"I started what is now known as stage rigging in 1988," shares Manny. "What we do is put up the structures and everything that has to do with the stage. These include all the movement that you see happening when you watch a show. But that is as far as we go. We do not do the props and the acting is definitely done by the actors."
Stage Riggers is the company that Manny put up in 1986 when he decided to go into stage rigging full time. This meant a shift from constructing buildings to making stages. "It all started as a sideline for me," shares Manny.
Today, it is no longer a part time job for Manny and the list of projects he has done are proof positive of this. Manny has done the stages for the concerts of Martin Nievera, Gary Valenciano, Earth Wind & Fire, Side A, and Lea Salonga. In theater there is Miss Saigon, Rama at Sita, They’re Playing our Song and now, the dance-drama-musical Darna, complete with flying and acrobatics.
One of the first stages Manny recalls constructing was for the EDSA revolution in 1986. At that time stages were makeshift affairs built on top of 10-wheeler trucks joined back-to-back. Manny, the innovator that he is, was able to put up a modern stage for that historic event.
"We were able to build a strong and very modern stage for them with the use of scaffoldings which I used for my construction business at the time," shares a proud Manny.
It was a rainy afternoon the day we went to see Manny at the Folk Arts Theater during the rehearsals for the upcoming staging of Darna. "For Darna, what we have done is provide them with the structure of the stage that they will use," says Manny. "But it is the people of Darna who will take charge of making the flying that you will see in the play happen."
There is so much that goes in to the construction of a stage, like the choice of scaffoldings, lights, moving trusses–and it is here that Manny’s background in civil engineering plays an important role. "I think I have an advantage because I am a civil engineer and because I worked many years in the construction business," opines Manny.
A stage may look like a simple structure, but so much goes into making sure that it is built right. "The factor of safety is so important and with Stage Riggers we make sure we practice it way above the norm. We have to be 500 percent sure that the stage is safe," says Manny.
Times have changed and so has the task of building stages. Today, people want to see so much more movement on stage and to Manny, safety cannot be over-emphasized.
This is where his engineering comes in good stead, because there is a lot of measuring of weight loads that comes into play.
"When it comes to making stages where things move, there are not too many people who do that. We have load tables and this is how we compute how much is going to be loaded unto the stage," shares Manny. "We ask the director and the lights men what they plan to put on stage so that we can determine what kind of truss will be able to handle their loads."
Access to the best materials for a good stage, both locally and imported, is what Manny has and knows best. Again, Manny attributes his knowledge to his construction background.
He is quick to point out that financially perhaps the construction business is still more rewarding, but the fulfillment of seeing the stages that he has built cannot be measured. "I enjoy the work because I don’t have the headaches I used to have when I was in the construction business," laughs Manny. "I also have more time for my family, golf and taking pictures."
So, how much did the stage for Darna, with its requirements of side and overhead trusses to support the flying and other off-the-ground action, cost?
"I would estimate that to put up this stage for Darna we must have spent about P3 million," reveals Manny.
To this Tess Rances of Ballet Philippines, which is presenting Darna, says, "Manny is an angel... Without him we would not have been able to put the show together." Considering the budget constraints that constantly plague arts organizations, Manny agreed to grant a hefty discount–"all for the sake of the arts".
After almost 20 years in the business, Manny is still looking forward to many more years ahead. "There are still dream stages I would like to build," he enthuses, "just like the ones that they have in Las Vegas." Thus he is constantly thinking of and looking for innovations.
"Stage rigging for me is a continuous deve-lopment of new ideas. In our company, we like to come up with new ideas not just for stage rigging but for stage effects like disappearing curtains or elevating platforms and things like that," smiles Manny. "But for now we work with what we have and try our best to make sure we build the perfect stage for every project we undertake."
Isn’t it hard to work with people in theater?
"So far it has been fun," smiles Manny reassuringly. He finds great fulfillment when he is able to meet the challenge of building that perfect stage. "I like to discuss the stage with the directors and together we come up with a stage that they like," Manny adds.
Manny is proud of all the projects he has done, whether big or small. For him, every stage built is different from the last. He counts among the most challenging stages he has rigged the ones for Miss Saigon and Rama at Sita. One of his biggest stages was the one he did for the opening of Greenbelt 3 in Makati. "We had this enormous truss which had a flying dancer from Las Vegas who came form the back of the fountain (in the outdoor park)," shares Manny. "It was one of the biggest we did this year."
Talking stage with Manny can go on forever. He says that he even dreams stages–it is in his dreams that he comes up with ideas for a stage he is working on.
"After almost 20 years it hasn’t gotten boring," reveals Manny. "It has become so much more fun because everything mow moves on stage and that makes our work more challenging and interesting, too."
Indeed, for Manny Inumerable, all the world’s a stage–a rigged stage, that is.