Local theater royalty stars in American Hwangap

MANILA, Philippines - After having lunch with Mario O’Hara, Gina Pareño, Celeste Legaspi, and his co-stars and colleagues in Chris Millado’s American Hwangap one drizzly but humid day, Bembol Roco walked toward the parking lot of Casino Español quietly.

The next scene was surprisingly heartening for any actor or actress.

As Bembol traipsed around the pools of water slowly emerging on the sidewalk of T.M. Kalaw St. on the way to his vehicle, several middle-aged taxi drivers — the macho, beer-guzzling species one would stereotype as not prone to star-struck attacks — quickly rolled down their side windows and joyfully shouted: “Bembol, idol! Bembol, idol!” The self-effacing actor gamely acknowledged the unexpected outbursts with warm smiles and waving of a hand.

“Discovered” by the legendary Lino Brocka, Bembol has been acting since the small years of the ‘70s. He had channeled his creative energies during his university days by starring in various English theatrical productions at the Ateneo de Manila.

Followers of the 53-year-old veteran of film, stage and telenovela productions are not limited to the adult varieties.

Over at the PETA theater in Quezon City, Bembol was swarmed by eager children seeking autographs and photo opportunities at the end of every staging of Rabindranath Tagore’s The Post Office, where he essayed the role of Mang Pedring, caretaker of the sick Abel, the lead character.

Away from the spotlight, Bembol practices what he preaches actor-twin sons Dominic and Felix: To work very hard and to be professional, always.

Four hours after the media lunch, Bembol showed up 15 minutes before the 6 p.m. call time for the second day of rehearsals at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Seeing several people wearing rubber slippers, he then returned to his vehicle to change into flip-flops and then reappeared at the rehearsal hall.

While the other cast members were prepped by director Millado, Bembol requested a production staff to grab a copy of the script and went through certain parts of it as he recited his lines for particular scenes to be blocked during the evening.

In American Hwangap, Pareño marks her first foray on stage while Legaspi is looking forward to her return in theater after being “waylaid” by the local music scene for a long time.

In the play, Bembol is Min Suk Chun, a Korean immigrant in West Texas, who after leaving his family in the US for 15 years, suddenly returns to them to celebrate his coming 60th birthday, an important milestone among Koreans for it is believed that the 60th birthday (hwangap) marks the completion of the Eastern zodiac cycle and thus, a person is reborn.

American Hwangap has Filipino and English versions and two sets of lead characters. Roco teams up with Legaspi (Mary) in the English version, while O’Hara joins forces with Pareño in the Filipino version. A stage actress before becoming an icon of the Original Pilipino Music, Celeste’s last stage production was in Larawan, the musical recreation of National Artist for Literature Nick Joaquin’s Portrait of the Artist as Filipino.

Liesl Batucan (Esther), Jeremy Domingo (David) and Nicco Manalo (Ralph) perform as children of Mary and Min Suk Chun in both versions of the play.

Joi Barrios-Le Blanc, a US-based creative writer and university professor, did the Filipino translation from the original English material written by Lloyd Suh, who briefly visited Manila recently to observe preparations for the Asian premiere of his play. Set design was by Mio Infante, light design by Katsch Catoy, sound design and original score by Jethro Joaquin, and costume design by Kahlila Aguillos.

Suh is the artistic director for Second Generation and co-director of the Ma-Yi Writers Lab, the largest resident company of Asian-American playwrights ever assembled.

Millado described American Hwangap, which made its Asian premiere last Sept. 10 at Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino (Little Theater) of the CCP, as a story of a migrant family leaving in the US and coming to grips with the notions of the elusive American dream and its hopes, fears, success and failures. American Hwangap had its world premiere in March 2009 in San Francisco and premiered in New York in May 2009.

Millado, who is chief of the CCP’s Performing Arts Department, said during the press conference the CCP and Tanghalang Pilipino were “happy and proud to have gathered the local theater royalty” for American Hwangap.

Pareño said she had to be convinced by Tanghalang Pilipino artistic director Fernando Josef and director Jeffrey Jeturian to make her maiden stage appearance.

As if wistfully comparing her colleagues in movie/television with those of Tanghalang Pilipino’s, Pareño said she witnessed how her co-actors were “so dedicated” and was impressed by their “discipline, professionalism, and punctuality” during rehearsals.

English and Filipino versions of American Hwangap run from Sept. 17 to 19, 24 to 26 to Oct. 1 to 3, with 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. performances. Running time is one hour and 20 minutes. For details, call Tanghalang Pilipino at 832-3661 and 832-1125 extension 1620/1621 or visit www.tanghalangpilipino.com.

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