The product of a lot of long days and short deadlines, this High School Musical souvenir magazine is literally a labor of love. For one, the companies behind this production, Stages and Playshop, are very close to my heart. Playshop is the magical door (ala Narnia) through which I was introduced to the world of Trumpets, my theater homebase; and Stages is like a second family in which my love for performing was nurtured and encouraged to grow. Secondly, many of the kids from this Manila staging were once students of mine at one point or another in my colorful history as a Playshop teacher. So you can imagine why this project was special!
I say "labor" because with the impossible deadlines we were given, it was nothing short of a miracle that we delivered 3,000 copies of the mag on time at all. And I say "love" because...well, how could I ever say no to a "family" project!
Every major endeavor or task leaves me a little changed, and this one certainly did. Weeks before crunch time -- the tough, final week before printing -- my spiritual encouragements were all focused on faith. Not just any kind of faith, but trusting faith. The concept was burned into my psyche for weeks. Little did I know how much I was going to need it in that crucial week before everything fell into place and came together. My faith was tested time and again, and my confidence in myself and my colleagues was constantly under attack.
Needless to say, we got through it alive -- not a little battered and bruised -- and came out still smiling and exhilarated. It was really enough that we delivered on time and had a product to be proud of in our hands. But God saw fit to reward us further. Stages loved the magazine, and even better---so did the Meralco audiences! Friends in the Stages staff say they've never looked forward to selling programs so much before. That's because, according to them, it was selling really well so far. The lines to the souvenir program table at intermission proved it.
And so, we hope that all of you who will be dropping by the Meralco Theater this month to watch High School Musical, will also get a chance to enjoy our little labor of love. Don't forget to pick up a copy the moment you get there!
