- 3 days ago
THEATER SCENE IN CEBU
Theater is more than just a performance—it is a reflection of stories, culture, and the people behind the stage.
For this episode of Beyond the Headlines, we take a closer look at Cebu’s evolving theater scene, the opportunities and challenges faced by local theater artists, and what it takes to keep the performing arts alive in the community.
Joining us is Sarah Mae Enclona-Henderson, Founder and President of 2TinCans Philippines, Inc., who will share her insights and experiences on Cebu’s theater landscape, its growing audience, and the future of local productions.
🎭 How is Cebu’s theater scene evolving, and what can be done to help it grow even further?
📺 Beyond the Headlines — Look Deeper. Think Better.
Theater is more than just a performance—it is a reflection of stories, culture, and the people behind the stage.
For this episode of Beyond the Headlines, we take a closer look at Cebu’s evolving theater scene, the opportunities and challenges faced by local theater artists, and what it takes to keep the performing arts alive in the community.
Joining us is Sarah Mae Enclona-Henderson, Founder and President of 2TinCans Philippines, Inc., who will share her insights and experiences on Cebu’s theater landscape, its growing audience, and the future of local productions.
🎭 How is Cebu’s theater scene evolving, and what can be done to help it grow even further?
📺 Beyond the Headlines — Look Deeper. Think Better.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
01:22Then comes the milk, steamed smooth, creamy, and balanced.
01:27The perfect latte is not brushed.
01:30It is crafted, one cup at a time.
01:34Your perfect latte is ready.
01:36Coffee first, then everything else.
01:40Good afternoon and welcome to Beyond the Headlines.
01:43I'm DJ Moises and today's conversation is brought to us by Coffee First.
01:47Today, we're going beyond the stage to meet a woman who has spent years using theater, not just to entertain,
01:55but to make us think, question, and sometimes see the world differently.
02:00Let's look deeper and think better.
02:03Joining us this afternoon is a theater producer, director, actress, playwright, advocate, and the founder and president of Tutin Cans
02:12Philippines, Sarah May and Clona Henderson.
02:16Hello, Sarah. Welcome to Beyond the Headlines.
02:19Hi, Darwin. Thank you so much.
02:21Oh my God, that introduction.
02:23Yeah, it just makes me think about the so many years I've been doing theater and the wonderful memories we've
02:32had when you weren't still doing theater.
02:36And, yeah, I miss that.
02:38For sure.
02:40So, how did you get into theater?
02:45I think that's always the question we ask now.
02:48Like, how did you start falling in love with something?
02:51And I guess it always goes back to home.
02:54So, I would say that, you know, I grew up in a family that loves music, loves dance, and you
03:07get involved into that.
03:10Maybe those were my way to falling in love with theater.
03:15And then, of course, you go to school and then there's always the programs and the different things that you
03:21can do and the clubs.
03:24So, going to the University of San Jose Recoletas for grade school and high school, I was definitely involved in
03:32so many performances and theatrical productions.
03:36But I did not think back then that I was going to be doing this for a long time.
03:44So, it was merely something that I loved to do.
03:47And then, I went to St. Teresa's College for mass communications.
03:51But you believe that of all the courses or subjects that you get to learn in mass communications, the one
03:58that I fell hard, you know, was when I did the theater production.
04:04And I was also in the theater company or the theater organization of STC, which was the Teatro Aninag organization.
04:14And I think it started with me thinking that, you know, this is actually something that I would like to
04:23do and seriously do, not just as a hobby or, you know, something that I could do on the side.
04:34And I guess that's when this idea of like, yeah, maybe I can do something here in Cebu because I
04:44wasn't even thinking of going to Manila or going abroad.
04:49So, I guess you can, you know, something that does this to a person starts really like the seed has
04:58been planted like really when I was young.
05:04So, at least if I am to see the body of work, I can see that theater to you is
05:16more than just entertainment now because I could see that you're also blending it with advocacy and also for people
05:25to think differently.
05:27Exactly. So, when did you realize in your journey that that's also an area that you want to pursue?
05:34I think it was automatic. I think when you think about purpose and that's what you want to do, I
05:43cannot just do something that is fully entertainment, like 100% just to entertain.
05:53If I were to have purpose, I should be able to, well, one is educate about something and then two
06:02is to empower.
06:04And that's why we say, and, you know, entertain, educate, empower.
06:07I'm not saying that entertainment is unimportant.
06:10I'm just saying that with the direction I'm taking, I want to make sure that whatever I do would have
06:16a blend of all three.
