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Perry Escaño Embraces the Dark Side as ‘Adolfo’

August 15, 2009



Florante at Laura, the thirty second season offering of Gantimpala Theater packed the crowds at the AFP Theater on its first week run and now, the second week of performances unfold, and it shows extend until the last weekend of August.

Francisco Balagtas’ most enduring awit, presented as a komedya, the theater form popular during time of Balagtas, is under the direction of Soxie Topacio.

One of the most talked about characters in this play adaptation by the late Rene Villanueva is Adolfo, the Albanian monarch obsessed with power and lust, and whose main objective in life is to destroy his mortal enemy, Florante.

Portraying the antagonist Adolfo is Perry Escaño, one of the junior members of Gantimpala Theater’s Actors’ Company.

“The biggest challenge that Adolfo poses is the fact that we are totally opposite personality wise, though, I’m not saying that I am a good boy. However, I am not as bad as the role I portray,” says Perry.

“Playing this part is like living another life,” Escaño adds. “I need to create this person who is wily. At first, he acts the as meek and gentle as a lamb card. People do not suspect the vitriol boiling deep inside him. He is consumed with hatred. He is obsessed with power. In the end, when he becomes really demented, all hell breaks lose. He is not bothered when he resorted to violence just to fulfill his ambitions.”

How did you prepare for the role? “Personally, I did not watch the former actors who have done the part previously so that I give it a fresh take,” he replies. “I watched a lot of movies specifically Cape Fear with Robert De Niro and Al Pacino in The Devil’s Advocate. I also take by heart all the notes given by my director.”

“It’s emotionally and physically taxing,” adds Escaño. “Adolfo is ruthless and I really have to summon, embrace all my dark side and be comfortable with it.”

Bringing the awit to life on stage is Soxie Topacio. He has worked with direk Soxie in movies and in plays and Escaño admits that direk Soxie is one of his favorites.

“I don’t want to pull director Soxie’s legs but he is one of the best directors that we have right now,” reveals Perry. “He is much disciplined. As an actor, I always look forward to work with him because I know that I will learn much. When he explains a scene to you, it is always very thorough. He expects that you give your one-hundred percent and with that thought, you cannot afford to be mediocre. You really have to strive and give your best.”

Aside from doing theater, Escaño is also visible in television having the privilege to work with both networks. He also juggles with mainstream and independent film projects as well As a matter of fact, Perry is cited as one of the top twenty independent film actors.

Why does he keep on coming back to theater? “As an actor, it is important that you continue to learn and in theater, it gives you so many opportunities to learn. And your learning does not only come from the script that you read, but from your directors, co-actors down to the technical people and the staff.”

He continues, “Another reason why I love the theater is the fact that every play gives you the chance to be abreast with so many personal, cultural and societal issues. In this awit by Balagtas, it talks about friendship, love for family and country, peace and religion. In this production, the audiences, most especially the students, can see that peace between two warring groups, the Christians and Moors, can be achieved. Peace and harmony is attainable when our hearts and minds are open to forgive, help other people, and communicate. At the end of the day, we all face the same problems. We all laugh and cry, we dance and jump, we get hurt, we love and we are just all human beings.“

“We hope that people continue to support Gantimpala Theater and all our plays. We are here to give you excellent productions. We assure you that after watching Florante at Laura, this is an experience that they will never forget, this is Filipino theater at its best,” concludes Perry Escaño.

Gantimpala Theater’s Florante at Laura performances are on August 14 and 15, 10am/2pm, AFP Theater in Quezon City and its final weekend on August 28 and 29, 10am/2pm, SM Southmall, Las Piñas City.

For information, bookings and ticket reservations, please call 899-5745, 896-3503, 474-5198. Or, visit:gantimpalathe ater.multiply. com
Posted by philippinearts at 11:16 pm | permalink | Add comment

Visual Arts Exhibition by Filipino Artists in Hong Kong

The 4th Philippines Arts Festival 2009- Kulay, Kultura, Kalawili (Color, Culture and Harmony) Visual Arts Exhibition by Filipino Artists

http://www.hkcultur alcentre. gov.hk/en/ exhibition/ exhibition. html

Opening Reception: 13 August 2009, Thursday
Time: 6-10 p.m.

Exhibition dates: 13-29 August 2009, Thursday-Saturday
Time: 9 a.m.- 8 p.m.

Presenter: Philippine Arts and Cultural Society (Hong Kong) and the Consulate General of the
Philippines in Hong Kong

Introduction: 16 Filipino artists and their creative friends living and working in Hong Kong are showing a
multi-varied portfolio of artworks at Hong Kong Cultural Centre Exhibition Gallery bringing
their respective aesthetic and creative messages directly to Hong Kong.

Website: http://kkkexhibit. haraya.info/

Venue: Hong Kong Cultural Centre Main Gallery
10 Salisbury Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong
http://en.wikipedia .org/wiki/ Hong_Kong_ Cultural_ Centre

Posted by philippinearts at 11:13 pm | permalink | Add comment

PITIK BULAG: Letra at Liwanag

THE GOVERNMENT SERVICE INSURANCE SYSTEM

Museum of Art and National Artist Virgilio Almario

cordially invite you to the 

PITIK BULAG: Letra at Liwanag

A Celebration of Contemporary Filipino Art and Poetry

 Opening Reception

On Tuesday, 25 August 2009

6:00 in the evening

 

 

GSIS Museum of Art

Diosdado Macapagal Avenue

Pasay City

 

The exhibition will be on view until December 5, 2009.

