#Sipat Lawin

[neverstopwritingalex]

A One Week Journey into Sipat Lawin

When I first heard that Sipat Lawin is accepting interns, it was in April of 2018. But the requirement was a CV and at the time, I didn't have one. I also didn't have the time to make one in a snap because the sem was almost over and I was cramming my way through the end of the academic year.

Little did I know that the deadline already went by, and I found myself sending multiple applications in mid-June. I heard from one of my orgmates that even though it was already past the due date when he submitted an application, the ensemble still responded to him, so it gave me hope. When I received the confirmation email regarding the internship orientation, I metaphorically jumped for joy, and breathed a sigh of relief.

Meeting the ensemble and what they stand for, along with my co-interns and newfound friends from Bulacan State University and Polytechnic University of the Philippines was an adventure in itself. That afternoon was fun-filled and made me look forward to the internship with them.

Unfortunately, at the time, I was already undergoing internship in another company for another field in my course, so I couldn’t start as soon as the others did. In fact, I came over a month later than all of them.

I managed to join the ensemble on the last week of rehearsals, for the only two shows of Are You Ready To Take The Law Into Your Own Hands (AUR), and for the last two shows of Mad Forest. It was weird because on my first day, I was just an observer, watching the AUR show come alive through the people behind it. There were a lot of new people and I watched as they went about their tasks, and I quietly remained in a corner, digesting the complexities of contemporary theatre, all the while enjoying all the innovations it has to offer. Plus, my first day was pizza night. What a nice welcome.

My second day was a bit easier, it was rehearsals for the Mad Forest, and I got to interact with my other co-interns, as well as the other production staff and actors. It was our last day in the black box theatre (my first time in one) in The PARC Foundation (and the travel to and fro was an adventure in itself too).

My third day, we had a technical dress rehearsal of the AUR show, in The Eye, a wide performance space located in Green Sun, Makati (also my first time there). It was amazing because The Eye has a 360-degree projection system. I was assigned to the video ingestion part of the tech booth team, and I was assisting the programmer that was an expert at the task. I forgot the name of the software tool they were using, but it was amazing and very hard to understand at the same time. It was all new to me, but it was an experience I could never forget.

The AUR shows were awesome. It was both comedic and entertaining, but sad and threatening, light with laughter, but also heavy with seriousness. It was something unimaginable yet so close to reality. If you had me explain it to you, I wouldn’t even know where to begin. It was that unexplainably overwhelming.

The next, and last, day was the last two shows of the Mad Forest. It was about overthrowing the Romanian government, but it was also somehow mirrors what it happening in our country at the moment. It was the first time I got to experience theatre in the round, where the center is the stage, and the audience surrounds the stage. It was unlike any other play I have ever seen. There were almost no lights display, no musical backgrounds, no sound enhancers, nothing. It was heavy with dialogue and plot, but it was entertaining in a sense that it leaves no room for you to breathe (unless during the intermissions, of course).

Every scene starts and ends with sudden bursts of energy, like the fluctuating of water levels in the middle of a storm, unstable and ecstatic. And it was hands down the most exhausting production (after AUR), because the blocking is a continuous flurry of movements that require the actors to run to and fro and around and in the middles of aisles and the surroundings. It may be a hard watch because of how heavy the plot it, but it also leaves the audience wanting to read more into the plot, in an undying search for answers.

Overall, my experience with Sipat Lawin Ensemble is something I would never exchange for another. It was as great an adventure as it was exhausting, but it was the kind that made exhaustion worthy and fulfilling. Some part of me wished I was there from the beginning, because it would have made the experience that much fruitful, but I trust in the belief that everything happens for a reason, and I believe that there is a reason behind what happened here.

#SchoolOfSipat  #SipatGatilyo

[sampungmgadaliri]

PHILIPPINE HIGH SCHOOL FOR THE ARTS: The Haven for Young Artists Photo taken by Erickson dela Cruz, posted in www.jellicleblog.com Dulaang Sipat Lawin's adaptation of Rashomon Mount Makiling, located in Los Baños, Laguna, has continued to enamor artists from different generations and produced a number of artworks with the mountain as the muse.