06:18And I guess, one, being a woman, you know, and having to deal with so many challenges that a girl
06:28or a woman faces every single day, it makes you think like, what can I do?
06:35That doesn't mean going to the streets or, you know, rallying, using what I'm good at.
06:44I'm probably not good going to the streets and doing things like that.
06:49But I've also used theater to perform in the streets and, you know, to have attention and to create awareness
06:59about something.
07:00I guess the thing here is that I don't see theater just as a way to express myself.
07:08It is actually a calling.
07:11It is something that I do because I have a purpose for using theater, the arts, dance, music, everything that,
07:22you know, that falls under theater arts as a way to, as you mentioned, make the world a better place.
07:29And it sounds quite a big thing and sometimes impossible.
07:35But I think that we all have been given our own talents and gifts so that we can contribute into
07:42making the world better than when we were born in it.
07:49I'm not sure.
07:50So you can correct me if I'm wrong because earlier, yes, earlier before we started the show, we had a
07:56little bit of a conversation and you mentioned about not just the development of the artist, but also the audience
08:02development.
08:03And now it's making sense, better sense to me now because I agree with what you said in the area
08:09of public speaking.
08:09A lot of it would associate with just expression, but it's more than that.
08:15There's also value for the audience.
08:18And I think that's what some of us are also missing because we just look at what we do as
08:23an expression.
08:25I guess one of the things that it's good to be able to express, but the thing is, what are
08:30you trying to express?
08:31And there are those who simply want to express, you know, to just feel that freedom to be themselves.
08:39And that is also a good thing because, you know, it allows you to be genuine, authentic, true to who
08:46you are and not have to pretend that you're someone else.
08:50That's with all the rules and regulations that we have in this world.
08:54That is a good thing.
08:56The next step is also like now asking yourself, like, what good does this skill have, do for others, to
09:09others, you know?
09:11And I guess that's just where I put myself.
09:14It's me imposing that.
09:16And I can be, but I try not to be judgmental when others choose just entertainment.
09:26That's the life that they've chosen.
09:29And I feel that that also has value.
09:33It's just not me.
09:34Yeah.
09:35So in terms of artist development, so you're talking about the person, the people who are doing theater, we say,
09:44who are making theater.
09:45The actors, the performers, the singers, musicians, directors, those who are making that world real for the audience.
09:57And then, of course, we're talking about the audience, the people who are going to attend.
10:02And you know that in communication, the very simple thing that we learn is you have the communicator, the giver,
10:11and then the audience, the receiver.
10:13And then you have the message.
10:14And so that, for me, is the most important thing.
10:17What is my message?
10:18And I always have to ask myself when I choose some material, whether to produce, to direct, or to be
10:24part of.
10:25It's like, now, how do we develop these two groups, you know?
10:32Sometimes we fail to see them as part of an entire ecosystem, and that each should actually grow together.
10:41And so by developing the artists, you also have to think about developing the audience.
10:47And now with artists, it's always about skills, talents.
10:51You know, how do we allow our artists to grow?
10:54Because we have so many artists in Cebu, and some of them have gone to get, you know, to follow
11:02the opportunities, where opportunities take them.
11:05And then we also have those who stayed and chose to serve Cebu.
11:12And I would consider myself as one.
11:15I mean, I chose to be here.
11:18Now, with the audience, the audience can only grow if there are theater offerings.
11:25So if we have regular offerings of theater productions, plays, musicals, you know, if the audience will know that, oh,
11:37okay, something's happening this week, or next month, or, you know, there's a schedule, and they know that it always
11:43happens.
11:43It's not just like an occasional thing, then it becomes part of a lifestyle, it becomes like part of our
11:51culture to actually go to the theater and watch a play, go to the theater and watch a classical concert,
12:02a ballet, you know, and, and it becomes like, an easy thing.
12:07It's not really extraordinary. It just becomes like, yeah, part of our daily life.
12:15So, at least the audience has an idea now about that you're a person, based on the intro, that you're
12:21a person wearing many hats.
12:24Many hats, indeed. And you know how that's like, yes.
12:28So, which role are you most fulfilled?
12:33Is it being the one on stage as the actor or the actress, or being the one behind it as
12:40a director or a producer or a writer?
12:44Oh my God. You are like, asking me to choose who my favorite child is, you know?
12:51That's a good analogy.
12:53I would say that with the life that I'm living right now, it is so much better to be behind
12:59the scenes.
13:00But I've also done that for a long time now.
13:04And a lot of it is really me enjoying how it is to see how things happen.
13:13But maybe a part of it is also something that I've been reminded of because I've taken on a role
13:23as an actor in our upcoming play.
