Sunday, October 12, 2008 Cariño: Dulaang UPMT: It's alive! By Linda Grace Cariño Paradigm Shift
DULAANG UPMT, for Dulaang U.P. Mobile Theater, is what the revived UP Mobile Theater has been christened. Christening was last Wednesday evening at the Guerrero Theater in Palma Hall, at the University of the Philippines in Diliman.
Playing ninong at said christening was Ignacio "Choney" Gimenez, once Mobile Theater thespian, now owner of the Hotel Sogo chain and of Buy and Sell magazine. Choney was kind enough to support the revival with a trust fund for the troupe.
Also at the revival launch was Tony Mabesa, whose baby was and remains the Dulaang U.P., U.P Diliman's official theater arm, now at some 33 years and running strong. Professor Antee Bass (with hubby Leo) Hernandez was there too.
I got introduced to the Dulaang UPMT Production Manager, Professor Ken Jamandre and to until then textmate Johanna Bautista, on Choney's staff to coordinate the troupe's forays out of campus.
In the house were, among other Dulaang UP, UP Mobile Theater, and U.P. Dramatic Club oldies, my Mobile contempos: Espie (Tinio) and Lem Garcellano (Congrats on the Palanca!), Ben Ramos and his sister Fe (Muit), Mark Migallos and his lovely daughters, Jang Ramilo (Cantiller), Suzette Querubin, Grace Rodriguez (Salva), and Al Caronan, this latter group's ninong for the night. Our après party was at the Bahay ng Alumni, still on campus, with Al thanking the universe for the devalued peso, hm-mm. Hey, Hermie. Hey, Jun. Where were you guys? And Happy Birthday, Hermie and Lem!
Among the paradigm shifts of the night: Dulaang UPMT. If you were a theater baby on campus when I was, you'd know the significance of THAT merger. Another: Guerrero as performed by DUP - not MT - is an ENTIRE discussion, to say the least... Unchanged: Freddie's work - "Laban sa Basketball" and "Wanted: A Chaperone," the evening's fare - lives!
