Victor Elpidio “Jong” Biliran Galon adds another feather to his cap as he was adjudged the grand champ in the Monologue–Theater Arts contest of the FILCAN Summer Enhancement 2018 at the Island City Mall (ICM) on May 11.
He also earned a medal for “Promising in Theater Arts 2018”.
Jong, 8 years old, had been winning in the poem recitation category for the younger kids in the previous years. This year, he leveled up and bested High School students in his monologue, complete with all the elements of theater arts – plot/script, character, thought, diction, music, and spectacle.
He took on the role of David, a robot who looked like an ordinary boy, accompanied in his journey by Teddy, his talking and walking robot super toy. The monologue was based on Steven Spielberg’s heart-rending 2001 science fiction drama movie, “Artificial Intelligence”.
Jong incorporated in the monologue his skill in piano playing by performing the jazzy “The Little Negro” by Claude Debussy.
It was a fun-filled dabble into theater arts as Jong also took on the role of Prince Chulalongkorn in “The King and I,” the stage play performed by the Theater Arts class on May 12.
During FILCAN’s culmination program on May 20, Jong was also one of the soldiers in the Theater Arts class’ performance of the rap/sing song, “Alexander Hamilton”. The song is taken from “Hamilton,” a hip-hop historical Broadway play about one of the founding fathers of the United States of America (USA), whose image is found in the US ten dollar bill.
The Theater Arts summer class is under the tutelage of Mrs. Mary Faith Barrete.
Jong also honed his terpsichorean skills by taking a Hiphop beginner’s class.
The 14th summer outburst of FILCAN revolved around the theme, “FILCAN GOES BROADWAY: Enhancing Talents and Values of the Millenials”.
FILCAN means “Be Free, Intelligent, Learned, Confident, Animated and be a New You”. Its program director is Dr. Marlon Jala.
Jong is the son of Engr. Victor B. Galon and Atty. Esther Gertrude “Gee” D. Biliran.