13:26Maybe a part of it, me choosing the behind the scene is because the emotional requirement of being an actor
13:35is too much, you know?
13:38And when we do business, when we do things, it's like, you have to be always logical, you have to
13:45be structured, you always, if almost, you know, not emotional at all.
13:52And so, getting into a scene, you know, preparing for rehearsals, never mind the memorization that's required.
14:00It's the emotion, the emotional requirements, and that's the one that's really difficult.
14:08And I feel that not many people understand and appreciate that because you feel that, oh, you know, an actor
14:17can cry on cue and things like that, you know?
14:23But there's actually an entire process there, and that process even starts from, like, learning how to be an actor,
14:33meaning studying.
14:35And, you know, and it's not just classes and workshops or a one-time thing.
14:40It's continuous.
14:42And everything is continuous.
14:44And so, yeah, I like giving you long answers, but I just want to explain that I do love the
14:55stage, and that's where I fell in love with theater.
14:58But right now, I'm just happy being behind the scene.
15:03So, this, I know that the answer for this is also long, and it would probably take a workshop.
15:10Because maybe we have kind of people watching today, and then they wish to also join theater as an actor.
15:19What are your thoughts about some of them saying, oh, I cannot be an actor just yet because I don't
15:27have that much life experiences to draw things from.
15:34What are your thoughts about them saying that?
15:37Oh, wow.
15:38Wow.
15:38So, if that's the case, then we all have to wait until we're 60.
15:46You know?
15:47I thought 60 was zero.
15:48Okay.
15:49It's zero.
15:49I feel like we will never have enough experiences for the stories that will be thrown at us in theater.
15:58But we are, you know, we are our instrument.
16:02It's our body.
16:04It's our life.
16:04It's our experiences.
16:06It's our capacity to love, even.
16:11You know, and I feel that that idea of like, oh, you wait.
16:17In other words, if you've never been heartbroken, if you've never had love.
16:22It's like, you will never know how it is to feel certain emotions.
16:28I guess then this is your cue if you're really after, you know, pursuing theater and just waiting for a
16:37sign.
16:38If you have enough experience, well, this is your cue to go for it.
16:44Take class.
16:45Have a workshop.
16:47Look for a mentor, and they will tell you.
16:52I can feel that they will tell you that there's no right age or time to start.
17:02It's really more of the right mind and heart.
17:06So that's it.
17:08And, yeah, if you're not sure about this conversation, I think it's really just you also asking yourself why you
17:19even want to do it in the first place.
17:22And that, I believe, will set you to the right direction.
17:28And speaking of emotions.
17:30Yes.
17:31I should have given you a heads up.
17:32So that's a disclaimer.
17:33I was not able to give her a heads up, but we'll play a little bit of a game.
17:37Okay.
17:37Oh, my God.
17:38So I think you've seen this on TikTok.
17:42Oh, okay.
17:43I don't have TikTok.
17:45Okay.
17:45Oh, gosh.
17:46Well, Tutankans has.
17:48So follow Tutankans.
17:49Okay.
17:50It's about saying the same line.
17:53Okay.
17:53But putting different emotions.
17:57Workshop money, Darwin.
17:58Very good.
17:58So that means our audience will help.
18:00Oh, my God.
18:01I'm also, like, wondering, should I?
18:03I take this seriously.
18:06Oh, my God.
18:07But this one is an easy line.
18:09But it's a game, anyway.
18:10It's a game.
18:11Okay.
18:12We need to talk.
18:13That's the line.
18:14We need to talk.
18:16Okay.
18:16Okay.
18:16First one is an easy one.
18:19A boss calling an employee.
18:22And then that's it.
18:23Okay.
18:25We need to talk.
18:28You are about to say goodbye.
18:32Oh.
18:35We need to talk.
18:40Something terrible has happened.
18:44We need to talk.
18:48You are interested in the person.
18:56We need to talk.
19:03You are in serious trouble.
19:10We need to talk.
19:14You are shy about what you're about to say.
19:22We need to talk.
19:25We need to talk.
19:25And then last.
19:26You just discovered someone ate the last piece of lechon.
19:30We need to talk about what you're about to say goodbye.
19:35We need to talk.
19:36Let's talk.
19:37Guys.
19:39No.
19:39If that was for me.
19:41No touching.
19:43Please.
19:44As an actor.
19:45What emotion is the hardest for you to portray on stage?
19:49That's a lot.
19:51Oh my God.
19:52You know that this line.
19:55I always use.
19:57Oh really?
19:57I've been using.
19:59No.
19:59This is a line that I know you remember.
