By Rb A. Andres
What do Robert Seña, Isay Alvarez, Bituin
Escalante and May Bayot-de Castro have in common these days?
Aside from being renowned musical artists,
they are currently singing a different tune – acting in a
"beautifully skin-deep" straight play.
All four play challenging roles in
"Skin-Deep," Philippine Educational Theater Association’s third
offering for its 40th Season.
Essaying the role of a troubled couple
Narciso and Isadora Dongcan, it is Seña’s and Alvarez’s first
time to work with PETA. Both seasoned artists in theater,
television and film locally and globally, the couple auditioned
for the part after Skin-Deep playwright Vincent de Jesus told
them via SMS that there are roles in the play which they might
be interested in doing.
Why PETA? "Why not PETA?" Seña replies
incisively. "I love PETA because of its original works, because
of what the theater group is," Alvarez says. "I salute PETA for
its continued promotion of culture and the arts to Filipinos
especially the students. I believe that in order for Filipinos
to value our culture more we have to start them young. The older
ones, there is nothing much we can share with them. But with the
young, we can still encourage and share this passion with them."
Both knew when they auditioned that Skin-Deep
is not a straight musical. "Anything new for me is exciting,"
Alvarez says. She would actually love to do a straight play
because she has not really done one. "I like the way it is
written," Seña discloses.
Others in the cast are: Butuin Escalante who
plays the role of obese female call center agent Marikit
Evangelista, May Bayot-de Castro who is working with PETA for
the third time and welcomes the idea of working with the company
and old buddies again. She will play the role of Amore de Sangre,
the reigning Miss Artificial Beauty
Skin-Deep goes onstage at PETA’s Tanghalang PETA-Phinma
located at the PETA Theater Center, #5 Eymard Drive, New Manila,
Q.C. City (at the back of the QC Sports Club). Directed by Nor
Domingo, Skin-Deep runs on all Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays
until March 9. For inquiries and ticket reservations, call the
PETA marketing and public relations office at 725 6244, 410
0821, 0917 8154567, 0918 9354166 or email
petampro@yahoo.com.
