Rockwell’s bold leap gives rise to a theater of firsts
When the Proscenium Theater raises its curtain on September 26, Rockwell Land will make its bold debut in the performing arts, with a venue unrivaled in the country.
Here, plays, orchestras, and choirs can be staged without a single microphone, carried by natural acoustics fine-tuned by adjustable banners that shape the sound for every performance. It’s going to be the first theater in the Philippines to feature fully
automated fly lines, enabling seamless scene changes and more ambitious productions. And more impressively, it’s home to four Steinway & Sons grand pianos—a worthy, whopping investment that makes the Proscenium Theater a magnet for world renowned artists, even this early.
A striking lineup
It’s no doubt a striking lineup of “firsts” even for a developer that has long been known for building exclusive, elegant, and impeccably crafted communities that have become addresses of choice for the country’s most discerning.
What makes it even more remarkable is that Rockwell is stepping beyond its comfort zone to build this theater.
“It’s hard to dip your toes into an industry where it already has a lot of people who are experts. And here we are, new (to this field), trying to be the best and (build something) state-of-the-art, but with no theater experience at the start,”
Tracey Castillo, vice president for Marketing at Rockwell Land, candidly said in an interview with Inquirer Property.
Steep learning curve
The learning curve was admittedly steep. Engineers and architects who once obsessed over unit layouts, façade lines, and lobby interiors suddenly had to master acoustics, lighting rigs, and stage machinery, or speak the language of speakers and fly lines.
To better navigate this new terrain, Rockwell also tapped international and local consultants. Foreign experts introduced innovations that would distinguish the Proscenium Theater, while local consultants grounded those ideas in the Philippine context, resulting in a venue that is “unique but still will resonate with the Philippine market,” said Castillo.
This collaborative process reinforced the rigor behind every design decision, down to the very materials used.
For instance, Castillo shared that the use of engineered wood as part of the walls, seats, and flooring was intentional since it helps optimize acoustics. The material was factored in with the understanding that once the audience fills the space, elements like clothing can absorb sound, thus making wood essential to balance the overall acoustic design.
The seating capacity was equally deliberate. At 780 seats–what Castillo described as the “sweet spot”–the theater balances scale with intimacy, accommodating world-class productions while keeping audiences close to the performance. As Castillo noted, “there are no bad seats!”
Besides the main theater, the addition of the Black Box at Proscenium Theater on the sixth floor broadens the repertoire further, creating a space for more experimental, immersive, and flexible performances.
“Our engineers and our architects are suddenly now experts in things we never imagined. It’s been a great learning path for all of us,” Castillo recalled. “It’s really a breath of fresh air. It challenges our capabilities and skills, even in Marketing, but on a different scale.”
A fulfilling journey
While the challenges were considerable, they were far outweighed by the sense of fulfillment felt by those who brought the theater to life.
It’s especially “personal” for Castillo, who was already with Rockwell when The Proscenium complex–comprising of residential towers, a retail strip, museum and theater–was launched in 2012. She remembered the days when the site was just grass, and when the vision then existed only in Architect Carlos Ott’s hand drawn sketches.
More than a decade later, she now finds herself stewarding the final piece of that vision. The Proscenium Theater finally opens next week with its inaugural production, The Bodyguard The Musical, staged in partnership with 9 Works Theatrical and headlined by West End stars Christine Allado and Matt Blaker.
“Personally, it’s fulfilling–so fulfilling that I would go through all the challenges again,” she said with a laugh.
That sense of fulfillment captures more than just Castillo’s personal journey. It reflects, too, the larger story of the Proscenium Theater.
Because beyond the theater itself, this is about Rockwell daring to step outside its comfort zone–redefining how a property developer can further shape the city, and creating a new cultural icon that extends the signature Rockwell lifestyle into the arts.