20:04That the hardest part of love is the letting go.
20:07Yes.
20:08That's by the way the play that I was in.
20:10Which was from Children of Eden.
20:12You performed.
20:13Your role was Noah.
20:15And I played Eve.
20:18So that song.
20:19The hardest part of love.
20:21Is letting go.
20:23Is the letting go.
20:25I feel that.
20:26I think that.
20:28That's one of the most difficult emotions to portray.
20:34The loss.
20:36You know.
20:36The pain that goes with it.
20:38And I guess.
20:40It's the process.
20:41That you have to go through.
20:43In order to reach.
20:44That emotion.
20:46Because there are so many things.
20:48That.
20:48We'd like to bury with the loss.
20:51You know.
20:52I like the way you said it.
20:54And we have to.
20:57And we have to.
20:59Unearth them.
21:01And we have to welcome and embrace them.
21:04So that we can deliver that emotion to the audience.
21:08And we have to.
21:10Yeah.
21:10And you have to do that.
21:13Even if it's just for let's say two minutes.
21:16That's like a very long two minutes.
21:19It's because one of the things that, you know, as a process is that when we deliver the lines to
21:27the audience, what the audience would hear and what they see would be the story that comes with the play.
21:35But what they don't see are the so many things that we've been through, we've experienced, and that we've put
21:44in the story so that it can be delivered in such a way that fits what the playwright has intended.
21:57And that's it.
21:59And then what's your dream role?
22:02Oh, my God.
22:03My dream role.
22:07Oh, God.
22:09I don't really know what my dream role would be.
22:15But I guess, you know, I haven't played on stage for a long time that I have stopped looking at
22:26myself as an actor.
22:27But when you ask that question, the first thing that came to mind, which I don't know where it came
22:39from anyway.
22:43Yeah.
22:44It's Sunset Boulevard, actually.
22:49So maybe, well, it's a musical, obviously.
22:53And I think that it's a few years from now, you know, in terms of age and all that, I
23:02would be nearing that time as well.
23:06The boulevard, no.
23:09No, no, Darwin.
23:12Yeah.
23:13But I feel like, yeah, it's actually, you know, that was a time when being, what's this, the silent movie
23:25era and all that.
23:28It's like when we kill a particular art form and because of technology and all that, it's like, I think
23:39it makes me also wonder where theater will be in the next 50 years.
23:45I know that people keep saying that we are a dying art, but we keep surviving because of the so
23:57many people who believe in it, who have experienced it and feel that it's worth fighting for, you know.
24:04And I also think that if we see theater as a way of preserving our identity, our culture, our heritage,
24:14then it will continue to move forward.
24:20We will continue to have artists and we'll continue to have supporters and audiences.
24:28Actually, there was one brief part of your answer that made me think differently because I always thought as a
24:39tech person that from the silent movie to the speaking movie, I thought it's an upgrade.
24:48But it's only when you said something about a portion of it also changed or died.
24:55That was new to me because I always look at it as an upgrade.
25:00But yeah, you're right.
25:01Well, it is in terms of technology.
25:04And it just also means that artists will have to equip themselves with the skills required by that new technology.
25:14And I guess if you think about it, you know, you're saying about with AI and all that, like our
25:23writings now created or place written by AI by the person who pressed the button and, you know, asked AI
25:36to write it, the music, the songs.
25:40And even now you can see films that are very popular, but the actors are AI, you know.
25:49Yes.
25:49And this is also, this is a new form.
25:53I'm not saying or I don't want to say that they will later on replace.
25:57I feel that it is another branch.
26:01But it's just for me, like when we are writing plays, for example, in the past, it would take so
26:10long for people to write an essay, write whatever is required.
26:17And now we're reary that, oh, maybe they just entered it onto an AI, what's the name of it, HGPT,
26:27Claude, and all that, you know.
26:29And it's like, how do you actually trace which one came from the person and which one came from technology?
26:37And so lately in Manila as well, there had been articles like really, you know, questioning if a musical is
26:48written and there's no proper credit as to who wrote the music, you know, should we be weary, you know,
26:54things like that.
26:55And so I feel that, you know, theater is such a different experience.
27:02It is one of those art forms wherein the artist and the audience are in the same room and you
27:09get to live the reaction of the moment together, you know.
27:15And that's not something that AI can do, that live experience.
27:24But I'm still wondering, like, what would be the future?
27:29I mean, I would love to also think that technology will help us create better plays.
27:37It could be lighting, it could be design, it can be, you know, in so many ways.
27:42And we just have to draw a line as to what is acceptable and ethical versus what is going beyond
27:51the line.