[riaalba]

Truth & Transformation: An Intensive Workshop on Scene Study and Character Analysis with Daniel Darwin The goals of any actor are two-fold; to tell the truth, and to transform. These goals are simple to describe and endlessly challenging to achieve. But that challenge, that dare… that’s the pearl of the craft. It keeps us going deeper, coming back, picking up the script again and again. In this 4 weekend-long workshop throughout all Saturday and Sundays in March, Daniel Darwin will lead a group of up to 16 participants through a dialectic approach to character development and scene study. Participants will bring in one song or monologue of their choosing, and one 2-person scene from any play that they would like to explore. Through a series of exercises, games, and facilitated peer-to-peer critiques and discussions, students will hone their focus and ability to derive, understand, and convey the truths of their characters. Students will be led to plot, experiment with, and perform the necessary transformations out of who they are and into who they play. The group will explore acting in dialogue, to further our understandings of reaction and response on stage. Lastly, the workshop will focus on developing a safe space for giving and receiving peer criticism so as to continuously better our method and craft. The workshop is open to intermediate and advanced actors with training in any methodology. The one requirement: you must be ready to let go of the safety railing and Dive. The. F*ck. In. Sound good to you? Then Let’s Do This! Daniel Darwin has been involved with theatre since he was 8 years old and first appeared in Trumpets’ groundbreaking musical, Widows, Orphans & Wildebeests. He spent 6 years in New York, where he combined studies in theatre, playwriting, visual arts, circus arts, and philosophy at NYU’s Gallatin School for Individualized Study. He graduated magna cum laude in 2010 and a year later, chose to move back to the Philippines. In 2012, he joined the nationally televised talent competition, Talentadong Pinoy as a fire hula hooper named Astroboy, and won the Grand Championships. In the six years since, he has been blessed with the opportunity to work with multiple theatre companies, community groups, schools and universities around Manila as an actor, director, playwright, producer, and teacher. Four years ago, he met his partner Perky Parong and formed their company, Green Glass Door, through which he has produced four full-length experimental works across platforms such as Fringe Manila, Sipat Lawin’s Karnabal Festival, and most recently the 1SA Solo Arts Platform (Japan Foundation). - Sixteen Bars is a performing arts education company whose goal is to provide the needs of the community of burgeoning theatre practitioners in the Philippines — artistic training and comprehensive education in music, acting, writing, dance, and other theatre-related fields — through activities such as masterclasses, workshops, and other unique educational opportunities. Silver Pod Studio offers studio rentals, choreographers for events, dance and fitness classes, masterclasses and hosts for dance events and parties. ----- If you’d like to secure a slot for the masterclasses, our enrollment form can be found at https://sixteenbarsph.typeform.com/to/PCFeGI . Upon completion, kindly wait for our response where we will provide instructions on what to do next. For inquiries, you can hit us up on Facebook https://m.me/SixteenBarsPh/ or send us an e-mail at sixteenbars@outlook.com VENUE: Silver Pod Studio, 2/F 91C East Capitol Drive cor Santa Clara St., Kapitolyo, Pasig SCHEDULE: 1st Session | Saturday, March 02, 2019 | 1-5 PM 2nd Session | Sunday, March 03, 2019 | 1-5 PM 3rd Session | Saturday, March 09, 2019 | 1-5 PM 4th Session | Sunday, March 10, 2019 | 1-5 PM 5th Session | Saturday, March 16, 2019 | 1-5 PM 6th Session | Sunday, March 17, 2019 | 1-5 PM 7th Session | Saturday, March 23, 2019 | 1-5 PM 8th Session | Sunday, March 24, 2019 | 1-5 PM FEES: Participants: 6,800.00 Early-Bird* Participants: 6,000.00 *Early Bird promo until February 7, 2019 ENROLLMENT IS NOW OPEN. LIMITED SLOTS ONLY! #SixteenBarsPh #DanielDarwin #Workshop #SilverPodStudio

[appabisonyipyip-blog]

240 hours was all that I need for me to meet the required number of hours for my internship. 120 for Theater Arts, 60 for Writing, and another 60 for Speech Communication. My mind was set to give up my 2 month midyear break to finish all these before the first semester comes. Of course, who wouldn’t want to graduate on time?

