Leslie: So good afternoon po Miss Chrisse Joy, I’m Leslie, a freshman from BA Philippine Arts, and we’re

here to ask you po questions regarding Philippine Theater. So can you state po your name and your current
profession?

Ms. Chrisse Joy: Ako si Chrisse Joy Delos Santos, currently working sa National Commission for Culture
and the Arts, as an arts officer, and a Freelance actress.

Leslie: So how did you start your career in theater?

Ms. Chrisse Joy: Nung college kasi, ang course ko talaga International Relations. Pero sumali ako sa Ateneo
Entablado, which is a socio-political theater org sa Ateneo. Kasi I came in as a Political Science Student,
and then eventually, nag act ako tapos triny ko na din outside theater companies like Tanghalang Ateneo,
and for VLF(Virgin Lab Fest) and then nag enroll ako for theater arts sa Ateneo, so nag double major ako.
Tapos ‘yun tuloy tuloy na siya.

Leslie: So can you share to us the history of your theater group po?

Ms. Chrisse Joy: Yung Ateneo Entablado kasi, siya yung nag iisang socio-political theater org, hindi naman
nag iisa, siya yung premier socio-political theater org sa Ateneo dahil meron ng Tanghalang Ateneo, and
Blue Repertory. Nag start siya noong Martial Law Era, mga 1970s as a protest theater group. So yung roots
niya talaga is protest theater and street theater and then, nowadays nag sstage na kami sa theater sa
Ateneo, nag cocollaborate.

Leslie: So ano ano po yung mga challenges na na-face niyo through the years as an actress?

Ms. Chrisse Joy: Siyempre, dahil medyo ang experience ko lang is about student theater, nung student pa,
mahirap talaga pagsabayin yung academics tiyaka yung pag develop ng skills necessary as a theater
practitioner. Yung late nights, part from that yung emotional and psychological stress. Ayon, and then
eventually, As I was nearing my graduation, yung reality na finding work outside of the college theater
scene. Kasi hindi naman constant yung work mo as a theater actor. Kailangan, interdisciplinary ka so you
have to also learn technical stuff. Directing, scriptwriting, so yun yung talagang dinedevelop na skills samin
in college so we can survive in the real world kumbaga.

Leslie: So ano po yung mga naging significant plays ng group niyo?

Ms. Chrisse Joy: Yung recent na pinaka significant, I guess is DESAPARESIDOS, yung first run sa Ateneo ng
DESAPARESIDOS, adapted siya from Luwalhati Bautista’s book by Guelan Varela-Luarca. So yun din yung,
for me, yun yung nag start talaga na gusto ko nang I pursue yung theater. So DESAPARESIDOS is about
ayun nga, NPAs and victims of Martial Law. Then others na laging ni re-restage ay yung BOMBITA by Tony
Perez, recently, nag stage ng bagong production with a new director. Tsaka, yung iba kasi, hindi siya
talagang written plays. Most of them are protest theater pieces na pinepresent naming sa Ateneo or pag
merong Martial Law rallies most especially.

Leslie: So during your stay po in the theater group, parang ano yung pinaka contribution po na naibigay
niyo?

Ms. Chrisse Joy: Deputy for Information Dissemination kasi ako. Ayun, officer din ako sa org namin noong
2017. Yes, pero after that, naging production manager ako, and then nag focus ako sa acting. Ayun noong
last few years ko sa Entablado, nag act ako for one play. Yung TUNGKULAN, ayun so significantly, yung
contribution ko as a theater actor and a student is yung pag develop yung pag bigay ng workshops dun sa
mga students.

Leslie: So, as of the moment, nag aact pa din po kayo?

Ms. Chrisse Joy: Katatapos lang nung recent production namin.

Leslie: Ano po yung recent production niyo?

Ms. Chrisse Joy: BOMBITA sa Ateneo Entablado, pero nag act din ako outside sa Shorts and Briefs with
Joshua Tayco as my director pagkatapos na in collaboration with Don’t tell me how to dress na exhibit.

Leslie: So aside po sa lack of support, ano pa yung mga challenges na na fface niyo as a theater actress?

Ms. Chrisse Joy: I guess mahirap yung pag hindi ka musical theater actress sa industry, kasi mas kumikita
talaga is musicals, mga western kind of plays I guess. Formats, ganun, and mahirap pag experimental ka
or independent talaga. Ayun, kahit na nga member ka ng kunwari, Tanghalang Pilipino, Actor’s Company,
mahirap din kasi magsisimula ka din from below. Hindi livable yung wages, so you really have to find other
jobs to sustain, which I hope is not going to be the case in the future of Philippine Theater since nag bboom
nanaman. It’s better nowadays, I guess.

Leslie: So parang as an ender, ano po yung parang pinaka message niyo sa mga aspiring theater actors or
actress students?

Ms. Chrisse Joy: Ano, expand, as in hindi lang dapat theater yung ginagawa niyo talaga. You have to find
your own interest, your own passions kasi excellence in theater is nothing kung magaling ka mag act,
magaling ka mag drawing, magaling kang mag design. That’s nothing if hindi siya fueled by something else
like a passion for helping, I don’t know, a cause, or interdisciplinary way of art, science. Kung mahilig ka
sa science, gusto mong gawing theater, go lang ganon. We need more people to expand theater outside
of the four walls.

Leslie: Okay po. Thank you Miss Chrisse.