27:53So, you know, that's it.
27:55So you eventually founded, actually it's a tongue twister for me, you eventually founded Tutankans.
28:01Yes, Tutankans.
28:03Philippines, Philippines.
28:03In 2014.
28:04So what made you decide to form your own theater company?
28:08Oh, you know, the idea at the beginning wasn't even theater.
28:12It was me coming back from France, having lived there for almost eight years and wondering what I was going
28:23to do, you know, after being away for that long.
28:28And in my head, it wasn't theater that came first.
28:33As I've mentioned, I was a graduate of mass communications at St. Teresa's College, my God, decades ago.
28:44And so my first focus was really something to do with communications.
28:51So PR, marketing and all that.
28:55Then we got here.
28:56So the idea was really from France still.
28:59And in fact, we were just playing.
29:01And why the name?
29:01The name.
29:02Oh, my God.
29:03So this is even like a brainstorm that I had with my husband, Nick.
29:12Well, yeah, just, you know, one of those conversations and Tutankans because literally the two tin cans and that piece
29:21of string.
29:22And that, yeah, right?
29:26So communication still, that's one.
29:30Also, it's very simple, but it really does work, right?
29:34You have the string.
29:35It actually allows you, it carries the sound and it works.
29:40And it's playful, it's fun, you know, but it works.
29:46And I guess that's how I like to see the kind of theater that I make, you know.
29:54It doesn't have to be complicated.
29:56It can be very simple.
29:58But what's important is that we are able to carry the message from artists to the audience.
30:06And basically, that's really it.
30:09And it is that game.
30:11And not everyone will understand that because they probably won't have experienced that anymore, you know.
30:20But, yeah, if you want to try it, just get two empty cans and then put a hole in the
30:26middle and then a string and go as far away as possible from the other.
30:32And you use that as a telephone.
30:35Yes.
30:36The wired telephone.
30:38Yes.
30:39So, earlier I asked you about your dream role as an actor.
30:43But this time as a director or a producer, if there are no budget or commercial considerations, what story would
30:54you want to produce or direct?
31:02Well, maybe one of the things that I would have wanted to do as a director or as a producer
31:08is like a series of Cebuano stories and more of, you know, the mythical stories that we have.
31:25Ah, okay.
31:27Okay.
31:28Okay.
31:28Okay.
31:28Many of them have been passed on from generation to the next.
31:32I know that there have been books written about them.
31:36But I have yet to see a theatrical production or a series that actually focuses on them.
31:47And I'm talking about the Bisaya, not the Filipino, like mythical creatures.
31:55And I feel like there are really so many stories that we need to preserve.
32:02And it would be nice to, aside from having an archive, but really also putting them up on stage for
32:11people to see and experience for themselves.
32:13That would be it.
32:15And the other side would be just really me doing, like continuously doing the intimate productions that we have under
32:24Kulukabildo.
32:27Kulukabildo is the Bisaya word for casual conversations because what we want for the audience to do is, you know,
32:35after watching the play, you can just have that casual conversation with a friend, with someone who went to the
32:43theater with you.
32:44Just talk about what you saw, you know, and before we get into Kulukabildo, there's something again that what you
32:51said that made me think theater or producing a story is also a way of preserving heritage.
33:03Because there's one story that I was surprised that kids, even not from my generation, have heard about.
33:11And these are the Yaya stories about somebody who stole a ring from somebody's dead body.
33:16But now I tried to test that with the Gen Z.
33:21They don't know the story anymore.
33:23And it used to be a story that I'm amazed because like the other generations prior to Zeke, still knew
33:31and it's still the same Yaya story.
33:33So it's a matter of producing it so that that story will live on.
33:36Also, there's so many, you know, we have access to the rest of the world now because of the Internet.
33:44So everyone can choose their source of, you know, the stories that they watch and all that.
33:54Now, I feel that if we have something in Cebu that is a regular thing and people can go to
34:03and then schools can also see the value, families can see the value, they would be the ones to actually
34:12influence the kids to go and watch, you know, to have that experience with them.
34:18I remember as a student, there were times when we were required by the school to watch a particular film
34:25or a particular production.
34:27And we have to we had to write, you know, reaction papers and whatever you answer the questions that the
34:36teachers have given before the production, before watching the production and all that.
34:42And although others would say that, oh, you know, you're required, so you were forced, but that was also a
34:51way of like forcing people to appreciate the arts and some of them really learn to appreciate the arts.
34:58Now, we don't have that because we also have the rules.
35:01You're not allowed to require your students to watch a production, a show, a concert, a play.
35:11And I understand where that's coming from as well.
