To Life, to Art – Badong Bernal
I never worked with Sir Bernal, but it was hard not to know of him.
He designed the set for “Comfort Women” made out of bamboos. The lead actress would be bruised every time they had to go through her rape scene. Director Missy Maramara asked if there was any way to keep her from bruising. Bernal’s retort, “Let her adjust to the set.”
He never hobbled with a cane. He strutted, with confident strides down Gonzaga Hall. Rumor has it, he was sighted without his cane once. Why? “Style.” He said simply.
It was also for that reason he put huge lights in the wings during a ballet performance. Never mind that dancers exited and entered from there and had to watch their step. It was an inconvenience yes, but there was no better way to put light on the full form of the body. You could see it even if you were seated in the last seat of the last row of CCP Main Theater.
For Bawat-Tao (Everyman), he saw a see-saw to describe the delicate balance of life sought by Everyman. Say what you will about Metropolitan Theater Guild’s Midsummer Night’s Dream but most of its magic, I feel, would not be possible without Badong.
He was old-school: he screamed at people till they got it right. He even threw his cane at students. They say, the more he screamed at someone, the more promise that someone actually had. Sure enough, a blockmate that got the brunt of his temper sought him to be her thesis adviser. She did well.
Some other things told to classmates:
“Never allow yourself to be mediocre!”
“To create, you must learn to destroy.”
Difficult lessons that even I take pains to learn, over and over again.
I cried when I found out he had passed. I couldn’t understand why. “Because he is an institution. He’s one of those that made it possible to actually work in theater.” says a good friend, Mahar.
Sure enough, in his passing, there’s a change in the air. There is loss, yet, but then there’s the sense of so much more to come. After all, it’s a vibrant year for local theater.
Besides, another friend quipped, “The good Lord needed someone to manage all the Souls in Soul Parade day. Who else but.”
I can imagine him dressing up the people we love in those rich, Asian-inspired robes.
Love and light, Badong Bernal. R.I.P.
A note in Z: Zsa Zsa vs. Zombadings
I can’t help but compare Zombadings to the Zsa Zsa Zaturnah adaptations.
What I liked about Zsa Zsa Zaturnah the graphic novel is how it showed a rare vulnerability through Ada, the boy who would be Zsa Zsa. That kind of vulnerability, the quiet contemplation of what it means to be gay was lost in the slapstick of the musical and movie adaptations. It’s enjoyable, but I came out of it feeling that it seemed be the only way to be gay: just be sing out loud silly.
I feel that Zombadings learned from the flaws of the Zsa Zsa adaptations. The camp is very much there, from the minute Roderick Paulate casts his curse upon Remington, to a wink-nudge at Robot Unicorn, to the “gaydar”. At the heart of it is Remington himself, a boy forced to learn a hard lesson on being careful who you pick on, and what it really means to be a man. This is a film I’d show as a way of homophobic intervention.
This time, if all they see are zombies, it’s not the film’s fault.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaWWi6oCw8E]
Tarush! Catch Zombadings now on its last run at cinemas around the Philippines.
Art as Conversation
My approach to art is to see if it works as a whole. I wasn’t wowed by Mideo Cruz’s “Poleteismo”, but I get it. If the only thing we see is a condom and a dildo over pictures of Jesus and Mary, then the criticism fails.
I overheard a colleague criticize Mideo Cruz’s work as being too controversial, because, “If this were a Middle Eastern country he’d be dead.” Yes, but then the rest of the world goes on to call them barbaric.
“Poleteismo” was shocking, but I wouldn’t say controversial because it is a slice of the real world. I thought what made it more disturbing for other people was the placement of pop culture posters right next to religious imagery. For those who thought it tasteless, I say they haven’t been inside a typical poorhouse where it’s not weird to see FHM posters are put up next to the Last Supper. It’s not about being sacrilegious to them. It’s just decor, it’s their aesthetic. Agree or disagree with it, it’s their concept of “maganda”.
