Mitch Valdes: No labels for me

Even when her screen name was still Maya, I’ve always admired the works of Mitch Valdes. As the ingénue in Super Laff-In, a game show host in Premyo sa Kuwatro and as an action-comic in Mission Patok and CleoFATra.

It’s just too bad I didn’t get to see her performance in Lino Brocka’s Lunes, Martes . . . for which she won an Urian award for Best Supporting Actress. But I thought she was excellent in Oro, Plata, Mata where she played the liberated Dr. Jo Russell.

On stage, she was simply wonderful as Katy de la Cruz in the musicale Katy! Unfortunately, no one can afford to stage a musical show of that magnitude year after year, and this is sad because it is on stage where Mitch is really at her best.

The good news, however, is that she still finds time to put up shows here and there every so often and these shows – trust me – are always well-put together.

Tonight at 9, for instance, she will be back at the Onstage theater in Greenbelt 1 for another show – this time called Mitch Valdes Rock and Rules. Directed by Kokoy Jimenez (under the musical direction of Mel Villena), Mitch will be performing in this show with Jon Santos.

Close to curtain time, I still had the chance to ask Mitch some questions and look back at her beginnings on TV and the early days of stand-up comedy here in the Philippines. Below is my conversation with Mitch Valdes:

How did you get into mainstream television again – via Super Laff-In, right? As a colegiala, how did you blend with Balot, Tange, Apeng Daldal and other Super Laff-In cast members who were all undeniably masa? Did they accept you immediately as one of them and how did you take to them?

Via Super Laff-In. My colleagues were not only masa – but vaudeville decadent. They would take pleasure in torturing this showbiz virgin with the most lewd anecdotes with matching action demo. My only defense was offense. I learned to dish it out as well as I can. It was hard because I could not express myself fluently in Tagalog yet, having been brought up in Japan. But I learn very fast especially if it involves survival. But I also learned the skills of the trade so patas lang. In the end they became my barkada and kumpare. I passed the test.

What about June Keithley? How was she accepted by the group and how did she manage to work with them given the fact that she came from the rather elite St. Paul college stage of which she was the darling? Oh, by the way, weren’t you also the darling of the St. Scho stage?

It was the time they were breaking in the colegialas as promo girls for their station IDs. So pretty soon Ketli et al were roaming the ABS-CBN corridors. She maintained her colegiala upbringing. I kinda lost it pretty fast. I was never the darling of St. Scho stage. Darling was not a word you would apply to me then. Ask the nuns. I was the type they would surrender to God.

I had the impression that you and June Keithley were the best of friends then. Do you still maintain the friendship to this day?

Ketli and I are still friends. Different circles but still friends. Actually the friends I made at that time remain my friends today, 30 years!

When did you start doing stand-up comedy?

In the early ’80s after Champoy went off the air. Teysi and Nanette were there first. I’m a late bloomer.

Were you among the pioneers of stand-up comedy in the local entertainment scene?

I’ll have to give in to my violent allergic reaction to being labeled. Ever since I can remember, I’ve always really had a horror of the Pinoy habit to put people in boxes for identification. So far I’ve rejected "d’ comedjan," "D’ singing comedjan," "D’Singing and Acting Comedjan," "D’ Singing and Acting Comedjan-who-is-OPM-president-who-also-emcees-and-is-not-married-so-if-she’s-not-all-of-the-above-what-is-she?" Stand-up comedy is just that. One who stands in front of an audience with a microphone, no props, no custumes, no nothing, and expounds on his views on life using humour. The Pinoy comic has adopted this and made it into his own using all kinds of tools to get his message across. Some use costumes, some use music. Mainly because the Pinoy psyche loves a good show. If you can have tears, blood, horror, song, dance and jokes in one movie or one show. So much the better.

How fast do you learn your lines in stand-up comedy? I suppose that’s far more difficult to do compared to movies and television?

I always attack the essence of the material so learning lines is not so difficult.

Do you also contribute to the material? How much input do you have there?

Behind every performance is a well-oiled support system. The director has to be a friend. Also the musical director. They have to know and understand me. The material comes from how much they can draw out from me, what I find funny or quirky. But in the end, and I always say this to producers, the performer stands alone. He rises or falls alone. So you have to eliminate all the risks of falling flat on your face. Just because it’s comedy doesn’t mean it’s relegated to the puede na category. So I always demand the best musicians, excellent technicals, top production staff and so on.

Do you rehash jokes?

Of course!

Who among the new breed of stand-up comics do you find impressive?

I will not answer on the grounds of the Right to Privacy Act.

What do you think is the future of stand-up comedy in this country?

The Filipino now laughs because he is hurting. I hope there’ll come a time when the Filipino laughs because he is happy.