35:15But, you know, there's always the advantages and disadvantages with either side.
35:23So, yeah.
35:25And just in case, and we'll get into, and just in case the audience are watching, I think you've heard
35:30about the story.
35:31It's like somebody stole the ring from this old woman and then unearthed the body and then stole the ring,
35:37cut the finger.
35:38And then eventually the old woman reappeared into the same person who stole the ring.
35:43And then he was asking like, Lola, why was your finger cut?
35:45And then who cut your finger?
35:47And then all the kids will run.
35:48And so that, you know, you remember like the time when it's also before, well, before, well, you have Halloween.
35:59Although we, I don't remember really celebrating.
36:02It's like Sunday, no?
36:03It's kalag-kalag.
36:04And then, of course, it's like some break, that's one, school break.
36:09And then the children in the neighborhood can gather around and you'll just, you know, you're playing cards.
36:16You're playing one-by-one, whatever.
36:20But I remember doing that.
36:22And there would be times when there's a brownout.
36:27So, yeah, but when there, yeah, so, and then in the evening, there's still no light.
36:35And so you have candles, right?
36:37So you gather around the candle.
36:40It's not a generator at some time.
36:43So, and then, of course, what comes to mind?
36:46It's like, we're going to scare each other.
36:50And it becomes part of the fun.
36:52And I guess that's also how stories are being, you know, transferred and shared.
36:59Those evenings of no electricity.
37:02Oh, my God.
37:03And then it also tells you about which part of the generation.
37:06Because for that particular story, I used to be the kid who would run.
37:11Every time the punchline, it said, ikaw.
37:13Even if you already knew the punchline, you still get scared.
37:18Yeah?
37:18That's how effective it was.
37:20Or maybe that's also, like, how we were, like, wanting to, you know, feel and be in that moment.
37:27Yeah.
37:28So now let's move into theater in general in Cebu.
37:32How is the scene these days?
37:35Is it more visible?
37:37Or is it growing?
37:39Is it changing?
37:40I feel that, you know, it's always improving.
37:45And at the same time, it's also changing.
37:49Now you can have, there's easier access to studying performing arts or theater here in Cebu.
38:00Thankfully, we still have our music also here in Cebu City.
38:07There are more shows, I would say.
38:09I know this, yeah.
38:10And there are more workshops, more classes, you know.
38:13So it's not like we are like Manila yet.
38:22But we are growing.
38:25And that's a good thing.
38:26And I feel that the more titles you have in a year, the better it is.
38:32It just says that we've been busy and we have been creating stories.
38:37Every company or every theater group would have its own focus.
38:43And the schedules would vary.
38:47But as long as we continue to go for what, you know, our goal, our aim,
38:54and there is something for the Cebuanas to go to according also to the direction that they want to take,
39:02it's going to be a win for Cebu.
39:06It's never going to be easy like anything when it comes to the arts.
39:12But as long as there are groups, organizations, individuals who believe in it
39:19and who want to, you know, continue pursuing theater, it will continue.
39:26And I'm saying, you know, the growth that we have now can be seen in the number of titles.
39:32That's one.
39:33It could also be seen in the number of theater organizations, school-based, that we have.
39:42Others have died, but others have also been revived.
39:47So that's good.
39:48You can see even university-based companies producing their own production.
39:57And that's great.
39:59In terms of venues, I would say that that's probably where we are still, you know,
40:07hoping that we can have a better access to.
40:12Luckily for us with Tutankans Philippines, we have a venue grant with the Kabilian Center
40:23for our monthly series, Kulukabildo, which is actually…
40:29Tell us more about it.
40:30Yeah.
40:31So the Kulukabildo for this one, this is the second time that we've done this.
40:39No, the first one was actually in 2022.
40:43So a long time ago.
40:44And we didn't think that we were going to do this again.
40:47So this time, Kulukabildo, Stories in Direct Light.
40:54So this is part of…
40:56It's more like the culmination.
41:00But I would say it's still very part of the program for our director's program.
41:04So we have eight up-and-coming directors as part of the program.
41:11And they are to produce, direct, you know, production or a play for the monthly series.
41:23So these are full-length plays.
41:26This very first time, well, most of them, this is going to be the first time that they are actually
41:32directing a play.
41:34And in this manner, meaning it's outside the school, it's outside, you know, like a school production or an amateur
41:43production.
41:43It's really placed in an environment where they have to first choose their material.
41:51Second, they have to do casting.
41:52That means either they hold auditions or they invite actors to play the roles for them.
42:00And then they put it on stage and do all the direction for that, you know.
