Art reflects what we see and find in society. More than the theater itself, let’s be critical to what it actually depicts. It might have flaws, katulad din ng maraming mga teatro at pelikula, but when it successfully agitates the viewers then it does its part.

When art stirs the consciousness and critical thinking of its viewers, for me it already does its part. Magalit sa totoong patriyarkal, sa lipunang walang hustisya, at sa mga kaibigang nabulag ng mga false ideologies.

When art bothers us in a manner that we reflect on ourselves, then it is successful. Hindi lahat ng solusyon ay maibibigay ng sining o akda na tila ba naghihintay tayo na ibigay sa atin ang lahat. Kung nais natin ng lahat, very structuralist yun na kailangan buong-buo at kumpleto ang lahat ng inaasahang elements sa isang kuwento.

Teka lang muna.

I believe that audiences are also co-creators and not passive viewers only.

They want justice for Joy? Then as audiences, seek for it in real life. Maraming “Joy” sa ating lipunan, at marami rin ang mga mapang-abusong tao katulad ni Konsehal. Ayaw natin sa inasal nina Emman, Anthony, at Hector? Then let us educate people like them. We still live in a society where the issues on drugs, rape, prostitution, violence, exploitation, and corruption of morality are still rampant.

Dahil hindi pa doon natatapos ang teatro.

The story and representations might all be problematic, they might have flaws. Yes that’s true. Ngunit, hindi pa iyon ang huling El Bimbo.

Hangga’t may pang-aabuso’t kawalan ng katarungan sa ating lipunan, hindi matatapos ang sayaw na ito sa ating buhay.

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Digital art retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/aheb2019run/