Friday, May 7, 2010
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Allan Manalo
Allan Manalo’s abbreviated acting workshop was a great change of pace for the class. His lecture created a historical platform for the fil-am community in San Francisco. And it was great to see such a striving sense of community and respect for the arts, in a culture that seems so built on industries such as law, medical practice, and engineering. And from what I understand, Bindlestiff studio appears to create work that speaks directly to the fil-am experience.
I think his comedic tone really helped lighten the mood and break the ice. His exercises got the class to interact with one another, and personally woke me from my usual morning daze. He revealed performance to be a more complicated act of mind, body, and voice that went beyond the superficial surface often associated with acting and comedy. Not having much experience with Philippine cultural nights and organizations, Allan’s presentation gave me a new perspective on such collective communities. His work and that of other performing artist address cultural identity in a refreshing manner, reformatting commonly accepted stereotypes and issues in a contemporary fashion. Overall, I found his lecture engaging and a means of better examining my cultural experience through that of a bigger community.
His passion and dedication to art and ability speak to the community of Bay Area fil-ams was exciting to see, first hand. As much as we’ve discussed the work of artists within this perspective, it doesn’t seem to compare to observing someone dismantle and examine their own process. Additionally, as a person hoping to work within the arts field, it is great to be able to hear about individual experiences and backgrounds from someone active in the community.
I think his comedic tone really helped lighten the mood and break the ice. His exercises got the class to interact with one another, and personally woke me from my usual morning daze. He revealed performance to be a more complicated act of mind, body, and voice that went beyond the superficial surface often associated with acting and comedy. Not having much experience with Philippine cultural nights and organizations, Allan’s presentation gave me a new perspective on such collective communities. His work and that of other performing artist address cultural identity in a refreshing manner, reformatting commonly accepted stereotypes and issues in a contemporary fashion. Overall, I found his lecture engaging and a means of better examining my cultural experience through that of a bigger community.
His passion and dedication to art and ability speak to the community of Bay Area fil-ams was exciting to see, first hand. As much as we’ve discussed the work of artists within this perspective, it doesn’t seem to compare to observing someone dismantle and examine their own process. Additionally, as a person hoping to work within the arts field, it is great to be able to hear about individual experiences and backgrounds from someone active in the community.
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