Yet, I spent a good month and a half for my theater arts internship alone. To be exact, I rendered 241 hours in my internship in Sipat Lawin Ensemble. This pushed me to reschedule my manuscript writing to my last semester in the university but it was the price I would gladly pay again if given another chance.

To work with Sipat means having to endure the two-hour commute to QC and Makati from Valenzuela. It means coming home during the late hours. It means 10 hours of strenuous rehearsals. But it also means being with talented artists. It means having to perform with them as well. To work with them means pizza deliveries. It means jumping from one rehearsal space to another. It means having another family far from home.

The things I learned from Sipat Lawin rooted my confidence more in theater and performance-making. For this season, Gatilyo, they presented two full-length plays: “Mad Forest” by Carol Churchill (Translated to Filipino by Guelan Luarca) and “Are You Ready to Take the Law into Your Own Hands”. Both of the plays tell the narratives during the harder times of dictatorship and oppression but not in the same manner.

We were all taught of histories in the light of the biggest personalities. Rarely do we listen to the stories of the dead, of the mere survivors, of those who only stood watching. We only know of the dictators, the biggest of the oppressors, and the martyrs who died fighting. But unlike all these, Mad Forest gave face to the citizens of Romaine. It gave weight to the shared experiences and small nuances that gave birth to the revolution. The play portrayed those who held up guns and those who cowered for their lives alike. And bearing the same importance, Mad Forest posed the question “Did the outcome justify the need for revolution?”

Are You Ready to Take the Law into Your Own Hands, on the other hand, re-introduced the infamous “War on Drugs” with a new light. How would you interpret a theater play that discusses “Oplan Tokhang” with multiple production numbers in between scenes? It all boils down on the audience take on the issue. Personally, I myself can’t say that the play was meant to be satirical as it seemed to bring sense on both sides of the coin. Nevertheless, I see the play as a necessity to once again reflect if hearing the news of killings every day desensitized me enough to see the issue portrayed by the play as something trivial.

I would say that more than the opportunity to showcase myself (and everything I can contribute to the production), the friends I gained during the duration of my internship in Sipat Lawin Ensemble is the reason why I would treasure this experience forever (however cliché that might sound). And for all of these things, I am beyond grateful; I am blessed.

[brdg-ing]

フィリピン滞在15日目、そして帰国

随分と時間が経ってしまった・・・・・。

私はこの２月くらいから漢方薬を飲んでいて、フィリピンにいた間もずっと飲んでいたが、帰ってきてからは薬が切れてしまい、しばらく飲んでいなかった。 最近また飲み始めたら、漢方を飲むことで、ゴキブリが初日多数出てきてびびりまくったマニラのホテルの壁の色とかが思い出されて、そしてそれが嫌じゃなくて、もうすでに過去のように懐かしく感じてしまっていることがとても不思議だった。 ＊＊＊

さて、フィリピン最後の２日間。とにかく雨。

この日は奏さん、ポッドとおみやげを買いに大きなショッピングモールみたいなところに行く。たくさんのお店がひしめき合っていた。各々おみやげを購入。あの時、奏さんがおすすめしてくれたナッツのお菓子はどれも好評だった。お酒のアテに最適だと・・・・笑。さらに、昨日盛り上がったばっかりの「ヴォルテスV」のTシャツも購入することができた。

その後、Sipat Lawin Ensembleというカン��ニーのリハーサルに行く予定をしていたのだが、３時間くらい遅れて到着した。 交通渋滞に巻き込まれ、タクシーが全くつかまらなかったのだ。別の場所に移動して、バスに乗り込もうとするがすごい人たちで、バスもまだ入り口に人がいるのに動こうとしていた。こんな光景は初めて間近で見た。 そして、その大勢の人混みのなか、若い男の子たちが私たちを見ていた。目が据わっていて、変な雰囲気が漂っていて、その子たちのまわりには人もいないように感じる。（ちょっとシンナーっぽいにおいもしていた） 明らかに私たちのなにかを盗もうとしていることがわかった。「背筋が凍る」ってこのことだな、と思いながら、慌てて恵子ちゃんに携帯をカバンに入れるように言い、奏さんたちにバスはあきらめようと伝える。その場をさっと離れて、別のタクシー乗り場の列に並ぶことにした。

