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2005: QUO VADIS BALANGAW?
There is a notion that community theaters like those in America are “where people's most base elements thrive: egos exalted, fed, stroked, and patted; jealousies run rampant; tantrums tolerated and considered part of the culture; where strangers come together--for nothing profitable, nothing useful, nothing tangible or lasting, for nothing more than such stuff as dreams are made of--all because of some unnamable desire to imagine themselves into other people's stories and relate those stories to others.” (Cohen, 2001)
But Balangaw never was a place for that. Here, egos are deflated before they attempt to reach the skies; jealousies discouraged; tantrums are never tolerated as they are considered not part of the culture; where strangers come and are told that they have a responsibility to change the situations around them that make their lives miserable; that they can effect positive changes in society, but that it starts with them; that we have come together to prove to the community that not all have accepted their fate as slaves or serfs in such a feudalistic island; that we have a responsibility to those who will come after us and those after them and must strive to cease the wanton destruction of our environment; that the vain desire to just imagine themselves into other people’s stories is not art but just an illusion; that our work is nothing if it does not serve a greater social purpose.
At Balangaw no one has sought recognition for his/her work except a few – those who continue to harbor blind, grandiose, illusory thoughts of epical greatness about themselves - who turn up at moments of victory to seize and steal the moment from those who have labored - hard against many odds - for their art, their creation. (to be continued)
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3 comments:
Dear artists of Teatro Balangaw,
My name is chito mandia from Boac and I would like to know if you still mount productions regularly.
The reason I ask is obvious. Our province needs people like you.
I would be interested in knowing about your program this year and whether you have roadshow tours.
Kudos and keep up the good work.
chito mandia
isok 1
boac
i was on a self-imposed sabbatical in Boac for a year trying to figure out how i would fit in after years of absence. two things struck me: 1. there doesn't seem to be a suitable place to hang out after 6 pm; 2. a sort of cultural life seemed non-existent. then i came across teatro balangaw and asked people about it, but very few people know and even fewer had heard of it. is it an exclusive club or an elite troupe that exists solely to entertain select audiences?
i was on a self-imposed soul seeking sabbatical back in my hometown of Boac after long years of absence. two things struck me: there weren't any places to hang out after six (as in a cafe or a cinema --- and several visitors and residents agree to this observation) but most noticeable of all, the place felt culturally impoverished -- until i re-discovered teatro balangaw's website. unfortunately, few, if ever, had heard of it much less know what it is. so my question is, is teatro balangaw an exclusive alliance of artistes that cater only to the elite, or is it a development theater group that perform solely for a select audience?
best wishes,
chito mandia
saigon
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