 

Featuring the works of Artists: Leonardo Aguinaldo, Virgilio Aviado, Manuel Baldemor, Elmer Borlongan, Salvador Ching, Charlie Co, Fil Dela Cruz, Edgar Fernandez, Jose John Santos III, Steve Santos and Poets : Teo Antonio, Rebecca Añonuevo, Roberto Añonuevo, Mesandel Arquelles, Romulo Baquiran Jr, Michael Coroza, Jerry Gracio, Vim Nadera, Fidel Rillo, Edgar Samar, Marne Kilates & National Artist Virgilio Almario

 

 

R.S.V.P. Leslie / Mayette (GSIS Museum) Tel. No. 479-3588 / 859-0395

Cellphone: 0929-171-4091   Email: museum@gsis. gov.ph

Posted by philippinearts at 11:07 pm | permalink | Add comment

The Pandayang Lino Brocka Political Film and New Media Festival

The Pandayang Lino Brocka Political Film and New Media Festival
moves on to the communities and workplaces.
 
The community and workplaces film showings of the film fest hopes to bring the works
to a bigger audience and back to the very subjects from whom they were inspired–the common Filipino people.
 
Communities:
August 9 - Barangay Bagumbuhay, Quezon City
August 15 - Barangay Old Balara, Quezon City
August 16 - Barangay Veteran’s, Quezon City
August 20 - Navotas Fishport Complex
August 22 - Barangay Central, Quezon City
August 25 - Malate, Manila
 
Workplaces:
August 13 - Triumph International workers union office
August 14 - Advan workers union office
August 18 - NHA/DENR CUE Office
August 25 - Courage Partylist NCR Convention
August 28 - DOLE employees union
 
Community film showings are open to all, participating filmmakers are especially invited.
Film showings in the workplaces are open to the employees/workers, with a possible program for mass criticism after the screenings. This effort remains true to the festival’s objective and very title pandayan, where truthful, relevant and artistic works are inspired, cultivated and/or produced from the needs, welfare or the voices of the people.
 
Groups, schools and communities interested to bring the Pandayang Lino Brocka to their area in the coming months should contact Tudla Productions. For inquiries, call Tudla Productions at 345-8804 and 0922-8975766.
Posted by philippinearts at 11:04 pm | permalink | Add comment

Compromising the National Artist Awards


By Behn Cervantes
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 21:43:00 08/14/2009

Filed Under: Awards and Prizes, Conflicts (general)

MANILA, Philippines—The highest honor given to our deserving artists is the National Artist award, conceived over two decades ago by then First Lady Imelda Marcos.

The award was prestigious and highly respected because the artists cited were undoubtedly deserving of the accolade. It’s the ultimate honor this nation can bestow upon an artist for his/her body of work.

Hardly was there a hint of politics at play as Mrs. Marcos was properly advised. To prevent politics from having an undue hand in this particular award, a selection process and research committees were set up. In the beginning, it was Mrs. Marcos and her advisers who selected artists who were obvious cultural icons.

Selection process

With time, it became vital that an unbiased selection process be set up. The responsibility was given to the Cultural Center of Philippines’ Board of Trustees. However, in due time, the National Commission of Culture and the Arts was included.

As a member of the CCP board, I saw inherent problems. To begin with, the NCCA has more voting members than the CCP Board of Trustees. Furthermore, the National Artist Award Law allows the President to add names other than those cited by the Selection Committee, so we persuaded those close to the Palace to advise the President not to include names that did not pass the selection process, since past “dagdag National Artists” were received negatively by the artistic community.

Prerogative

Not too long ago, I pleaded with a Palace official to convince the President not to include a name unworthy of the National Artist Award. I recommended that the President could bestow a Presidential Award upon that person, instead, since that was her prerogative.

I would have expected Cecile Guidote-Alvarez to do as much as the cultural adviser of President Arroyo. So, imagine the shock when Ms Alvarez was declared the National Artist for Theater when she had not even been nominated, and did not go through the selection process she was a significant part of (as the head of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts).

Topping it all was the inclusion of Carlo J. Caparas, a film director best known for gory massacre films. Is he in the same class as Gerry de Leon, Lamberto Avellana, Lino Brocka, Ishmael Bernal or Eddie Romero?

To our shock, Dr. Ramon Santos, whom we chose as National Artist for Music, was taken off the list. He had been highly recommended by his peers for his talent, body of work and creative integrity.

The dagdag-bawas insults all Filipino artists. It’s an audacious act that turns the National Artist Award into a political achievement rather than an artistic accomplishment.

 PR: wait…  I: wait…  L: wait…  LD: wait…  I: wait… wait…  Rank: wait…  Traffic: wait…  Price: wait…  CY: wait…  I: wait…  YCat: wait…  I: wait…  Top: wait…  I: wait…  L: wait…  C: wait…
Posted by philippinearts at 10:58 pm | permalink | Add comment