John Lapus back to where it all began

A lot of people have a tendency to view John "Universal Sweet" Lapus as merely a comedic gay performer, an actor whose main function is to make other people laugh through hilarious punchlines and nerve-breaking antics.

This perception is not difficult to understand since TV buffs see John on the TV everyday.

On weekdays, he plays Carol Banawa’s road manager in Bituin, Saturdays he’s the outlandish gay neighbor of Heart Evangelista in Arriba, Arriba! And Sundays he is one of the four on-cam hosts of the highly- controversial showbiz talk-show The Buzz (opposite Kris, Aquino, Boy Abunda and Ricky Lo).

Like any gay who is out in the open John is inevitably confronting several misconceptions regarding his sexual orientation. For one, he is often seen as a person incapable of serious discourse. He is convinced such perception stems from the fact that most of the roles he plays on TV and in film are stereotyped sketches of gay men.

"It’s only recently that I’m starting to be choosy when it comes to the roles I play. After almost a decade in the industry I guess I could get away with being selective of the gay roles offered to me. All I want is to play a gay character who is able to make a difference. Of course, since there are very few of us gay actors who have "outed" themselves, I want to give my sisters a voice by representing their concerns either on TV or in the silver screen," says John.

As John uttered these words, one could easily infer that he knows what he is talking about. John graduated from the University of Santo Tomas (UST) in 1993 and obtained a degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management. It was in UST where he started to hone his craft as an actor.

John joined UST’s Teatro Tomasino in his freshman year, and the rest, as they say, is history in the making. "I had an extremely difficult time joining Teatro Tomasino because the standards of the guild was, and still is, very hard to maintain and satisfy. Every member should have adequate training in every aspect of theater production, from lighting to stage design, to marketing and promotion. Teatro Tomasino has a lot of gay members, but when it comes to theater work, we all stand on equal footing — straight or gay."

It was in Teatro Tomasino where John met his friends who are also his colleagues in mainstream show business: Morning Girls executive producer Louie Aranda, The Buzz’s executive producer and Star Cinema publicity and promotions director Roxy Liquigan, ABS-CBN in-house directors Erick Salud, Don Cuaresma and Jojo Saguin, GMA-7’s Rams David and Buboy Favor, and Piolo Pascual, among many others.

Though John has gone a relatively long way as a gay actor (as evident in his recent jampacked solo concert at the Folk Arts Theater), his feet remain rooted on the ground. John admits a huge part of his success is due to the many years he devoted as member of Teatro Tomasino.

Today, John is an honorary member of the group. And, in spite of his very hectic schedule, he still manages to direct Teatro Tomasino’s 25th anniversary presentation.

"I will never ever forget Teatro Tomasino. I started in theater and I promised myself to be involved in at least one theater production every year. And I can’t say no to the young members of Teatro at UST. I see myself in them, the optimism and the dreams they have are inspiring and refreshing," says John.

John’s play is entitled Last Order Sa Penguin, a Palanca-winning piece by Chris Martinez. The positive response of the UP audience inspired John to put up a UST production of the said play.

Last Order Sa Penguin is a comedy about the lives of five twentysomething friends. The action happens one Saturday evening, as the friends indulge in their usual weekend gimmick. The play is set against the backdrop of Malate’s legendary Penguin bar. As the story progresses, the characters of the play learn more about love and friendship over glasses of white wine, super-subs and margaritas.

For the UST production of Last Order Sa Penguin, John gathers some of the most talented, most successful alumni of the guild, like Homer Espiritu, Jonelle ‘Face’ Sales, Marion Escalona, Erick Salud, Jojo Saguin and this writer among many others.

All of them made their individual marks on television, film, advertising, journalism and public relations. Joining them as special guest artists are Ciara Sotto, comedienne Aleli ‘Mosang’ Baguio and young actor RR Herrera. It should be noted that all these actors, including John, are working in the play for free, for the love of Teatro.

Asked about the play, John says, "I’m not saying it’s fabulous and fantastic. But we at Teatro Tomasino are presenting it with pride in our hearts."

(Last Order Sa Penguin will run on March 5 to 8, 10 a.m., 1 p.m., 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the UST Albertus Magnus Auditorium (Education Building). Tickets at P100 each are available at the Teatro Tomasino Secretariat, at the back of the UST Grandstand. Proceeds of the play are earmarked for the scholarship fund of Teatro Tomasino’s less-fortunate members. For details, call 0919-5055854)