XPRES : Entablado's first ever applicants' production

photo taken when i went back to the RMT for the strike-set. Meaning, we had to take out the stage, clean up the backstage and rehearsal room.

What's special about this production is that everyone is a newbie. The actors aren't the only people new at this. Entablado picked out newbies too to head the different committees. Everyone was new at this game. So were the directors.

The planning of this production took Entablado two years. And i think this is the most perfect time to put up a production like this, now when there are lots of newbies in ENTA. The good thing about it too was that the newbies from last year got to audition too. :) That was my batch. I was a newbie last year. :)

Jika Regala, my dear jikapoop, was also invited to join XPRES.
Old members who didn't really act during their stay in ENTABLADO were invited to join.
Thus Riz Paras as Dulce, Geoc Battad as Balae 1, Kayzee Fama as Manang, and etc.
(picture taken during one of the rehearsals. we were lipsynching "JUST STAND UP")

It's now December 3, 2008. Exactly 4 days since XPRES ended. and usually, it takes a week for everyone to heal from the prod fever. everyone has been blogging about XPRES and how they're bidding farewell to it. I've been thinking about how i'm going to blog about mine, and so this is it. This blog took me two days, and a gazillion of drafts to create a shorter but meaningful blog about XPRES. :)

photo by Cam Ronquillo, when i tried on St. Anthony's halo. :)

this is the shortest i can get, so forgive me if it seems lengthy. :)


I remember last year when they announced that the newbie production rehearsals were over the sembreak. This just broke my heart, as i was going to prepare for my debut that semestral break. It was an unfortunate news though for most of the people in ENTA when they learned that the newbie production could not be pushed through. For me, i was hoping that i'd be given a shot at this newbie production.

During the first semester, I remember during that EB (executive board) and deputies meeting when we were giving updates about the projects of each committee. When they brought up the newbie production, they were planning on allowing only the newbies of this year to join the production. Well, some of us didn't agree, and demanded, fought, spoke up that the newbies of last year should be allowed to audition for the newbie production.

Thank God, He let the stage welcome me.

XPRES poster

The newbie production was called XPRES, connoting how quick instances can be a catalyst and change our lives.

The whole production featured plays from the PETA Writers' Block's 10x10x10: Sampung Tigsasampung Minutong Dula ng Sampung Mandudula (Ten 10-minute plays by 10 playwrights)

I remember that day when i auditioned for the role of Eileen in Alvin Dacanay's Eyeball.

I wanted the role because i felt that should be easy for me. I believed i looked the part. I believed i could pull it off. I was so ready to be Eileen.

my good friend dianne scored the role of Eileen. and i must say she did a good job. :) Opening Night photo by Kevin Tatco

But instead, i saw this on the bulletin board the following day:

St. Anthony, Pray For Us ni Liza Magtoto
Toinette - Emelou Therese Gorecho

i quickly picked up a copy of 10x10x10 at the ENTA Room and scanned through toinette's lines. sure, i skimmed through the play, and even wanted to audition for the role of Angel in that play. But i didn't notice how long and monologue-ish toinette's lines were. This intimidated me. Perhaps because i was never good at memorization, and the whole thing was a monologue for me. I got through the first script reading, and the first script analysis before finals week started. After that, i left my script somewhere, and has not touched it till sembreak began. I tried memorizing the prayer so that it would appear "automatic" when i orate it on stage.

first day of our rehearsals. we still had our scripts.
we rehearsed at the Colayco Pavillion.

We kept rehearsing and rehearsing. I kept on postponing my rehearsals because i wanted to distract myself from depressing myself. I stayed for a whole month in the dorm, all alone. I stayed over the sembreak to rehearse for this newbie production, which, at first, didn't seem appealing.

one of the days when we used the SEC FOYER for rehearsals.

our director, Kuya Kalil, decided to put lipstick on our faces everytime we did something wrong. miss a line, wrong blocking, forget blocks and stuff. and yes. that was how messed up i was. HAHA

I was re-thinking if it was all worth it. I had to do something to distract myself from feeling depressed being away from my family, missing out on vacations and stuff. This went on for almost a month.

during the XPRES photoshoot. everyone was waiting for their turn.

with my co-actors, John Carlo Dulu as the Angel and Gabby Gonda as St. Anthony

When we moved in the Rizal Mini Theater, things began to change.
The date of our Opening Night moved closer and closer. Tension was in the air.

we each had our own spaces in the long table. and if you know me well enough, you'd notice my spot over there. where my inhaler is. :)

a few times during the production i've probably lost passion in what i've been doing. I probably have said a few times that this was a wrong move, that i should've never stayed in the first place. And that probably, theater is not for me. i've been through good runs, and bad ones... i've lost my voice, got sick, had petty misunderstandings, and problems and stuff. before opening night, i still didn't really understand how i've managed to stay up to that point.

