kultura

Desire and disappearance in “Stageshow”*

It is rare that a stage production brings me to tears, and I remember two that have: Repertory Philippines’ “Next Fall” and Atlantis Productions’ “Next To Normal.”

An empty stage, a small group of actors, a filled heart for “Stageshow.”

Yet, it seems to be an injustice to “Stageshow” that I would compare it at all to these. Because here is a Mario O’Hara text, brought to life by Tanghalang Pilipino, making it an all-original Filipino production. And did I mention it’s a musicale, too? That it’s funny, at times risqué, absolutely what you don’t expect? This is reason enough to think this in a league different from those foreign productions staged locally; then you find yourself in tears at the end of it and you know this is something rare and wonderful.

Days since, this “Stageshow” hangover is beyond me. (more…)

komentaryo

on kabastusan and Akbayan

because to me the ultimate kabastusan, what is truly disgusting, is to pretend to be of the marginalized, when you are so obviously already in prized posts in Malacanang, and at this point are coming off as a presidential sister, too.

you might imagine your kabastusan the acceptable kind, but you are no better than Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo making her son and allies run for partylist rep. for all your anti-GMA rhetoric PNoy, you are becoming like her in many ways. complete with wanting to silence critics. good job.

we focus on the burgis notions of kabastusan? we silence the more valid questions.

(more…)

komentaryo

wanted: cyber righteous indignation

notes on day 1 of the Cybercrime Law’s enforcement: or is gov’t paying attention?

1. no, because the senators who are now for amending it are only talking about the libel clause. that is not the only problem with this law.

2. no, because while i’ve done it for my social media accounts and other blogs, i know it is easy to ignore the blacked out sites and the blacked out profile pics and cover photos on twitter and FB. it is after all entirely possible that the government is thinking: yehey! no slogans and images that are painfully about us. black is good! also this: the blackout re SOPA and PIPA was powerful because the major sites (wikipedia, google) supported it. in the Philippines, the more powerful blackout would be of media sites (GMA, Inquirer, Philippine Star, ABS-CBN, Rappler), maybe of big business. the blackout of our individual blogs? it would just mean not having an alternative to those media sites. (more…)

komentaryo

Cybercrime ba ‘to ser? Rally: October 2 2012!

komentaryo

Enrile’s memoir, and defamation

on pages 648 to 650 of Juan Ponce Enrile, A Memoir (2012) Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile (and his editor Nelson Navarro and publisher ABS-CBN Publishing) falsely accuse my mother Angela Stuart-Santiago of writing “unpardonable falsehood” that was “meant intentionally and maliciously to tarnish <Enrile’s> name and <his> role in the 1986 EDSA Revolution. <Stuart-Santiago’s book> intended to portray me as a disresputable, despicable and a double-crosser.” <bad english not mine> (page 649).

does this count as defamation and libel? (more…)