GTF Workshop 2012 Part 2

Enlightenment came to me and it made me realize that this group can be something very special in their own ways. Considering that these are different age groups, they have their own psychological characteristics with regards to development and social issues. Like I said, every workshop is different and I understand that now.

There are children, adolescents and young adults. The majority are adolescents and they aim to find an identity through peers. They experience chaos in their hormones creating their own voice in their own ways.

Somehow, I expected too much from them and it was quite inconsiderate for me to do so. Mea culpa (I acknowledge it to be my fault!)! Anyway, I really do think that the rehearsals in one way or another will connect us all into an amazing bond because with this, I believe that the show we will present is the show that will blow the minds of the audience off.

Responsibility + Trust = Teamwork. That's the basic theater disciplines.

Let's set our differences aside and work together to a common goal and that is "Communicate by telling a story". We appreciate each other like brothers and sisters. We work hard with our blood, sweat and tears and let the integration of the body, voice and mind with manipulation of energy and breathe management prove that we have learned something from this wonderful workshop. A group of people with different cultural backgrounds yearned to be together to prove to the world that we have the guts and the glory to show something magnificent to the world. :)

I see our rehearsals like stairways to the sky enriching the essence of our potentials as human beings. The show is the climax where we get to the paradise of enjoyment, hardwork, effort and the significance of what a performance really is.

Here's the last stanza of my very first poem dedicated to them:

"The last days of existence shall be grand and awesome

For it is then we will truly miss and savor memories

When we show to the world our pieces of Gold

Let evidence shine that we have stood once more in unity with pride."

I shall interpret this stanza. The last days of existence means the last days of togetherness as a group and it is the time when we'll truly appreciate the value of everyone in the group. I have no doubt in my mind that there will be a crying session after the recital. The pieces of Gold I relate here, is the recital. So, it is considered to be grand because it is an inspirational thing that we are in this together as one unit. 27 of us is like a very big family of brothers and sisters where we get to accept and appreciate one another as they are.

Nothing can take away our memories and our experiences in this workshop for they can ever be replicated as it will remain in our hearts and minds for a very very long time. These people are definitely priceless and when we part on our own ways on May 18, 2012, we will realize that nothing will be the same without them.  They hold some sort of significance and importance in our lives. In the coming years we will look back and know that that magic of the group will always be remembered.

I know for a fact that everyone will one day be successful in their own ways and I appreciate them for being themselves all along. They are compassionate and loved in their own ways. Puppy love, infatuations and some bonding are mere soft elements of experience in the workshop. Lets make our weaknesses become our strengths and may the Lord give us the power to show to the world who we can be.

I wish our workshop could have been a week longer because nothing can replace it. We understand, we support, we appreciate, we love, we admire, we adore, we sympathize, we help one other through the activities and through the bondings we go through in every session of the workshop. We are Filipinos who has the sense of Kapwa (Pakikisama + Hiya + Utang ng Loob). Yes, I do see that in many ways. :) :) :)

My message to them:

"Be the best person you can be and never compare yourself with others for you are unique yourselves. Appreciate and love one another because it is a gift to take the opportunity to know and understand people in a short adventure. Take advantage of the time because you will realize its importance to you when they disappear from your sight. You have potentials, develop them and follow your passions and your dreams and if you choose that, then you are making your own destiny in this wonderful life you live. Carpe Diem! (Seize the day!) Enjoy the moments together and forgive one another because you will free yourself from negative energy if you do. You guys are some of the coolest people I know, even though I don't really really know some of you, because you have the power to embrace everything as they are. Go on and fly like Ibong Adarna spreading the joys throughout the world. I love you all and God bless all!  Clap for ourselves and congratulations in advance! Let's do this and make the show the best performance we can give. It is for us and for everyone. :)"

Thank you for everything in advance. :) :) I am speechless with this.

Part 3 will come soon with my description of each of the workshoppers and that is 26 excluding myself. :)

GTF Workshop 2012

Way before this workshop started, I was in the library of my school on March 7, 2012 just to read newspapers but I suddenly caught the GTF workshop 2012 announcement on a newspaper.

