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Friday, July 21, 2006
Serna: All Play!
By Roger Serna
Sounds and images
For several occasions now, yours truly observed that every venue which hosts a stage play, whether starred in by homegrown talents or by those from Manila, is always teeming with excited viewers, mostly students.
Whether it was by their own volition, or as a requirement in their art appreciation subjects (or similar studies), the fact remains that in each outing, many were able to see how a stage play goes, how each director interprets the material, how the actors give life to the characters and other factors, including how the set designs are made to facilitate fast and easy changes.
If this trend continues, hopefully time will come when going to the theater will become a staple for performing art enthusiasts week after week, or even day after day. And hopefully too, more will join the ranks of Lea Salonga, Monique Wilson, Isay Alvarez, Leo Valdez, Junix Inocian and others who placed the Filipino artists in the world map of theater acting via Miss Saigon and in other succeeding world-class productions.
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At least three stage productions are coming our way in the coming weeks. Leading the pack is the musical revue of Joe DiPietro’s I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change which is brought to Cebu by Hendri Go’s Little Boy Productions and Repertory Philippines, which also treated Cebu theater-goers with hit productions like Once On This Island, Welcome to IntelStar and the recent Doubt.
Leading the cast is 27-year-old looker Niccolo Manahan (he played Fr. Flynn in Doubt, remember?) who will play different roles in the hilarious hit musical. The play will be staged on July 28 to 30 at the SM City Cebu Cinema 2.
Two Cebu-based directors who have carved their respective niches in Cebu theater productions (and in other parts of the globe too!) have their hands full for the staging of their respective projects.
First is award-winning playwright-director Alvan Claude Evangelio who is directing Ang Silya, project of Magimo Productions which is a group of seven young performing arts enthusiasts who also dream of seeing theater grow and flourish in Cebu.
Ang Silya will be staged at the CAP Art Center on July 30 and Aug. 6, all Sundays.
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Another friend who is also into this type of endeavor is Crispin Ramos who is directing one of the three short plays to be presented by Cebu Performing Co. and will be shown at the now air-conditioned Bantawan Sugbo along Visitacion St., this city.
Cris directs There Was A Soldier. The second play is Mansanas which is directed by Rhea Fantonial-Bautista and stars Brian Barbon, Jennifer Yu and Fern Sabondo.
The third one is Hingpit Kahilom which is directed by RMF Bautista. Total running time of the three plays is approximately one hour. Show starts on Aug. 7 onwards.
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Two award-winning actresses and sought-after talents are together for the first time (is it?) in a movie which, thus far, has already aroused curiosity because of its hair-raising scenes contained in its trailer that is aired over ABS-CBN every now and then and, of course, in movie houses.
If I’m not mistaken, Kris Aquino and Claudine Barreto portray siblings who wanted to defy tradition and decided to get married at the same time. In the process, they got into unfortunate events that endangered their lives and existence. Am I right, Josie Pereyra?
The movie is Star Cinema’s latest offering entitled Sukob. Directed by Chito Roño, Sukob will open in Cebu movie houses and simultaneously nationwide on Wed., July 26. Scream your heart out!
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Two weekends ago, this columnist, in the company of colleagues Jonas Rey Panerio, Divine Sanchez-Ngujo, Mimi Lijauco, Ehda Dagooc, Regina Aguilar, Jude Bacalso, Ryan Mark Borinaga and others dropped by Formo Resto Bar at the Banilad Town Center and enjoyed the night away.
It was Formo’s first anniversary and proprietress Jaja Chiongbian was obviously in high heavens as the place was jampacked with guests that spilled out to the corridor.
Our group so enjoyed the retro music (mostly from the ‘80s) but were so demure and shy to invade the dancefloor, that we just had to bounce, gyrate and wriggle in our seats as if we were dancing on our feet.
Most of the time that we were there, Jaja was in our company showing us the hospitality that the joint is famous for. Thanks a lot, Jaja! We’ll be coming back. That’s for sure!
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (July 21, 2006 issue)
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