The start of something big

In May last year I wrote about the Philippine Legitimate Stage Artists Group, or Philstage, and its effort to become the first awards-giving body focused solely on the performing arts. Well, these efforts have borne fruit. This past Wednesday, the 18th of February, Philstage held its 2008 Gawad Buhay! Awards for the Performing Arts at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. The austere but elegant program was well-attended, and judging by the excitement it generated among the member companies, I expect an even more enthusiastic response in the years ahead.

Such a response is crucial, since there were moments last year, the first year of the awards, when I thought the group’s resolve seemed to flag. Mine did, too. Now I can say it: I served on the jury panel that chose the performers and creatives named in the quarterly citations and drew up the list of year-end awardees. We started as a fairly large group, but the demands of trying to watch all the productions caught up with some of us, and by the end of the year we found ourselves reduced to a band of 10. So I couldn’t help but chuckle when Fernando “Nanding” Josef, artistic director of Tanghalang Pilipino and president of Philstage, commended the jurors in the opening remarks for serving “na walang bayad, walang pamasahe, at walang pang-merienda.”

Feeling the excitement in the Little Theater that evening, hearing the theater practitioners cheer for their fellows, seeing their sheer joy whether they ended up taking home trophies or not, helped dispel the gloom in my mind. There were times last year when I wondered what I had gotten myself into. Wednesday night I felt blessed, and ultimately grateful, to have been a part of it all. Here’s hoping the awards, now a year old, have a long and illustrious future.

PETA AND TANGHALANG PILIPINO DOMINATE GAWAD BUHAY

With four major awards each, Skin Deep (a production of the Philippine Educational Theater Association, or PETA), Golden Child, and Kudeta (both by Tanghalang Pilipino) won the most production, technical, and performance awards at the 2008 Gawad Buhay!, the Philstage Awards for the Performing Arts, held on Feb. 18 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino. Ballet Philippines’ La Revolucion Filipina, Repertory Philippines’ Hamlet, and Tanghalang Pilipino’s Ang Kalungkutan ng mga Reyna each took home three trophies.

Skin Deep, a musical comedy on ordinary people’s search for beauty and happiness, got the jury’s nod for outstanding musical production, original libretto (Vincent De Jesus), and male and female lead performances in a musical play (Robert Seña and May Bayot). Golden Child, winner for outstanding production of a full-length play, stage direction (Loy Arcenas), ensemble performance, and set design (Loy Arcenas), depicts the conflicts of introducing modern changes to a traditional Chinese household. Kudeta, a hilarious take on a coup that topples a country’s president, won for outstanding translation or adaptation (George De Jesus III), lighting design (Dennis Marasigan), set design (Tuqxs Rutaquio), and featured male performance in a play (Bong Cabrera).

Among the big winners of individual awards were Floy Quintos, for Ang Kalungkutan ng mga Reyna, which won for outstanding production of a one-act play and original play; and Vincent de Jesus, whose work on Skin Deep and Batang Rizal (PETA) won for outstanding original libretto and musical direction.

The first-ever industry awards exclusive to the performing arts, Gawad Buhay! was juried by an independent panel of critics, scholars, artists, and theater enthusiasts who were deputized to watch all productions of Philstage member-companies for the entire year. Outstanding individual and group achievements in various artistic and technical aspects of play, musical, and dance productions and performances are honored based on quarterly citations drawn up by the jury.

In his acceptance speech for outstanding original play for Ang Kalungkutan ng mga Reyna, playwright-director Floy Quintos expressed appreciation of the performing arts’ unique quality as a form of creative expression. “We have become the source of talents of other industries like film and television.”

CCP president Nestor Jardin, who was one of the awards presenters, praised the high quality of productions by Philstage member-companies. “There are many of these, and there can be no better proof of this than in the next category,” he said, referring to the 13 nominees for outstanding ensemble performance.

“I am very happy that we are having this award while I am still dancing,” enthused Camille Ordinario-Joson who won for outstanding featured performer in a dance production for her work on Ballet Philippines’ Latin Heat.

