In 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that loneliness brought by isolation has become the new pandemic after COVID-19.
This may not sound like the appropriate introduction to an article about a play, but we learned this from Clint Ramos himself, the Tony Award-winning costume designer and creative producer.
Lea Salonga, Clint Ramos, and Dolly de Leon
“Three out of five women in the world suffer from loneliness. And it affects, particularly, those 50 and above,” he told TheDiarist.ph in a recent conversation.
On Nov. 15, 2023, the WHO didn’t only make such declaration, but actually announced the creation of the Commission on Social Connection.
The Commission’s raison d’etre is to “address loneliness as a pressing health threat, promote social connection as a priority and accelerate the scaling up of solutions in countries of all incomes.”
The New York-based Filipino theater luminary expounded on how “loneliness has been affecting our kababayan, the Overseas Filipino Workers, especially caregivers, who are beasts of burden, who are caring for strangers, instead of their own children.
“And so, we’re doing these activations around with the help of various health partners,” Ramos said.
Ramos has been saying that in several interviews about Request sa Radyo, a 75-minute-long play that has Lea Salonga and Dolly de Leon alternating in the role of a migrant Filipino caregiver.
“It is actually a ‘wordless play’,” Ramos quipped. “It’s a cross between performance art and theater. Yes, the play is around 60 to 75 minutes, with no intermissions.”
He explained that even if Request Sa Radyo has no dialogues, the audience will feel and know the Filipino setting. It is the local adaptation of Wunschkonzert (Request Concert) by German playwright Franz Xaver Kroetz, written and originally staged in the early ’70s.
Request Sa Radyo will be staged for a limited 20 shows spread over 10 days, from Oct. 10 to 20, 2024 at Samsung Performing Arts Theater in Circuit Makati.
In our one-on-one talk, we asked Ramos the specific details. He explained there will be two performances per night, one with Salonga and the other with de Leon, scheduled at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. It’s not one actress doing two shows per night; the two are alternating. Yet there is no particular pattern. The first show could be de Leon and the second, Salonga, or the other way around. He advised audiences to see both shows, but “not necessarily on the same day.”
“It’s like watching two versions, completely different versions,” he said. “The setting and the time, it’s now. It’s about a Filipina care worker (caregiver) living abroad. We, the audience members, are witnesses to her going to her home and doing things as someone living on her own.”
‘It’s like watching two versions, completely different versions,’ Ramos said. ‘The setting and the time, it’s now. It’s about a Filipina caregiver) living abroad’
So, going back to how loneliness has become the new pandemic, Ramos specifically used the term “pandemic,” not epidemic. By WHO’s definition, an epidemic, though widespread, is generally contained or expected in its spread, while a pandemic is international and out of control.
Though not caused by a virus, loneliness is something felt all over the world. And unknowingly, it’s destroying relationships and lives in general. WHO director-general Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in several interviews last year: “High rates of social isolation and loneliness around the world have serious consequences for health and well-being. People without enough strong social connections are at higher risk of stroke, anxiety, dementia, depression, suicide, and more.”
Clint, Dolly, and Lea take a selfie with the audience at their recent Conversation in Spotlight invitational talk at Samsung Performing Arts Theater.
A Master Class for actors was held with Salonga and de Leon. Dubbed Conversations in Spotlight: Live at the Jaime Zobel de Ayala Hall, the lively talk was presented by State of the Arts, Make it Makati, and moderated by Ramos. The Master Class has since been uploaded in State of the Arts You Tube channel.
The WHO, however, said in another statement: “Lack of social connection carries an equivalent, or even greater, risk of early death as other better-known risk factors—such as smoking, excessive drinking, physical inactivity, obesity, and air pollution.”
Not to be an alarmist, but those in denial might as well be cautious, and yes, alarmed. The WHO added, “Social isolation also has a serious impact on physical and mental health; studies show that it has been linked to anxiety and depression and can increase risk of cardiovascular disease by 30 percent.
“Contrary to the perception that isolation and loneliness primarily affect older people in high-income countries, they impact the health and well-being of all age groups across the world.
“One in four older people experience social isolation and the rates are broadly similar in all regions. Among adolescents, 15 percent of them experience loneliness, according to research findings,” WHO added.
And because of this, the WHO Commission on Social Connection, which has a timeline from 2024 to 2026, has been tasked to “analyze the central role social connection plays in improving health for people of all ages and outline solutions to build social connections at scale.”
The Commission is co-chaired by US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy and African Union Youth Envoy Chido Mpemba with 11 leading policy-makers, thought leaders and advocates.
‘Loneliness is like smoking 15 cigarettes a day’
In an interview, Dr. Murthy said, “Loneliness is like smoking 15 cigarettes a day.”
We’d like to emphasize the earlier objective: “Promote social connection as a priority.” And who would be the perfect example of a Filipino experiencing loneliness than an OFW?
Besides “putting out exemplary works of art” in the Philippines, Ramos said it’s one of the reasons he and his partners are staging Request sa Radyo. He told The Diarist.ph the first time he saw it in the mid-2000s, he was hooked. He saw it again and again, several versions by different theater groups and nationalities, the last of which was in 2014 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, and it was the Polish version.
