Questions for ITI Students

Q: Has the COVID-19 pandemic made you rethink the way you want to practice your craft?
Yes, the pandemic made me rethink possibilities and innovations on the way to practice my
craft, especially the safety measures.

Q: What were some of the difficulties in devising this piece?

The only difficulty that I encountered in devising the piece was every actor has a different
acting approach and style based on their culture and upbringing. But eventually, through
consensus and discussion with my co-actor, I managed to understand their intentions the way
they deliver lines, stage business, nuances, and stagecraft.

Q: Were there any interesting discoveries in the rehearsal process?

The rehearsal process fleshes out the core significance of my character in the play. As an
actor, every rehearsal is the opportunity to assess how my character evolves around every
scene. This includes the character’s personality and behaviour in terms of how my character
reacts to circumstances, the relationship of my character to the other characters, and the goal
of my character towards the end of the story. Because of this, the most interesting discovery I
found is that I, as an actor am no longer the only one who decides the who, what, where,
when, and how of the character but the character himself can decide too. There is a moment
during rehearsal when I, the actor, and the character become one.

Q: How has working on the piece affected your view on the current COVID-19 pandemic,
especially in terms of how your home country is dealing with it?
Theatre really is the mirror of life. Working on the piece made me think that it is a bit of a
representation of what is happening to my country in terms of health facilities, work ethics,
and system of government towards pandemics. The piece is a reminder that my country is not
ready for the pandemic. This is because some leaders prioritize infrastructures and tourism
(both eco and cultural). I remember one senator in our country proposed a bill about
pandemics, everything about pandemics – readiness and preparation, training, creation of
facilities, budget. But the senate did even bother to prioritize the bill in order to become law
on pandemics. Then that senator died, and after two years, the COVID-19 pandemic hit the
Philippines. I mean, so disappointing, very disappointing.