The Drama Queen: A Backtrack

Following my mother’s advice, I took Mass Communication and auditioned for the university’s theatre guild under the Performing Arts Group. Armed with talents in both singing and dancing, and a bit of acting, I was able to pass the initial audition and the callback.

I had been a theatre actress for four consecutive years. And it was during those years when I discovered who I really was, what I was good at, and what I wanted.

During that time, my acting skills got better and better. I had portrayed different roles (sorry can’t mention them all here), from a rugby girl in “UNOS 1” and “UNOS 2” (Hari ng Lansangan), a clever and hard-hitting ‘pusa’ in Rody Vera’s “ANG UNANG ASWANG”, to a 7-year old American girl in “PINOY DREAMS” (Kamera ni Mang Leon).

My favorite role was when I played the character of ‘Ralph’ in our stage adaptation of William Golding’s “LORD OF THE FLIES”. I also portrayed the role of one of the witches (the most challenging role for me) in William Shakespeare’s most powerful tragedy, “MACBETH”.

Together with my co-actors, I had jumped from one stage to another, performing different pieces written by veteran playwrights, and under the supervision of my adored directors. My group even got the chance to perform in PASINAYA 2010, an arts festival annually held at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

That was a dream come true for all of us! I could never forget how long we had prepared and how hard we rehearsed just for that 15-minute show. Although the actual performance was a bit short, the experience was beyond comparable. The claps and cheers of the audience, which included my friends and family, were perhaps the most beautiful music for me during that time and throughout my entire years as a theatre actress.

Performing made me feel contented and proud of myself - the same feelings I felt when I first sang back in kindergarten. I can’t imagine myself forgetting the memories I shared with the rest of the actors of Dulaang Perpetual, my former theatre company.

The friendship between me and my co-actors will always be remembered, and the lessons taught by our artistic directors will be etched in my mind forever.