/ Daisies / Mars Cavestany performs

National Artist Daisy Hontiveros Avellana is generally regarded Philippine theater’s Grande Dame for the range, breadth and depth of her tragic roles, and for the immense significance of her work as scriptwriter, producer, director and mentor. She and her National Artist husband Lamberto established the Barangay Theater Guild in 1939, which company staged Filipino and non-Filipino dramas, thus honing the skills of aspiring actors, helping to professionalize Filipino theater and broadening audiences.

Deservedly, therefore, Daisy on her 90th birthday was the object of a tribute titled "Daisies" for which family and admirers hied to the CCP Little Theater to watch actresses, seasoned and not-so-seasoned, briefly re-enact roles Daisy had portrayed with uniform excellence. The manifold roles presumably led to the title "Daisies".

The AVP’s showed Daisy stressing the imperatives of hard work and discipline. Her son, Jose Mari, an accomplished actor, talked on her need for research and on the same imperatives learned from her, "these coming from her soul".

The performances were rather uneven for the reason already implied.

Christine Penserga was an enchanting ingenue as the young Daisy in "The Silver Box" by John Galsworthy. Ivi Avellana Cosio, a somewhat repressed Bernarda Alba in Lorca’s drama, paled in comparison with her mother. Small, slight, soft-spoken, Ivi also seemed physically miscast as the strong, iron-willed Bernarda with a stentorian voice. But in another role which perfectly suited her some years ago, Ivi, I thought, was the best in the cast!

Aristotle describes Euripides as "the most tragic of poets". His dramas deal less with broad questions of religion and morality, and more with emotions and passions – love, hate, revenge – all of which Cecile Guidote Alvarez as Medea conveyed with consummate skill. Indeed, in any tragic role – and I have seen Cecile in quite a few – she can match any player. In her brief appearance, her theory was implacable, her grief inconsolable, her love all-consuming, her desire for revenge terrifying – these emotions reaching their climax in her feigned madness. The scene throbbed with indescribable tension, excitement and moving conviction.

Sarah Bernhardt was one of the world’s greatest actresses, celebrated not only in her native France, but also in North and South America, and even in Egypt. Her voice was likened to a "golden bell" and "the silver sound of running water". Theater icon Carmen "Baby" Barredo as Sarah in John Murrel’s play about Bernhardt, gave a subtly muted performance that glowed quietly with infinite nuances.

Sharmaine Centenera gave a strong projection as Lupe, with Jonathan Tadioan as Paeng in Nick Joaquin’s "Tatarin". Adriana Agcaoili was Desdemona; Frances Makil, Lady Macbeth, in the Bard’s "Othello" and "Lady Macbeth", respectively. Sherry Lara was Mary Tyrone in O’neill’s "Long Day’s Journey into Night".

Project director Clotilde Gealogo-Lucero infused creative imagination into the entire presentation. In the episode "Walang Ilaw" (from Joaquin’s "Portrait") directed by Irma Adlawan Marasigan, the lights in the Marasigan house go off, leading the sisters to fear they had failed to pay their electric bill, and thus, fear further that they would be the neighbors’ laughing stock. The scene featured Rustica Carpio, Malou de Guzman, Naty Crame-Rogers, Tessie Tomas, Didi Villegas each as Candida, paired with Gina Alajar, Lala Castillo and Vivian Velez each as Paula. Behn Cervantes was a distinct Candido.

I had fully expected Carpio and Crame-Rogers in solo roles that night, both being superb actresses with an enormous excess of talent. Dolly Benavides Sale was the first Paula when "Portrait" was initially staged in Intramuros: Naty was the excellent Paula – matching Candida – in later stage and film versions. Candida, Daisy’s signature role on stage and screen, still conjures vivid memories of her hysterical laughing scene.

"Kay Sarap ng Buhay Nung Araw" from "Larawan, the Musical" with music by Ryan Cayabyab and lyrics by Rolando Tinio, was beautifully rendered by Menchu Lauchengco Yulo as Candida and May Bayot as Paula, with Lourdes Gregorio on the piano.

CCP President Nes Jardin, on behalf of NCCA chairman Ambeth Ocampo, and Tessie Luz, CCP trustee and student of Daisy, gave brief remarks prior to the uniquely marvelous tribute.

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"Peregrinations: Unbound, Unmasked, Unzipped", as conceived, devised, directed and performed by Mars Cavestany, will be presented by Filipinas-Petals’ at the CCP Huseng Batute on Feb. 1 and 2, at 7:30 p.m.

Formerly with PETA, which was founded by Cecile G. Alvarez, Mars is on leave from the University of Sydney Theater Department.