“The good thing with the play is that it could be in any language and in any moment. But as what I’ve said, it’s wordless, so…,” he said, laughing.
For the Filipino adaptation, he told The Diarist.ph the German playwright-author-film director Franz Xaver Kroetz, who is now in his 70s, gave them the permission to create the character as a migrant Filipino. “The playwright is not specific what kind of woman, but he told us we have to follow the very strict sequence of events,” Ramos said.
Dolly de Leon, Bobby Garcia, Lea Salonga ready for the New York rehearsals. (From Request Sa Radyo IG)
It was a year ago when he and director Bobby Garcia had a talk about bringing the play to Manila. They had conversations with Christopher Mohnani of Samsung Performing Arts Theater, and the rest is history.
So how did he and his creative partners arrive at a decision in getting de Leon and Salonga? “Dolly and Lea, this play is really for them. We had separate conversations with the two actresses, co-producer Bobby (Garcia) and I. And Bobby suggested, why don’t we get both? It’s like getting two Olympians in theater,” he said. Garcia is director and producer. In Manila, he is the much-missed founder and artistic director of the Atlantis Theatricals, which has been in hiatus since the pandemic.
In the Master Class with de Leon and Salonga, Ramos asked the two: “If you have advice for your younger self, what would you say?” Salonga answered: “Don’t take it too seriously, it actually is a lot of fun.” “Stop being so insecure, you have a seat at the table,” de Leon said, earning applause from the audience.
Advice for their younger selves: ‘Don’t take it too seriously, it actually is a lot of fun,’ said Lea; ‘Stop being so insecure, you have a seat at the table,’ de Leon said
Ramos expounded on de Leon’s answer: “I love that. Create your own space. I always say, insist a seat, or if there aren’t any seats on the table, sit on the goddamn table.”
True enough, these three super talented Filipinos who have conquered the world stage are giving back, sharing the table they’re sitting on with their countrymen via Request Sa Radyo.
As of this writing, Salonga, de Leon, and Garcia have started their rehearsals in New York, and we can only wait to experience one of modern theater’s masterpieces unfold at Samsung Performing Arts Theater in October.
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
Meanwhile, who is the man behind all the accolades? True enough, “big” best describes the Clint Ramos, both in a literal and figurative sense. He is taller than average Filipino males. He’s 6’1,” he told The Diarist.ph via Facebook Messenger a few days after our one-on-one.
In theater, everybody knows he’s made it in the Big Apple. From a theater arts major at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, he has become the first person of color to win a Tony Award for Best Costume Design of a Play, two OBIE awards, and more.
He has worked with the best and famous: Bradley Cooper (Elephant Man), Adam Driver (Burn This), Jake Gyllenhaal (Sunday in the Park With George), Lupita Nyong’o (Eclipsed, the one that won him the Tonys), Claire Danes (Dry Powder) and of course, our very own Lea Salonga (Here Lies Love).
Besides being lead producer of Here Lies Love, Clint was also the producing creative director for Encores! at New York City Center. He led projects like Billy Porter’s reimagining of The Life, The Light In The Piazza with Ruthie Ann Miles, and Jelly’s Last Jam.
He is also the visual director for Lincoln Center’s Summer For The Cit,y where he transforms the entire Lincoln Center campus into a venue for more than 300 programmed events to serve the city of New York every summer.
As a designer, he is credited for more than 200 theater, opera, and dance productions that include Here Lies Love, KPOP, Once On This Island, Sunday in the Park with George and Torch Song.
Film credits include production design for Lingua Franca by Isabel Sandoval for Netflix and costume design for RESPECT, the Aretha Franklin biopic starring Jennifer Hudson for MGM.
He serves on the American Theater Wing’s Advisory Board and is one of the founding members of Design Action. His lifelong advocacy is for an equitable landscape in theater and film for people of color and for the rights of immigrants.
We all remember Ramos’ acceptance speech during the 70th Tony Awards on June 12, 2016, for winning best costume design in a play.
After thanking all the people who helped him, including his mother, who was in the audience, he said, “Theater has been my savior in the darkest of times of my life. I hope the people of Orlando can see some salvation in these truly dark times.”
It was only a few hours ago then that the nation and the world were shocked to hear the news of a lone gunman who opened fire in a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, resulting in the untimely deaths of 49 people and injuring dozens. The suspect, a 29-year-old American born to Afghan immigrant parents, was cornered and later shot dead by police.
The Orlando shooting happened around 2 a.m. of June 16, and the Tonys were held on the evening of the same day at Beacon Theater in Manhattan, New York City. Almost all speeches that night paid tribute to the victims.
Little did we know that what Ramos said that night would still ring true in a few years when the COVID-19 pandemic happened. Theater, indeed, helped save lives, and continues to do so when WHO acknowledged loneliness as the new pandemic.
“So how is he? Very big-time na sya,” lawyer-poet-playwright Nick Pichay told me upon learning that I finally had the chance to interview Ramos.
