THE MALE VOICE
NVC marks milestone with ‘The Male Voice’
By Rito P. Asilo
IT’S A LITTLE IRONIC for a theater group known for its provocative and groundbreaking feminist productions—from David Mamet’s “Oleanna” and Diane Shaffer’s “Sacrilege” to Caryl Churchill’s “Top Girls” and Eve Ensler’s “The Vagina Monologues”—to celebrate its 15th anniversary with a devised play called “The Male Voice” (TMV).
Rare pairing
But, through the years, the New Voice Company—or its founder, Monique Wilson—has always managed to keep its productions exciting and dynamic by cooking up shows that are as uniquely entertaining as they are thematically relevant. “TMV” will have a limited run on May 22, 23 and 31 at the RCBC Theater at 8 p.m. (Call 896-5497, or email nvc@pldtdsl. net), and will be followed in August by a play that will feature the rare pairing of two theatrical icons.
Tommy Abuel, Michael Williams, Jamie Wilson and Joaqui Valdes, last seen together in NVC’s acclaimed restaging of Stephen Sondheim’s “Into The Woods,” reunite to breathe life into the play’s dramatic and hilarious true-to-life stories, culled from interviews that aim to examine gender issues and the roots of violence as seen from the male perspective. Nope, the scenes don’t make any judgment about the subject matter they tackle, but they prove that the polish of fiction is no match for the power of unsullied truth, honesty and candor.
Indispensable element
The concept of “TMV” was born in 2003, when Eve Ensler decided to include men in her annual “VDay” benefit shows. The new development in the feisty feminist’s controversial advocacy immediately made sense to Monique’s theater group: After all, how do you address the problem of violence against women if you don’t include an indispensable element—men—in that contentious equation?
The series of workshops and interviews with a diverse group of men that followed at the New Voice studio gave birth to a short but highly acclaimed segment of the “VDay” show at the AFP Theater that year.
Next month, New Voice expounds further on that theme by bringing onstage touching, rib-tickling and eye-opening stories of men from all walks of life: Artists, students, priests, gay and straight men, illegal Filipino workers abroad, macho dancers, businessmen, male prostitutes, military men, abused children, doctors, etc. Interestingly, it was easier for some of them to share their colorful stories or discuss their sexuality than answer questions like: “What does it take to be a man?”
Inch-long scar
For instance, a young military officer, Dennis, recounted how horrified he was as he witnessed how eight cosoldiers seated across him inside a military truck “dropped like flies” during an ambush by leftist insurgents in Cebu (he barely escaped death after a bullet grazed his forehead, leaving an inch-long scar). But, it took Dennis some time to answer when he was confronted with the question: “Should real men cry?”
Dennis’ story is just one of many featured in next month’s “The Male Voice.”
NEW VOICE COMPANY
NVC Actors Studio
8020 Tanguile Street, San Antonio Village,
Makati City 1203 Philippines
Tel Nos: (63-2) 896-5497 / 896-6695
Email Address: nvc@pldtdsl. net
Website: www.newvoicecompany .com
NVC marks milestone with ‘The Male Voice’
By Rito P. Asilo
IT’S A LITTLE IRONIC for a theater group known for its provocative and groundbreaking feminist productions—from David Mamet’s “Oleanna” and Diane Shaffer’s “Sacrilege” to Caryl Churchill’s “Top Girls” and Eve Ensler’s “The Vagina Monologues”—to celebrate its 15th anniversary with a devised play called “The Male Voice” (TMV).
Rare pairing
But, through the years, the New Voice Company—or its founder, Monique Wilson—has always managed to keep its productions exciting and dynamic by cooking up shows that are as uniquely entertaining as they are thematically relevant. “TMV” will have a limited run on May 22, 23 and 31 at the RCBC Theater at 8 p.m. (Call 896-5497, or email nvc@pldtdsl. net), and will be followed in August by a play that will feature the rare pairing of two theatrical icons.
Tommy Abuel, Michael Williams, Jamie Wilson and Joaqui Valdes, last seen together in NVC’s acclaimed restaging of Stephen Sondheim’s “Into The Woods,” reunite to breathe life into the play’s dramatic and hilarious true-to-life stories, culled from interviews that aim to examine gender issues and the roots of violence as seen from the male perspective. Nope, the scenes don’t make any judgment about the subject matter they tackle, but they prove that the polish of fiction is no match for the power of unsullied truth, honesty and candor.
Indispensable element
The concept of “TMV” was born in 2003, when Eve Ensler decided to include men in her annual “VDay” benefit shows. The new development in the feisty feminist’s controversial advocacy immediately made sense to Monique’s theater group: After all, how do you address the problem of violence against women if you don’t include an indispensable element—men—in that contentious equation?
The series of workshops and interviews with a diverse group of men that followed at the New Voice studio gave birth to a short but highly acclaimed segment of the “VDay” show at the AFP Theater that year.
Next month, New Voice expounds further on that theme by bringing onstage touching, rib-tickling and eye-opening stories of men from all walks of life: Artists, students, priests, gay and straight men, illegal Filipino workers abroad, macho dancers, businessmen, male prostitutes, military men, abused children, doctors, etc. Interestingly, it was easier for some of them to share their colorful stories or discuss their sexuality than answer questions like: “What does it take to be a man?”
Inch-long scar
For instance, a young military officer, Dennis, recounted how horrified he was as he witnessed how eight cosoldiers seated across him inside a military truck “dropped like flies” during an ambush by leftist insurgents in Cebu (he barely escaped death after a bullet grazed his forehead, leaving an inch-long scar). But, it took Dennis some time to answer when he was confronted with the question: “Should real men cry?”
Dennis’ story is just one of many featured in next month’s “The Male Voice.”
NEW VOICE COMPANY
NVC Actors Studio
8020 Tanguile Street, San Antonio Village,
Makati City 1203 Philippines
Tel Nos: (63-2) 896-5497 / 896-6695
Email Address: nvc@pldtdsl. net
Website: www.newvoicecompany .com
