A fiercer, grander local theater industry in 2012

The boom of theatre in Manila the past year augurs well for another promising one in the Year of the Dragon.

Last weekend for "Next Fall"

In 2011, theatre got a boost from the public who had really warmed up to supporting these kinds of live productions, allowing the industry as a whole to grow in many avenues, according to Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo, associate artistic director of Repertory Philippines.

“The theatre industry saw an upclimb the past year and I feel it’s going to continue its growth as the public continues to embrace it,” said Yulo, who is also part of the regular stable of actors for the Repertory Philippines (Rep)—the country’s oldest theatre group, celebrating its 45^th year in the Year of the Dragon.

“Before, theatre productions come out once in a blue moon; with no consistency whatsoever. Today, everywhere you go, something’s happening. Shows are on one after the other. That’s a very, very good thing,” Yulo said.

While the Rep does not necessarily make decisions based on Feng Shui or any superstitious beliefs, Yulo said she is not one to test fate.

“If somebody says don’t do it because it’s supposedly bad according to Feng Shui I won’t do it. But that’s really not the way we work,” she told the Inquirer in a one-on-one interview at the Rep office in Ortigas.

According to her, it is the group’s arts council—not Feng Shui—that decides which plays to launch at what year or season; which director to get; and which actors to cast, among other responsibilities. At any given year, Rep launches at least five productions, including musicals.

Rep’s gay-themed play, “Next Fall,” is in the last leg of its run at Greenbelt On Stage. The play, which centers on the modern romance between two men, is doing really well. Yulo believes everyone should see this modern love story.

With the increasing support from the public, the theatre industry hopes this translates to profit for more plays that are launched—even though money isn’t always the reason why these plays are crafted.

“Admittedly, not all plays turn in profit. But as Rep, we continue to produce these shows because this is our legacy,” she said. It isn’t cheap to produce a show. Expenses could go up as high as P2 million for plays and as much as P8 million for musicals, she estimated.

Fortunately, Pinoys have a thing for musicals. That is why Rep launches at least one musical every year. Later this year, Rep would run Disney’s “Camp Rock: The Musical.”

Theater fans can also look forward to “Leading Ladies,” “Jekyll & Hyde,” and “The Wizard of Oz” from Rep later this year.

At the end of the day, Yulo is just happy that older and younger theatre groups continue to breathe new life to the industry as a whole.

Whether the Year of the Dragon would be a lucky year for the local theatre is anybody’s guess at this point. Either way, Rep is sure to keep it grand and fierce—just like the dragon would have it, we presume.

*** This article was published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer on January 23, 2012, with minor editing for this blog. Check out the image below for the actual look of the published article in the paper. Enjoy! :) ***