42:06We also have our directing mentors.
42:09So each mentor works with two directors and help them in, you know, in case they get lost, they feel
42:18lost, or they just want to have a bit of help.
42:22So we have our mentors.
42:25So for this series, it's really original works, no?
42:29It's one of the things, siguro, that we have not required is language.
42:35It doesn't mean that, you know, that you can only have a Sebuano or the Bisaya ang gamiton ng language
42:45for the play.
42:45So they really choose their material.
42:48So the first one was English.
42:49The second one is going to be in English.
42:52Yes.
42:53For Stay a Little Longer, the theme is about memory, you know.
42:58Yes.
42:58Or dementia.
43:01Well, why this particular theme this time for the third installment, no?
43:08So I wrote this play, Stay a Little Longer, not bearing in mind that this will be performed in Colucabildo.
43:20My daughter chose this to be her play weeks or months after I've written it.
43:28It was presented in the Women Playwrights International Conference.
43:34So an excerpt of it was read in front of an audience.
43:40Now, for inspiration, it's like I always, you know, inspiration can come anywhere and everywhere, and you really just don't
43:51know how it happens.
43:52I just know for a fact that I'm proud of my memory.
43:57In other words, it's easy for me to memorize things, people, places, dates, emotions, you know.
44:07It's like it's there.
44:08And I think there was just that moment when I was a bit concerned and worried for, you know, for
44:19some personal reasons that I was wondering what would actually happen if someone forgets things, you know.
44:28When memory fades, when you start to forget, it's like, does that change you?
44:36And then all of a sudden, I just had this idea of a play.
44:41And I sat down that evening and just started to write the different ideas that I wanted to see.
44:50Now, the very first draft of this play was so far from how it is right now.
44:58But the moment I got into what I really wanted, I was probably, I've completed it in just days.
45:06And so, yeah, I think it's that.
45:11And it's also, it's one thing that I only realized after is how there are so many families who are
45:22affected by it.
45:24After the reading, there were quite a few people who came to me, messaged me, and shared that this was
45:35the experience that they had with their loved one before the loved one passed away.
45:41So, I think for me, one of the things that I wanted to do was to make sure that I
45:52gave her dignity, her being the woman in the play.
45:59I didn't want it to be the usual, and I think that's where my daughter and I agreed so strongly.
46:07We didn't want it to be melodramatic.
46:10We didn't want it to be the very sad thing that you see when someone is suffering, those late stages
46:23in their life.
46:24What I wanted was to show what presence can look like, what absence can be like, and when memory doesn't
46:39really have to be exact.
46:42So, yeah, there's a lot of love, compassion, understanding, and silence.
46:52Actually, I'm curious, and I will watch the play, because my mom actually has Alzheimer's.
47:00Oh my God, well.
47:02Yes, and there's one idea through my research, and then if you can expound a bit about this,
47:11so that we would also be more encouraged to watch the play, because it's intriguing to me when it said
47:17we should not insist on our version.
47:23Okay, it's a dilemma whether we should insist on our version of reality or just enter the reality of someone
47:30we love.
47:31Can you expound more about that?
47:33Okay, so, oh my God.
47:35Because that's intriguing to me when I read that.
47:38Oh my God, I mean, you know, I'm quite touched that you shared that.
47:42But when I wrote this, it was really more placing the people around her as the ones who had to
47:52adjust to her reality.
47:56And I know that that can be very painful.
47:59As they said, dementia is like the longest goodbye, you know, because slowly you're losing the person.
48:11And I was thinking, but maybe she's not really lost.
48:15Maybe she's just somewhere in a different time, you know, and what we needed to do was not to bring
48:25her back to where we are,
48:27but to actually to go and be there with her.
48:32The time she chose or the time she believes she's in.
48:38And that's where this play is bringing the audience to.
48:46In an experience wherein you're not going to insist that your truth is the one that's right.
48:55But you're just going to embrace this person's truth so that you can be there for her.
49:05And just a little bit of a story because it's only now that I am convinced that I truly look
49:13like my dad.
49:15Because sometimes she would forget about me, but the moment she would see me, she would think that I'm her
49:25husband and my dad.
49:27So some of my friends would ask, isn't it weird?
49:30But I would say no, because the moment I see the joy, because my dad already passed away.
49:35So the moment she would see me and then the caregiver would ask her, who's this?
49:40And then my mom would say my husband.
49:42And the way she says it, there's happiness that she's seeing her again.
49:48Isn't that more important than trying to correct her and telling her that you are someone she may have forgotten
49:56at that moment?
49:57Correct.
49:58And then she would say, my husband.
