Theater Beginners' Workshop at Casa San Miguel, Zambales

Jenny, Blonski, and Jaz, in coordination with Sir Soliman Cruz, drove up to Casa San Miguel in lovely Zambales and spent an entire day helping local students develop their skills in movement, awareness, and improvisation. The students learned some theater and storytelling fundamentals, and were able to show their parents and guardians what they learned.

Casa San Miguel in Zambales is owned and managed by Sir Alfonso "Coke" Bolipata

Casa San Miguel is a wonderful art space about 15 mins away from the town center of San Antonio, Zambales. It is a home for music, visual arts, and of course, theater, and serves as a hub for the vibrant art scene in the region.

Class photos with the morning group (left) and afternoon group (right).

On a sunny February Sunday, students from the local school came over to the art space to participate in the beginners’ theater workshop. There were two batches of about 20 each, a mix of younger children and young adults. While artists in residence played violins on the second floor, the workshop participants pretended to be monsters and mirrors. They played with imaginary transforming objects, learned to be aware of each other as they moved at various paces, and grew sensitive to each others’ movements as they collectively sat down and stood up, an activity that was more challenging than it seemed. In the shade of a large tree, the participants discovered the joy and difficulties of theater practice, and how it should ultimately be an endeavour that one respects, works on, but ultimately enjoys.

The workshop was capped by a short demonstration of the activities the participants went through in front of the parents and guardians who were there, followed by a brief discussion led by the facilitators about the value and purpose of each exercise.

Jenny and Jaz taught a variety of theater games appropriate for children.

Conducting workshops is very much part of the DNA of Langgam, and the facilitators certainly enjoyed it as much as the smiling, laughing participants did.

To know more about Casa San Miguel and their programs, check out their website at https://casasanmiguel-artcenter.org/ .