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Shanaia and Angela share their experiences from their first theater play 

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Liezel dela Cruz

<p>No cuts and retakes. Actors must perform on stage in front of a live audience. Theater acting is not easy. However, newbies Shanaia Gomez and Angela Ken are up for the challenge. The two have made their theater debut in the musical “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” which opened last February and will continue to run until March. </p><p>The show has been getting positive reviews, for which Angela and Shanaia are grateful. “It’s such a great feeling kasi for us to go into something super new for the both of us, and going in na walang expectation, we’re just gonna do our best, and the fact that people are acknowledging our hard work, it really motivates us to do even better for the next shows,” expressed Shanaia. </p><div><ivs-player data-ivs-key="06b9cac5decc13edae3497a22831561a" data-ivs-spid="3001384" data-ivs-vid="2982161"></ivs-player></div><div><script src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/js/loader.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>Just like the rest of the young cast, Shanaia and Angela had to go through the audition process. They were encouraged by Star Magic to just try and see where it will take them. They didn’t even know who and what to expect in the audition. They were surprised to see each other at the venue, at the same time, they found comfort that there were familiar faces to go through the nerve-wracking process with. </p><p>Shanaia had always dreamed of broadening her artistic horizons through theater, although she thought it a dream beyond reach. Unlike Shanaia, Angela’s debut audition was for “Tabing Ilog The Musical” but unfortunately, she didn’t got a role. No hard feelings, she simply acknowledged that it was not the perfect moment for her yet. So, when she finally landed her first theater role via “Spelling Bee,” she dedicated herself to thorough preparation. </p><p>“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” is an award-winning interactive Broadway production about middle schoolers competing for the spelling championship. Shanaia takes on the role of Marcy Park, a high-achieving student grappling with the challenge of making her own choices. She alternates performances with AC Bonifacio.</p><div><ivs-player data-ivs-key="06b9cac5decc13edae3497a22831561a" data-ivs-spid="3001384" data-ivs-vid="2982162"></ivs-player></div><div><script src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/js/loader.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>Meanwhile, Angela shares the role of Olive Ostrovsky with Krystal Brimner. In contrast to Marcy, Olive is the timid new student who is content with being alone, whose best friend is the dictionary and has child-like imagination. </p><p>As &quot;Spelling Bee&quot; is a musical interactive comedy, it also picks random spellers from the audience apart from the actual guest spellers, so it brings an extra level of enjoyment for everyone. “It really means the whole audience is part of the show. Parang walang wall. We’re all in one world,” said Shanaia. While the interactive aspect can be nerve-wracking as the cast must be on their toes for unexpected events, they find it thrilling at the same time. </p><p>Asked the similarities between theater and on-screen performances, Angela noted that both are forms of expression requiring a similar level of awareness and professionalism. However, she emphasized that theater demands heightened focus since there are no cuts and edits. </p><p>“Every show that we perform in, we give our all. We always think na, ‘Ito na ‘yung last show natin. Kailangan ibigay na natin lahat.’ I’m very happy din na ganu’n ‘yung mindset namin lahat sa Spelling Bee,” expressed Angela. </p><p>Catch the last two shows of “<em>The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee</em>” at the PowerMac Center Spotlight Theater in Circuit Makati. <br/> </p>

Shanaia Gomez and Angela Ken describe the similarities between theater and on-screen performances. 