Nicolo, without any doubt

To regular theater-goers, his last name rings a bell. Yes, he is the son of Bonggoy Manahan, but Nicolo Manahan – whose first theater role was a part in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (no, not as one of the dwarfs – "I’m too tall for that," laughs Nicolo, who stands 5’10") is now following in his father’s footsteps and making quite a name for himself in the process.

A Business Communications graduate of the University of Asia and the Pacific, Nicolo, 27, first became interested in theater as a high school student at Brent, where he was a member of the drama club. It started out rather innocently. "It just sort of happened," laughs Nicolo. "My friend said, ‘Let’s try out’ (for the drama club) and we did. Fortunately, we both got in," recalls Nicolo, who ended up doing theater all the way to college.

His first professional stint was in a Repertory Philippines Children’s Theater Production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. He was still in college. And one day, while walking through Shangrila Plaza mall, on his way to the MRT station for his daily trip home from school, he saw a poster announcing auditions for Snow White.

Again, he decided to try out. As if by design, he landed the part of the evil Queen’s henchman – the one tasked to kill Snow White. He also had a brief part as the Prince.

According to Nicolo, the fact that his family is in theater, played a large part in his theater career. His sister Patty, currently in Holland where she has a chorus part in Miss Saigon, appeared in Grease when Repertory Philippines was still based at its old home at the Insular Life theater in Makati. His father has also appeared in several plays for Repertory Philippines, most notably in its production of Les Miserables, where he played the role of the bishop who takes Jean Valjean in for the night without realizing he’s a convict.

Nicolo himself has appeared in several plays, not just for Repertory Philippines, but also for other groups, like Tanghalang Pilipino. In the Tanghalang Pilipino production of Hamlet, he and his father played opposite each other – Nicolo as the Prince of Denmark, and his father, as Claudius.

Now, Nicolo – who has earned the title "Prince of Theater" for his "princely" roles, tackles a role in Doubt (the Pulitzer, Tony and Drama Desk award-winning play by John Patrick Shanley) that is deeper and more serious than anything he has ever done before. Doubt will be staged in Manila by Atlantis Productions, with a run at the RCBC Theater in Makati from June 2 to 24, on all Friday and Saturday evenings of the month.

Set in a Catholic school in the Bronx in the 1960s, Doubt is the story of a priest, Father Flynn, who becomes the center of controversy when he begins to show a little too much interest in the lives of his male students. Sister Aloysius, the principal of the school, wonders what she should do: should she reveal the truth about her male colleague, even if she herself is not entirely sure what the truth is?

In Doubt, Nicolo plays Father Flynn, one of the four central characters. Starring opposite him are Cherie Gil as Sister Aloysius, and Cathy Azanza (who Nicolo worked with previously in the stage musical Man of La Mancha) as Sister James, and Jay Glorioso. Chari Arespacochaga directs.

Doubt is the first drama Nicolo has done in a long time. He is therefore looking forward to it, especially since he’ll be performing opposite Cherie Gil for the first time in his career. Of course, he admits that he was intimidated by her reputation, but as rehearsals progressed and he got to know her, he realized what a fabulous person Cherie is.

Still, that doesn’t take away his jitters. "There is a bit, a hint (of nervousness), but there is also determination to make sure I reach those standards (in acting)," says Nicolo. "The nice thing about Cherie is that she’s very accommodating. She makes it very easy for me in our scenes together."

Nicolo’s character, Father Flynn, is a priest in the 1960’s. "He’s sort of non-traditional, like a ‘hip’ priest who’s liked by the community and the children. Of course, he’s only human. He has his failings, and that’s what makes him so interesting."

Like a true theater veteran, Nicolo wasn’t content to just read the script; he researched the role. He read up on cases of sexual harassment involving members of the clergy. He even took on psychology books. "I read basic psychology books to help me understand why people do different things," he says. "What I found out is that usually, they tend to have a history of abuse. I used that [stuff I read about] to help me in my interpretation of the character."

His father didn’t give him any pointers on how to attack the role. Bonggoy completely trusts Nicolo, and – pardon the pun – he has no doubts at all that his son will do well in the play. Of the new "Prince of Theater", we expect nothing less.

Tickets to Doubt are available at Atlantis Productions (892-7078) or Ticketworld (891-9999).