January 24th, 2008
Reflections on my limitations as an actor/artist, 2003.
best regards,
ian
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Going with the Rhythm
By Michael Ian Lomongo, 2003
Ah! If it were only possible to begin a task with the very lessons that one has gained in the process of doing it… one perhaps might be better equipped to meet the challenges posed by that task.
When I first read the script of “Rhythm Method†(in its English translation), I immediately liked it because it was both light/funny and weighty/serious. It was about Dr. Ogino Kyusaku, the doctor who first correctly determined the ovulation period of women and how he made that discovery. It had dramatic and comedic scenes, and even raised philosophical/ethical and gender issues. I thought it would be nice to take on the role of this doctor who was so consumed by his work that he didn’t know how to go about doing other things. I thought I fit the role and so told Herbie Go (the director) that I would like to audition for the role or even be the understudy for it. Herbie did give me the part.
And then I didn’t know what to do. I did some research about natural family planning and the role that Ogino played in the discovery and development of what became popularly known as the “rhythm method,†read several books on topics ranging from acting, to zen, to the female reproductive system. To help the cast get into the world of the play, we got some pointers from our director, Rody Vera (the Tagalog translator of the play), and Shoko Matsumoto. We even watched some Japanese films. I was learning a lot of things (information) but these didn’t seem to help me in my acting.
It was already several weeks into the play that I realized the gravity of the responsibility that I had so recklessly wanted. I began to panic. After all, what does one do when one finds out that he has bitten off more than he could chew? I gulped and swallowed… air, and still felt like I was drowning.
I was desperate. I knew the importance of the play. I believed in the message of the play. For me, it’s about how the love one bears for one’s profession can so consume a person that – if he doesn’t take care – everything else can get waylaid in the process, even the very people that one has professed to serve/help. One should have passion and compassion. As a passionate man of science, Ogino realized that it is his very compassion and love for all the women in his life – his wife, mother, nurse, patients – and their support for him that in the end made it possible for him to finish his thesis.
The cast learned a lot of things about Japanese culture. Each one had to make adjustments about the way he/she carried his/her body. We had to keep reminding ourselves about Japanese formalism and the economy of movement. The women, especially those who had to wear kimonos, had to get used to a different way of walking. Sometimes, we’d be overly conscious about the restriction of body movements. Other times, especially when excited, all these things would be forgotten. It was a real effort to approximate Japanese thought and behavior. In the end, we also learned that the play worked not only because it was Japanese, but because it was also very Filipino. It addressed concerns that are at the heart of contemporary Filipino life and culture.
In the process of learning the play and how to go about doing it, I too learned a lot of things about myself: about my present limitations as an actor, about the extent of my desire to become an artist, about the depths of my passion as a person, and my stamina as a warrior.
Every show was a constant battle in my head to overcome my tensions and fears. I was one great big bundle of nerves. There were times when I won, and there were times when they got the better of me. I couldn’t relax and let go. I was mostly out of rhythm. Still, the shows were a success. It was a good thing that the material was great and my co-actors and director not only talented, but also blessed with great reserves of patience. I know I wouldn’t have managed without their – as well as my family’s and friends’ – support.
Yes, with the support and help of a great number of people, I did go through the ordeal and survived the shows. Like Ogino, I learned that the accomplishment of the task wouldn’t have been possible without all the people around me.
I know now that I can do it. I just need to believe in myself and be committed to the doing of the task. And after having done all I can, to just relax and let go. To go with the flow. To go with the “hyoshi.†To go with the rhythm.