Life and art go on for Shamaine Buencamino after daughter’s death

MANILA, Philippines – Shamaine Buencamino faced members of the media for the first time since the death of her daughter Julia during the press preview of her play “33 Variations” on Thursday.

READ: Buencaminos ask for privacy over daughter's death

“33 Variations,” a 2009 Broadway play written by Moise Kaufman, is simultaneously a story about the process behind Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations and Katherine Brandt and her quest to find out why Beethoven was compelled to create titular 33 variations.

Shamaine plays Katherine, the music scholar who suffers from the Lou Gehrig’s disease, also known as ALS. The local adaptation of the play is mounted by Red Turnip and will open on July 25.

“There was almost two months of rehearsals for the play,” she told reporters after the press preview on how she prepared for the play. “When went to interview and observe an ALS patient. Listened to Beethoven music. And rehearsing, rehearsing, rehearsing.”

Incidentally, “33 Variations” also touches on the story of the ALS-stricken Katherine and her relationship with her daughter, played by Ina Fabregas.

“I really like the message of the play, which is… life is so fast. And relationships between mothers and daughters, we go through that. We don’t realize it’s important,” she explained.

“And the play tells us about that, to really see what is in front of you, and to really value, and to value it because there is little time,” Shamaine added.

Before the preview, members of the press were requested “as a courtesy to Ms. Shamaine Buencamino’s family,” that the post-performance interviews focus only on the play.

But the veteran actress herself referenced the passing of her daughter, saying that this is “her first performance in front of the audience.”

“I have had to sometimes have to control myself because flashes of reality can come even when I’m on stage. So I have to be really careful to really focus on the play,” she said.

Shamaine also said she decided to leave the GMA-7 soap opera “My Mother’s Secret” permanently. The actress was part of the show’s cast but left after Julia’s passing.

Aside from her work in “33 Variations,” a storyline in the show made her decide to leave for good. 

“It involved a character dying. And so there would be a lot of crying scenes and funeral, and all that. And they gave me a choice if I wanted to go back or not. So I just decided to concentrate on the play since I was absent for a long time,” she said.

Shamaine said “33 Variations” will be her “last play” for 2015. 

“And my manager asked me not to do a play next year so I hope I can ask you to come and see ’33 Variations,” she enthused. However, Shamaine said she will do a new TV show with ABS-CBN soon.

“33 Variations” runs until August 23 at Whitespace in Makati City.