There’s nothing quite like the feeling of reconnecting with people you once worked closely with in projects that still remain close to your heart. In that regard, it can be even more exhilarating to discuss concepts and ideas with those who have similar interests but different experiences than yourself. It was about last month when I attended the “Komunidad” event of AyalaMalls Central Bloc as a panelist for a fireside chat among other colleagues of mine in the local theater world.
One of the other two panelists was Josh Eballe, the co-founder of the OurHouse theater organization, while the other was the award-winning Cebuano professional songwriter, record producer and director Jude Gitamondoc. The latter was someone I had worked with in productions staged by the company I had represented that day, Vaudeville Theatre Company. In a conversation Jude and I had prior to taking the stage for the talk show, we had ruminated on the local theater scene and the staging of certain productions.
It was then that he said something striking that I still think about to this day. “When you put up a production, you have to think about what makes the story relevant. Ask yourself why this story needs to be told,” are the words Jude said that still echo in my mind.
Following those words, he started to share about this passion project he was working on -- a musical he had written and directed -- that pushed the boundaries of certain topics that society may consider taboo, a musical co.
