Performers Jervi Wrightson a.k.a. KaladKaren,
drag artist Mrs. Tan, and director Kenneth De Leon.
LIVE A.I.D.S. (Ang Istoryang Dinebelop ng Samaskom), an annual live comedy musical variety show put together by the University of the Philippines’ (UP) media and communication student organization UP SAMASKOM, is back to deliver more laughs from May 9 to 11.
This time, its staging is titled A Laugh Story, which promises hilarious and bedazzling performances befitting the organization’s golden year.
Last year’s edition, titled Hysterical Revisionism, was the event’s comeback after the pandemic. Their goal this year is to mount their biggest production yet, grounded in reality to tell diverse Filipino stories, said production manager and SAMASKOM President MJ Caraan.
“Live A.I.D.S. is our way of protest,” said Ms. Caraan at a press conference on March 28. “While people may label us loud and obnoxious, hinding hindi kami mananahimik hangga’t hindi tayo pinapakinggan, hangga’t hindi nabibigyan ng lunas ang mga kanser ng lipunan (We will never be silent until we are heard, until the cancers of society are cured.).”
The show will contain ad-libs, improvisations, dances, and songs (another meaning to the “A.I.D.S.” acronym), giving both good vibes and sharp social commentary.
Ms. Caraan explained that they do this by being immersed in pop culture and viral trends, as well as current events.
For the show’s director, Kenneth De Leon, their aim is to be socially relevant amid this divisive era of fake news, in that way chronicling the history of the Philippines.
“We are storytellers of the times. If you watch the staging in 2016, you’ll understand the state of the elections then,” he said.
This year, Live A.I.D.S. run spans the three days right before the midterm elections on May 12 — a purposeful decision to be as timely as possible for Filipino voters.
Mr. De Leon said that the two-and-a-half-hour show is packed with multiple perspectives. “It tries to cater to many people. Usually the audience has their favorite segments, because there are references that may be specific to generations like millennial or Gen Z.”
To achieve this widespread sensibility, he described Live A.I.D.S. as a mix of high and lowbrow comedy, colloquially known as “aircon humor” and “kanal humor.”
Live A.I.D.S. has also served as a platform for up-and-coming performers. Some of its alumni are Kuya Kim Atienza, RS Francisco, Raymond Lauchengco, Wency Cornejo, Ate Glow, Michelle O’Bombshell, and Tuesday Vargas, among others.
Performers this year include actress, host, and TV presenter Jervi Wrightson, a.k.a. KaladKaren, and drag artist Mrs. Tan.
“Through Live A.I.D.S., I learned to see myself in a different light and feel more accepted. I started doing theater way before, in high school, but I never felt like I fit in there. Here at Live A.I.D.S., I was able to explore my artistry, through my queer lens,” Mrs. Tan said.
For Ms. Wrightson, the history of the show makes it a perfect avenue for witty and hard-hitting humor.
“The first Live A.I.D.S. was a batch project of applicants. This was around the time of the EDSA Revolution and they used it as a platform to express themselves creatively while tackling the issues of society,” she explained. “As time went by, the main market became UP students and alumni, and the LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, intersex, asexual plus) community.”
On the show’s increased visibility and promotion online, she concluded: “It really is the storyteller of the Filipino people. It has to be consumed by everyone.”
Live A.I.D.S 35: A Laugh Story, presented by the UP SAMASKOM, will be held from May 9 to 11 at the Ignacio B. Jimenez (IBG) – KAL Theater in UP Diliman, Quezon City.
Tickets range in price from P1,200 to P1,500, with a student price of P650. They are available via https://liveaids.helixpay.ph. — Brontë H. Lacsamana