このあた��で、私たちはかなり心がへとへとになっていた。でも、こういう時に冗談が言い合える人たちといてよかったと思う。 私たちより前に並んでいる人たちがタクシーに乗るたびに、みんなでふざけて「God bless you!」とか「Congratulations!!」と祝福するごっこをやっていた。そのうち、恵子ちゃんは手を頭にかざしながら「今、タクシーがんばってよんでる」とか言い出したりして、（そのおかげかはわからないけれど）ちゃんとタクシーは私たちの元にもやってきたので、もう１度言うけど３時間遅れでSipatのリハーサルしているところに行くことができた。 でもこんな遅刻はよくあることらしい。

Sipatのリハーサルは、めちゃくちゃ熱気があって、タガログ語がわからなくても見入ってしまった。リハーサルをしていた会場は、個人の自宅のようなところでまだ建てている途中といった感じ。アートスペースにもなっていくようだ。 演出家のJKはニコニコと迎え入れてくれて、すごくありがたかった。稽古をしている若い人たちの熱さを浴びて、ちょっと元気も出た。前日にラルフのスタジオで会ったネスとも少し会って話すことができた。

フィリピン最後の晩餐は、奏さんオススメのレストランへ。 野菜がふんだんに出てくるフィリピン料理のお店だった。ポットが「ここはチェーン店だけど、わりといけるよ！」と話してくれて、最後にやっとハロハロも食べることができた。

その後、２人と別れ、私たちはホテルで帰りの準備。

あらゆる人たちに「空港には６時間前には着いておいたほうがいい」と言われ、お昼のフライトなのに７時ごろにホテルを出ることにした。

昼の渋滞を思うと、たしかに早く行ったことに越したことはない・・・・。 ＊＊＊

その後、私たちは朝遅刻せずきちんと起きて、予定通りタクシーに乗り込んだ。交通渋滞には巻き込まれずに済んだが、そこから約6時間ほどを空港で過ごした。記述することはとくになにもない・・・・かな（苦笑）

そういや、飛行機のなかで、フィリピン住みます芸人の堀越さんが話していた映画（北海道がロケ地になっているもの）があった。 もしフィリピン航空でフィリピンに行かれる方は、見て欲しい。

無事に関空に着き、帰国。

最後に「ヴォルテスV」のTシャツを来た私たちをあげておきます。 勢いで買ってしまったけど、いつ着ることやら。

（川那辺）

[thnsnchz-blog]

#SchoolOfSipat Entry#5: Week 5

Sipat Lawin Ensemble LIGHTORATORY (Shadow X Puppetry Workshop) and STAGE CRAFT (Stage Management X Basic Design)

[juliandrews2004]

Come to the CCP this Weekend and enjoy watching 2 plays! Tanghalang Pilipino's NANG DALAWIN NG PAG-IBIG SI JUAN TAMAD & Dulaang Sipat Lawin's NAGWAWALANG GUBAT! Mabuhay! #philippinetheater #dulaangsipatlawin #tanghalangpilipino #culturalcenterofthephilippines

[sirkevinmartin]

ANONG SARAP. My second on-stage kiss is Thea Yrastorza, another cast member from Sipat Lawin's Battalia Royale. Basti kissed Kakai then but she stabbed me right after I sang her a song called, "New York, New York". This time around, she was just imagining everything in her head. These twins, Graham and Grace, probably had an incestuous past because the playwright who eventually killed herself, the late Sarah Kane, was into such messed up shit. "Purgado" was such a thrill and it was definitely a difficult piece but I'm glad we were able to put on a show to make them audience think. Y'all are missed, Team Purgado! 💉💀🌻 | #GAndG #Purgado #UPDulaangLaboratoryo #UniversityOfThePhilippines #Cleansed #SarahKane #AnongSarap #AnongGanda #Lovely #GrahamCrackers #HelloSunshine (at University of the Philippines)

[bridgetbalodis]

Landed in Manila last night to start work with Sipat Lawin on their contribution to A Wake:Kids Killing Kids. Catch it at the 2014 Next Wave Festival It's gonna be a hot week!

