LGBT Themed Piece "CHOOSING" Gets 2nd Run at Doreen Blackbox Theater at Ateneo This PRIDE MONTH

To be openly out and gay may be quite an easy feat for some, but not for everyone. With a non redeeming society, mostly tolerating folks, r@cists and obvious big0ts around, it's super hard to even exist. It messes up your psyche, less time to understand the situation, yourself, proving how crazy this world we live in, when all they want is the same rights as you do, LOVE, and understanding.

During Pride Month last year, real life couple Liza Dino and Ice Seguerra took chance on a queer theater production of CHOOSING. It's a play about the intricacies of love, relationships, pronouns and queerness. This is under the direction of Dr. Anton Juan. It was unusual, but easy to digest, relatable in so many ways especially for those who lived in the 90's and generations after that. They're having their second run this coming June at the ARETE Doreen Blackbox Theater at the Ateneo De Manila University grounds. We were given a preview of it a couple days ago, and they've done changes to the script and story mostly on Act 3.

A very emotionally charged preview of CHOOSING

Dr. Anton Juan told us "I asked them to ask questions about themselves, I gave them direction of thought. This time it's built on that, and the moment, it's almost like characters start in the middle of their lives and I gave them the ability to gather themselves. This is where the play is being directed and built. It's continuous, and I allowed actors to do that. Theater becomes not just for the stage but for people who watch it. I think the straight sectors would learn the most. It's the freedom of love, it's about choice that makes us free. This is the reason we want it titled CHOOSING. In the world there are so many pronouns. I asked them to bare themselves, we started to talk, the concept of who I am or if I am a goat, abuse, many things that are common to everyone. I like to resurrect the memories, with music, it's beautiful and is like a portal, it becomes vast and bigger. You must be careful in what doors to open and close. Did you notice plays today are choreographed? I look at lines as language and space, how to move, approach, ways to say you love or hate a person. I was trying to distill their lives and what they've gone through."

Ice says "The song is actually a monologue but Liza and Direk Anton felt like we needed it. That was about hypothetical love, we edited it to a song with Vince de Jesus, and it's called 'Lost in Time'. When we came out, there were a lot of people who approached her and just told their stories without even doing it. More than the topics being shown here, is that we always go through these crossroads, we need to talk and get to the bottom of this. Liza and I have been together for a long time, but we are still the same because we talk about it. There is commonality and we could move forward to say what we want to say and stop there without listening to the other party. We talk about it even if it hurts. If you remove labels, the story of Mitch and Stella is universal."

Liza adds "That's exactly how it played out when it happened, that it was not synonymous with cheating. That's whe I realized that Ice was a man. The way they talked about it was just like watching a series. He didn't know where I am coming from, it went to a point that I had to watch it to understand. There's also a lot shared with us by a support group, their discoveries, on how they realize the dysphoria. There's a huge part of this play that I had to re-write especially on the third act, Ice and I are still going through that. We are confused for the most part, but when the opportunity comes we ask where we are and where we need to support each other. It was a blessing that I was the one who wrote it, I couldn't make it concretely talk about transformation. I researched about it so much that I saw how we could no longer be part of that future. You see how emotional we are when we do this. A big issue here also is the voice, it's a huge change and what people go through in situations like these. I hope people see what we struggle about, and the conscious decision to still choose each other despite the trials. I hope this can inspire, see themselves in us, you can't do this alone. This is about choosing to love."

Here's our interview with them after that very emotional preview:

Liza adds "Transitioning needs an entire shift of mindset to become the support system. Sometimes people don't think about that person, because they are also going through something. It's a very complex decision, hence the discussion between Stella and Mitch."

Ice ended the talk saying "I chose her, and she is the only one I wanted to choose. She's the only one who can give me the happiness, the excitement, and safety that I'd want to have. I don't want to share that with anybody else. Anytime we have a discussion, we always go back to asking how we can by happy again, because this is not us right now. That's been our anchor ever since."