I wrote in my diary:

"I would like to note that there was an announcement by the Gantimpala Theater Foundation in Philippine Star. The announcement was about the workshop. Very surprised I was when they announced 'musical theater'. Man, they have decided to return to musical. Geez! What's their rationale? After 2 summers of plain theater, they have gone musical." 


You see, I have attended 6 workshops all in all and this is my 7th. 4th in GTF. Again, 1st in Museo Pambata 2000, 2nd and 3rd in CCP 2005 and 2006 and the rest is GTF (2008, 2009, 2011 and 2012). I am nuts, right? I couldn't help because it was addicting. Hahahaha!!!

I started to worry about the workshop on April 4, 2012

I wrote:

"I have a some sort of dilemma. The workshop will begin on April 9, 2012. I don't know if I should join or not. I am certain that they would say I have mastered everything. I don't know. I feel kinda attached to GTF every summer. Last year, I said that that would be my last time and now, look at this. It is musical once more after 2 summers of non-musicality. What happened to regular theater anyway? Is everything experimental? I don't know. I don't really know. I am quite wild eh? Hahahaha!!!"


Well, there was a some sort of suspense during the holy week. Yes, I had to enjoy the holy week first before engaging myself on this problem. So, I wrote again on April 9, 2012:

"This morning, I had a dream of Sir Roeder in the workshop. I ask if I could join even though have something like a Ph.D. He said 'no' and that left me kinda discouraged.


I have unresolved dilemma. Should I go or not? Today is the day of the workshop, this time is musical. I know that they're doing 'shake your bon bon' and 'name game'. It is the beginning and it is never too late. Anyway, if I join I would feel kinda guilty already because it seems that I am not giving others a chance. Were Sir Roeder or the familiar people expecting me? I don't know. I feel like I have to go to GTF office after the workshop for consultation or to meet them again. This would have been my 4th time and it would be greedy of me to do it again, yet I want to attend again because the experiences are unique. 


I've told them already last year that that was most likely my last time to attend it. I don't know but I think it would be selfish of me to attend again. Selfish because I've done this a lot. Every workshop is different." 


Pardon me but I was disoriented that time. I had cognitive dissonance and cognitive distortions. My friend, Verlie helped me out and she said that I should go if I really wanted to. So, I have decided. 


The first workshopper I've seen I think was a 10 year old Kyrie with her yaya. On my way to the place, right on the entrance, I saw 2 or 3 people seating on the bench. I didn't want to know who they are at that time, so I turned my back on them as they walked out to Luneta, as I was facing the renovating plaza. I wrote again on April 10, 2012 about the circumstances the day before:


"I went to the building and I was hesitant, very hesitant to go into the office. The lady  whom I forgot her name, went down and noticed me, so she has encouraged me to go upstairs. Her name is Alice Borbe. While Ma'am Alice was in the CR, the big star came down with a rock-star-like hairdo (He is Mr. Tony Espejo, the artistic director of GTF) and asked if I would be joining and I said 'I don't know'. 


When I ascended, I saw the 2 annotators of the workshop and the lavish gay of the company. Finally, a new face! I don't really know the annotators. This is a new era. 


They said that they're responding to the market and they adjust according to how the market works. They brought back musical theater because they've noticed that regular theater workshop had very few participants...


Anyway, Ma'am Alice told me that there are like 15 participants and there are expected to be more. One of the names she spot out made me kinda speechless or surprised. I told Verlie yesterday about this. His name is Ivan Dorschner. 


My goodness, this is gonna be good, very good. :) Another special time for me...


I eventually said yes, I would join and I observed that they were kinda ecstatic. Cool!"


So, you see, that's how my adventure began. I told my ninang about me joining and she approved it. She just had to consult with an old friend of hers who's an executive of the NPDC for a scholarship status thing.

Here are my first thoughts on the workshop. Written on April 12, 2012:

"This is my workshop finale and I do promise that this will be my last time... I've been through a lot and this workshop can be phenomenal....


