PETA restages 'Care Divas'
MANILA, Philippines – An ordinary story about gay caregivers in Israel reaches extraordinary heights. Forty-two shows and counting, Philippine Educational Theater Association’s (PETA) musical dramedy Care Divas remains as appetizing as when it was first served.
Like a spot-on recipe, Care Divas has a perfect mix of flavors for every palate: a twist of the unexpected, a tablespoon of humor, a cup of drama, and a pinch full of moral meaning.
A twist of the unexpected: The interesting premise lies in the plot. Imagine having five transvestite Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) working as caregivers in one of the most conservative and historically religious countries, Israel. And if that isn’t enough of a twist, PETA throws in some more spices — these loving caregivers of elderly transform into glamorous drag queens at night.
There’s also an interesting mix of characters: there’s the kind and loving Chelsea, the often-sarcastic group leader Shai, the ditsy Thalia (who is quite reminiscent of Lisa Kudrow’s Phoebe on the sitcom Friends), the bubbly Kayla and the ill-tempered Jonee.
A tablespoon of humor: Care Divas’ musical dance numbers, which are a far cry from the usual gay-comedy-bar-routine of slapstick and coarse jesting. are often accompanied by bursts of wild laughter from the audience. These high-action scenes choreographed ingeniously by Carlon Matobato, are a fresh respite from the usual brouhaha and empty bravado we are bombarded with daily on local television.
The humor also comes largely from Liza Magtoto’s script, which is peppered with sharp punchlines and social commentary, while the other text, Vincent De Jesus’ humorous music, stands out as outstanding, grounded, introspective, very engaging and with high recall (an easy LSS).
A cup of drama: The script encompasses the OFW’s plight. There’s the constant badgering from home for more money, the constant hide-and-seek with the immigration police, the tragic love affair between one of them and an Arab illegal worker, and their broken dream to be performers in a big bar in Tel Aviv. We see how OFWs are caught between their desire to provide for their families back home and their alienation in the country of their destination.
Chelsea (Melvin Lee) as the loving caregiver of Isaac (Paul Holme), an elderly Jew A pinch full of moral meaning: Behind the glitter and comedy, the musical underlines the generosity of spirit, resilience and humanity of Filipinos. It homes in on the issues of sexuality, culture, homelessness, intolerance and the often-unnoticed struggles of overseas work.
PETA’s Care Divas is showing at the PETA Theater Center on May 6, June 10 and 17, July 8, 15, 22, (8 p.m.); May 7-8, June 11-12, 18-19, July 9-10, 16-17, 23-24 (3 p.m./8 p.m.). For inquiries and ticket reservations, call PETA Marketing and Public Relations Office at Tel. No. 725-6244, 410-0821 or 0917-564.2433, petatheater@gmail.com.
Care Divas is directed by PETA artistic director Maribel Legarda. The cast includes theater veterans Melvin Lee, Vincent De Jesus, Phil Noble, Buddy Caramat, Dudz Teraña, Jason Barcial, Eric dela Cruz and PETA president Cecilia Garrucho. Featuring guest artists such as Paul Holme, Ricci Chan, Jerald Napoles, Myke Salomon, Angeli Bayani together with emerging actors Miguel Hidalgo and Dominic Miclat-Janssen.