As the debate on reproductive health rages on in the country: Do we also continue to deny that religion, Catholicism in particular, continues to meddle with what should be state issue of reproductive health? Review your facts. The symbolism of “Poleteismo” isn’t even that much of a stretch.
In the time I’ve spent with the arts, I have not seen any government or church body support or uphold a standard for art and aesthetic. I have seen a lot more toned down, even outright banned.
This is what agitates me most about the Mideo Cruz fiasco: why are we so concerned about what shouldn’t be seen, when we haven’t set the foundations for good, local art?
Recommended viewing: “Hamlet 2” by Andrew Fleming.
“It was stupid!” “Yes it was stupid, but it was also theater.”
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giBWNkRta5o]
RP612fic by Mia Marci
I participated in the RP612 twitter fiction movement to celebrate Philippine Independence day. Filipino tweeps contributed micro-fiction on twitter based on Filipino personalities and events. You can read the complete collection from other twitter users and myself here. My twitter username is miithinks.
Below are my contributions. It was the first time since forever since I last wrote fiction, let alone fiction that concise! It was really a fun, inspiring exercise in copy that made me fear my own mind.
The following twitfics are slightly revised from the original tweets. As a note, I am a fan and student of Ambeth Ocampo, which shows my approach towards Rizal and Bonifacio. References to actual persons are intentional, but it is largely a work of parody.
-(Dr. Who crossover) As the ink dried on the parchment, Rizal had one regret: he should’ve jumped into that blue box when he had the chance. (for my whotards, especially Yumi and Denice)
-“Soon, Ferdie, soon. After we link the OS to your body, Maharlika will rise again!”
-The second she opened the door, the maid swore she saw Hen. Luna and Bonifacio looming over Emilio in his last breath.
-My dearest Diego, these battles are for every time you sulked over my besting you at chess. Love, Gabi
-Angel L was surprised to see Rizal suited up & right under her window, holding a guitar. He gave a strum, “Uso pa ba ang harana?”
-“RH bill? Hell no. That means I’d have to register my services and get taxed.” harumphed the manananggal.
-In the nights lost to soothing a bawling, baby Kris, they all knew she would make a powerful weapon one day.
-Headline: Political dynasty reshuffling determined by a midnight playstation tournament of “Dynasty Warriors”. (for Billy)
-Maritess thought she had a better deal when she returned home, then laundered both Zaturnnah’s and Darna’s costumes.
-Overheard at Starbucks: “Ambeth O, dude, that was supposed to be an exclusive. Hijo de, I should have gone to Boy A instead!” -Pepe R
-Texts of the Revolution, August 30: “Hir n m. Wer n u? Sheht, ‘pre imba ng k0ny0!” -Andr3B0n1130 (This one’s for you, Sir Ambeth)
-The white lady has been seen on buses since the taxi fare hike.
Why Face the Facts?
Simple: cause almost everyone missed the point.
I’m glad that the church is challenged, I’m glad that there are people standing firm and saying that we are not the Friar state we used to be. But it really isn’t about that.
It is about the women and children who die at birth, who didn’t know the what and how to take care of themselves.
It is for an entire generation of women that were haunted by the trauma of their prom night, because they simply didn’t know any better.
It is about each scared high school girl who seriously believed that she could have an abortion by taking aspirin with coca-cola.
It’s about each teenage boy who couldn’t really understand what was happening to them, or comprehend the consequences of following what they felt.
For the parents who don’t know how to talk to their kids. For the kids who dared to ask, only to be punished.
For those who learned elsewhere but got lost in the fiction: in the magazines, the internet, urban legends, their adventurous friends.
The ones who learned in regret, in retrospect.
For lack of facts, we work with fiction and heresay.
These are the fictions that they believed in. Read it and weep.
With sexuality, ignorance is not bliss.
Add food for thought: we could get the right information out at zero cost.
Three little words: Face the facts. We need RH Bill 5043. We need to know.
Or face this fact: people will die from not knowing.