There are like more than 20 participants already. The oldest is like 25 or 26 years old including the OJTs and the youngest is 10. Seriously, it is starting to look like the 2008 workshop. 


The 2008 workshop had a lot of workshoppers. We were like 30 something. It was my very 1st GTF workshop." 


Now, I have established my story about how I came into this workshop, I would like to type about the people and the activities involved:

The activities are very very adventurous and experiential. They are exploratory as well as insights can be acquired here as well. Sir Roeder is the main facilitator. Sir Jeff is the substitute facilitator and one whom I haven't met before: Mr. Nazer Salcedo who is the voice facilitator.

I have wrote about Sir Roeder and Sir Jeff before and they are indeed extraordinary individuals in many different ways. Hail the Camanag Method! Hahahahahaha!!!!

The activities really seemed so real that it is experientially irrefutable but scientifically refutable. The activities are considered to be analogies that would simulate a fragment in what an musical theater actor does. It simulates what theater should be. It is a wonderful realization to witness the workshoppers enjoying the moments offered in the workshop program. In my case, even though I get bored sometimes, I still get amazed that there will always be activities waiting to blossom. Believe me, they have like 100s and 100s of activities in mind and they just present them wonderfully. They are unplanned as well, so I think the facilitators are really meant to teach as well. I see the forte in them.

For the 1st 2 or 3 weeks, the schedule is MWF (1-5pm) and the rest until recital day is everyday.

Now, here's the fun part. I will be talking the group:

This picture was taken in the afternoon April 27, 2012. This is the group picture. The only person here very familiar to the common Filipinos is Ivan Dorschner. It is worth noted. :) 

    Now, this is just like a deja vu for me already. The picture of the 2008 workshop is similar to do this but without the facilitators here.

Anyway, let me put in what I had wrote in my diary about the group:

"My shell of shyness and yearn to be accepted dreads me to discomfort. Here I am, appearing to the workshop for the nth time. A part of me didn't want to go, but another did. I must embrace the rapport of all beings as we work together in this temporary eccentric zone." - -4/10/12


"The people in this years workshop seem to be awesome. I will make an FB group for them (Mission Accomplished). I can see smart people with great potential. I'd like to learn more about them. It takes time for me to know all of their names. I am acoustically overstimulated. It will take me a few sessions...


This group can grow together in harmony. I am really assuming that they are wonderful people because I like to view them that way. It is only the start of a long journey." - 04/12/12


Those are my assuming first impressions about them.

"I am telling you this is also an interesting group. I can only hope that the greatness of human connection prevails. We strive to connect, to know, to learn and to understand the reality of social interaction. We are one, we are together. The more together we are, the better our production will be at the end of the workshop. This is the advantage. So, I suggest that we should do this."- 04/13/12


This was one of my dreams that would happen in the duration of the workshop. I have managed to treat them twice already with 2 GC (Gift Certificates) at Robinsons Manila.

"I know that there are workshoppers like me who happen to have insecurities, restraits and inhibitions. I can see that in some of them. There are those who are like me who happen to be too shy to become vulnerable and take risks. That I understand. I still have hope in me that this will be a magnificent experience for this summer."- 04/18/12

"The other side of the workshop is negative. I felt bad. I felt out of place like I'm lost in the jungles. Their reason could be the language barrier because they may be thinking that I don't really understand Tagalog. They may also be thinking that I don't speak Tagalog at all. That's foreseen."- 04/26/12

It is something I continue to struggle with until this day.


