HERE’S TITO Danny Vibas’s aria on Facebook about Vince Tanada, president of Philippine Stagers Foundation na ang latest musical, #Popepular, ay about a Pinoy Pope Francis.
“In photo is thespian Vince Tanada na ang tagumpay ay mukhang kinaiinggitan ng marami. As president-artistic director of Philippine Stagers Foundation, he seems to achieve very easily what other much older companies haven’t pulled off. His musical on Bonifacio had 480 stagings in 12 months all over the country mostly for high school and college students. His recent Filipinas 1942 had 300 stagings in 10 months. Talaga namang nakaiinggit na track record ‘yon para sa isang theater company na ang opisina at production studio ay nasa isang maliit na building na pag-aari ng pamilya n’ya at nasa napakamasang Balic-Balic sa Maynila.
“Vince has heard that despite PSF’s track record, a forthcoming Philippine Theater Encyclopedia will not list down his theater company dahil fly-by-night daw ito! Isang propesor umano sa UP ang editor ng encyclopedia. Feeling n’ya ay may conspiracy ng mga inggitero laban sa PSF. Vince is a lawyer, and he plans to gather evidence na may mga tao na gustong isabotahe ang financial success ng PSF. Balak n’yang idemanda ang mapapatunayan n’yang nagkukuntsaba para pabagsakin ang PSF.
“May regular monthly salary ang mga miyembro ng PSF. There are about 50 regular members na hindi lang pag-arte ang alam gawin kundi pati na rin production-technical tasks. And those members are educated young people. Hindi sila mga yagit. At karamihan sa 50 miyembro ay 14 years na rin sa kumpanya.
“Mabuting tao si Vince. Mabuting anak din. Dahil tinupad n’ya ang pangarap ng mga magulang n’ya na maging abogado muna siya bago siya magpaka-artist, suportado ng mga magulang n’ya at mga kapatid n’ya ang theater career n’ya. His charming mom is actually the PSF costume designer. Both parents always watch PSF productions at kahalubilo ng lahat sa PSF events. His sister Ana T. Bautista gets involved with feeding everyone at the PSF studio every time the company has events there.
“Vince very effectively pulls off what nobody else seems unable to do in Philippine Theater all at the same time: write, produce, direct, act.”
Amen to that Tito Danny.
Lex Chika
by Alex Valentine Brosas
