All I Want SG – Director’s Notes

I am a firm believer in serendipity. For me, life has been a series of happy coincidences, with things falling into place in ways I never thought possible. Everything from getting into theatre to coming to Singapore has been a product of serendipity.

And so it is with this Singapore staging of All I Want. Despite two successful stagings in Manila in 2008, not to mention a short film version, I never really thought about putting it up here. I never even dreamed of directing my own work (I made a conscious decision back then that I wouldn’t direct my own plays). But things have a funny way of falling into place. By some twist of fate, I picked up a copy of MyPaper one morning (something I don’t do very often), which happened to have an article about the SPORE Art Salon. I sent an email indicating that I was interested in staging All I Want at a future Art Salon, and the rest, as they say, is history.

This project has been a godsend for all involved. It brought together people who were frustrated creatively, who haven’t been involved in anything theatrical or creative in a long time. The opportunity to explore, direct, perform, and even memorize lines was a welcome blessing for all of us. For that, much love and thanks go out to Ryan Daniel Beck for bringing the Art Salon to Singapore. A million thanks as well goes to the SPORE crew here in Singapore – Olivia, Wendell, Kitty, and everyone else behind the scenes – for giving this little one-act romantic comedy a shot.

“The most fun moments are the unplanned ones,” says Vince at the end of the play, and it certainly describes the experience of putting up the show. I had a blast working with my talented actors, Jason Miller and Crista Leopardi. I am grateful for the time and energy that they spent on this little production, not to mention the feedback and input that they provided during the rehearsal process. We strove to keep the atmosphere light, especially considering this was an unpaid side project, and I think that sense of fun was nothing but good for the show.

The experience would not be complete without a couple of aces up my sleeve. Thank you Ace Bigcas for being our Stage Manager on such short notice, and helping us promote the show all over USS. Thank you Ace Patrick Dequina for the gorgeous photography and the amazing poster that has made my friends from back home even more jealous that they can’t see the show.

Thanks to everyone who has showed their support in one way or another, both here in Singapore and back home in the Philippines. It means a lot to me and my crew that you’re all supporting not just our effort, but the arts as a whole.

I hope you enjoy the show!

Photography by Ace Patrick Dequina.