Me an Artist!?

Never in my lifetime have I dreamed of becoming an artist. Honestly speaking… acting, dancing and singing was my greatest weakness, and enemy, since my days in high school. I couldn’t ‘Act’ if my life depended on it. Though I may ‘Act’ in class plays/presentations here and there, the outcome has always been the same, making a buffoon of myself. It maybe because I have a frog’s voice and/or a robots body. Though it makes me sometimes think that I may have been better off as a comedian than those serious roles.

When my college has life ended, I thought that those days of class presentations has finally ended… Oh the irony of life! Little did I know that two years later I would soon be a part of one of the largest successful production in Cebu.

Almost a year ago, I was called to a meeting at a Chinese temple. I was part of the youth group in that temple. Not knowing what to expect, I complied to meet with the masters, aunts and uncles. Little did I know that this day would be one of those life changing event in my life. Me and some members of the BLIA youth were asked to auditioned for a play that is in production! Oh those haunting memories in school came back! With some hesitations and further persuasions from the adults, I gave it a chance. One reason was just to stop them from nagging at my ears and another reason was that I was also a bit curious. One thing led to another, and soon enough I and four other BLIA youths were included in the cast for the musical play of Siddhartha.

At first, I can’t even come to imagine me dancing, acting and singing in front of THOUSANDS of people! I can’t even do my lines properly in class plays, much more on a large stage!

Rehearsals came and went, and sooner than I thought I can now actually dance at par to some people in the cast! All those practices really came through. Plus the constant training from the director, Ms. Daisy Baad, got me to come out of my shell. Waterfront came and went, I can’t believe what I went through. It pretty much felt really good to do something I thought I would never do in front of thousands of people! I could see everyone enjoyed the play pretty much, in and outside the stage.

We were soon invited to play in Manila! Not just any place, but the world renowned CCP! At first I didn’t get why my new family (the casts) got so excited about. Yah, it’s an old stage….so what? Later did I know that not just anyone gets to present in CCP in front of a crowd! Musicians dream of the day to present in CCP, and we were presented this chance on a platter. World renowned musicians and actors had stood on the very stage we were going to present.

Everyone was very excited, since everything was already prepared and set for us to present there. You can say that we were “pampered to death” from the people in Manila. Not that we are complaining, but we were so thankful for their hospitality. Some of the cast’s dream came true as we stepped into the large stage that is the CCP.

Now, the Taiwan show is growing nearer, I have now been asked to take the role of an understudy of Channa, the servant of Siddhartha. One for major roles in the play!!! What an experience it has been for the whole year. From just a simple dancer, now I’m handling and trying to learn the role of a major cast!

As for me, the whole experience was well worth the pain and late night rehearsals. Just by playing minor roles in the play really taught me the value of teamwork and hard work. No one is less important than the other. This what really struck me most. Everyone was really important, from the tiniest role to the main cast of the show. If one is missing, the whole play is derailed or even incomplete because of that one single role, no matter what role he/she does. Life is more or less the same. We all play major roles in our everyday life; from our home, to our school, to the office. If we disappear, we not only affect the lives that are connected to us, our family, but also out friends, co-workers and others.

Having the chance to take the role of a royalty, a jester, a charioteer, and an ascetic made me think that life is more than the daily events that you come to know and do everyday. Life is a stage, and we are the main cast of our very own play that is our life. Take the opportunity, take risks, do things that you never thought you could! Reach for your dreams, be someone. Who knows? You may be also be a main cast in someone else’ play in life.

So… Taiwan, and hopefully the world, here we come!!!