Ba Be Bi Bobo: Thanks Lyceum Pips
Finally, the real challenge begun!
Yesterday, we kicked off the mobile play, Ba Be Bi Bobo (better called Ba Be Bi Bobo '08), together with the students, faculty, and staff of the Lyceum of the Philippines - Laguna (LPL). Against all odds, the show went on, we we're applauded, and best of all, the advocacy gained a foothold in the LPL community.
Changed Overnight
From the Ba Be Bi Bobo '08 crew perspective, the first show was really a great leap forward. Just last Mon, Tue, and Wed, the performers were battered with bone-crushing comments from the guest audience during our practice. First, there was Maam Jenny, the play director, who was very good at pointing the mistakes committed and suggesting more suitable lines. She kept emphasizing on the importance of "energy." Sir Glenn also gave 'striking' comments. While most comments were easily forgotten, some were too important and not to be ignored. One of which was said after our Wednesday run: this play will never be a success unless the actors will change overnight. It should be because the show was set on Friday and we still feel its not well polished.
It turned out that it did happen during the play. Our actors gave their best, the one we didn't see during our practice. The days of torture and nurture paid off when the audience applauded the performance.
Celebrity Facilitators
Part
of the program was to facilitate the LPL Literacy Training Service
(LTS) students. Right after the show, they proceeded to their
respective rooms and waited for us to enter. We rested for a while and
then entered the classroom. We had a lecture, workshop and fun session
with the LPL students.
The great thing was that the students
were very attentive in our discussions. While we spend most of the time
relating to them the play they've just seen, its difficult to ignore
the feeling when they recognize us and the character we portrayed. In
other words, we were like celebrities and they are our fan base. But
unlike the celebrities we know of, we are just ordinary people who, in
diligence, perserverance and luck, happen to be part of the play.
"I Hate Technology"
All was well except for the lapel mic, perhaps the most important piece of technology in the play. What happened was horrible and hopefully that history will never repeat in our future performances. The play, its story, and its message was so good but the technology "sucks!" The night before the show, we did some polishing in some crucial scenes. Maam Jenny asked for a song and the laptop used was processing the command so slow that she said, "I hate technology." What a coincidence it was when the lapel mic did ruin our show.
Another thing was the lighting system we used but its pretty much understandable. The play was held at 2:00 pm in a covered court so the lighting effects (and cues) we practiced were simply impossible to notice.
Thanks Lyceum Pipz
Honestly, we really feel sorry to the LPL community because we were not able to deliver fully what we've been practicing the whole time and what they would have surely enjoyed. Although we heard a number of positive reactions, lots and lots of lapses were done. At the same, we are also thankful for being considerate to all of those difficulties. We did enjoy performing with them as they absorbed the story and its message. The rounds of applause we received were a sign of their support and also serve as inspiration to us to do more in our future performances.
Lastly, theater, as the medium used in presenting the Pahinungod advocacy, was proven to be effective in communicating with other people, especially in this country where theater is not so common. We saw how interested the audience were. Perhaps its not always easy to forget first experiences.
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