On Ryan’s Express

It’s not often that one gets the chance to immerse and interact with the global artistic community. In this case, with a group of top-notch playwrights, composers and choreographers. Much less would you get the chance to see a Filipino being treated as an equal in a group of over-achieving artistic individuals. But thanks to the invitation extended by Ryan Cayabyab to Nestor Torre and me, I found myself on a Singapore Airlines flight to Athens on the last week of November. That’s how I got such an opportunity.

With all the tragedy and dismal news from the arts and entertainment world, some background to this trip bears making mention. It’s a story of individual accomplishment and a source of national pride, something we can consider as the silver lining in these troubled times. The Alexander S. Onassis Public Benefit Foundation was established in 1975, a few months after the death of Aristotle Onassis. As provided in his will, it was named after his son who died in an air crash at the age of 25. While one-part of the foundation is devoted to purely commercial and business activities, there is a part that specifically implements educational, cultural, and public benefit programs. As such, it has established international prizes for international competitions.

Held every four years, the First International Cultural Competition was held in 1997 with prizes for the composition of an original theatrical play. Our very own Anton Juan was a second-prize laureate. For the year 2001, the competition was expanded to include original musical score for dance and for original choreography. Enter Ryan Cayabyab and his score for Misa 2000 (Metanoia), which was originally presented at the CCP with choreography by Douglas Nierras. As first prize had to be awarded to individuals responsible for a single score and choreography, the foundation decided not to award a first prize this year. Instead, they awarded second and third prizes to individuals, as well as gave distinctions.

So, Ryan shared the second prize for Original Music for Dance with Christopher Lyndon-Gee from the United Kingdom. Third prize was shared by composers from Spain and Switzerland, and a distinction was given to female composer Dom Australia who works out of Italy. Correspondingly, in Original Choreography, second prize went to an Argentinean, third to a Spaniard and a distinction to a Mexican.

To give you an idea of the international flavor and stringent competition, there were 46 entries coming from 24 countries. As for the prizes for Original Theatrical Play, the first two prizes went to Americans, with a Greek bagging third prize. Put another way, this meant that the board of judges deemed no original musical score fared better than Ryan’s and Christopher’s.

As several of these composers and choreographers enthused, "It’s wonderful that the foundation has seen fit to recognize this area of original music for dance; making the composer and choreographer work together. So little is being done in the world of dance vis-a-vis original music. It’s so much easier to adapt or use what’s already out there; to truncate or chop up an existing piece and suit it for dance."

They were uniformly grateful to the foundation for giving recognition to these efforts of "the brave few." This also made for some very unique and interesting collaborations as in the case of the distinction given to the Australian composer Wendy Morrison. She was approached by an Italian choreographer, and created a piece for a 10th century-inspired hand movement dance.

One also must realize that in the case of several of these artists, if they’re not working in the highly competitive West, then they’re working on the periphery of the art world. Toiling in countries such as Argentina, Mexico and the Philippines, where there’s not much financial or government support for these non-commercial endeavors. Here, it’s only their passion, their mastery of music – with the added dimension of creating music that is movement inspired – that fuel their energies. And here’s where the grant money, which comes along with the prize, comes in handy.

Watching artists of this stature interacting is a fascinating study in itself – an ethnography of the overly creative, so to speak. In fact, it reminded me of an aviary where there’s always the "preening peacocks," self-promoting and ready at the drop of a hat to extol their own virtues. Then, there’s what I call the "stuffed owl," one who wants to butt in on any conversation and proceeds to be the magisterial authority, pedantic and suffering from verbal diarrhea. The "sparrows" are also in attendance; pecking away at what morsels of conversation are left on the table; rather inhibited, they seem happier when one of the "birds" takes over.

It’s here where my admiration for Ryan grew, after seeing him move with a quiet confidence. Aware that the prizes had already been decided upon, he felt no need to self-promote or indulge in mental gymnastics. Instead, he readily sought out the others, who like him, were just as happy to be there. To freely discourse on their respective experiences and bond in a community of sorts.

Second-prize winner for Original Theatrical Play Deborah Brevoort had previously written an oratorio called King Island Christmas, which was to be staged with Paolo Montaban, a Fil-American who works in New York. In Athens to pick up a prize for The Women of Lockerbie, a modern poetic drama which borrows structures and elements of Greek tragedy, she expressed hopes of running into Ryan again someday. Accompanied by an Afro-American actor who has one of the lead roles in the current Broadway production of Chicago, Deborah is just one of myriad possibilities that open up when we have representation in events such as these.

Kudos to the foundation for their handling of the event. The laureates were allowed to spend a full week in Athens and several excursions and tours had been set up.

Acropolis, the Benaki Museum, a day-trip to Delphi, the Museum of Cycladic Artifacts and special lunches and dinners as only the Greeks know how to lay out, were there for the asking. Believe me, if there’s a country that truly loves to gorge at every meal, it’s Greece – it reminded me of being back home.

As for the special awards night, it was a revelation. The laureates were ushered onto the stage, where the members of the foundation were already arrayed. Briefed on the sequence of events for the night, the laureates were then left to converse among themselves. After the audience had been seated, the orchestra entered to commence proceedings. It was like the laureates and the foundation were saying, "This center is our home for the night and as hosts we are welcoming you, the audience. And look, now that you’re seated, here’s the entertainment (enter the orchestra)."

No grand entrance for those honored that night, no frills and extravagant gestures. Yet, this was being televised live and carried by satellite to several other countries. Perhaps it had to do with Greece being the cradle of several forms of the performance arts, but there was a maturity and mark of understatement that was very much in evidence.

As for filing under "A Funny Thing Happened On My Way to the (Athens) Forum" category, we have this missive from Emmie, Ryan’s wife, "Ryan was in a meeting when Barbara, who works with the foundation, called to let him know he had won. He was stunned, and we watched him as he repeatedly said ‘Yes, Sir’ and ‘Thank You, Sir’ to whatever she was saying. Finally, he put the phone down and raised his arms in exultation. Understanding what had happened; we all laughed, as the only thing we could ask him was why he kept saying ‘Sir’ when we had all heard the secretary say there was a Barbara on the phone!"

Where and when is the next stop, Ryan?