A director, not a dictator

(Second of two parts)

Nora Aunor, Vilma Santos, Sharon Cuneta, Maricel Soriano, Kris Aquino, Judy Ann Santos, Jaclyn Jose, Ara Mina, Assunta and Alessandra de Rosi, Elizabeth Oropesa, Glydel Mercado and Angelu de Leon – they all won acting awards in films directed by Joel Lamangan.

Although the list of actresses he has worked with successfully is long, this doesn’t necessarily mean that he’s not effective handling his actors. Christopher de Leon, Eddie Garcia, Jay Manalo, Victor Neri, Wendell Ramos and Dennis Trillo also won acting trophies under his careful guidance and direction.

In the stage play Penis Talks last year, he also handled an all-male cast – mostly screen studs – and surprises, some of the actors there like Christian Vasquez and Luis Alandy who were never previously recognized for their acting prowess suddenly were praised for their performances, thanks to Joel Lamangan’s direction.

On Oct. 7, 8, 14, 15, 21, 22 and 28 at the Music Museum, Penis Talks producers Manny Valera and Arnold Vegafria are staging another edition of this controversial play with Joel Lamangan directing again, but with Mel Chionglo as co-director this time. (For tickets, call 721-0635, 721-6726, 891-5610, 891-9999, 374-1361 and 415-0373.) Except for Christian Vasquez and Luis Alandy – both holdovers from last year – Lamangan is once again handling relatively inexperienced male stars and it would be interesting to find out who among his new cast members would win critical acclaim this time. Of course, he has in the cast Jay Manalo, who is fast becoming known as a Lamangan actor. Although Jay has already won a couple of awards for movies, this is his first time to try theater and people are surely going to observe keenly how he would adjust to a new medium.

Below, I asked Joel Lamangan more questions about Penis Talks, which is expected to generate controversy once more the minute it hits the stage next weekend. Read on.

How different is Penis Talks 2 from the first one?

Penis Talks 2 is more musical than the original last year. And since it’s more musical, there will be more music and dance. It is more bawdy, more confrontational in terms of addressing problems and situations of the Filipino penis, and sex in general, without losing its being funny, hilarious, and cute.

Why did you retain some cast members from last year and dropped the others? Those who were dropped from the cast – weren’t you happy working with them? Maybe they were too inhibited?

I didn’t have problems with the rest of the cast last year. I enjoyed working with all of them. It’s the producers who chose the cast this year. I think it’s for business reasons that they wanted to feature new faces. I am happy to be working with the new ones.

What do you do to make them shed their inhibitions?

From the very start, I made them realize that this is a sexy musical revue, and that there is nothing wrong appearing in it. This is theater. It demands professionalism and responsibility from them.

Is Roselle Nava also going sexy here?

If sexy would mean more progressive in terms of her mind being open to tackling problems concerning the penis and sex problems, I think she would be sexy in that way. Here, you will see a very different Roselle. I’m glad that she has accepted to be part of this musical revue. It shows that Roselle as a performer is maturing and blossoming into a very reliable performer.

Did the new members have to undergo auditions?

Yes, they had to undergo a thorough audition. We saw to it that the set of Chorus this time will be able to sing, dance, and act aside from having gorgeous bodies.

Is this Jay Manalo’s first time to go on stage? Didn’t he have difficulty adjusting to the new medium?

Yes, this is Jay’s first time to do theater. During the first few weeks of the rehearsals, he had a hard time adjusting to the medium because he is a cinema actor. But because of constant rehearsals and his desire to be a good actor on stage, he was able to adjust easily to the demands of theater. Watch Jay Manalo’s performance. It’s one of the highlights of the revue.

And speaking of Jay Manalo, was he already that good as an actor when you handled him in Hubog? That was the first time you handled him, right?

No, I first handled Jay in Abandonada (starring Maricel Soriano). During that time, I already found out and felt that he’s a good actor. He’s a sensitive performer. He has sensitive eyes, and the camera loves him so much. When I handled him in Hubog, Jay’s good acting was showcased much more.

What are the qualities that make a man macho in your point of view?

It’s his outlook in life, his political belief, and if he can stand and fight for his convictions.

Name five men in show business that you admire and why.

Richard Gomez, Carlitos Siguion-Reyna, Mel Chionglo. Because if they believe in something, they stand and fight for it. Also, Christopher de Leon and Eddie Garcia. I may not agree with some of their beliefs, but as long as they stand for it, I admire them.