Penelop Ong, Theater Director

CEBU, Philippines - I later found out that she has had considerable experience - 15 years to be exact - in theater directing. Her repertoire over the years includes: Three Fairy Skits and a Tale, Mr. And Ms. PCGS (Philippine Christian Gospel School), A Christmas Carol, The Wizard of Oz, PCGS Got Talent, Mulan Jr. Musical, and last but not least, Seussical The Musical, scheduled for performance on March 22, 2014.

I had the chance to sit down with Penny recently and discuss about her work and the state of theater in Cebu, among other things. Below are bits and pieces of our conversation:

Leah Sia (LS): Please tell me more about your background, how you got started as a theater director.

Penny Ong (PO): I never had any formal training or education in theater. Growing up, I loved listening to my father; he would tell us Chinese fables and ghost stories after dinner. It's quite vivid to me to this day how he would recreate the stories flamboyantly complete with costumes and sound effects.

Once, he came dressed as the King in The King and I, in complete regalia! My dad and his sisters were very good storytellers; they were my first influences, and they made it seem normal to entertain people through storytelling. I was also exposed to all sorts of dancing at an early age, particularly the ballet. 

However, my father wanted me to be a doctor. I finished Medical Technology, and did medical school for a year.  I also became a full time housewife for the next ten years. When my two boys started elementary and high school, I had more time on my hands and started doing part time work on the side, focusing on theater.

It was in 1996 that I got my first break. The Cebu Gospel Church tasked me [to direct] a musical for the youth, called Just What You are Looking For, about a young adult sick with cancer. It was the first time that I saw people cry - they were moved to tears - because of my work.

Currently, I am the theater adviser [at] the Philippine Christian Gospel School. I've been with them since 2005, and I appreciate the job very much as it provides me an avenue to express my passion for theater, and to work with the youth.

LS:   What about the work that you do?

PO: It's mostly stage plays and musicals. I also did a commercial for the church, and when I was enrolled in Bigfoot, [I] came up with some short films and documentaries. But my love is really theater, [given] my background in dancing. Although, one of my thoughts recently [is] to sideline as a film director! I also plan to go mainstream and do a musical outside the school this year. I'm in the process of finding a production team for this.

LS: Who do you consider as mentors or idols in the industry?

PO: For my idol, that would be Daisy Baad, who's quite popular in Cebu. As for a mentor, you know, I started directing without any formal knowledge about it and just did self-study. Only recently have I gone to Manila and New York to attend directing workshops.

Over the years, I have been learning along the way on my own. I read materials on theater, and apply it. Modesty aside, my intuition over the past ten years has been 90% accurate in terms of the learning process. I guess it's also because I'm a very critical audience myself. I pay attention to details, and gestures a lot when I direct. I teach my students to tell a story, not merely how to act. By doing so, the acting will come naturally.

LS: What do you think of the state of the theater industry in Cebu?

PO: Sadly, it's close to nil. Compared to people in Manila, who are exposed and educated even in schools. In Manila, they are free to do theater, they can interpret it any way they want, think outside the box, and perform skits anywhere. For example, I saw a video clip of an artist dressed as mermaid in a market, singing inside a bucket! She was expressing herself like in The Little Mermaid to passersby. And people in Manila appreciate it!

If you did something like that here, people in Cebu would think otherwise since Cebuanos are very critical. I would like to change the Cebuano mindset in theater arts, to level up. Another thing, we don't have a theater school. Looking around, there is so much talent, yet we don't put it to good use. I would also one day like to make Cebu a creative center for VisMin, where people from the neighboring provinces come and attend our productions and plays.

LS: Any advice for those aspiring to be directors themselves?

PO: Just do it! You learn so many things in school, but if you don't do anything, it remains in your head. Express yourself. Experience things. Think outside the box. Directors should be able to do what's unconventional. (FREEMAN)