A Life in the Theater

This November, Sev's Cafe launches its Cinema Club. A one-week limited membership worth P100.00 allows members to attend Cinemanights on Tuesdays and to watch other films available off-hours during the week.      On November 5, 2013, Sev’s Cafe Cinemanights will screen Dennis Marasigan’s “VOX POPULI”, a finalist in the 2010 Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival and considered among the year's best films.  Described as “funny as it is scary”, “nuanced and well-played”, and “a refreshing satire with an old soul”, "VOX POPULI" follows the story of Connie, a candidate for Mayor in the town of San Cristobal, as she tries to put together a bandwagon on the last day of the campaign to ensure her election.   The film has been lauded for being a "well-acted allegory about Philippines", and  “what it says about the candidates and the voters as the election draws near is quite embarrassingly true”.    Cinemalaya 2013 Best Actre...

Many things will be said about Mario O'Hara and his myriad contributions to Philippine theater and cinema. But in my memory, it will always be his humble and giving ways that will be etched forever. He notoriously took public transportation and walked to and from rehearsals in CCP,and was infamously averse to press gatherings and public functions, particularly the showbiz kind. I knew his brother Jerry before I met Mario, and by the time we were introduced in the late 80s, he had already made a name for himself as a writer, actor, and director in radio, theater, and film. His generosity as an artist and as a person was well known, and I have had several chances to see this first hand. In the late 80s, Tanghalang Pilipino was staging Ang Ginintuang Bayan, and Mario was playing one of the leading roles, along with Nonie Buencamino and Pen Medina, among others. Nonie's wife, Shamaine, was due to give birth anytime soon, and he had promised to be by...

Some photos from the 2nd shooting day of VOX POPULI, one of ten finalists in the New Breed category of the 2010 CINEMALAYA Philippine Independent Film Festival.

Here are photos from the 1st shooting day of VOX POPULI (SIYA ANG MEYOR KO!), a finalist in the 2010 Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival. Starring IRMA ADLAWAN, JULIO DIAZ, BOBBY ANDREWS, SUZETTE RANILLO and LJ MORENO, with Ces Aldaba, Jose Mari Avellana, Roeder Camanag, Dido de la Paz, Jess Evardone, Simon Ibarra, Amiel Leonardia, Jim Libiran, Tony Mabesa, Gabe Mercado, Tintin Nuval, Cris Mojica, Peewee O'Hara, Tuxqs Rutaquio, Flor Salanga. Written and directed by Dennis N. Marasigan.

I have just realized that I have not shared Noel Vera's review of "Tukso" with whoever may be viewing this site. Noel referenced it again in his 2008 yearender prompting me to look up what he had written about the film. Here are some excerpts: "I'd go so far as to say that "Tukso" is proof positive that Marasigan wasn't just coasting on the excellence of Perez's classic theatrical piece but possesses a talent for filmmaking all his own...All that said, the script is a clever enough construction ...kudos to Marasigan, then, for at least doing a decent execution, for keeping the whole complex plot coherent in his head, that he may transfer it with full clarity into ours." "But it's in the details of mood and tone and character that Marasigan excels--the way, say, Bal (Soliman Cruz), looks at his daughter Monica (Diana Malahay) in a manner that sends spiders crawling up your spine (Rashomon, meet Mike de Leon's in my opinion far...

Gibbs Cadiz listed down what he thought to be the 12 best theater performances of 2008. He begins his article with the following: "THIRTEEN, in fact, because one play featured a pair of performances so tightly woven into each other that to cite one actor without the other would be an injustice. In any case, whittling the choices down to 12 is quite a task, considering the good harvest this year of great theater moments. The Old Guard had a run of plum parts, while some young ’uns showed they are fierce talents to be reckoned with—beginning now. Here, in alphabetical order, are 13 names that defined first-class acting in Philippine theater in 2008. 1. Irma Adlawan (Tanghalang Pilipino’s "The Golden Child"). In a production boasting of excellent performances across the board, hers was the most fascinating--daringly contradictory and daringly played. As the tragically obstinate First Wife unable to cope with modernity in a feudal Chinese household, Adlawan was in top form,...