[slacarts]

EREHWON ARTS CENTER: THE VIEW. My second favorite place in the world - Erehwon's rooftop.

[awesomethingsaregoodforyou]

Airport Lights, by Daniel Darwin

"Last night we writhed in piss-poor light, And all was right, or seemed right, Right up until you turned around and into someone else last night." Daniel Darwin discloses broken dreams of heat and broken hearts in a roaring halo of flame. This monologue is from Act 2 of the Sipat Lawin Ensemble's hyper-interactive play "LOVE: This Is Not A Musical". This footage was taken from their performance on February 22, 2014 at the Erehwon Center for the Arts, Quezon City. Follow: The Sipat Lawin Ensemble: facebook LOVE: This Is Not Yet a Musical: facebook Daniel Darwin: twitter | tumblr JK Anicoche: twitter Nature Sounds mixed from naturesoundsfor.me jonettevalenciano.com Please do not remove descriptions or credits. The artists behind this will be thankful to you for keeping all this info intact.

[jaymedelrosario]

He played with fire while he uttered one of the most spontaneous, heart-felt, gripping poetries I've heard in my life. No stutter, no buckle, no hesitation. And he played with fire like it was home. Like there was no danger. He gave it all.

And then a few more self-giving, he sung one of the most beautiful non-mainstream songs, on a rooftop full of beings sharing souls and depth to people they hardly knew.

It felt like one of those days in college, during a school fair, sitting around a bonfire, on a chilly night, acoustics cradling the night, watching poetry in motion. 

I was experiencing, admittedly full of apprehensions pre-show, Sipat Lawin Ensemble's Love. Not Yet a Musical. 

----

I have been to a lot of plays, shows, performances-- name it the most politically-correct term you can pull out of a literature, but this was absolutely a different kind. It was interactive, in a retreat-meditative kind of way.

You barely sit. They take you with them, literally and figuratively.

We moved from a room of warmth to coldness, to a memory, to hope. And I meant that in every meaning that may appear to you.

Before it ends, I just wanted to sit down under the stars and take time to soak in everything that happened in a really whirlwind-quick pace.

It was cathartic, lethargic, and bliss in 3 hours you'll barely notice. Nothing was forced. No one was embarrassed. Everyone can definitely relate.

The people behind this are brilliant, passionate creatures. They hold it yearly in Erehwon (read it backwards) Arts Center. Try it next year.

[my365gratitudes]

Day 54. Had a spell-binding evening with Sipat Lawin's "LOVE: This Is Not Yet a Musical" this Saturday evening. James and I weren't on there same team, and that's actually a good thing: it was the best way to exclusive the whole play as viscerally and truthfully to ourselves, and we had different experiences of each of the four acts. It was so nice seeing and building with my Theatre batchmates Ienne and Meila. I was so happy to see them, and they were happy to see me too! Ienne even said I was blooming that night. We went home with our hearts and heads and bellies full -- did I mention the Sipat Lawin cast also grills a wicked burger? If you get the opportunity to have one of theirs at the end of a show, have yours with their special Awesome-sauce blend.

[brdg-ing]

PAPER MOON（フィリピン滞在7日目）

朝、山口の調子がおかしい。 多分、昨日の夜の何かにあたったよう。 去年のことがフラッシュバックする。 日本人会の文化祭というのに向かおうとしてたけど、仕方ない。 休む。。

夕方になって、少し回復したので、インドネシアの人形劇団PAPER MOONを見にマカティへ。これは友人から聞いて楽しみにしてたので外せない。

が、日曜の夕方のマニラの道路は大混雑。 思うように前に進まない。。。 「マニラでは1日に物事が1つ済んだらいい方だよ。」と励ましてくれた人のことを思いだす。1つ済ませれることを願う。

