VOICES RING!

The New Voice Company took the theater road less traveled and now, ten years later, founder Monique Wilson looks back on the road littered with success.

It is hard to imagine how ten years have passed since we mounted our first New Voice Company production: David Mamet’s Oleanna. The company’s vision was to produce socially provocative theater–theater that enlightens, inspires, educates, informs and incites to action.

Ten years ago not a few people told me it was an impractical vision. They couldn’t connect how theater could indeed be a powerful catalyst for change, how theater could awaken. Having grown up in the theater, been a theater arts student at UP, performed in the West End for Miss Saigon and then pursuing further studies at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts (and recently receiving my MA at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London), though I was a neophyte producer ten years ago, I knew enough to never underestimate the power of theater to transform, and the capacity of Filipinos to embrace and accept good theater. A decade later, and now celebrating our 10th year anniversary with the musical CABARET, the New Voice Company is going strong–and never once have we had to compromise our vision.

If I were to be asked what were some of the most memorable moments NVC has had over the years, it would be too numerous to itemize. But few moments stand out –moments where you just knew the right choices had been made, despite the agonizing challenge of promoting theater in the Philippines.

Our first production Oleanna, of course, stands out as the show that was our baptism of fire. The subject of sexual harassment was not a conversational topic ten years ago. Many thought no one would watch a show about such a serious and political topic. When audiences, young and old alike, stayed after the performance to have heated discussions about what they had just seen onstage, the challenge of pushing the boundaries of what live theater can do felt absolutely worth it.

Another memorable production was Tony Kushner’s Angels In America–both parts, "Millenium Approaching" and "Perestroika". Though there were challenges with the cast and director, the subject matter of the play–AIDS and homosexuality–and the fact that audiences came in droves to see it, was enough to realize that theater that is honest and intellectually and emotionally provocative knows no boundaries.

Ten years later, we have decided to get the rights to the production again and re-stage it sometime soon, simply to re-visit what we didn’t see then. Having met and gotten to know the author, Tony Kushner, in London a few years ago (he happens to be a good friend of Vagina Monologues playwright Eve Ensler) makes it even more exciting for us to do it a second time around.

Caryl Churchill’s Top Girls, about women’s experiences as they juggle life, motherhood and work, was a milestone production for NVC. Not only did the cast consist of one of Manila’s finest actresses, the subject matter of the play also opened up many dimensions for the company. It would be years later that we would come to identify ourselves as one of the few theater groups to focus on feminist theater (with the immense success of The Vagina Monologues), but the seed began with Top Girls–and was soon followed by successful feminist theater pieces such as I Am A Woman (about sexual identity and the grey areas of relationships) and My Sister In This House (about oppression and incest).

Certainly, one of the most memorable productions of NVC–one that has consistently enjoyed critical, financial and international success–is Eve Ensler’s The Vagina Monologues. The show opened in 2000, has played to full houses and rave reviews ever since, and shows no sign of ending. To date, the NVC English production of the play has been performed in Manila every year for four years, with stars from all walks of the arts industry performing in rotation.

Since 2000, the NVC production has also been performed in Hong Kong (four runs), Singapore (three runs) and now in Tokyo, where NVC has just acquired the rights for three years. Both the English and Filipino versions of the play continue to tour the Philippines.

Of course, the highlight for us with The Vagina Monologues, aside from the stellar Philippine cast it continues to attract to this day, is Eve Ensler’s visit last 2002 for one of our VDay gala fundraising productions. I still cannot quite believe that in one unforgettable night, we had over 70 Filipina stars in one performance, and Eve Ensler (who flew in from New York and stayed in Manila all of 48 hours) onstage at the Folk Arts Theater with us, to raise awareness about violence against women and raise funds for local women’s groups. The energy that night was palpable, and judging from the thousands of people who showed up and the never-ending thunderous applause that night, the spirit, energy and talent of women who come together onstage for a cause is powerful and unstoppable.

Last June, as I was in Tokyo directing the Japanese version of the play (with interpreters) with three Japanese actresses, I realized how far NVC has come. Not only has the company branched out outside the Philippines, producing many productions around Asia (and recently, Classical Monique a one woman show, at the Edinburgh Theater Festival in Scotland), the company now has a mature and experienced resident company of actors, and also a pool of directors and a dynamic artistic and production team.

On top of that we now have a home: the New Voice Company Actors Studio in Makati, where we hold office, rehearse our productions and create new work. The NVC Actors Studio is a professional base where year-long theater training programs in the performing arts, direction and production are offered. It is also a base where new and experimental works are created. Next year we are opening New Voice Company-London, where we will produce original Filipino works in English for an international audience in the West End.

The productions of NVC in the last two years have continued to define the company’s vision. One will never forget the excitement and dynamism of seeing new and incredible young talents hold their own in challenging and difficult plays such as Diana Son’s Stop Kiss (about two women who fall in love and the violent discrimination they face), or seeing two theater veterans play over 20 characters in the heartwarming play Stones In His Pockets (about the often inhumane qualities of the film industry).

Recently, another unforgettable theater moment happened at NVC. Staging the feminist play Sacrilege, by Diane Shaffer–about why women cannot be priests within the Catholic Church–was a risk and a challenge because of its sensitive and delicate subject matter. Seeing priests and nuns give Tami Monsod and the rest of the cast a standing ovation every night gives you a humbling realization that the risks the company took were well worth it.

Next step for us is CABARET the musical — our tenth anniversary presentation next month at the Music Museum. We have assembled a dream cast for the production– theater stars and stage veterans who have graced our productions when we were starting out many years ago. Joining me in the cast are Michael Williams, Jamie Wilson, Roselyn Perez, Tami Monsod, Lynn Sherman, Pheona Baranda, Amparo Sietereales and veterans who have recently joined our productions such as Joel Trinidad, Jenny Jamora, Jake Macapagal, Leo Rialp, John Mulhall as well as long-time theater friends like Tita Joy Virata and Bonggoy Mahanan, who are joining us for the first time.

We have not only assembled a dream cast but also a dream team: Rito Asilo who is co-directing with me, Martin Esteva who lit our first production, Denis Lagdameo who is responsible for many of our sets over the years, Bond Samson leading the Ugoy Ugoy Band–all of whom have worked with us since our Chess the musical days in 1996, John Mulhall for vocal supervision, and young exciting talents working with NVC for the first time like Nelson Caruncho (individual voice coach for the leads), Dexter Santos for choreography, with Jeff Garcia as dance captain.

Ten years is a long time–a decade where we have grown and learned–and we look forward to many more decades of creating exciting and innovative theater. Despite the challenges and the risks, the New Voice Company will continue to give audiences theater that questions rather than gives answers, that inspires because it is revolutionary rather than reactionary, and that will always be a force for change.

CABARET runs at the Music Museum from Nov. 5 to Dec. 4, with Friday and Saturday shows at 8pm, and additional Thursday evening performances for the last two weekends. For tickets call the New Voice Company at 896-6695; e-mail [email protected]; website www.newvoicecompany.com. Tickets also available at Ticketworld outlets (891-9999).