Another Side of the Stage

I find I may have to seriously re-think the way I handle my thesis.

A few days ago I ran into a good friend of mine, Kuya, John Lazam. As present, he's working on his MA thesis on the biography of Professor Tony Mabesa. After we exchanged pleasantries, we each asked how our respective theses were going. His was doing rather well, albeit a study subject with a flighty schedule( a directorial job in Pampangga plus rush alerts for tapings of a TV show). when I shared with him how my thesis had to ... progress in its own way, he advised me to include in my study The UP Playwright's Theater.

Why so?

One: The UPPT, as Kuya John briefed me on, is under the umbrella of Dulaang UP, as with Dulaang Laboratoryo.

Two: Sir Tony Mabesa himself found the UPPT. There's even a story to it. I'll try to look into it as soon as I can.

Three: It's here that Sir Tony has worked the most with Filipino playwrights, apparently.

Four: Nick Pichay's KOMEDI. KOMEDI presented three one-act plays directed by Sir Tony, and interestingly, the last one was written or tailor-made for Sir Tony. According to Kuya John who was there to observe the production process, the script went through a lot of changes over the discussions between director and playwright; the ending itse;f had come a long way from first writing to last.

What to do, what to do.

To be honest, the prospect of taking on more work in my thesis scares me. I mean, I imagine as my thesis stands there'll be many interviews to conduct, recorded plays to be viewed, scripts to be read, et al. With UPPT looming over the horizon, that will mean more work for the "In" box. On the other hand, this will mean if I pull it off well, my thesis will be comprehensive, seeing the direcotr-playwright relationship from both two sides of the UP theater spectrum.

I'm beginning to have this feeling that I owe it to my thesis to be comprehensive, even if it be the death of me. Which is good, in a way. It would be the right thing to do. I just wish it didn't sound so scary.