I asked Ramos about his frequent visits to the Philippines. He has been based in New York City for decades. He told The Diarist.ph he specifically visits Cebu, where he hails from, three times a year.
“My mom lives in Cebu. I still have two brothers there. My sister used to be based there also, but now she moved to Boston. Before, I was the only one who migrated. And now that my mom is older and she’s in Cebu, I made a pact with myself to visit her and my brothers three times a year, whether Christmas, birthdays and so on,” he said.
‘Now that my mom is older and she’s in Cebu, I made a pact with myself to visit her and my brothers three times a year,’ said Ramos
Pichay, the award-winning playwright and poet, recalled their days at UP: “He was about two years ahead of me at UP,” Pichay told TheDiarist.ph. Ramos’ first costume design project was for a musical written by Pichay, titled Mammanu Adarna.
“There was a playwriting contest sponsored by the sorority, Sigma Delta Pi. I won and the sorority also produced it. The musical was initially directed by Grace Budac, but was eventually directed by me. It’s a retelling of the Ibong Adarna story. Sick kingdom. Sick king. Three brothers in search of a cure,” Pichay told TheDiarist.ph.
Johnny Depp once said in an interview, “One day, the people who didn’t believe in you will tell everyone how they met you.”
We are reminded of this quote because it applies to Ramos’ life story. The only difference in Ramos’ case is that at UP, where he was taught by the likes of National Artist Tony Mabesa, his classmates and professor already believed he’d make it in the industry.
Another blessed soul who was also taking up theater arts the same the time with Ramos was Dolly de Leon. De Leon told us on Messenger: “Clint and I are the same age. Barkada kami nyan sa UP. And he directed me in his thesis!”
De Leon remembered Ramos’ thesis was Shakespeare’s The Tempest, staged in 1997. “We did one more at UP, like Fili under Mabesa. Before that, he did my makeup for one show of Mirror, Mirror On the Wall by Wilfrido Maria Guerrero, directed by Ogie Juliano. And that got me the part in Fili because that was when Sir Tony (Mabesa) saw na pwede pala ako maging maganda (I can be beautiful,” de Leon told TheDiarist.ph.
Adapted from Jose Rizal’s novel, Fili was a play written by Floy Quintos, from which he developed the 2009 musical, Isang Panaginip na Fili. And now, about three decades later, the stars aligned for de Leon and Ramos to reunite on stage.
“I’m over the moon with excitement to work with him again. He’s an artistic genius, and it feels like a reunion,” de Leon said.
Clint Ramos with the author
We asked Ramos, what’s next? “For the first of a series of shows for 2024, we’re championing the global Filipino talent. That’s all I can say, I can’t tell the rest. We’re going to announce it by season after Request sa Radyo. But now, secret muna,” Ramos said, laughing.
What he shared with TheDiarist.ph, exclusively, is that they will tour the “wordless play.” “Good thing you asked that. Only you asked about touring it,” he said, laughing again.
We asked if he’s thinking of Cebu or Davao or Baguio City. “We’re in communications with London and the US, where there is a large Filipino population, because, you know, this is not only for Filipinos. The character is Filipino, but we want to share the story, shed light on the plight of the Filipino migrant care workers.
…. This is just the beginning of bringing global talent back to the Philippines, like in the case of Lea and Dolly, those with Filipino heritage, to interact with artists here (in Manila).
“We will conduct master classes to engage with the Filipino diaspora in the arts. We’d like to put out works that push the boundaries of theater. Of theater you’d just see in the US or in Europe.”
He mentioned how thankful he is because the Ayalas have been pushing for this kind of production: “As corporate partners, it’s important they believe in us if we can actually do this show.
Ramos is thankful because the Ayalas have been pushing for this kind of production: ‘As corporate partners, it’s important they believe in us’
“Acting is the truthful conveyance of human behavior in an imaginary context. So in Request Sa Radyo, you will see our Olympians in acting. Dolly and Lea. Virtuosic, exemplary actresses. As for Lea, who has been known for her roles in musicals, you will see her in this light, like she’s never been seen before.
“We’re reconfiguring Samsung theater. There’d be about 400 people per performance, who will be immersed in this woman’s apartment,” he said, trailing off.
When the Kroetz play debuted in Broadway titled Request Program, it was described by an article in Theatre Times as “an exercise in extreme voyeurism”.
Written in 1971, the play has been adapted with changes in setting and time. For example, the Broadway version was set in Queens in 1981. The Filipino adaptation, as Ramos explained, is set in the present, and the character is a Pinay caregiver, an OFW.
The original story by Kroetz is described in the online digital document library Scribd as a story that “explores the lonely and mundane life of Fraulein Rasch, a 45-year-old woman who lives alone in a small, tidy apartment.
“On a typical evening, she comes home from her job at a stationery factory, carefully puts away her groceries, fixes her appearance, and washes the few dishes from her small, solitary meal. She enjoys listening to the radio program As You Wish during her quiet, solitary supper. After cleaning up meticulously, she has a cigarette and continues listening to the radio alone in her small, tidy home.”
For updates, follow Request Sa Radyo on Instagram and Facebook.
