Wicked Without Remorse

(originally posted in my blogspot on July 17, 2007)

Bilang isang manunulat na unti-unting pinapasok ang industriya ng telebisyon, bahagi pa rin ng aking inspirasyon ang pagiging fan. I love movies. I am a TV addict. So it’s only understandable that I am crazy about the stars.

Matapos ang halos sampung taon, ngayon higit kailanman ay napakalapit na ng katuparan ng aking pangarap na maging scriptwriter. At ang nagbigay sa akin ng pagkakataon ay ang nag-iisang Kapuso Network. I was never a big fan of GMA prior to the writing workshop that they offerred for free. At first, I was just thankful dahil binigyan nila ako ng break. Inevitably, however, natutunan kong mahalin ang Syete at tinanggap ko nang malugod ang transformation ko into a tue-blooded Kapuso.

Last week ay naanyayahan kaming maging bahagi ng story conference para sa bagong show na magbubukas sa September. Napakalaki ng proyektong ito. All star cast pa! Sobrang nakaka-overwhelm na sa harap ng mga iniidolo kong artista ay in-acknowledge ako ng Headwriter namin na si Don Michael Perez as part of the writing team. Wow! There’s no other show I want so much to be part of except this one. Kasama kasi ako mula nung mag-umpisang buuin ang kwento nito. I am so excited about it kaya ngayon pa lang ay marami na akong ideas na naiisip for the show.

Sa primetime ito ipapalabas. Pagbibidahan ang show nina Dennis Trillo, Marky Cielo and Aljur Abrenica, na lahat ay present during the story con. Napaka-approachable ng tatlo. Sobrang dali para sa isang fan na gaya ko na magpa-picture. Si Dennis nga umakbay pa sa akin for the camera, tapos nakipag-usap pa right after. Again, nag-umapaw na naman ang galak ko. I realized na hindi fan ang tingin sa akin ni Dennis, kundi katrabaho, part of the creative staff na bubuo ng kwento ng bago niyang show. Si Aljur, bago umuwi, nag-effort pang makipag-kamay para magpaalam at itanong ang pangalan ko. Hahaha. I doubt naman kung matatandaan niya. Pero, still, it’s overwhelming to receive such niceness from a TV star.

It was a memorable experience attending my first story conference. Ganun pala yun! Lahat ng artistang kasama sa show ay present. Pati mga managers nandun. Syempre, present ang Direktor, ang Producer at Program Manager, ang buong writing team at iba pang creative staff, like costume and art department. Habang pine-present ni Sir Don ang story at mga character sketches to the actors, I felt elated knowing I contributed para mabuo ang bagong kwentong aabangan ng mga manonood sa GMA Telebabad.

Eto yung pakiramdam na matagal ko nang inaasam.

(originally posted in my blogspot on July 17, 2007)

I wouldn’t be surprised kung maraming mga bata ang magrereklamo na hindi nila naintindihan or hindi maganda ang latest Harry Potter film, ang Order of the Phoenix. Well, their parents who must have read the book should have realized that it was inevitable for the film to be darker than its predecessors. Nevertheless, I would count this movie as one of the better films in the series. Ang ganda ng screenplay ni Michael Goldenberg. Kahit condensed ang maraming bahagi ng book at may ilang minor revisions to suit the film, I don’t think J.K. Rowling and her fans would feel betrayed. Ang nakakasorpresa ay ang magaling na direction ni David Yates. I’m sure nakaramdam siya ng pressure because the two previous directors ng series ay mga bigatin - sina Alfonso Cuaron at Mike Newell.. But Yates did a very great job.

It was a delight to see characters from the past films converge on this one. Nagbabalik sina Trelawney, Lupin, Sirius and Mad Eye Moody. Syempre, there’s also Mrs Weasley and the Dursleys whom we all missed in the fourth film. At hindi rin dapat mawala si Voldemort, who we first saw ressurected in Goblet of Fire. Pero, aside from Voldemort, isa sa mga kaiinisan mong kontrabida sa Order of the Phoenix ay si Professor Umbridge, portrayed brilliantly by Imelda Staunton.

There’s one scene in the film where Harry had a flashback of himself when he was 11 years old, looking at the Mirror of Erised. It’s simply amazing how much Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint have grown up before our eyes through these Harry Potter films. If Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will in fact be the last of the series, that leaves just two more films to be made. I know millions of fans are hoping that the three teen-agers would reprise their roles to the very end.

But it seems na medyo nagkaka-fatigue na sila na laging yun na lang ang role na ginagampanan nila. There’s also the danger of forever being stereotyped as Harry, Hermione and Ron. Kaya nga itong si Daniel Radcliffe ay "nagpakarebelde" last February when he appeared in the play EQUUS as Allan Strang. According to the Daily Mail: For Radcliffe, it was a big mental leap from portraying JK Rowling’s boy wizard to taking on a character in the psychoreligious exploration of equine worship. Radcliffe could have stood on the stage and read the London telephone book and the play still would have sold out. That he took on such an intellectual theatrical challenge was brave - and he succeeded.

Nagpyesta ang mga fans ni Radcliffe when the publicity photos for Equus came out. A sexier and buff seventeen year old like we’ve never seen him before.

(originally posted in my blogspot on June 25, 2007)

It was a really busy week.

We had a concert last Monday , kasabay ng Foundation Day ng PLM. It was called MPOP. Ang daming tao, kaya ang laki rin ng pressure sa amin. It’s always scary to perform at the Tanghalang Bayan. But we pulled it off. Superb ang mga dance production numbers. May surprise guest appearance pa ni Aicelle Santos.