Choosing to talk about the feelings we have may be shallow for some, but we all need to talk about it. To resolve conflict in relationships, choosing to talk about the hard things will resolve a LOT. If you want to get tickets to the show, you can get it via the Ticket2Me app or the official website ticket2me.net. Shows will be on June 6th-8th, 13th-15th which are weekends. The Doreen Blackbox Theater is a very intimate venue. Go bring your friends and family along and talk about it after the show. Can't wait to see the changes on the show.

Director Rahyan Carlos to Hold MQuest Artists Agency Summer Workshop

Laying the groundwork for success in the entertainment industry doesn't come overnight. It takes a village, to say the least, to become good at your craft. Taking workshops is essential, because staying sharp, hungry for personal development and learning techniques and how to employ them comes with the job.

Director Rahyan Carlos has been doing work in the entertainment industry for years. His stellar work in directing, scriptwriting, and coaching actors has made him who he is today. The Filipino director didn't really stay stagnant and wanted to learn from the best, Hollywood's Chubbuck Technique has landed the biggest stars some awards. Ivana Chubbuck had to teach him for several months (and continue til today), and this required him to be in the US for the duration in order to do it. He could lose work in the Philippines, but did it anyway because of his hunger for growth. The expanding array of skills, learning nuances, the training program had to be supervised by Ivana herself, and he did it all. Now he's the only one authorized to teach this Chubbuck Technique in the country, under the MQuest Artist Agency.

Direk Rahyan Carlos says "I'm so proud to be here now in MQAA and excited to train actors. I've started doing this 27 years ago, changing hats, and now an acting teacher. I'm also excited to see them land jobs after undergoing training, they're like little trophies. Thank you Jeffrey Remegio for having me since last year, I got to apply what I learn here, in other networks. I will show you a glimpse of what happens in a master class with some of the actors that have undergone training with the Chubbuck technique. I've done the others, but this is intended to land jobs and win awards. Acting is personal, imagination is also important, but nothing beats pain and our own experience. We teach actors to use it to win objectives. This invokes emotion, use pain as a fuel to resolve, and evolve. Use it for change. It's about creating an environment where it all happens."

Ms. Liza Dino Seguerra who has undergone the workshops adds "It's surreal to be with actors, but every time I participate here I am reminded that I am an actress. I worked my way up and now support other actors and folks in the industry. Whenever I get an opportunity to do things with the Chubbuck Technique, it trains you to understand your tool. I have become a better human being, it made me vulnerable. We live our lives coping, but when you are an actor is open yourself up and allow people see your experience. I learned to channel pains I've had in the past in this technique including the hurtful things that are not talked about. It's not easy to confront. You are able to say it to another character even if it is in the back of your mind. It made me talk to people, committing to it is the best tool, our pain, our experience."

Actors Carmi Martin and Polo Ravales showing us a glimpse of the technique

The registration for this starts today April 12th, and tomorrow April 13th at the 10th Floor of Launchpad in Reliance Street in Mandaluyong City. You may also inquire via @MQAAWorkshops on IG and FB. You can also email them via mqaa.training@gmail.com. We also got to talk to several artists who have undergone the workshop. These include some of TV5's brightest stars, and some veteran actors in the mix. This is an opportunity to learn by some of the greatest coaches in the industry. 

You may scan the QR code to know more about it. There's no such thing as an overnight actor, you need to go to the gym to build muscles. Workshops are gyms for actors!

Ricky Lee's "PARA KAY B" Gets Stage Run This March

Super good news for those who adore Ricky Lee's works, as LA ProdHouse and Fire and Ice Live! takes the best selling novel "PARA KAY B" to theaters this coming March 14 to 30 at the Doreen Black Box Theater, ARETE Wing of the Ateneo De Manila University. This is a stage adaptation of the well loved story (stories that is) that talks about love, romance and some hurt in between. Surely this will be a very interesting take on something a lot of people were able to relate to even after years of its inception.

We got to talk to the stars of "PARA KAY B" plus producers Ice Seguerra and Liza Diño-Seguerra this morning about the show and they're equally excited to see it, here's our video coverage! 

This is created for the stage by Ejay Castro Deldoc (a Palanca awardee) and directed by Yong Tapang (who's done remarkable production in the past). They also are partnering with Tunog at Liwanag sa Teatro. But there's certainly more interesting things to see in the show.

