by Jha Briones
“You cannot work for two different
people, organizations, or purposes in good faith, because you will end up
favouring one over the other.” – The
Free Dictionary
Or so they
thought.
In this
fast-paced world, and a generation where everyone wanted to prove something to
either their families, friends or just to themselves; working in a corporate
environment, at the same time doing what you love and following your passion on
the side, doesn’t seem to be impossible. This post aims to create awareness on
actors who have the passion but cannot do full time acting. This also aims to
enlighten everyone on how these fellow “Jugglers” managed to serve two masters
at the same time, and what challenges came along their way.
In following
your passion for the arts while having a day job according to Robie Zialcita, presently the Head of
Student Life at Enderun Colleges in Taguig, and who has been performing
professionally for 18 years on Stage, and Television; sustaining the
education and upbringing he envisions for his family by acting alone will not
suffice considering the fact that acting does not pay enough, made him decide
to get a corporate job. He may have one to three shows in a year depending on
his schedule, but this also brings him the challenge of time management. For him, Time
is one challenge.
 |
| Robie Zialcita |
“I have to ensure that rehearsals do
not overlap with my work schedule. If they do then my theatre will suffer; I
will not take on the project. Also, if I do get to work the acting project then
my time with my family suffers as well because work and stage take up the whole
day”, says Zialcita.
He was part of Repertory Philippines’ Peter
Pan: A Musical Adventure and
Shakespeare in Hollywood (both in 2011), Sweeney Todd (2009) and Moose Murders (2007) among others; and
Atlantis Productions’ Xanadu in 2010
to name a few.
 |
| Adrian Flor |
Adrian Flor on the other hand, a Lawyer by
profession who is currently based in Australia and a former Repertory
Philippines actor as well, only engages in theatre in an amateur capacity
(meaning not full time). To be involved in a professional capacity in theatre
in Australia, he experienced that these opportunities mainly come up in Sydney
and Melbourne, and to juggle a full-time corporate job with performing arts in
this country can be rather difficult (if not impossible). A stage actor who has performed in a year and 5 months here in
the Philippines, he became part of eight shows including Much Ado About Nothing, Scrooge and A Midsummer Night's Dream with Repertory Philippines; and Dreamgirls with Atlantis Productions,
before he returned to Australia and has since then been performing on the side
while working for about 4 years. Having about 3-5 shows in a year, gives him
the challenge of needing a supportive workplace to engage in both a corporate
job and acting career.
“I've experienced corporate settings
in the past that were not exactly happy with me trying to juggle both.
Admittedly, one does suffer for the other. For example, I can be tired in my corporate
job during the week leading up to the opening of a show (due to long hours in
the theatre) - but I always manage to complete corporate objectives and,
ideally, a workplace should understand that. But the capacity in which I manage
to fit in an acting career (on the side) allows me to have a steady income
while maintaining my involvement in my performing arts passion”, says Flor.
 |
| Maritina Romulo |
As
a part-time Producer for Corporate Social Responsibility projects and films for
a content provider and production company called SimpleTruth, Maritina Romulo also just participated
as an actor/performer in One Billion
Rising Philippines with Monique Wilson. Together with other actors, she
also performed Eve Ensler's Over
It/Sawang-sawa Na Ako in Tagalog at the Feb 14th rising on Tomas Morato, in
which they also sang Do You Hear the
People Sing at the finale of the program. Performing professionally for 15
years in stage, television, and film (Cinemalaya), she was recently seen in the
movies Mga Mumunting Lihim, Henerasyon
and Requieme among others. She
was also internationally recognized for the shows United Nations Holiday For Peace and Valentine in November (both in New York City 2010) to name a few.
“Aside from being able to sustain
myself financially, I would also like to also be able to contribute to our
entertainment industry by producing quality projects that will awake the
Filipino consciousness. It is extremely difficult to be a producer and a
working performing artist as you have to be on top of many things and must have
follow through. There just isn't enough time to do a lead role. By mid last
year as I was learning the ropes of production work I had no time to perform at
all”, says Romulo.
