Performance in a pandemic: You can’t quarantine art

MANILA, Philippines — The Zoom conference screen opens with several people in attendance. It’s a familiar site for professionals working from home. But this isn’t your typical meeting.

Out of nowhere, one of the participants starts humming notes from “Staying Alive.” The other attendees join in, creating a sort of group karaoke. Someone breaks off, and they explore a new tangent. The video is a freewheeling, anything-goes performance about life in the time of community quarantines (whether enhanced, extreme, or whatever).  

This is Co-Video, the weekly online improv project of SPIT. Due to the COVID-19 lockdown, theater groups and performing artists are finding new ways to practice their craft and engage their audiences. 

“It’s very challenging but also so much fun!” says SPIT’s Dingdong Rosales. “It forces us to use our rooms, our houses, and explore the possibilities. We’re used to performing on an empty stage with no props and costumes. The “stage” has evolved, and we need to evolve with it. It’s actually very interesting and fun!”

“Theater is so visceral… it’s a face to face kind of thing,” said theater actress and SPIT member Missy Maramara during an online talk for Pineapple Lab. She also notes that the concept of artists in residence has become quite literal. “How does it work to be a theater artist in your residence?” she asks, as both a challenge and an encouragement. 

Co-Video — which is part of Philstage’s Open House project — is just the tip of the iceberg. There are wide-ranging initiatives comprising online performances, lessons, and fundraising being held by various theater companies. 

PETA Theater Center is also holding the Let’s Get Creative project. The initiative includes online workshops, such as Do-It-Yourself! Crafting by John Moran, Improv for Everyone! by Norbs Portales, Storytelling Techniques by Ian Segarra, and other topics.  

“We know for a fact that art has a way of connecting people, so during this time of isolation, we hope that this effort (virtually) brings people together, hopefully helping everyone feel less alone,” says PETA’s Leloi Arcete.   

“COVID-19, a global pandemic whose effects have the whole world reeling, is a different monster altogether,” says Toff de Venecia, Philstage Vice President. “It’s invisible. It creeps up on you even in the ‘seemingly most innocent and unlikely of places,’ to quote a line from Little Shop of Horrors. It’s caught everyone off-guard, including the performing arts community, and everybody is reeling.”

Open House, open hearts

“Open House is an online fundraising project by Artist Welfare Project, Philstage, SPIT MNL, Third World Improv, and the Theater Actor’s Guild and Ticket2Me, for the benefit of the performing arts community,” explains de Venecia.

“Through live online classes, shows, and workshops, Open House will raise funds to help our Filipino artists and creative workers in need. Donations will be used as cash assistance for the most vulnerable of artists and creative workers to help them survive this difficult period until employment (and the world) returns to normal.”

Programs include ballet lessons from Lisa Macuja-Elizalde, Song Interpretation by Audie Gemora, Asian Movement for You by PETA’s Jack Yabut, audition workshop by Rony Fortich, Powerpoint Partwi by Third World Improv, and the aforementioned Co-Video series by SPIT. 

  

Keeping art alive

These programs were created to galvanize the local scene and keep performing arts alive. There is joy in these initiatives, and a strong sense of community. But we shouldn’t forget that the theater scene is going through one of its most difficult times. 

“That weekend (after community quarantine was announced), three productions were scheduled to open to the public and had undergone the rigors of tech week,” says de Venecia, referring to Repertory Philippines’ Anna in the Tropics, Atlantis’ A Band’s Visit, and The Sandbox Collective’s Lungs, which had to be canceled.

“It was devastating to see status messages from our friends and colleagues from the industry.”

PETA also had to revisit its plans. “We kept our HIV advocacy production Under My Skin going for as long as we could,” says Arcete. “But in the end, we had to shorten the run and postpone the show indefinitely in compliance with the quarantine. Originally, our plan was to stage the remaining shows by mid-April. Now we are still revisiting our theater calendar to see when we can stage it. We certainly hope we can continue with the production because of the important message that it carries.” 

Sanity and community 

Amidst the difficulties, artists are finding support through action and community. 

“I’m sure I can speak for the diverse and passionate teams working on Open House but we’ve found comfort in forward action, and mobilizing our friends and colleagues in order to support the most vulnerable among our ranks,” says de Venecia.  

Rosales affirms the sentiment. “Improv is my anchor,” he says. “It keeps me grounded and calms me in these anxious times. I feel lucky to have SPIT and the Third World Improv community as a support system.”

Sydney-based actress Happy Feraren is optimistic about the artistic opportunities these lockdowns are creating. “With this global pandemic, video calls have really become a shared human experience for many,” she says. “There’s a whole new medium to discover, with stories to uncover. It’s like a cross between live theater and film with an element of reality TV, so it’s really interesting. And I can actually get to perform with SPIT even if I’m in Australia! And I think global collaborations like this are going to be easier to pull off during this time.” 

Support the artists

Audiences should also take an active role in supporting the artists. While medical science heals our bodies, art lifts our spirits. This is especially true in times like these. For those of us privileged to stay home, art  — whether it’s a book, a movie, or an online performance — is what keeps us from going batshit crazy.

“Watch our shows and spread the word!” says Feraren. “After the lockdown, book one of our courses in Third World Improv or suggest our corporate workshops to your company heads. Leaving a review on Facebook also helps us so if you’ve seen us before and enjoyed, leave a review. If you saw us and didn’t like us, change channel!”

“Another way (to show support) is by donating to local theater companies,” says Arcete.  “For sure, artists will be driven to create art again when the curtains rise. In the meantime, our goal is to keep our art accessible and encourage everyone to be creative. While we continue to work during this turbulent time, we are also looking ahead to the future when things improve. We hope to share the magic of live theatre with our audiences again soon!

“Open House’s online shows and classes are totally free,” says de Venecia. “But we encourage fans to support this project and donate to the Artist Welfare Project. Tickets simulate the tradition or act of purchasing tickets to a live performance, but they are really more of suggested amounts for your donation.” 

You’ve heard of frontliners and backliners. Artists, on the other hand, are the underliners — they draw attention to reality. But they make reality bearable — joyful, even. And for that, we owe them a debt of gratitude. – Rappler.com

  

 Iñigo de Paula is a writer who lives and works in Quezon City. When he isn’t talking about himself in the third person, he writes about pop culture and its peripheries.