Kudos to Palanca award-winning playwright Layeta Bucoy and veteran actor/director Audie Gemora for the successful portrayal of Balag at Angud.
It’s indeed something all inspiring artists can draw inspiration from, but what piqued my interest the most is how Balag at Angud touches the new generation.
I’m not an artist, but I can certainly relate to Junyee’s character in the play. His character wasn’t just relatable. It was also inspiring. What does Balag at Angud teach millennials?
You Can Be Different.
Being different can be scary sometimes, but whenever life scares us, remember Junyee. His father thought his art was trash. He had to run away from home to pursue fine arts. He went back home only after finding out he’d already lost his dad. Well, I don’t want to give it all away, but the point is Junyee had it much harder than you and if he was able to make something out of himself; you can, too.
Dare to be different. I mean, what could possibly go wrong?
Sometimes, You Just Need to Get Away.
It’s like playing tug-of-war with some people. You do everything you can to pursue something and they do whatever they can to keep you from doing it. Most of the time, people are just concerned about you; but if there are so many people trying to set you on the right path (as if their life depends on it), you’ll just end up more confused.
While it’s nice to heed advice, you still need to do your own thing. It’s the only way to be happy and reach your full potential. What if people kept on insisting they knew what’s best for you, though? Should you just give in? Certainly not. Junyee proved that running away isn’t always a bad thing.
Sometimes it’s just what we need: to get away from everyone’s voices so we can listen to our own.
It’s Okay to be Stubborn.
Maybe it has something to do with technology. We’re far more knowledgeable compared to previous generations when they were our age. People will try to teach us how things should be done and we would always contest it. We would always have an alternative way and we would always think it’s the better approach.
Sometimes, we’d even be accused of insubordination, disobedience, those kinds of stuff. Then again, it’s really no fun living in a stagnant world anyway.
Living the same way over and over again? Who wants that?
Not everyone approved of how stubborn Junree was, but did he end up in the gutters? No. In fact, if he wasn’t as stubborn as he was, the booming industry of installation artistry wouldn’t be possible.
It’s Okay to be Selfish Sometimes.
It’s one of the saddest subjects ever told, but lots of people are being drawn victim to depression and suicide. In this time and age, it’s important to do the things that you love and the things that make you happy, even if other people don’t support it.
Sure, some people might think it’s selfish, but if it’s the only way to give meaning to your life, to your art, by all means, you have to do it.
Junyee loved his art so much. Even though he was practically a chick magnet, he never had the time to give them appropriate attention. He chose art over love, but did he wind up alone all this time? No way. The lesson? The right people will stay. The people who deserve your undivided attention and love, they are the ones who will stay with you no matter what.
