An Interview with E-NTABLADO About Their Transition into ENTABLADO UPD
As pandemic surprisingly existed in the Philippines, art students did not allow this to hinder their skills and capabilities in the field of theatre. They used all the available resources to continue share their crafts and talents to the world. One of the best student story tellers in the country is E-ntablado. E-ntablado was a student-led theatrical production that has a purpose to keep the spirit of theatre alive, even during the pandemic. It is an organization that aims to provide supplementary theatre education and theatre experience via student-led theatre productions for student practitioners. E-ntablado 1 was a series of online script readings read and performed by the students at College of Arts and Letters in UP Diliman. This idea was brought into life during the early months of the pandemic as an initiative to continue practicing theatre in an online setting. E-ntablado 2, however aimed to be more collaborative than the previous installment. Different students from various schools across the country were given the opportunity to send their scripts, act, and utilize the online platform to amplify their advocacies.
Theatre shifted its medium to online to be able to continue its storytelling that can be accessed anywhere in the world. With online performances and masterclasses throughout the lockdown, Open House was able to raise 1.3 million from donations and were able to extend cash assistance to 650 displaced workers. There are other theatre companies and student organizations that have decided to hold theatre performances online. These are KALikha, Alay Sining, Quaranteatro, VLF, Relive Your Passion PH, and Lipa Actors Company.
Being in a pandemic and organizing a theatre presentation are difficult tasks at first but with dedication and passion, people behind this organization made online theatre possible. Pia Ysobel Cruz and Camilo De Guzman, both artistic directors of UP E-ntablado expressed their thoughts and learnings from this new theatre setup. “We realized that our goals for ENTABLADO were not limited to a certain project, but to a long-term initiative. Providing an opportunity for students to learn about theatre as well as partake in productions that were not limited even to just KALikha where the projects were held, rather had to become open to all, which is why ENTABLADO UPD came to be,” stated by Camilo wherein he stressed that E-ntablado shapes individuals to become more passionate doing theatre productions even amidst the crisis we are all facing. It is an opportunity for all to become the better version of themselves even if the setup has been shifted to online. Pia shared that “With these in mind, we recognized that what the UP-theatre community lacked was a theatre organization that was purely student based. While we do have theatre organizations in UP, we do not have one that offers opportunities to the students to stage plays outside the academics of the BATA and AAT program. This led to us creating ENTABLADO UPD. Aside from staging productions, ENTABLADO UPD also features an educational wing where we invite guest speakers for workshops and talks. It gives a good balance of not only studying theatre, but also experiencing it.” E-ntablado really allows everyone, no matter what their school, gender, or beliefs are in showcasing their talents in theatre. This gives everybody the chance to learn more and be more passionate in cultivating the arts here in the country.
Pia also gave advice to aspiring theater artists who are trying to learn theatre even in the pandemic which will ignite the flame of many artists. “Honestly, just keep creating and learning! Many, if not all artists are in a very emotionally stripping season right now, and I have seen many beautiful works being produced because of it. Online theatre is something that is yet to be explored, and the only way to move forward with it is if we continue to create works and experiment with what is given to us. That being said, I do not want to claim E-ntablado as a blueprint for an online production, as I think that it has only scratched the surface of what online theatre can be. So just keep creating and taking all the opportunities,” Pia said. She emphasized that when it comes to learning, one must not be afraid to take risks and continue making their crafts because even in the pandemic, their skills and talents will be showcased. “Just try it. Do not be afraid to make mistakes. Theatre is going through a whole revolution as to what theatre is and could be. Just try to create something, try to act, perform, manage, produce, whatever. The definition of theatre is up to you to create,” stated by Camilo. He said that in theatre, one is limitless, he/she can explore and make new things that will leave the audience astounded.
“As more and more people ask us when the next festival would be, that’s when it hit me: theatre will ALWAYS reshape itself in order to appease the needs of the people. If you take a look at the Filipino theatre in a historical context, there has always been a play or a drama that addressed a certain need of that society at the time,” Pia stated as well. E-ntablado allows certain issues to be addressed wherein most Filipino people are unaware of. In that case, many problems will be given solution with the use of theatre to inform its audience. As per Camilo, he said that “I do not think it was inevitable for E-NTABLADO to become an organization, but I do believe it was inevitable for a student theatre organization focused on education and production making to be created. So, it was necessary now more than ever that we gave theatre students a place to learn on their own through talks and student-led productions.” E-ntablado was made to allow students to be more knowledgeable and aware in different theatrical aspects as well as the issues the society is current facing. This allows everyone to open their eyes on the reality while gaining knowledge as well.
They both said that something interesting is coming in the next E-ntablado event. Everything the mind can imagine might be a reality. Both of them realized something from having online theatre during the pandemic. Pia said that “Honestly, it is still changing me. Things that I thought I knew about theatre have been broken down and built-up time and time again, and as much as I hate the change, it’s something that I need. Theatre is not just a performance, or a rehearsed piece, to be presented to an audience, because there is so much more to it. A lot of the plays we produced had something to say. They spoke for people whose voices are drowned out. They pull back the secret wounds of the ugly things in this world, so that we may have a good look at them. And yes, it is painful, but it also heals us. And isn’t healing the one thing we all need?” It is really an eye opener to Pia, she realized that online theater is not just having recognition from people but exposing the truth that surely will set everyone free from lies the society told us. For Camilo, he said that “I think it made me realize how beautiful theatre truly is and it has made me have a deeper understanding for theatre. I realized that I would not want to trade the tiredness and stress of live productions for anything. Sorry to say this, but live theatre is still a different experience and what we do online will obviously never be the same. However, that does not mean we give up on creating theatre in every medium possible. It’s a new theatre experience, it is new, it is never going to be the same, but obviously just as valid,” wherein he gave emphasis that online theatre is a new thing, but it is still as important as the live theater. All the people behind it are still as dedicated and as passionate even the pandemic. All their sacrifices, and tiredness from this production are all worth it because they have fulfilled their purpose.
Online theater is a new way of showcasing students’ talents, skills, and capabilities. No matter how difficult the arts on the online setup, these people pour their hearts out just to convey the message they wanted everyone to know. After all, the pandemic will never be a hindrance to theater production. Students will never stop telling stories.
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Blog by Nicole Bernadette Ante
Special thanks to Camilo De Guzman and Pia Ysobel Cruz for the interview!
Persons in the photo: Camilo De Guzman, Pia Ysobel Cruz