was founded four years ago to make live entertainment more accessible for those who prefer not to brave the SLEX. What initially arose as a commissioned production by Repertory Philippines two decades ago has now blossomed into a tight-knit organization composed mostly of De La Salle Santiago Zobel alumni; and yes, all of them (except for two) live far south of Makati, meaning in and around Alabang.
The camaraderie of the self-managed cast was evident from their shared jokes and giggles as they happily introduced each member. “We lead different professional careers,” Williams clarified after a member dubbed himself as their “family doctor.” The group often gets together during evenings, and adjusts to each other’s schedules, they explained. The vibrant energy filling the press con venue suggested that that wasn’t at all a bad thing.
Theater Down South aims to provide those who live in the areas of Parañaque, Alabang, Las Piñas (and even areas like Cavite and Laguna) with quality productions, particularly those that qualify as entertainment for the entire family. Already accustomed to their usual viewership of students, they have been performing curriculum-based shows and open shows since their inception. Through their curriculum-based shows, they have covered Shakespeare’s works and well-touted classics like Treasure Planet by performing them in select “southern schools” where they also set up lobby displays, apart from offering theater education for students and acting workshops during the summer. Meanwhile, their open shows are normally performed at the Insular Life Theater, Alabang, and are available to any viewer, whether south-based or otherwise.
Williams carefully explained the goals of Theater Down South, exemplifying their central aims as to provide great entertainment of consistent quality. The company also hopes to instill a theater-going habit among the youth and seeks to promote development in young artists. Although the performers consist primarily of the “core group,” auditions are held when necessary. “No pigeon-holing,” came the promise; no, they would not limit themselves or avidly seek distinctions before their primary goals are reached. They admitted to having already toyed with the idea of adapting Philippine folktales for the stage, but currently have to concentrate on known shows that they are determined to stage.
Two shows that are nearing their debut are Stephen Sondheim’s A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum (in celebration of his upcoming birthday) on Oct. 2, 3, 8, 9, 24 and 30 at 8 p.m., and an original musical production titled The Princess and the Red Carp, based on the oldest known recorded version of the Cinderella story. A collaboration between core members Joonee Garcia (musical director) and Michael Williams (artistic director), it will run from Aug. 22 and 29, and Sept. 5, 12 and 19 at 3 p.m. Both shows will be performed at Insular Life Theater, Filinvest Corporate City, Alabang.
The entire cast showed off their exuberance and collective singing chops by performing Comedy Tonight from A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, followed by Lovely, a song between the two romantic leads. Finally, a rousing original number — one of the songs from the upcoming The Princess and the Red Carp — was performed by the characters of the stepmother and two stepsisters from the play.
Theater Down South is a small theater group with a very specific audience, but the big potential and the sheer dedication of its members certainly make it worth going down the SLEX for, that is, for those of us dubbed as “Northerners.”
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Tickets for Theater Down South productions will be available at TicketWorld, call 891-9999. For information, visit www.theaterdownsouth.com. For inquiries, call 505-6380 (office), SMS 0927-833-6423 (sales), or e-mail info@theaterdownsouth.com.