5 women named Bessie, Ester, Sandra, Irene and Erica divulge their life stories with a front row seat to their different kinds of love, relationships and realities. They had us see a glimpse of it, and it was crazy... crazy good.

Ice says "Different people, different ways of looking at love. Some are fools, some believe in forever, some remain cynical. Do you believe only 1 out of 5 people get a happily ever after?"

National Artist Ricky Lee pronounced "To tell you the truth, out of the multitude of novels I had, this is the best selling one up to this date. I made this in 2008, I suppose people like to read something that would give them pain. I think if they're too happy, it wouldn't be as adventurous. I think if its more painful, they could remember and carry it more. I've seen and heard people read it multiple times, pick it up when there's a typhoon, to read it all over again."

It's interesting, feisty, and fun to see it on stage. If you would want to see more of it, go see "PARA KAY B" at the ARETE in Ateneo De Manila University. People loved the novel, and surely, you would love the things they plan to execute at the theater. See if you'll get to be one of Lucas' characters, relate in it in so many ways.

Tickets are available via Ticket2Me.net or the app with the same name if you wish to watch the show.

ICE SEGUERRA Set To Do Repeat of Videoke Hits OPM Edition (Isa Pa) at the Music Museum

With the success of the previous one, it just needs repeat. Ice Seguerra will be doing his Videoke Hits OPM Edition (Isa Pa) this coming November 8th at the Music Museum in Greenhills San Juan City. This is under FIRE and ICE Live, the concert production arm of Fire and Ice Productions owned by Ice and Liza Dino Seguerra.

As you may already know, Ice has lots of hits being played on Videoke playlists all over the country, aside from that, she's planning to give life to the best hits the medium has, and this will surely be something to look forward to on that date.

Karaoke is such a huge part of Filipino culture, and with the advent of us winning competitions left and right around the world, Filipinos are being feared when holding microphones. Ice is such a force to reckon with, even if she sings soft and emotional, it just sounds so beautiful even if she sings a phone book.

Ice says "This is quite difficult to make a lineup because even at the end of the week, I couldn't choose singles because there are so much OPM songs I could choose from. Now I'm stuck with medleys so I could sing everything. It's a smorgasbord of all the things I want to sing and hear, rearranged in a different way. As much as possible we want to have different genres because it's not just one thing, but it's fun. The first part are the things I really sing in the Videoke world, my personal list. The second part is the requests of people at the venue, then third are the re arranged ones. You know I've been thinking of releasing a few that came out quite nice because my band was crazy good. That's when I saw how the ones we arranged had different flavors."

He adds "I really didn't want to work on a date near my birthday because I want to give my 10,000 percent all the time. It's just the pressure I didn't want to experience, but I'm so happy that one sold out. The energy was also different and we were three hours running. My wife gave me a motorbike, and I couldn't believe it. I even fell the first night I drove it. I even was sweating because of the outfit. I fell in front of her, but I'm training now." 

"This show will also include "Salamin Salamin" and "Gento", but I felt the dance numbers. It was tiring, and couldn't breathe after, I really have to pace myself."

He doesn't want to lost the magic of being intimate because Music Museum is closer. Through you cannot do it in the balcony, you can go around. The last time he did this, people were involved in most of the numbers. It was wild and they would participate. He says "From seniors to 7/8 year old, they were singing, they were game whoever had the mic in front of them. I want to make them feel it's okay to do it. There's something about this that is therapeutic. It's fun, and we started this in 2016, I think that is why there's magic in the show."

Here's our interview with Ice this afternoon:

Aside from that, they're planning to do a repeat of their previous project called CHOOSING which was staged last July, the difference is that it's going to be done in Quezon City at an even bigger venue. Ice says 'We're planning to do it again soon, this was done previously for pride month, but feel it brought to the next step as it's a mix of comedy, drama and stories of different people from the same community. It's going to be a great way to bridge gaps, to put more people in their shoes in hopes to give them a deeper understanding of what and how we go through things."

Again, if you feel that it's time to enjoy a concert with friends and family, tickets are now available at Ticketnet or at the Music Museum box office. Ice promises that it will be even more fun than the previous one!