車の中から見える景色。 雑多な屋台が立ち並ぶ活気ある大通りから一つ路地を入ると、丘へと続く上り坂の先に西洋風の真っ白い高い塀の豪邸が並ぶ。また子ども達が路上で遊ぶ細い路地を下り抜けたかと思うと、きらびやかなショッピングモールを横切る。目まぐるしく変化しいく。瞬間瞬間のイメージが同じ土地のものとして上手く繋がらない。お腹も痛いし上ったり下ったり気持ち悪いし、ぼんやりと眺めとく。

マカティのPower Mac Centre Spotlight という劇場につく。 ここは『RE/PLAY Dance Edit』 が上演された会場。 PAPER MOONというインドネシアの人形劇団についてはよく聞いてたけど、初めて公演を見る。 懐中電灯を使った、シンプルな仕組みの影絵と、紙と木で作られた味わい深い表情の人形を、一体につき2〜3人で動かす文楽様式を使った人形劇。 言葉はなく、物語はイメージとジブリッシュ（デタラメ語）で展開されていく。素朴な生活だが幸せに暮らす父と娘に突然訪れる「死と別れ」。 シンプルなストーリーラインに、悲しみの中でも死を暖かいもの（死神はフクフクとした美味しそうな人形で表されてる）として抱擁する残された人（創作者）たちの思いが詰まった美しい作品だった。

この作品はタイ、シンガポール、フィリピン、そして地元インドネシアを巡回るそう。話を聞く限り、大きな予算もなさそうだが、東南アジアの各地で友人たちの協力を得て実現しているツアーだとのこと。マニラでは Sipat Lawinのメンバーが受け入れていた。こういった比較的若い人たちのネットワークがあるのはかっこいい。 気がつくと、胃の具合もかなり治ってた。

（山口）

[gourmethunter]

Para sa mga sawi, sa mga nagmamahal at minahal, sa mga kinalimutan at mga nagliliyab na pag-ibig. Daig pa ang Taksyapo wall para maibsan ang poot, ang mga apoy sa dalampasigan ng poi dance sa Boracay at ang pagtatalik ng isipan, kaluluwa at katawan. Lahat yan ay nasaksihan. Ibang klaseng pakiramdam ang sumigaw at tumakbo sa apat na palapag na gusali. Para sa unlimted hugs, naalala kita.

Di kayo manghihinayang habol na at panuorin! 

https://www.facebook.com/LoveNotYetAMusical 

http://www.wheninmanila.com/love-this-is-not-yet-a-musical-the-second-time-around-sipat-lawin-ensembles-lovenot-for-2014/

[soundslikeascam]

KARNABAL: A DEF. DEFYING FESTIVAL: Works Beyond Definitions

"Def.” stands for “definition”, best explaining the mix of programmed performances as transgressing norms and going beyond definitions of art and what it should be. 

Karnabal aims to highlight works on the edge, in between the lines, dynamic, bold, liminal, death- and depth-defying; and to explore new modes of production and performance-making. It serves as a shared avenue for companies and solo artists to freely test new works and/or develop existing ones, as well as share and generate new audiences for the Philippine performance scene.

Karnabal is set to take flight on November 17 (Sun), 20-24 (Wed-Sun) within Intramuros. Multiple venues will be used to simultaneously house performances, and functions, indoors and outdoors, all throughout the duration of the festival. Events fall under three different types of platforms:

• The Main Performance Platform, which features the original works of invited independent companies and solo artists, programmed throughout the duration of the festival. As of now, participants include the Sipat Lawin Ensemble, Kolab Co., Transitopia – Contemporary Dance Commune, Shaharazade Theater Company, Eisa Jocson, Ea Torrado and Daniel Darwin.

• The “Tsubibo” Open Platform, which features programmed performances from individuals and companies from different fields who want to test their works. This platform is offered on the last two days of the festival, November 23 and 24.

• Gatherings involves all the festival’s community offerings – workshops, talks, forums, panel discussions, get-together functions curated by the festival team engaging artists from different media.

For more information, contact karnabalfestival@gmail.com or Mobile: 09175008753.