After the concert, wala pa ring pahinga. Rehearsals naman kami for the play Hawla. Wala nang time for overnight kaya nagkasya na kami sa ilang oras na practice sa school. I had to be there, kasi, for the first time in nine years, kasali ako sa cast ng play. I’m Dick in the story, isang horny yet sex-deprived boyfriend. Hahaha!

Friday morning, ang call time was 8:00 AM. I was earliest na dumating. Kahit kelan, pasaway ang Magwayen pagdating sa punctuality. It seems that some bad habits are not easily shaken off, kahit pa siyam na taon na ang grupo.

Then, we had a problem sa venue. Gagamitin daw ang Forum Hall sa klase ng mga Medicine students. We had to move the play to the Audio Visual Room. Almost 11 AM na kami naka-settle sa AVR. Nakapag-run through lang kami nung 12:30 PM na. Medyo nag-argumento pa kami ni Borgy, the director, kung ikakansela ang 1st show. Buti na lang at nagkasundo kami na i-move na lang ng 2:00 PM ang unang show.

Pagsapit ng alas-dos , marami na daw tao sa labas ng AVR. Naiinip na nga daw yung iba. Pero ‘di pa rin tapos ang mga sakit ng ulo. Yung sound system kasi, di mapagana. Ayaw magsimula ni Borgy nang walang music. So we had to stall some more.

Around 2:30 PM, we finally lifted the curtains (well, figuratively). Patok ang opening scene. Hilarious ang mga comical na eksena. Ang lakas ng tawanan ng mga tao. Bentang benta ang tandem nina Ampol at Shiela. And then, sumunod na ang mga monologues.

Unang-una si Bombing, to think na siya ang kahuli-hulihang actor to join the cast. I had initial doubts that he could deliver the depth of his role. Pero nasorpresa ako sa galing ng akting ng bata. Sumunod sa kanya si Marvin. He wasn’t the first choice for the part. Pero destined yata si Marvin to play the role of Eric. Maraming nadala sa acting niya. I can’t imagine the play with a different Eric.

Yung spot namin ni Len ang breather sa dalawang naunang dramatic monologues. Len gave a believable performance bilang si Rona, ang kikay at malanding virgin. I came up with an adlib na ‘di ko inakalang magiging patok na punchline. Ang sarap pakinggan yung malakas na tawanan ng audience.

Joseph came in next. Ang bagito ng Magwayen. He had the longest monologue. Demanding din yung role. Aminado naman si Joseph na nahirapan siya. Pero na-capture din niya ang audience with his tale of the prodigal son addicted to drugs.

Excited ako sa eksena nina Ampol and Alyssa. Intense kasi yung spot nila. As usual, very reliable yung performance ni Alyssa. Napa-iyak nila ni Ampol ang karamihan sa mga manonood. Ampol was delightful to watch as he combined good comedic timing with drama. Si Ronald ang ka-alternate ni Ampol bilang Joy. Superb ang acting ni Ronald, napaka-heartfelt. It was a testament na hindi lang siya magaling magpatawa, kundi pati rin sa hardcore drama.

Ang pinakaabangan ng lahat ay ang pagsalang ni Shiela. Isang veteran stage actress na si Shiela ‘di lamang sa mga Magwayen plays kundi pati na rin sa grupo niya, ang Student Theater. Halos gumulong na ang audience sa kakatawa. Natural na natural ang akting ni Shiela bilang pokpok na nagbagong buhay. Aliw na aliw sa kanya ang lahat.

Bukod kay Alyssa, isa rin sa mga bankable actresses ngayon ng Magwayen ay si Anna Paula. As Lorna, kinainisan siya ng audience sa kanyang pagiging bitch at nymphomaniac. Ibang lebel ang akting ni Paula. Para bang ang tagal-tagal na niyang ginagawa yun.

Worth mentioning din ang mga guest appearances nina Mike. Lee, Marvine at Sheena.

Dahil na-involve ako sa preparations ng dalawang malaking proyekto ng Magwayen sa pagbubukas ng schoolyear na ito, I got the chance to re-visit my Alma Mater - ang Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila. Kung susumahin, I’ve been in and out of this University sa nakalipas na 13 taon: 5 years bilang estudyante, 4 years bilang empleyado, at 4 years bilang karaniwang alumni.

Subalit sa pagdalaw kong muli nitong Hunyo sa Pamantasan, tila nanibago ako. I was enchanted by its beauty. ‘Di ko namalayan, kinukunan ko na pala ito ng mga litrato.

I have many fond memories of PLM. Marami akong namimiss. Yung pakikipagpatintero sa mga guards, yung pangongopya ng assignment sa lab class ni Mr. Santos, yung pagtambay sa shed na parang walang exam kinahapunan. Maraming beses akong umibig at nabigo. Piping saksi ang PLM field habang bumubuhos ang luha ko.

May mga panahon nun na wala akong kapera-pera. Minsan, lumilipas ang maghapon na walang laman ang tyan ko. Awa naman ng Diyos, wala akong kinasangkutang gulo. Pero ‘di ibig sabihin ay geek ako. Isang beses sa isang sem nga lang ako magpunta ng library e.

Pero nung mga panahong nasa PLM pa ako, I never took the time to stare at the buildings, at the field, at everything. I never thought I’d be mesmerized.

Haaay… Tumatanda na nga ako.