Cover Sara Sicam as Young Josie (Photo: Silver Lining)
Sara Sicam as Young Josie (Photo: Silver Lining)
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Meet this rising star in the Philippine theatre arts scene and more
“It’s cliche, but I think one of my inspirations is Pablo Picasso. . .There’s something so beautiful about translating emotions and thoughts into whatever it can be—even if it doesn’t look real,” Sara Sicam shared.
Theatre, nail art, crochet, portraits, and music- art knows no boundaries, and Sicam broke barriers to explore them all. A creative at heart, her potential to become one of this generation’s greats is limitless. Get to know how she expresses herself in this edition of Artist in Focus.
More from Tatler: New musical ‘Silver Lining’ raises the question, why do we cling to the past?
Above Silver Lining explores the life of the youth during the 1970s
Silver Lining explores the life of the youth during the 1970s
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Sicam made her debut in theatre with Silver Lining, where she played young Josie—a college student who juggled romantic interests and the revolution. Despite it being her first foray into theatre, Sicam’s performance was nothing short of extraordinary, and that’s thanks to her background and extensive research on the character. “When I was younger, I did Repertory Philippines workshops for fun with my friend. . .and last June, I did a PETA workshop—the Creative Musical Theatre for Teens—and I was initially hesitant. Generally, I tend to be more introverted, but my mom urged me to try it,” shares Sicam.
Above Sara Sicam and Nenel Arcayan (Photo: Instagram/@sarsarsis)
Sara Sicam and Nenel Arcayan (Photo: Instagram/@sarsarsis)
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Her portrayal of young Josie can be described as fitting. Every detail, from swooning for young Anton to her nervous mannerisms and passionate yells for the revolution, is precisely how one could expect a young adult to act. Sicam perfectly captures young Josie because, like the character, she is a 17-year-old who experiences the same problems a first-year college student would have. She does scream for advocacies that are near and dear to her. She is a modern iteration of Josie in the Seventies.
“During rehearsals, I was nervous because you have all these amazing people in the cast that are veterans. So I prepared as best as I possibly can. I did a lot of research on the Seventies, and I approached my teacher in school, asking for books and resources. I also talked with Tita Nenel [Arcayan] to figure out our character,” she continues.
In case you missed it: To our memories and future: In conversation with OPM icons Ryan Cayabyab and Moy Ortiz
As an artist of multiple mediums, Sicam’s passions come from curiosity and exploration—with her latest obsession being nail art and crochet. A product of the pandemic, when everyone was chronically online, Sicam found solace in niche communities who love what they do. “I was scrolling through Instagram and watching YouTube, and I found this niche but the amazing community of people who do intricate nail art. . .What I love about it is that they share it, give support, and even provide inspiring art prompts. To me, this is art in a different form,” said Sicam.
But before her unique artistic outlets came to life, she would create portraits of herself and her friends. “Drawing was my main thing. I was an art kid… I was a timid kid growing up. I wouldn’t talk at school. They thought I was deaf. So I found drawing to be my outlet, like most introverted art kids. . .I think drawing is one of my first loves of art. I would do charcoal art, one of my favourite mediums, because I’m bad with colour. So black and white is what I would do,” shares Sicam.
Visual and theatre arts are not enough for Sicam, as she also has a band where she sings and plays the bass guitar. Currently named Under the Table, Sicam shares that their band name often changes, like in the popular TV show Parks and Recreation. “We just start shouting different names, and it’s this enjoyable thing where we just jam, goof around and play. I have the most fun playing in school—not because of the audience necessarily, but because of the environment and to play music just for the sake of it.”
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About
Gabriel found his passion for writing through poetry in high school. He sharpened his skills at Ateneo de Manila University and hopes to write a play worthy of Broadway one day. A self-proclaimed geek, he loves to spend his free time playing video games and board games. When he's not clicking heads on Valorant or roleplaying as a barbarian in Dungeons and Dragons, you can find him exploring art galleries or watching stage plays.
Work
A creative writer who writes about anything and everything, Gabriel loves to dive deep into the arts and culture scene—as well as going on long road trips for travel pieces.
You can reach him on Instagram at @gbohol for any leads, casual conversations or game invites.
