Direk Freddie Santos: Theater only has one purpose, to tell a story

Renowned Filipino theater and concert director Freddie Santos said theater is in a confused state on how it can cope with the “new normal” in the midst of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. 

“Right now, it’s in a very confused state. People either don’t know what to do or they’re looking for something to do. They’re coming up with all sorts of things to do. But in the process, we don’t determine a new normal for theater,” he said during an online interview.

He then stressed that theater itself has to have a new normal. 

Direk Freddie explained that one of the problems facing theater is that people have gotten accustomed to peak productions, meaning productions that are intricately designed, acted, lit, and staged. It has become a standard that people expect. 

“They have to understand, theater never began that way and, right now, always, when you can’t look forward, look back; look back and it’ll tell you how to look forward,” he said.

He also said people need to fully understand what the goal of theater is, which has never changed.

“A lot of theater people really make the mistake as to what the purpose of theater is. Theater only has one purpose: to tell a story,” the director said.

“You skip out on that, you will end up getting lost in the quagmire of things. But you stick to that and, believe me, a piece of paper will be all you need,” he added.

He said that with all of the problems that the country is facing, the path that theater will take next is hard to determine.

“Because people are too busy getting upset about it, getting optimistic about it, getting hopeful, getting whatever, but none of them are getting united about it,” Santos said.

Direk Freddie advised theater actors and actresses to be realistic about the situation when coping with the pandemic.

He said they will have to admit whether they are willing or not to work with any other system. 

“If you can’t, then might as well go. Find something else to do,” Direk Freddie said.

He stressed that the most important thing during the crisis is to be alive and well.

 

He also suggested that actors and actresses should adjust, same as what people in other career areas are doing. As long as they are willing to adjust, the artform will not be dead.

“We strive, we fight, we adjust for today,” the director said. “We don’t compromise, we don’t settle, but we adjust.”