ATTACK OF THE MEDIEVAL GRANNIES
For the record, let me state that I am proud that I studied in University of Santo Tomas, but there are some things that make me hate this institution.
This event is one of them.
Just this morning, I got a call from Jon, my play’s director, and told about a sad sad news.
Our theater org’s Silver Anniversary Presentation has been postponed.
All five scripts have been rejected by UST’s Office of Student Affairs and Community Service (what I like to call the University Censorship Board) because the plays do not live up to their imposed standards. Two of the plays have gay characters (especially mine), one script has an impoverished district as its setting (they hate showing poverty). Overall, they find the plays “not wholesome enough.”
They still allow the groups to perform, but our original venue will not be provided, as well as any venues within their jurisdiction.
Our presentation is rescheduled on March, but will only be performed on two days. I still don’t know where our new venue will be, although I suggested to the Production Manager of a location near the University to make it accessible to the students.
Did I cry? No.
Was I frustrated? Slightly.
Was I mad? Hell yeah!
This is the reason why many great Thomasian writers would rather flourish their craft in “liberal universities” like UP (sad, but true), Ateneo, La Salle, Silliman or anywhere else but this school with a bunch of medieval grannies deciding whether this or that should be published, or which should be performed on stage.
I feel sad about my group, as well as the other writers. They have worked so hard only for our work to be delayed for some weeks just because they don’t like it.
Okay, I know I have to look on situations like this on a bright side. After all, it’s only postponed. Yeah, I think everything will be okay.
I sure hope so.
And if we about to perform the scripts onstage, I wish the UST students would come and watch it.
This presentation will become a slap on those oompah-loompah bitch grannies from hell. To hell with censorship, dragging those Hitlerites along.
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THE EMPRESS HAS BEEN “HATED”
I believe in democracy. I believe in free speech.
I just opened my Yahoo Messenger and I found out that I have a hate message from an irate UP student.
No, I’m not angry. I don’t go into “shut the fuck up this is my blog and I will do anything I want” defense mechanism, or command my loyal blog readers to smite the fool like those Muslim imams over the Mohammed cartoons. I just calmly typed a reply. I know for a fact that not everybody will like me. But I know that those who like me, they really like me. Check this out…
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THE EMPRESS FOOTNOTES
1) For some strange reason, this has been a season of delays. Not only our theater presentation was delayed, so too is Kids TV’s transfer to ABC 5. It will pilot on March 18, a week after the target date.
2) For the record, I don’t write poorly. I JUST TYPE FAST.
Empress Maruja 
WORDS FOR MARUJA