MANILA -- Nine-time Palanca awardee Joshua Lim So will be staging his new work, "Silver Lining," this coming October.

The musical, which stars seasoned thespians led by Ricky Davao, Joel Nunez, Raul Montesa, and Nenel Arcayan, will be directed by PETA’s Maribel Legarda, with music and lyrics from Jack Teotico.

"Silver Lining" is the latest work of Lim So, who also wrote the critically-acclaimed plays "Tungkol Kay Angela" and "Joe Cool: Aplikante," and the series "Manilennials."

It is a musical about four friends who wanted to relive their lives as activists in the form of a musical production, with surprise twists that changed their narrative.

Asked what inspired Lim So to write the play, he told ABS-CBN News: "I've had these questions about the battle of narratives for some time now. They didn't have a home, or rather a story to live in, until I was approached to do 'Silver Lining.' Jack Teotico and the Rockitwell band had composed these original songs, and they were thinking of playing some of them for their high school homecoming. But then Jack thought, why not turn the songs into a musical? That ignited the premise for me, because what better way to tackle narrative-making in our current climate than to make a musical about making a musical."

"But the musical is not about him, which Jack also insisted. And the '70s plot is just part of it. It's also an intergenerational story, and how our present relates to the past. With younger generations involved, the present must choose which narrative prevails: the one that buries the truth, or the one that brings it to light," he added.

Lim So said that it is important for audiences to see the show because its story will resonate to many Filipinos.

"From the get-go, I didn't want 'Silver Lining' to be a history lesson or a nostalgia trip. Looking back into the past can be more than an act of remembering. It can also be a way to discover something we have completely missed. And the question of narratives was intertwined with this notion," he said.

The process of writing the musical's book has been a contemplative process for the multi-Palanca Award winner, as he draws parallelisms from the story with pressing issues. But he adds: "The control of narratives is not new. George Orwell wrote in 1949: 'Who controls the past controls the future: who controls the present controls the past.'"

"Although this sounds like a fascistic motto, it could also be a mission for truth and compassion. It just takes more strength to uphold truth, because it’s often not easy to witness or process. It’s not as sensational as lies, a sugar rush. It’s even harder to practice compassion. Hate and fear doesn't need practice. They're immediate. But what would we choose to be in control of the present, past, and future? What kind of society would we be willing to build, and fight to protect?" he added.

The ensemble of actors will have younger counterparts, to be played by Albert Silos, Noel Comia Jr., Jay Cortez, and Sara Sicam.

NINE-TIME PALANCA AWARDEE

Despite the many laurels to his name, Lim So still is humble whenever he starts writing a new play.

"You never want to write from a place na feeling mo magaling ka, or andami mong alam, or you've accomplished this or that. You lose sight of what's important, which is the work at hand. You also stop challenging yourself," he said.

"You become less collaborative. You don't open up the material to criticism, and you will have a difficult time discerning which critique is constructive or detrimental. It's also not helpful to have past achievements weigh on you, kasi andami mo na ngang iniisip and fini-figure out sa sinusulat mo," he added.

Lim So emphasized that in his craft, it is important to not be blinded by recognition and awards.

"Winning awards is nice, but it should not be the supreme measure of one's work. I know many writers who have never won (a Palanca), but they produce great literature. I am by no means depreciating these accolades, for they do provide opportunities. But it's necessary for me to put these things in perspective, and perish them from my creative practice," he said.

"In every new endeavor, parang nagsisimula ako na wala akong alam. At 'yun talaga ang nakaka-pressure, kasi you want to do right by the material but you also feel like you don't know what you’re doing. But I really believe this helps make the work more compelling."

He also said that the collaborations he has done helped sharpen his work in the theater.

"Writing is both solitary and collaborative. Bing Camacho gave indispensable details about the 70s. A table read with The Writer's Bloc, headed by Rody Vera, was incredibly helpful in the script development. It was also pretty amazing to have Rody read the lead, and sing extempore some of the lyrics. Liza Magtoto also gave a great suggestion regarding art and effigies, among other things. Additional music and arrangement by Vince Lim is also inseparable from the storytelling. Also, working closely with our director, Maribel Legarda, had been most crucial in shaping the musical’s book," he said.

"In writing for theater, most especially for a musical, it helps to keep in mind that all our efforts are in service of the staged production, where elements such as set and costume design, video and lighting design, choreography, production and stage management, marketing and publicity, and all, come together as one," he ended.

"Silver Lining" will run from October 20 to 29 at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium at the RCBC Plaza in Makati.