Ricky Davao is a multi-awarded film, television and theater actor who would really rather be known as a singer who can act. He will jump at every opportunity to show off his singing voice and whose plans for the future not only include directing a film version of Rene Villanueva's "Hiblang Abo" but also an album of salinawits, or standards transliterated into Filipino. Which is not to say that he will also not take advantage of every chance to perform on stage. This week, he resurrects his role as Dado in the Mario O'Hara's adaptation of his own screenplay for Lino Brocka's "Insiang." Directed by Chris Millado (who, like Ricky, also won an Aliw Award for his work on the play), Ricky plays opposite Sheenly Vee Gener (as Insiang) and Mailes Kanapi (as Pacing). As he normally would, Ricky set aside time to do Insiang, making sure that he can devote all his attention and time for the project. Ricky once said in an interview that we have known each other ...

Entertainment Tukso: A whodunit Rashomon STARBYTES By Butch Francisco Thursday, October 4, 2007 The truth told in different versions — as popularized by best foreign film winner Rashomon — is still alive and well in Philippine cinema. This device was previously used in Laurice Guillen’s Salome in 1981 and in Chito Roño’s Itanong Mo sa Buwan in 1988. Both films won Best Picture in the Gawad Urian. In Dennis Marasigan’s Tukso, which is currently showing in Robinsons Galleria’s IndieSine, the story is also told from various perspectives. Winner of Cinemalaya’s Best Screenplay award, the film gives the viewer the task of finding out who and how a barrio lass named Monica (Diana Malahay) is killed. Tukso is basically a whodunit Rashomon and we are presented with different suspects: Suspect No. 1 is Carlo (Sid Lucero), a fresh architecture graduate who is assigned to the province to design and supervise the construction of a local subdivision. He meets Monica and they become intimate in spi...

“TUKSO,” winner of the Best Screenplay Award at the 2007 CINEMALAYA Philippine Independent Film Festival, receieved a “B” grading from the Cinema Evaluation Board of the Film Development Council of the Philippines. The fifteen members of the Board who viewed the film unanimously voted that “TUKSO” deserved a grade. Subsequently, eight (8) members voted to give it a “B” grade as against seven (7) members who gave it an “A”. The “B” grade entitles the film to a rebate on amusement taxes collected in certain cities where the film will be screened. “TUKSO” will have its theatrical screening on October 3-9, 2007 at the Indie Sine, Robinson’s Galleria Movieworld. SYNOPSIS: A young village lass is found dead. An investigator (ADEL) is assigned to look into the case and gets to learn more about the girl and the people whose lives were affected by her and her death: her father (BAL), a young architect (CARLO), a businessman (DAVID), her childhood friend (EMER) and a widow (FE). CAST: IRMA ADLA...

TUKSO, which won for myself and my co-writers Nikki Torres and Mara Paulina Marasigan the Best Screenplay Award in the 2007 Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival, will be screened at the Indie Sine at the Robinson's Movieworld Galleria from October 3 to 9, 2007. TUKSO is a mystery film with a twist. A young village lass is found dead. An investigator is assigned to the case, and the film presents the different perspectives of the people who know her. In the cast are award-winning film, television and theater actors led by RICKY DAVAO and IRMA ADLAWAN together with SHAMAINE BUENCAMINO, SOLIMAN CRUZ, SID LUCERO, PING MEDINA, and DIANA MALAHAY. RICKY plays David Solomon, a businessman whose subdivision project and personal life are affected by the girl’s mysterious death. IRMA plays the role of Fe, a widow who may have the key that can help unravel the mystery. SOLIMAN portrays the deceased girl's father; SHAMAINE is the investigator. PING is the girl's childhood fr...