Fly High and Rest in Power, Joel!

Langgam Performance Troupe is deeply devastated by the sudden loss of our artistic associate, resident collaborator, and dearest friend, Joel Garcia. Joel was instrumental to the growth and development of Langgam since its formation in 2015, offering varied skills in shaping the independent performance company both administratively and artistically. His versatile talent in performance has made him an ideal actor in a lot of our experimental works, including swear not by the moon (2015), Somewhere Else Instead (2019), The Launch of Janus (2019), Sana del Mundo (or Hopefully of the World) (2020), The Head What Else (2020- 2021), and [KOSMOS] (2021). But his most notable work was his one-man show of Pangulong Bangaw (2023), where he took on the amazing challenge of single-handedly performing an adaptation of William Golding's The Lord of the Flies. His work in Pangulong Bangaw gained critical acclaim amongst audiences, peers, and critics in the independent theater and film circuit. This was also his last finished work with Langgam.

Aside from being an actor, Joel also served as a fantastic connector to many of Langgam's collaborators, making him a significant player in building Langgam's community of artists. He was also a dedicated mentor, ready to impart his knowledge and expertise to curious students and young, aspiring actors in all of our Langgam workshops and beyond.

His talent, presence, commitment, and generosity are truly unmatched. Needless to say, Langgam will never be the same without him.

In line with this, Langgam has decided to take an indefinite pause in its projects and operations in order to give time to process our grief for such an important member of our family. We ask you all to join us in our prayers for the peace and comfort of his wife, Jacq, and their two daughters as they navigate through this difficult time.

We love you very much, Joel. You lived a rich, inspiring, and brave life. We will always miss you.