The mostly theater-practitioner crowd cheered on approvingly as Jose Mari Avellana’s name was announced by presenter Gary Lim as winner for outstanding male lead performance in a play. Visibly moved, Avellana thanked the theater community and exhorted them to keep striving for quality and continue the traditions of professionalism and collegiality in the profession.

Philstage president Fernando Josef, concurrent artistic director of Tanghalang Pilipino, expressed elation over the participation of a large number of nominees. “They came with friends and family,” he said. “This is an historic event as we are witnessing the maturity of an industry that responds to audiences, artists and society.”

Directed by Dennis Marasigan and produced by Elmar Beltran Ingles, the awards ceremonies featured moving performances by Ballet Philippines’ Biag Gaongen, winner for outstanding male lead performance in a dance production (La Revolucion Filipina and Latin Heat), and the cast of Batang Rizal.

The categories, winners, and nominees:

Outstanding production of a full-length play: Golden Child (Tanghalang Pilipino). Other nominees: Batang Rizal, PETA. Hamlet, Repertory Philippines. Kudeta, Tanghalang Pilipino.

Outstanding production of a one-act play: Ang Kalungkutan ng Mga Reyna (Tanghalang Pilipino/Virgin Labfest 4). Other nominees: Ang Bayot, ang Meranao, at ang Habal-Habal sa Isang Nakababagot na Paghihintay sa Kanto ng Lanao del Norte, Tanghalang Pilipino/Virgin Labfest 4. Ellas Inocentes, Tanghalang Pilipino/Virgin Labfest 4. Three Sisters: A Noh Play, Tanghalang Pilipino/Virgin Labfest 4.

Outstanding musical production: Skin Deep (PETA). Other nominee: Altar Boyz, Repertory Philippines.

Outstanding dance production: La Revolucion Filipina, Ballet Philippines. Other nominees: Latin Heat, Ballet Philippines. New Beginnings, Ballet Philippines.

Outstanding stage direction: Loy Arcenas (Golden Child). Other nominees: Chari Arrespacochaga, Altar Boyz. Nor Domingo, Skin Deep. Jose Estrella, Three Sisters: A Noh Play. Floy Quintos, Ang Kalungkutan ng Mga Reyna. Floy Quintos, Kudeta. Tuxqs Rutaquio, Ellas Inocentes. Dudz Teraña, Batang Rizal.

Outstanding original choreography: Agnes Locsin (La Revolucion Filipina). Other nominees: Bam Damian, Latin Heat. Alan Hineline, New Beginnings. Alden Lugnasin, Latin Heat. Max Luna III, New Beginnings. Jason Zamora, Altar Boyz.

Outstanding original play: Floy Quintos’ Ang Kalungkutan ng Mga Reyna. Other nominees: Batang Rizal, Christine Bellen. Ang Bayot, ang Meranao, at ang Habal-Habal ..., Rogelio Braga. Ellas Inocentes, Layeta Bucoy.

Outstanding ensemble performance: the cast of Golden Child (Tanghalang Pilipino). Other nominees: Altar Boyz, Repertory Philippines. Ang Bayot, ang Meranao, at ang Habal-Habal ..., Tanghalang Pilipino/Virgin Labfest 4. Mga Gerilya sa Powell Street, Tanghalang Pilipino. Batang Rizal, PETA. Coppelia, Ballet Philippines. Ellas Inocentes, Tanghalang Pilipino/Virgin Labfest 4. Hamlet, Repertory Philippines. Kudeta, Tanghalang Pilipino. La Revolucion Filipina, Ballet Philippines. Latin Heat, Ballet Philippines. Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang, PETA. New Beginnings, Ballet Philippines. Skin Deep, PETA.

