I just finished my 6th overall Theater workshop and the 3rd Theater workshop with Gantimpala Theater Foundation. I have returned to this workshop just for the sake of nostalgia, but later on, it became more than that. Nostalgia compelled me to make Facebook group pages of the workshops I've had and it was successful. Nostalgia became remembrances, remembrances became re-experiences, re-experiences became paradise, paradise became celebrations, celebrations is about to become memories.
This year's workshop has 11 Participants (3 boys and 8 girls) and 6 OJT's and 2 annotators from the past workshops. There were 2 facilitators who are professional actors and they taught us about the acting skills and disciplines that are required for acting.
From April 25, 2011 to May 27, 2011, the workshop was 18 days long. 18 days was never enough to complete something as big as this. 18 days was never enough to really engage ourselves in the adventure of theater. 18 days was never enough to really connect everyone all like a cluster. However, in those 18 days, everyone got most from it and those will be memories that will be embedded in the minds for a long time.
These batch was a spectacular one, because I find it so rare that workshoppers can maintain such deep bonds in the group cohesiveness. Some of them are deep, one of them is foolish, but many of them are awesome examples of human beings. There is so much treasure in this group that they could actually create a atmosphere of love, compassion, intellectual humility, humor, friendliness, helpfulness and affection except for one whom they deemed an outcast because of a behavior that is very different to the extent that they see it very offensive.
DISCLAIMER: I am not saying that I am supporting his behavior or his acts, I am just describing him.
This outcast is 28 years old and somehow he has a attitude of a person with egocentric hubris and narcissism. The thing is, they tried their best to give him the benefit of the doubt until the last few days of the workshop. His attitude can sometimes be humorous but to them he is a manipulator as he has the ability to take advantage of other people. He doesn't see that because he is blinded by the limits of his ignorance, so he tends to blame others for his own faults. No one dared to help him because trust and responsibility is lost. He sees girls as objects which is the reason why he acts like that. Let's hope this guy will learn his lesson.
The group is very unique in a sense that participants can be very supportive and helpful to each other because they care and they concern which is basically an act of love. There are times when we eat out in Jollibee, McDonalds after the workshop sessions which gives us a chance to really enjoy each other's presence and existence. It really connected everyone.
I shall describe each one of the workshopper, except for me and the one above, as they are identified with their nicknames:
1) Sha-sha - This lady has a figure of a gymnast and a dancer. She is a very sweet lady. She can be very expressive and jolly. I guess she will never let you down when you need her. She looks like she is strong and that's what I like about her. She has been acting in GTF for a while. She attended a workshop called "Movement Workshop" back in 2009, simultaneously with my 2009 Theater Workshop with Luneta MMIX. I wish her luck and hope to see her again.
2) Angel- An angel sent from the heavens is pure, cheerful and adorable. She is everything a person could be. She knows what she wants and she can be confident if she wants to. Her appreciation for the arts motivates her to be a better person. She believes that she wants to reach her dreams and that is an accomplishment for her since it is in her blood. She will do whatever she does to do what she think she is born for and that's persistence. She's got personal power. She is like a sister to me. Her smile enlightens my day because she is there to really convert a bad day to a good day with such minimal effort. One of my favorite words she has said to me is "BALINGUYNGOY" in other words, Nosebleed and it is technically known as Epistaxis. Her being unpredictable makes her personality as flexible as a bamboo tree. She always interests me with a friendly social behavior. She is a survivor of hardships and detrimental circumstances which made her a knight of her own right. She can be as cute as Jigglypuff, but as strong as Mew. May the enlightenment shine on her as she is like a rose yet to face the sun with enthusiasm. I just love her the way she is. :)
3) Daff- This lady is wonderful in many ways. Aside from being a soprano singer, she can be a wonderful help in someones life. She is religious because she talks to God like more than a friend but like a brother. She is very active, but not to the point of hyperactivity. She is a very strong person and she can be confrontational in conflict. She tries her best to be logical which is a wonderful trait. At first, I thought "Daff" is short for "Daffne", but it turned out to be "Daffodil" which I think is probably her mother's favorite flower. Don't take an advantage of her because she will be swift in retaliating. She is still sweet but I shall thank her for getting to know her and being part of her life.
4) Miles- This guy is so handsome yet humble. He is like a prince or a savior or even a knight when you see him. He is wonderful to be with. Sometimes he looks like Michael Jackson because of his figure and his hair. Miles has been a very good friend and I hope he will still be. He is the type of person who wouldn't want to go into fights and conflicts. He is very kind and very relaxed. He is fun to be with. I guess, his motto is "Carpe Diem" since he was really enjoying everything in the workshop. He will not let you down, because he is like a brother transported from the middle ages. He is a rare species.
