CEBU, Philippines - Like many of her high school classmates, Delia originally desired for a course that would help her join a convent. In fact, she had even already chosen the one to enter, which was the Carmelite Monastery. Although she did not follow her first choice to be a maiden of the Lord, perhaps it was still a divine plan to lead her to the stage. Her vivacious presence and her exemplary talent mixed with a dose of her hard work enabled her to “breathe considerable light into Cebu’s theatrical scene” upon her return to Cebu during the later part of the 1950s.
“My childhood was nothing very significant; there were no extraordinary events that triggered my love for the stage. It was just something that I did.” With a hearty laugh, she then described how she was the most “obedient” glee club member when she was in high school. She mentioned that although she did not know how to sing, she had learned how to sing with others, an ability which later proved to be useful in her life as a performer.
“During my high school days, our knowledge of Hollywood was only in the movies that we were allowed to see.” But that changed upon her arrival in Immaculate Heart. Her exposure to Tinseltown heightened greatly. Her image of Hollywood was no longer of the things she saw on the silver screen, nor the huge white letters that the place is known for. Hollywood became the place where she would learn to hone her craft. Hollywood became a part of her.
Seeing famous celebrities was not a bonus or a privilege; to her, it was a reality. “Our professors in drama are friends with these actors and they would be invited to do dramatic readings or poetry readings in our art appreciation classes and literature classes.” One was Paul Newman, who visited their school all the time when they had art exhibits. Her school also had student sisters program where her “little sister” was a famous child actress of that time, Gigi Perreau.
“I lived in the apartment of a couple whose husband is a corporate lawyer of Universal International… so we were given a tour of Universal International by movie stars, one was Tony Curtis!” Her foster father would also bring her to parties and she’d be introduced to actors like Bob Hope and Eddie Fisher. Then Christmas was an occasion for her to witness the Hollywood Christmas Parade, where she saw stars like Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, and Debbie Reynolds. “But I gradually learned the Hollywood attitude, which was not to pay attention to the movie stars. You take them as a part of your life in that school.”
However, among all the big-named people she had encountered in her four-year stay there, the one person she truly cannot forget was her department’s chair, Sister Marie Fleurette. “She understood my problems as a foreign student… so she gave me all kinds of things to do to keep me busy. And I learned from all the tasks I had to do, to design costumes and to design sets. Also, she was not the typical director who would scream or rant. She was always so sweet and kind, guiding you with characterization and exposing you to all things.”
She was also given the chance to be taken under the wing of a student of Martha Graham, the “High Priestess of Modern Dance.” This was an opportunity that molded her to become the lead dancer in dance sequences for Broadway shows at IHC. She was garnering acting stints, as well. In a period when Asians were rarely recognized in the world of performing arts, Delia Villacastin was already making her mark in that school, shifting the spotlight from herself, to the general idea that Filipino talent can do it, too; sometimes, even better.
According to Amor S. Hernando, Delia Aliño Villacastin stands as “the perfect personification of the resilience of an artist’s creative spirit.” It was in 1959 that her priorities were challenged. There were only two options for her to choose from: she could stay in Hollywood to become a star or return to Cebu and be a pioneer in the new face of Cebu theater. She picked the latter and not only was she known for her talent in performing and directing, but also for her contributions in reviving the zarzuelas.
Delia is known for her exemplary works in many full-length theater pieces ranging from Cebuano zarzuelas to Shakespeare drama, to children’s plays like The Wizard of Oz.
“From Saint Theresa’s to Immaculate Heart, we were always made to understand that whatever you learn has to be of value, not only material or aesthetic or artistic value, but it has to be of value to you as a person… so it was not difficult for me to choose plays that are of value also.”
Whether she is to direct or be part of its cast, a play needs to be one that can be enjoyed by everyone, “Especially me!” she added with genuine mirth.
Over the years, she has worked with many well-recognized artists such as Benjie Diola, Al Claude Evangelio, Dr. Warfe Engracia, Laurice Guillen and Msgr. Rudy Villanueva.
Aside from being an artist, Delia Villacastin is also acknowledged for her involvement in the academe. Upon her return from ICH, she first taught at STC since she believed that she had a responsibility to the sisters there because they were the ones who sent her on the scholarship. She instructed the Theresians on Children’s Literature, Poetry, Public Speaking, Directing and Play Production. She eventually transferred to the University of San Carlos, then finally to Cebu Institute of Technology (CIT), where she served the institution for over 40 years.
Practicality is also a reason why she became a teacher. But for her, being in theater and being a teacher are not two opposite posts. Delia has efficiently woven her talent on the stage with her talent in the classroom. “I enjoy being a teacher because I make sure my students enjoy the lessons… and I usually do it through theater!”
“When we meet some students, and even though we don’t remember their names, but when they start saying ‘Oh, Madam! I’m doing this!’ and they’re very proud in saying what they are doing and what they have done and then some of them really say ‘I have learned a lot from you’, that’s a nice thing to hear, and any teacher would really enjoy that.”
Although she officially retired on May 2008, she has not completely broken ties with CIT. She is still very much busy, helping with the CIT Community Theater. “They are the reasons why even if we have difficulty in putting up productions in a school, we continue, because of the students, their interests, their enthusiasm.” She is also lending a hand to the Our Lady of Joy School in Consolacion, which is administered by her daughter, Mary Rose Villacastin-Maghuyop.
Currently, she is organizing together with the Young Ladies Association for Charity Foundation (YLAC) a re-showing of “The Song of Bernadette.” The re-showing will be for the benefit of a free school run by the said foundation.
Delia is also active with her organization Advocates for Living Values Education (ALIVE). In the past five years, ALIVE has been giving seminar workshops in different schools on living values, an advocacy she firmly adheres to ever since her younger years. (Pictures courtesy of Samantha Villacastin-Despi).