This coming August 26 & 29, ViARE, one of the theatre organizations from University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) will be opening its 27th season with Silver-Lining Playbill:A Fundraising Event for Filipino Theatre Artists. This production aims to set the tone for ViARE’s 27th season amidst the new normal.
For ViARE’s 27th year, the main theme will revolve around Perspective with the goal to make the audience aware of how difficult circumstances can be and give rise to varying perspectives. We believe that acknowledging this plurality of perspectives bring forth the true understanding of the self, of the surroundings, and of others. Through this, we can increase the possibility of a more understanding space for other people’s perspectives and ideas.
In-line with ViARE’s annual theme, the season opener will be focusing on the perception of oneself. Aiming to promote awareness that perspectives are plenty and are not constant as people are ever-changing, with their views depending on their level of awareness at a given time, we hope to bring to the attention of the audience the impact of having powerful relationships to a person, specifically, to one’s ability to shift his or her own perception of himself or herself.
This year’s season opener will also double as a fundraiser. Given the unfortunate circumstances surrounding the pandemic, many theatre artists find themselves experiencing financial difficulties. With the goal to raise awareness regarding this matter, we hope to raise funds for our beneficiaries.
Free Fall
The first play to be staged in the production is “Free Fall”, an original script written by Ms. Chesie Galvez-Carioño, the moderator of ViARE. Free Fall is a story about the struggles of balancing both passions and responsibilities. Alma Nueva, a Straight-A College student, on the cusp of a burnout, finds herself questioning her life decisions but an encounter with a boy named Marty led her to re-analyze and question how she really views not only her feelings, her actions, and her relationships but most importantly, herself.
Subtle Clown Traits
The second play is entitled “Subtle Clown Traits”, a play written by the Artistic Director of ViARE, Joanne Claire Gonzales. Subtle Clown Traits lightheartedly tackles the relatable issue of any dysfunctional romance, toxicity. It is about Tricia, a naive 21-year old girl, and her ingenue woes. After continuously ignoring the red flags in her on-and-off relationship with her boyfriend Ian, her best friend, Jen, has had enough and believes that this should be the last straw of Tricia and Ian’s clownery.
Free Fall will be directed by former ViARE Vice-President and an experienced director of theatre arts, Kaira Malka Bernardo. In her stay in the university, she has directed Bangko ni Noe of “Love C.A.F.E.” and There Shall Be No Bottom of “WHAT”. Subtle Clown Traits, will be directed by a fresh and highly-sought after director around the university, Julia Rocio Gatdula. Before her arrival in the university, she directed “Macbeth” in PAREF-Rosehill and her first taste of directing in UA&P was To Be or Not To Be of “WHAT”.
This production will be starring bona fide members of ViARE. Free Fall will be brought to life by Keren de Sagun as Alma, Iñigo Llamado as Marty, Stephen Dusaban Jr. as Building Admin, and Jia Mata as Alma’s mom. Subtle Clown Traits will be starring Chiara Urquico as Jen and Meizona Charin Espina as Tricia.
Find out the full story of both plays by watching ViARE’s Silver-Lining Playbill: A Fundraising Event for Filipino Theatre Artists which will be held on August 26 and 29, 2020, from 8:00 to 9:00 in the evening on our Facebook page (@officialviare). You may also visit our official Twitter and Instagram (@officialviare) for posts about the production.
ADVT