50:00And it's like, wow, she's giggly.
50:02It's like my mom's face when she was in high school.
50:08I mean, if you, you know, we try always as Filipinos to look at the bright side.
50:14And you'd say, that was a smile that you didn't see.
50:18Yeah, that's a high school smile.
50:19Yeah, but she, in a way, it was a gift.
50:24Good, yeah.
50:25You know, that was the gift.
50:26Yeah.
50:27And of course, there's also the pain.
50:30But yes, this, I'm not saying that I'm telling people to approach it in this manner through the play.
50:41But it's me answering, writing for me was answering the question that I had back then at the very beginning.
50:52You know, when memory fades, what happens to us?
50:57And that's it.
50:58And it's like, you know, it's all this that, you know, that makes us able to do things, think of
51:07things, create things.
51:09And then this is the one that will guide us.
51:13And so, when this is confused or, you know, not, how do you even say it?
51:23When this is not at its right timing, I'd like to say that the heart will always remember.
51:33And it will always be there.
51:35And so, if we cannot communicate through logic or through the minds, then maybe we will have to do it
51:43with the heart.
51:44And that's really it.
51:48And I am not a doctor.
51:50I'm not a medical professional.
51:52And in fact, having spoken to some, and one of the concerns that my daughter has raised while she was
52:04also reading the script at the very beginning, was like, have I checked it with a medical doctor?
52:12And I said, I did not want to focus on the medical side of it.
52:17I want to focus on the emotional aspect.
52:20And I want to focus on the dynamics of family.
52:24I want to think about how it affects not just the person who has it, but everyone, you know, everyone
52:35else who's around her, the family, friends.
52:39They are affected and they're living it.
52:43And so, yeah, that's it.
52:45I'd like people to focus on the emotions and the love that comes from it rather than the medical, scientific
52:57aspect of the story.
53:00So before I'll ask you to invite the audience about Coluca Bildo and Stay a Little Longer, my last question
53:10is, because it's also, the title is also intriguing, Stay a Little Longer.
53:15So who is asking who to stay?
53:19Or is that something that we need to watch first?
53:22Oh, you will see it in the play, of course.
53:29But I just, I think one of the things I probably would like people to do is that if you
53:40have the time, then stay.
53:45And stay long and maybe a bit longer, you know, for the people you love, for your family, for your
53:54friends.
53:56And we don't have control over time.
54:01We can wish that we can have longer lives and that we can spend more time with our loved ones.
54:09But that's it.
54:11We can only wish.
54:12So the one thing that we can do is that while we're here, right here, right now, is to stay.
54:20And if you can just make that staying, you know, just a bit longer, then do it.
54:27Do it for the people you love and the people who need you.
54:33So now this is the time to invite the audience.
54:37So to our Sabono audience, I hope that you watch Stay a Little Longer.
54:44This is directed by Shifra Bushiki and Klona.
54:49And featuring, so Charlene Verlovet, Ria Dalizo, Sheila Pastanio-Hemperoa, Jonathan Tadiwan, and myself.
55:01This will be on the 29th and the 30th of August.
55:05So that's the last weekend of August at the beautiful Dakabilin Center.
55:13So we have 2 o'clock and 7 o'clock shows.
55:18And this is presented by Tutankans Philippines and Dakabilin Center.
55:24Of course, this is also the third installment of Kulukabil.2, Stories in Direct Light.
55:33So there would be 5 more.
55:35So we hope that you can support us, watch a play, and support Sabono Theatre.
55:42So thank you very much, Sarah, for joining us today.
55:46Thank you so much.
55:48And wow.
55:48For staying with us.
55:50Oh yeah, I wish we could stay longer, you know?
55:54I'm sure there's so many things that we could have talked about.
55:57But I'm so glad to be able to have spent this hour with you, Darwin.
56:02And we hope to see you in the theater, not just as an audience, but as an actor again, you
56:10know?
56:10Yeah, I think I should do that again.
56:12Yes, I did invite you one time.
56:14I remember.
56:15Such a busy guy.
56:17Yeah.
56:18But I will make time.
56:20So from the theater scene in Cebu to the intimate world of stay a little longer,
56:27today's conversation reminds us to look beyond what is reported,
56:32beyond what is seen, beyond what we think we already know.
56:36Because every headline is a story, and every story has a human being behind it.
56:42So I'm DJ Moisa.
56:44Shout out to Coffee First for supporting conversations that matter.
56:47This has been Beyond the Headlines.
56:49Have a good afternoon.
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57:19Coffee first, then everything else.
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57:41Coffee first, then everything else.
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