Jake Maningo: In His Father's Footsteps

The father is local television’s Gil Maningo. If you’ve seen at least one of his portrayals in tv dramas, you know for sure that the guy has it in him. But no matter how good the father may be at any thing, the son can be a completely different story.

Jake Maningo certainly has the pleasant looks of his dad. He has a lean body, fair skin, amiable eyes and the genial demeanor to match. He wears a beard too, like his father.

But, unlike his father, the 26-year-old graduate of A.B. in Interdisciplinary Studies, from Ateneo de Manila University, didn’t at first seem to have any hint of acting talent in him. It was not even clear if he was interested in the acting art at all.

He came to one of those early meetings we had for the Arts Council of Cebu’s production of Minî, the much-celebrated Cebuano zarzuela by the late Buenaventura Rodriguez. His father was part of it then and could have simply ordered the son to come along, and the poor kid just couldn’t say no. With that in mind, I didn’t consider Jake seriously.

I thought, however, that if he’d persevere through the pre-rehearsal meetings, maybe we could try him for a bit role. Maybe something more significant, if he would do well in the reading sessions. A newcomer would hardly be given a big part in an important theatrical production.

First and foremost, I found his persona to be too modern for a role in a period play. And his ways were, to me, too juvenile and high-spirited; it would probably be hard to teach him the fundamental moorings of an actor. Potential actors should have this air of seriousness and incisive sense of focus about them.

To put it simply, I didn’t quite see in Jake the actor’s mark that directors look for.

Directors are normally firm on getting only actors that have already proven themselves or, at least, those with obvious talent. Experienced actors are easy to work with, except perhaps for the standard eccentricity and moodiness, which occasionally cause problems. But that’s a lot easier to deal with than having to squeeze a dry bone to bleed.

Jake was diligent in attending the preliminary meetings. He came late many times, but he came. He mercilessly mangled his lines in the beginning, but it was apparent he was trying his best. He seemed to be developing real interest.

Watching him at the succeeding rehearsals was becoming more and more fun. He would get me emotionally carried away sometimes. Always, I’d have a good laugh at his slip-ups, especially his mispronunciation of classic Cebuano words in the dialog.

I understand fully well what a formidable task it is for all my actors to be in Minî. It is a musical and many of them have to sing. And since it is a period play too, everybody has to imbibe the ways of many generations past, of a culture many of these actors may no longer have the slightest knowledge of.

Little by little, my perception of Jake changed. Little by little, his value as an actor showed. And, little by little, he became the character I was testing the range of his acting capability on.

In due time, it looked like he had accordingly qualified himself for a part — as lead actor, no less! Long shot, you would think, for a pure greenhorn. That’s what I thought, too. I was wrong.

Through the rigid process, Jake retains his characteristic playfulness. I, as director, am not the Great Almighty capable of entirely changing the core being of my actor. He has not changed as a person. But he has certainly acquired the necessary skills as an actor.

He has much lesser time for playing basketball these days. His involvement in the family business – KULAS Shirts – takes the bulk of his waking hours. And what little time is left at the end of his day at the office he now devotes to the play rehearsals. Indeed, a big sacrifice for a young person who also loves to do painting, both on actual canvas and on the computer.

Yet he swears that Minî is not really such a hassle for him. The great difficulty in memorizing the big blocks of dialog is fairly compensated with big fun when the cast gathers for rehearsal. Besides, he considers his participation in the play as his little contribution to the fading Cebuano arts and culture, which his dad is so passionately concerned about. He will not hesitate, he assures, at the next opportunity to do live theater again, especially a Cebuano play.

This young man is a darling. He dedicates his performance in Minî to his dad, his two moms, his siblings, his Lola and the entire family. Perhaps he knows they will be very proud of him.

In the first place, he should be really proud of himself. He is special because he takes interest in an art form that only very few people his age would find time for. And why not? He’s got what it takes!

I no longer have any doubts whatsoever that, from the very start, Jake Maningo was meant to be in Minî. I didn’t know it then. Probably he didn’t, either.

The outcome of this actor’s perseverance and his beautiful transformation into the character of Don Felix, a man who ultimately becomes what he most wanted to be, will be showcased at SM City-Cebu Cinema 1, on October 1 and 2. The girls may even want to fall in love with him three times: on Friday at 8 p.m., and on Saturday at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.

This young Maningo does not have his dad’s image as an actor. He has his own ways, his own style. Although, certainly, he is following in his father’s footsteps.

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