5) Rychel- Small but furious. She is sweet and adorable in many ways and so accomodating with other people. Some may say that she is a quiet person, but that's just the 1st impression. She is very reliable and she is good in expressing her thoughts and her opinions. She can be sensitive. She is a animal lover, especially with her feline companions. She is a photography aficionado which creates a world viewed from behind her lens and she has a 1 picture/day project for 365 days in Facebook with some sayings that would be reflected in the photos. She is a fun conversationalist and she can make things very interesting with her stories and her self-disclosure. Knowing that she studies in UST makes things even more awesome. She is beautiful both in and out and she is full of authentic substance with blood, sweat and tears. What I see is, she is a very simple girl and she can give great meaning to anything. I love her just the way she is and I accept and I thank her for that. :)
6) Felichi- This lady is the youngest in the group. She's 15 years old. She is the quietest person in the workshop. Also, she prefers to be alone and quiet most of the time in the workshop. She is good in voice projection. She is still a very cool person because there will always be someone there for her. I guess, introversion is a trait for her. I wish her great in the future.
7) Dianne- She studied to be a nurse before but then, she has suddenly changed her direction. Theater is has become her passion, her love, her motivation and her profession. She aims to be a director. I observed that she does it well as she can also be staunch in her criticisms on different acts. She is a fighter and she truly stands by her principles in life. She can be persistent in fight in what she is living for. May her hindrances doesn't stop her from doing these things but may she live through and beyond it. :)
8) Hollie- She is more than a writer and more than everything. She is emotionally expressive and active as it guides her life very well. She gets inspiration from the catharsis of writing. She wrote 5 unpublished books, she's been to the technical side of the theater and she is one interesting lady. She shares her stories and words of wisdom which would sometimes sound like proverbs and ask questions that would be philosophical in nature. She is an introverted contemplative type of person. She is the modern-day Freedom Writer. she always make things sound elegant yet in order. She wouldn't repress because she is the type of person who would let the burden in her out to the environment. She has created a world of her own by writing novels which is a reflection of the reality she experiences. I always receive group messages from her which makes her like a newspaper journalist. She is a very astonishing person with glorious delights. Her uniqueness shows that she is a potential sui generis with all the things she has in the deepest corners of her heart and her mind. I love everything about her because some things are beyond words and she is like that. She is like a sister, a sister full of varieties. May she be blessed.
9) Rachelle- A friend at heart and a mentor to the young. I am glad to know such an understandable person like her. She is very knowledgeable and cool to be with. She can encourage and when a person is down, she is there to lift up spirits. Very much approachable and so lovely. She would make a very good counselor aside from being a teacher. She is calm and most likely relaxed. She has a very long thread of patience which is a very good gift in a friend like her. She is the type of person who will be there for you whenever you need her and her sweetness is a perfection of sorts in the personality and that's what I love about her.
Let me just honestly say, that some of these people are some of the greatest friends I've ever had. I just tried my best to be a wonderful friend and I think that paid off. For me, the rehearsal part is the memorable because that is the time when the people really got intimate. The group cohesiveness was generally good. I can really lean on them and look up to them. They can sometimes take my breath away.
I tried my best to be a good friend to them, and it seems like I did that favor well. I listened to them whenever they needed a listening ear. I helped them when it is needed and I tried not to emotionally invalidate them or give them advices, unless they ask for advices. I loved them for what they are and the story is not yet done. To have good friend, one has to be a good friend.
Surely, there were darkness and lapses I had experienced with them. There were times when I've done stupid things that would offend them which gave me shame and remorse, and sometimes it would take me a while for me to forgive myself. There were times when I was pushed away from them just because of my Tagalog incapacities. It wasn't very helpful because it could've make things worse, which I believe is counterproductive. The human doing undermines the human being in the spectrum of acceptance.
Anyway, from the beginning, on the 1st day of the workshop, I've observed that this group was very unlike the other group. This was an active group. Shyness and looking for approval thingy was never really the characteristics of this group. The thrill of the activities really made the group closer.
I remember before the beginning of the workshop, I said that there would be surprises. It turned out the surprises were not in the activities but in the people. I have been mystified, mesmerized and captivated by this group. They are the light in the darkest corners of the great world. In fact, this could have been a wonderful social support group. :)
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