Outstanding male lead performance in a play: Jose Mari Avellana (Tuesdays with Morrie). Other nominees: Arthur Acuña, Golden Child. Dido de la Paz, Mga Gerilya sa Powell Street. Joe Gruta, Mga Gerilya sa Powell Street. Mario O’Hara, Kudeta. Joey Paras, Ang Bayot, ang Meranao, at ang Habal-Habal ... Arnold Reyes, Ang Bayot, ang Meranao, at ang Habal-Habal ... Jonathan Tadioan, Pamantasang Hirang, Tanghalang Pilipino/Virgin Labfest 4.

Outstanding female lead performance in a play: Shamaine Centenera Buencamino (Ang Kalungkutan ng Mga Reyna). Other nominees: Lovely Balili, Ellas Inocentes. Liesl Batucan, Golden Child. Tina Chilip, Golden Child. Jenessa Roque, Ellas Inocentes. Irma Adlawan-Marasigan, Golden Child.

 Outstanding male lead performance in a musical: Robert Seña (Skin Deep). Other nominees: Red Concepcion, Altar Boyz. Juliene Mendoza, EJ: Ang Pinagdaanang Buhay nina Evelio Javier at Edgar Jopson. Jett Pangan, EJ: Ang Pinagdaanang Buhay nina Evelio Javier at Edgar Jopson.

Outstanding female lead performance in a musical: May Bayot (Skin Deep). Other nominees: Isay Alvarez, Skin Deep. Gail Guanlao Billones, Skin Deep.

Outstanding male lead performance in a dance production: Biag Gaongen (La Revolucion Filipina and Latin Heat).

Outstanding female lead performance in a dance production: Lisa Macuja Elizalde (Le Corsaire, Ballet Manila).

Outstanding featured performance in a dance production: No nomination.

Outstanding male featured performance in a play: Bong Cabrera (Kudeta). Other nominees: Riki Benedicto, Kudeta. Willy Casero, Batang Rizal. Nor Domingo, Tosca. Raffy Tejada, Tosca.

Outstanding female featured performance in a play: Cris Villonco (Hamlet). Other nominee: Mailes Kanapi, Mga Gerilya sa Powell Street.

Outstanding featured performance in a dance production: Camille Ordinario-Joson (Latin Heat).

Outstanding original libretto: Vincent de Jesus (Skin Deep). Other nominee: Vincent de Jesus, Batang Rizal.

Outstanding translation/adaptation: George de Jesus III (Kudeta). Other nominee: Dennis Marasigan, Golden Child.

Outstanding musical direction: Vincent de Jesus (Batang Rizal). Other nominee: Jojo Malferrari, Altar Boyz.

Outstanding set design: Loy Arcenas (Golden Child) and Tuxqs Rutaquio (Kudeta). Other nominees: Mel Bernardo, Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang. Gino Gonzales, New Beginnings. Mio Infante, Coppelia. Mio Infante, La Revolucion Filipina.

Outstanding costume design: Faust Peneyra (Hamlet). Other nominees: Ron Alfonso, Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang. Gino Gonzales, Golden Child. Jonathan Janolo, Tatlong Kuwento ni Lola Basyang, Ballet Manila. Victor Ursabia, La Revolucion Filipina.

Outstanding lighting design: Dennis Marasigan (Kudeta). Other nominees: Katsch Catoy, La Revolucion Filipina. Martin Esteva, Hamlet. Barbi Tan-Tiongco, Golden Child.

Outstanding sound design: Jethro Joaquin (Hamlet). Other nominees: Janice Dee, Kudeta. Jethro Joaquin, EJ: Ang Pinagdaanang Buhay nina Evelio Javier at Edgar Jopson. Shima Takesi, Tosca. Gidget Tolentino, Altar Boyz. J. Victor Villareal, Golden Child.

Philstage groups include the country’s leading and established performing arts companies like Actors Actors Inc. (AAI), Ballet Manila (BM), Ballet Philippines (BP), Gantimpala Theater Foundation (GTF), Organisasyon ng Pilipinong Mang-aawit (OPM), Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA), Repertory Philippines (REP), Tanghalang Pilipino, and the Triumphant Peoples’ Evangelical Theater Society (Trumpets).