Opening Night photo by Kevin Tatco St. Anthony, Pray For Us was the first play of the opening night. technically, the play opened the production. pressure. but i think i handled it quite okay. haha

during the ENTABLADO plevsem, we were asked to write a one-liner "blog" on paper and have people comment on it. my last phrase was: "...i hope it's all worth it." and people who commented on the blog seemed to have a common theme... that because i chose to do it, it means it's worth something.

Like Toinette, thank you for letting me find myself too. XPRES. photo by kevin tatco

"...thank you sa lahat ng tao na kasama ko ngayon sa bilog na ito. salamat sa pagpapakita sa akin na ang lahat ng ito ay totoong worth it..." (thank you to everyone gathered in this circle... thank you for showing me that all this is truly worth it.) - this was the first time i spoke in a BILOG althroughout my stay in enta... this was also during XPRES' last show.

XPRES, thank you for proving to myself that i can be more. photo by Kevin Tatco

"...sa pangungulila, higit na nadarama ang halaga..."
- Sir Jethro Tenorio on my PLEVSEM blog


Thank you XPRES for being my family.

photo taken after the first gala night. everyone was in bliss. it was a succesful night. :)

During the sembreak, i've been desperate for some family loving. I've stayed over my tita's house, traveled to and fro Tandang Sora to visit my other tita, and worry sick about my lola who got hospitalized, and my sickly little sister. I've been desperate for some family loving, that i have failed to see you guys as my family too.

"...eh minsan naman kasi nasa harap na niya, di pa niya makita!!"
- Angel, St. Anthony Pray for Us
My family. :)

Thank you XPRES for making me feel at home. for making me feel secured and safe in the corners of the stage. Thank you for making me feel that i belong. Thank you for every single day that we have spent in preparing this production. This is the prod that we can truly say it was "ours". Every 10 minutes spent during the preparation of this production has been special. People have put in their efforts, time, talent, passion just to create this. XPRES is OURS. :) It was OUR TIME.

the whole XPRES team.
it was OUR time. :)

Most people think that theater is a lair of lies. People go on stage to pretend to be someone they're not. It's all fictional. Nothing is real.

The XPRES stage set design by Jesus Joseph Ignacio (http://jesusignacio.multiply.com/) photo by Kevin Tatco

No, i don't think so. I think theater is a beautiful avenue for expressing the truth. People just want to see what they want to see. That's the beauty of it all, that theater is able to send across it's message subtly. It's not just a hobby, or a sideline, or something to do with your free time. It's a lifestyle. It's not a joke having to juggle academics, theater and one's own life altogether. But i guess it's what theater people get from this love and passion for this art that makes them stay.


It was a fun journey. Now i'll always know that wherever i am, the stage is always my home. That ENTABLADO will embrace me for whoever i am or for whatever i chose to be. That despite the lack of an intimate relationship with the opposite sex, i will always be contented with my life, with my family, my friends, and theater. :) Thank you for showing me that, XPRES. :)


Thank you to everyone who have made XPRES a very memorable experience.
I cannot believe it's all over.
But i guess this is just the beginning of something better. :)


Thank you
Kuya Kalil, Dolly, Gabby, Jose, Fred, Ekha, Harald, Geoc, Ryuji, Jika, Riz, Judge, Pedro
Leinard, Danica, Papa Z, Kz, Miguel, Karl Louie, Yves, Terri, Jen, Meeyo, Pam, Portia
Pat, Dianne, Robert, Mich, Cute, Vian, Omar, Ia, Bruce, Cam, Condom, Tonio, Lem
Sir Jet, Sang, Miko, Dick
Pao S., Nicole, Aaron, Karl Beki, David Beki, Bianca, Say, Andrei, Sam, Kaila, Mike

if i forgot anyone, forgive me. :) i love you all.