She also mentioned that the number of shows/acting projects varies from year to
year. When she did two cameo roles in Cinamalaya Films, she did not have enough
time to do theatre.
 |
| M.M. Gigante |
M.M.
Gigante is rendering her last few days as a
Consultant-Editor for a subsidiary of one of the biggest television networks in
the Philippines. Soon she’ll be a Human Resource Desk Analyst by profession. A
stage actress and band vocalist at the same time, she was given the opportunity
to tour with one of the renowned theatre companies in the Philippines,
Gantimpala Theater Foundation for the show, Si
Snow White at Ang Pitong Dwarfs in 2010.
“There will come a time when you have
to compromise because you need to give time and focus to both. Yes, I did
offset my absences and filed unpaid leaves at work to join the tour”, says
Gigante.
Theatre
actors each have their own preference on what type of theatre they rather do.
Some prefers Straight plays, especially when it is in memorizing the lines and
delivering them without such movement of dance and singing vocals like in a
musical type of theatre; that makes them comfortable. Others may prefer
Musical, if the challenge of doing everything (act-sing-dance) in one
performance, captivates their soul.
Zialcita prefers a straight play mainly
because it challenges him to memorize more in terms of lines. Also because he
doesn’t really see himself as a dancer so doing musicals can be a challenge,
even though he can sing. And even if his corporate job came first, his musical theatre
experience began after he himself was made to audition when his intention was
just to accompany some friends.
Flor mentioned that although he likes to appear in both straight and musical theatres
because according to him, they can exercise very different skills sets; shared
he prefers musical. Same is through with Gigante
who said, “Music is my life, with
Theatre it is love”. And even if
the corporate job came first for her too, she said that her career is her partner
in building a concrete and secure future, but performing is her passion. It
sustains the beating of the heart and feeds her soul.
Romulo on the other hand
said, “I would have to say straight plays
as I consider myself to be an actor who can sing. I have to work much, much
harder to do a musical. However, I love musicals as I come from a strong dance
background too.” She was a ballet dancer at the age of five and would
perform in recitals. Her Aunt Chloe Romulo was her first ballet teacher. She
got discovered in Brussels, Belgium by Director Adam Brown, when she was
watching her voice teacher perform in a theater production, then she was asked
to audition for LIAT in American
Theater Company of Brussels South Pacific. The performing arts came first.
Given a
chance to do theatre full time, some thespians will immediately grab such
opportunity, but others won’t. Romulo and
Zialcita wishes to do theatre full
time, because they both enjoy doing it. While according to Romulo, it doesn’t feel like work because performing makes her
happy, Flor, said he doesn’t want to do theatre full time because he found
a nice blend where he can have his corporate day job but have fun doing shows
that he really wants to do without having to worry about the shows supporting him
financially. But when Flor was asked
if he will ever consider dropping theatre and just focus on his day (night)
job, he said, “No. Theatre will always be
a part of me.”
And while Gigante has only one professional
theatre experience under her belt, her fascination with the world of theatre
never ceases to have her wishing for growth as a performing artist. For her,
she may consider dropping theatre, but just for a while, because for her
anything is possible.
Yes, there
are things holding them back to do theatre full-time. Let me state them one by
one: Stability
of income and Standard
Talent/Rehearsal Fees (above minimum wage).
If Thespians
were offered medical insurance and if Theatre
Acting is treated like any other job, with benefits and all; these jugglers will
never consider dropping theatre.
So you think
you can do it? The decision still lies on you. If you are a true thespian at
heart, regardless of what profession you are in, nothing or no one can ever
stop you from reaching your dreams. It is when you finally found where or what
truly makes you happy, can you then be sure of what path to take. Either you
focus on your corporate work alone, or do full-time theatre given the
circumstances of wage and lack of medical insurance (though I know some local
theatre companies are already addressing these issues now, like the Philippine Theater Actors Guild, Inc.),
or do both, it’s all in your hands.
As for us, Jugglers,
we didn’t wait for the right time to come. We just seized every opportunity that
came along. Never will we consider dropping theatre, at all. As Theatre has,
and will always be, a part of our lives.
###
Jha Briones is also a juggler and a proud member of Philippine Theater Actors Guild.
