EXCLUSIVE: Everything's getting better with The Bitter Writer of Ampalaya Monologues, Mark Ghosn

Guys, ang bilis talaga ng panahon, last year eh mga ganito nung hindi ako nakapunta sa press con ng Ampalaya Monlogues, hehe. (Sorry na, hindi ako successful sa paghati ng katawan.) Pero bawal magpatalo. For this year, isang exclusive interview tungkol sa buhay-buhay, patay-patay na feelings, at mga pagmo-move-on sa mga mas mabubuting bagay ang binigay sa akin ng ating celebrity writer na friend na rin ngayon na si Mark.

Hinga ng malalim.

Basa:

Saul: Hi, Mark. Congratulations on the release of your book and I'm sure the anniversary show will be a success! Balik-tanaw muna tayo. Tell me, what was the last project you were working on before you started your first monologue.

 Mark: Thank you Tito. 2015 was a very busy year for me cause that was the year I decided I’m gonna go back to doing theatre. So I just finished attending workshops with Sipat Lawin Ensemble and Tanghalang Pilipino. Tapos, TAP just had its first prod, which was the site-specific theatre-in-the-dark play entitled Mga Multo ni Mang Roque, na naging part ng Karnabal Festival 2015. I also had my first Virgin LabFest Reading. Tapos may small role din in Ang Larawan movie, I think na-edit out na, haha. I was so busy that the marketing for Ampalaya Monologues had started already but I haven’t finished writing a single script yet, haha.

S: Ang ganda nung may marketing na pero wala pang script! Gusto ko iyan, very confident sa abilities mo. Eh sino pa ba ang magdududa sa isang Mark Ghosn? So nung may script na, which turned out to be your first monologue? Eto pa, I noticed that there are a lot of point of views and the monologues are very varied. Was your first monologue from a personal experience or from a friend's?

M: The first one I’ve written was ‘Sa Pagitan ng Tayo Ba at Hindi Na’, that was the easiest one for me to write cause it is based on a personal experience. Although for the other monologues, even though based sila sa mga taong kilala ko, I try to insert personal references as well, but this one kasi, halos 100% akin talaga.

S: Kumusta na kaya si personal experience ngayon? Joke lang, sa ibang usapan na iyon. Eto, much more relevant, what's your creative process for creating monologues that are not from your personal experience?

M: I research a lot, as in a lot. Favorite part ko kasi yun. So I set aside yung pagiging introvert ko tapos I talk to a lot of people na hindi nila alam na pino-profile ko na pala sila, haha. Although lately sila na mismo yung lumalapit para magkwento or magsend ng stories nila so mas madali. Tapos basa ng mga articles, mga facts and all, syempre dapat accurate, bawal fake news, haha. So 90% ay research, tapos kapag feeling ko puno na yung research meter ko, uupuan ko na yan ng mga dalawa hanggang tatlong oras para isulat.

S: Tama! Dapat facts only tayo! So, eto na nga, which one is easier to write, personal experience monologues o yung sa iba?

M: Mas madali yung personal, pero mas masaya yung hindi. Nabo-bore ako kapag personal. For me kasi, I like creating stories eh, I like creating human beings. Parang ang pangit pakinggan ng creating human beings, haha. Pero yun, I like the idea of stepping into other people’s shoes and seeing things through their perspective. At saka wala naman akong masyadong personal kasi nga di ba, hindi pa naman ako nagiging officially in a relationship ever.

S: OfficiaI? Label lang iyan, cheret. Try mo minsan to step into my shoes, feel ko maluwag. Cheret again! Moving forward tayo kasi naka-shoes ka na. I know that what's next for you is dialogues. How different would dialogues be for the audience?

M: Ang worry ko talaga, baka mag-iba. Kasi di ba, Ampalaya Monologues is known for the wit, yung mga relatable lines, tapos may moment na hindi mo inaasahang mapapaiyak ka na lang. So when I was watching the rehearsals, sobrang na-amaze ako. Ang galing kasi kung pipikit ka, it still feels like you’re watching Ampalaya Monologues pero dalawa na yung taong naririnig mo na nag-fi-feed sa feelings mo. So same Ampalaya but twice the bitterness.

S: Try ko pumikit sa show, ha. Pero baka pagmulat ko wala na pala kayo. Joke lang, huwag niyong gagawin yun. Pero teka, curious ako, who's your dream ka-dialogue?

M: Fave ko kasi talaga si Claudine, kaya if mapapansin mo sa mga monologues ko may paulit-ulit na linya, kasi sa kanya ko nakuha yun. Haha. Yung paulit-ulit yung sinasabi pero iba-iba yung subtext or unit. So siya.

S: Ako naman, si Dua Lipa ngayon. Gagawa kami ng maraming rules! Labo lang, mai-share ko lang. Eto na, tell us the details of your Anniversary show. Ibang Ampalaya Monologues ba ang makikita namin dito?

M: So we will have 12 spoken word artists, and as you know Tito di ba, we only choose yung feeling namin pinakamagagaling sa panahon ngayon. May new monologues din. May music courtesy of COLOVE, and yung highlight is yung 6 one-act plays.

As we always promise, it’s going to be a feels-fest. Babaha ng feelings talaga. And I think kasi what makes a Team Ampalaya show different, and this one I’m so proud to say, yung entertainment at level ng artistry na pine-present namin ay iba sa mga karaniwan. Hindi lang kami pero kasama na rin yung mga guest artists. Tried and tested na kumbaga.

Ampalaya Dialogues #TwoIsBitterThanOne
October 14. 2017 | 7PM
The PETA Theatre Center
Limited tickets for this one night only event is P500 only. Message us for availability (www.m.me/AmpalayaMonologues)

Note: Video taking is prohibited during performances.

See you there!

S: Ang ganda, level up talaga. Expecting ako kasi I know you can deliver. Sige, yun lang muna for now. Thank you, Mark, ha! See you!

Less than a month na lang pala 'to! Siguraduhin mo nang may tickets ka, ha! See you sa October 14!