Jumping from stage to screen: The plays on film-theater luminaries’ wish list (Conclusion)

Here’s the last part of our celebrity forum, featuring Monique Wilson, Tommy Abuel, Leo Rialp, Michael Williams and National Artist Ryan Cayabyab aka Mr. C.

In your view, what else can be done to encourage people to patronize live performances in the new normal?

Michael: There is really nothing much anyone can do, except to get fully vaccinated and, later, boostered. Make a habit of wearing masks, washing hands, as well as to advocate for these safety protocols. I don’t really think that COVID will go from pandemic to an endemic situation overnight. It may be a slow transition as more and more become vaccinated, and we achieve herd immunity.

In the meantime, we need to learn to modify our own behavior to stay safe and keep others around us safe as well. This is the only way people will feel safe enough to get back to really living life again.

Monique: The government has to give huge financial support to enable live theater and events to happen again, safely. Independent producers will not be able to do it on their own in this time. The government must create arts grants and fund this resurrection of theater and live performance.

In Germany, as soon as COVID happened, its government gave a huge amount of financial aid to the live entertainment sector. Because it recognized the entertainment industry as valuable—for a people’s and the nation’s soul. I don’t think the impetus comes from audiences or art makers. The initiative and support need to come from government.

Mr. C: Perhaps we need new, progressive-thinking producers who can tap young creatives to come up with interesting ideas. Or maybe create an organization whose main objective is to look for new, revolutionary ideas that can shake us all from our comfortable chairs, and away from our devices and back to live entertainment. I trust that the ideas will come from the younger generation—they need to lead their contemporaries.

Tommy: Honestly, for as long as COVID exists, it would be quite a huge challenge to convince audiences to go back to the theater or brave the movie houses. There’s still this looming fear of getting sick. But we have to constantly maintain and impose that discipline, in terms of following safety protocols, like what we strictly do in production to protect each other.

Leo: By my reckoning, before the pandemic, Philippine theater was at its most vigorous in recent decades. Theater companies have proven that original Filipino productions have found their audiences and can be financially viable. I am certain the imagination of theater people has been percolating all these past two years for shows they could write or compose songs for, shows they might want to produce, etc.

Two years of gestation for these theater artists is an awfully long time not to exercise their imagination. They have not been idle, I assure you. When the theaters open, I have every reason to expect an explosion of creativity.