The following message is one of the most important messages I would express:

"I hope for something good for the whole workshop group. It is already at the middle of the workshop. Without a doubt and with striking certainty I will cry and terribly miss them at the end of the recital because I can see that we are going into something very grand. I can see that we are leaning to a wonderful direction. We have 3 mentors now and they will help us shape the whole group into a some sort of a success story. I feel very optimistic about this. :) I have accepted the fate of Ibong Adarna as the recital. Maybe it will be different from what I would expect. I am happy to be part of this group." - 04/29/12 


"I have to admit that the workshop group has limitations and I know that there are those who are willing to take advantage of it and that is really part of the experience. I know that some happen to be insecure still. I do recognize that some may even become intimidated by me because of my fluency in English."- 05/02/12 


The remedy is they can go Taglish with me because that is how they can express themselves. I can understand them. :)

This was when I almost realized the value of the workshop, but the true realization came out when I texted one of the workshoppers about my concerns:

"... I do fear that some would not really understand what I'm saying. There are those who seemed to be intimidated by me. I recognize that we are a very diverse group. You see, these are people I would really like to cherish the moments with for the next 10 days because I do know that we will realize the value of the workshop the very moment our recital ends."- 05/05/12


"You see, I want them to know the true value of this workshop before it ends. I want them to know that they should cherish it for in the end memories and pictures will endure." -05/05/12


The diversity of this workshop shows how important individuality and uniqueness is. We all came from our own worlds and we are summoned together to create a certain spirit of camaraderie. We strive to help each other, acknowledge each other, accept each other as people. There are complications that can arise, complications in different relationships (In fact, I spent a lot of my energy brooding on one of them). You see, I know that in the end, we will show the true value of the group because I've been there already. There will be a sense of unity as we blend ourselves into a sea of people like a cluster. I still want to embrace them like siblings.

We have to work hard and to embrace the moments as if there is no tomorrow. The recital is a whole new level of challenge for me and this is something I have never done. :) Alleluia!!!


This is workshop has always been temporary. Time is running out. Despite me, being a some sort of an alien to them, I still would like to acknowledge them as an awesome group. Sir Roeder said that this group is like the ideal group for a company theater production.


The recital is all sung-through (Meaning musical from beginning to the end). It is the first time for GTF to do this. It is an adaptation of Ibong Adarna made by VCCPA (Valenzuela City Center for Performing Arts) which happens to be a company headed by Sir Roeder. I figure it to be really really awesome and the rehearsals are fun as well. :)

"The film is a spectacle. The theater is an occasion, a celebration"- Sir Roeder

Thank you, congratulations in advance. BREAK A LEG!!! May our recital be grand once and for all. God bless everyone!

The new acting method

Theater is a fascinating subject to me because for the 7th time all-in-all and for the 4th time in Gantimpala, I have returned to the place once again. May this be my very very last of the summer workshops because by next year, I would venture into a different world after embracing my bachelors degree next summer.

I have written about this before, especially last year. You see, I came into a conclusion now that my mentors should have a formal recognition of a method of acting created by their own learning experiences influenced by Stanislavski's system of acting and Eastern philosophy. It is something that they should write about. I would call one part "The Roeder Method" and the other part "The Jeff Method". Why? I can see that they can revolutionize the reality of acting as they believe that everything comes from within and it is 100% natural.

I am sure they are humble enough to admit that they go with the flow but they may not be aware of the potential of the methods they show to everyone. I highly respect them for their craft because they are experientialists and they prove that they are right about everything through various activities that can be related to different lessons and it can be easily applied. I wouldn't be surprised if they have made a book about it already. I am hoping they would, soon. They are very practical people. They adapt very easily and very well. It is something I admire in them.

If you are able to put these 2 methods together, you would get "The Camanag Method of Acting", just like Constantin Stanislavski. They are living proof of Thespian professionalism. They can never be compromised. These are things that can be intriguing.

It would be very interesting if I could integrate these with psychology because acting is reacting and observing. We make use of Bandura's Social Learning Theory to observe and imitate. We make use of Procedural Memory to be aware of the use of the body and voice. We make use of Classical Conditioning to learn new techniques and realize from experiences.

You see, theater is literature, performance art and psychology merged into one. I guess a bit of philosophy can be included. Sir Roeder said the goal of an actor is "To communicate". Sir Jeff said the goal of an actor is "To tell a story". So, therefore we can say that the goal of an actor is to "Communicate a story taken from a piece of literature by enriching the senses and make the story look alive." So, theater is a serious job for it requires lots of discipline and management.

"Theater is not an art of one. It is an ensemble art."- Jeffrey Camanag