The Library Turns 12
It has been 12 years and the laughter is as strong as ever.
When writer-director Andrew de Real opened The Library in 1986, it was a tumultuous year. It was the year of EDSA Revolution and of political and business uncertainties.
In Chinese astrology, it was the Year of the Tiger, an unpredictable animal whose character reflected the times.
Twelve years later, things have come full circle as The Library prepares to celebrate a dozen years of “fun, laughter and friendship” this month with special shows and guests till the 21st of the month.
June 21, 1986 is The Library’s anniversary date, or the exact date when its doors first opened to the public.
When it first opened in 1986, The Library was not that well-known. It was then just one of the many bars and nightspots in Malate. The name even caused confusion among the people who taught it was a place to read.
The small skits Andrew put on started drawing the people’s attention. From then on, The Library – and the world of comedy – was never the same again.
It was a hit-and-miss, trial and error affair at the start.
“After the first one we did, the audience kept asking for more. Kaya sulat ako nang sulat ng skit, and we’d stage them at The Library. Click na click sa audience yung ginagawa namin.”
From that time on, mainly by word-of-mouth, the fame of The Library [and of Andrew as writer-director] spread. Perhaps the best proof of this is the success of Allan K. and Leonard O’s Si Nura at Si Velma series, which has found its way to a bigger stage at the Music Museum and which has now – believe it or not – spawned its own record album released by Warner Music Philippines.
Among the invited guests for the 12th anniversary celebration are various stand-up comedians who made their debut or got their big break doing live shows on stage of The Library: Ai-Ai delas Alas, Arnel Ignacio of Gobingo, Allan K. and Leonard Obal of Eat Bulaga and Phillip Lazaro of Anna Karenina fame.
Many of these talents were handpicked and personally trained by Andrew. And all of them agree facing live audiences nightly at The Library helped them tremendously in their careers as comedians.
And like its talents, “The Library remains standing and is growing ,” says Andrew, now of the most in-demand writers and directors in live comedy.
“We have a lot of plans to improve it even more in the nest 12 years,” he says.
The anniversary celebration aims to thank The Library’s patrons for standing by it and supporting its shows there past 12 years. Through good times and bad, they have been there, and this week-long celebration is Andrew and the staff’s way of thanking them for their patronage and for making The Library number one in stand-up comedy.
Publication: The Philippine Star
Publication Date: June 20, 1998
Article Page: 27 |
