The theater odyssey of Behn Cervantes

MANILA, Philippines - It was difficult to figure how stage actor and director Behn Cervantes regarded his latest Aliw award for Life Achievement in Theater.

He walked on stage to thank the Aliw people and forthwith read a piece of paper which summarized his love affair with theater and films.

Then he made it clear to the audience: “I work for a project and a vision, not necessarily with awards in mind. But of course, awards are welcome. After all, we work in what is basically a thankless and profit-less passion. Sometimes, our love is not equally returned so recognition is fine.”

Then he hissed, “Pero sana perahin na lang nila nooooo?”

Then he adds an afterthought, “By the way, my escort, Rovi Marques, was in the cast of Bye Bye Birdie.  My barong is by a former student Eric Pineda and I am well-lighted by the eminent Joey Nombres, another former student and now a friend.” 

His stage debut, if we got it right from Behn, was when at an early age his elder sisters made him recite a piece a line of which goes, “I shot an arrow into the air” on top of  their parent’s large iron bed which served as  their  stage during their  Saturday performances for their neighbors in Iloilo.

“That was my theatrical debut,” Behn said. “I also sang in our version of the cherubim choir in our Protestant Church in La Paz, Iloilo.  Yes, I started early!”

His first play was Hay Fever performed in Central Methodist Church in what is now T.M. Kalaw.  In the cast was Eleanor “Didi” Reyes, the youngest sister of Norman Reyes, the youthful radio announcer who witnessed (with Leon Ma. Guerrero and Raul Manglapus) the Fall of Bataan. “ After a couple of plays like A Happy Journey from Trenton to Camden by Thorton Wilder and Murder in the Cathedral by T.S. Eliot in the UP Dramatic Club, I directed a scene from Mister Roberts. Cast as Ensign Pulver was Lino Brocka.  I had an auspicious beginning as a director, I must say.”

As a student, he said he bravely directed Lawani, an original musical, Idiot’s Delight, A Hatful of Rain and The Play Is the Thing.

When he returned from the United States, he turned to  Broadway musicals like Bye Bye Birdie, Once Upon a Mattress, Guys and Dolls and the first production of Jesus Christ Superstar.  Soon after, he became an activist and directed Theatre in the Streets and Theatre of Protest. “ I continued to direct such plays after Martial Law was declared and received an A-B-C-B Degree for plays as Pagsambang Bayan, Sigaw ng Bayan and Estados Unidos versus Juan Matapang Cruz and other Ibagsak plays. By the way, ABCB stands for Aguinaldo, Bicutan, Crame and Bonifacio, the military camps I was detained throughout those years.

Before this latest award, Behn earlier got an Aliw trophy for directing the play, Agnes of God. He was also recipient of the CCP centennial award, several citations from activist groups including recognition from the EastWest Center Alumni Association.

Still, he would single out directing Sakada as his most memorable.

“Sakada I would single out because of the challenge of working with movie icons like Rosa Rosal, Gloria Romero, Pancho Magalona as well as with my friend, Robert Arevalo.”

In terms of material, fervor of cast and the demands of time, his favorite theater productions were Pagsambang Bayan and Sigaw ng Bayan which he labels as his ibagsak output.

Adds Cervantes: “An experience of a lifetime was producing Kahapon, Ngayon at Bukas inside Camp Bicutan with Nelia Sancho, Satur Ocampo, Pepe Luneta, Ed de la Torre and other activists in the cast. The play also reconciled me with my father who always wondered why I was an activist.”

He notes how today’s theater productions are more professional. But he said the young people should learn from the theater pioneers of the past.

Behn points out: “In the theater front, they have to recognize the Avellanas, Naty Rogers and Severino Montano who  were spurred to work because they love the art and practically did it for freeeeeeee!”

While he is positive about the film industry, he wish there is a change in priority. “There is hope in the way the film industry is evolving these days. But I think it would be good for the industry if the focus is on script and story rather than on star value.”

The 23rd Aliw Awards held at the Manila Hotel last Oct. 18. 

Apart from Cervantes, the other Aliw awardees were  Tommy Abuel (Life Achievement Award) and actor-singer Robert Sena (Best Actor in Musical) and Ana Abad  Santos (Best Actress in Non-Musical) lead the awardees in the theater category.

The awardees in the classical category are pianist Cecile Licad (Life Achievement Award), the new sensational Filipino tenor Arthur Espiritu (Best Male Classical Performer), soprano Camille Lopez-Molina (Best Female Classical Performer), the multi-awarded UST Singers (Life Achievement Award) and the UP Concert Chorus (Hall of Fame).

The Aliw Awards now headed by lawyer Marujita Palabrica was founded in 1976 by writer-journalist Alice Reyes with some members of the National Press Club with the goal of giving due recognition to leading talents in the entertainment industry.

Among the awardees in the past were Pilita Corrales, Lea Salonga, Dulce, Rico Puno, Gary Valenciano, Ogie Alcacid and Sarah Geronimo, among others.