A peek into a pink life

MANILA, Philippines - Carmi Martin, the one-act play directed by Paul Santiago and written by J. Dennis Teodosio, is not a pun on the celebrity’s name or a parody of her life. It is a catchy and playful gay lingo which means “karma.”

Calling a spade a spade, Carmi Martin is a gay-themed play which turned comedy bar The Library into a legitimate theater last week with an audience trying to figure out what else the play could say about third-sex relationships.

At the end, Carmi Martin’s recent press preview didn’t disappoint with its “empowering” twist arguably depending on one’s sexual preference and moral stance.

“I consulted with the playwright and asked about his vision for the play. (From there,) we worked creatively,” replies direk Paul on dealing with the play’s sensitive theme. “(With regards to eliciting different reactions from the theater-going public), I’m used to it. We were trained at UP to take whatever the audience will say. And from there, himayin kung okey. (Study everything care fully and find out which one is okay).” This leaves any director like Paul to improve the next performance, alter some parts or stand by his statement about the play.

The public saw Carmi Martin for the first time through the Virgin Labfest at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. The play will be restaged beginning tomorrow, July 8 at 7 p.m. with repeat performances on July 15, 22 and 29 and Aug. 5 and 12. Carmi Martin is complemented by another play Dapo with Bong Cabrera at the helm. The twin-bill presentation titled Bed Scenes/Sins speaks of gay-men encounters that could happen in the comforts of one’s home or in some private place. Dapo is sweet as it promises happy ending for gay lovers while Carmi Martin is spice as it gives everyone that reality check. The plays presented by JNP Alternative Theater are fictional but inspired by true stories.

“It’s always challenging to direct gay plays,” says Paul. “Most actors who play gay characters in the Philippines — be it on stage or in the movies — are straight.” Thus, the young director has to give his actors a head start on the right syllabication of words and the actions that come with it. Paul makes an outline of the characters and blocking on how the actors will go over their roles. He also asks the stage players to answer the “What-If” and the “What-Will-You-Do?” questions to further motivate them.

Since theater actors are real troopers, Paul and his team didn’t see the need to cast gay men or actors with inclination to bring realism on stage. Joe Andrei Vegas and Jay Enriquez and Paul Jake Paule and Kyle Thomas David are the stars of Dapo and Carmi Martin, respectively.

“It’s a slice of life,” says Bong on directing “pink” plays. “Directing one is the same as directing other types of plays. For me, the challenging part is to direct an actor with no theater experience. (Jay) has been acting in films and TV. According to him, this is not play. This is work.”

And it’s flattering to Bong when an actor says that the play has helped improve his craft.

In directing plays like this, the directors try to be gender-sensitive in their presentation and have to take care of their actors, especially in steamy, physical scenes that could lead to exploitation when handled inappropriately. All actors regardless of medium deserve respect. 

If there is one thing the brains behind Carmi Martin and Dapo wish the public to experience, it will be for them to “see things and think.”

(For details, call 0939-9087633 or 0915-7594216.)