LOOK: A New Theater in Makati Paves the Way Forward for Performing Arts

(SPOT.ph) The older generations may remember that at one point in time, somewhere quite near the Pasig riverbanks in Makati, was the Santa Ana Race Track. Yes, kiddos, as in horses. Racing in Makati. A concept indeed; but following in that vein of massive transformations, another game-changer is coming to make its mark in the old circuit and beyond. The Samsung Performing Arts Theater in Circuit Makati opens their doors—or should we say raises their curtains—on July 14. 

The circuit is quickly cementing itself as a new cultural hub in the Metro. The latest to open in the Ayala Land flagship estate, two major productions are set to call it home in the coming months. First to open is Pat Valera’s Mula sa Buwan, a retelling of Edmond Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac, on August 26, to be followed by We Will Rock You, a rock musical featuring Queen’s greatest hits, on October 27.

A New and Complete Space

When one says “theater” it is typical for images of heritage buildings, of grand old dames, to come to mind. And perhaps in Metro Manila specifically, along with that comes the question of “How the heck am I gonna get there?” Not so with the Samsung Performing Arts Theater. As Managing Director Christopher Mohnani points out in a chat with SPOT.ph, “The main advantage of it is the location.”

Being in Circuit Makati lands the theater more or less in the center of the Metro; not too far from the south and not too far from the north, or at least not as far as those two are from each other. Cue the age-old argument of where the midpoint really is for all the drawings you have with friends from the other side. Sure, you could ride a car or drive to this new theater, but if that isn’t an option then “You could ride the jeep, ride the bus. If you want to take the ferry you could take the ferry,” adds Mohnani cheekily. Point being that the getting there isn’t something you have to think of too much. And yes, there’s parking, too.

The accessibility of the location carries over well to the theater itself. There’s no doubt to the grandeur of the place, yes, but something about its modernity rids itself of any stuffiness. The towering façade of this ten-story structure stands next to the Circuit Makati Mall’s main entrance—a clear marker that this is meant to be a hub open to anybody. A step inside leads you to an entrance hall with high ceilings that lead you to elevators all the way up to the fifth floor, where the ticket outlet is. There the spacious main hall greets you with its massive glass walls.

And then comes the auditorium itself. The Samsung Performing Arts Theater has a total of 1,500 seats, going up from the orchestra to the balcony, surrounding its stage. The last time Makati saw a theater of this scale was the grand old Rizal Theater, where Makati Shangri-La once stood.

Also read: Before Makati Shangri-La, There Was Rizal Theater

“While it has 1,500 seats, it’s magic,” says Valera, playwright, producer, and director, in a chat with SPOT.ph. “Kami, we call it an embrace,” he explains, speaking from the performers point of view, as the seats wrap around the stage. What makes the auditorium’s setup truly special is how it achieved a more intimate feel while still occupying such a large space. “It points you really to the stage,” says Valera. He was brought in by close friend Mohnani not only to stage the theater’s opening, but also as one of the theater’s first residents for his play Mula sa Buwan.

We’ll let you in on a little behind-the-scenes magic: the stage is equipped with Harlequin© sprung floors, a particular type of flooring that reduces the risk of injury for performers. To date, it is only the Samsung Performing Arts Theater that has this state-of-the-art feature in the country. And this care and attention for performers and crew can be seen as well in how well thought out the backstage was built, too.

Mohnani tells us that the theater has been in the works since 2017. Having been a professional dancer since 1993, touring in Russia and the U.S., he came back to his original home of Makati to help build this theater using his own insider knowledge. And that includes making sure that performers have everything they need; from fully-equipped dressing rooms with their own bathroom to a specialized landing dock for all the big productions soon to come.

What the Samsung Performing Theater Arts Sets the Stage for

“Theater was the first one asked to close and it's really the last one called to open. But the surprising part is that even in the middle of the pandemic it’s really the arts that helped us survive,” says Mohnani. While the opening of this theater has been in the works for around five years now, it can be said that it couldn’t have come at a better time. “There’s really no substitute for live theater, live anything.”

The stark difference in times can be felt in one of Mohnani’s last memories before March 2020 hit; of him on stage in front of a crowd of 2,000 people at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Chicago, right before he flew back to Manila. He agrees that some things will have to change for theater to continue, but as he says, “I think it's a natural for us as human beings, we have to commune together. It's just ingrained in us and that's what the theatre brings, you know, the thrill of going inside, sitting in an auditorium in the dark, watching something next to somebody you don't even know, but equally, enjoy what you see. You really can’t replicate that.”

And now that they’re finally opening their doors, the next challenge is to create works in a new space. It has been four years since the last staging of Mula sa Buwan, explains Valera. “It took a while before I [visited the theater] because, of course, during the pandemic, you’d second-guess yourself. When I finally got to step into the space in December, I told Mohnani ‘You know, I’m suddenly not afraid of the pandemic or what’s to come, I’m more afraid of how I can match our play with the space,’” he jokes. But there is definitely an added layer of pressure there, “Being the first one, first local musical to stage here, you need to be at par with the constellation of the space,” he adds.

That need to constantly reinvent, be able to tell new stories in new spaces and ways, is the spirit of this new theater. And with that newness comes inclusivity. “The space is really for everybody. That's sort of like our goal is to be open for everybody. There's really no specific residents artist or resident companies; whether it's a brand new play or an old one. What we want to do is offer a space that would let you say ‘Oh, I don't have to go out of the country to experience something like this,’ whether as a producer, or performer, or audience.”

The Samsung Performing Arts Theater is part of the “natural progression” of theatre arts, says Mohnani. “Theatre will always be around. I think our responsibility as creative directors and practitioners is to make sure that it evolves and that we carry it through time,” and the “fresh vibe” this new theatre has makes it the perfect venue for that.

Photos by Jilson Tiu

The Samsung Performing Arts Theater is at Hippodromo Street, Circuit Makati, Makati City.

For more information, head on to the Samsung Performing Arts Theater site.