Lotlot de Leon (MNS Photo)
Just when you think Lotlot de Leon has shown all she can as actress in various movie and TV projects in the last 30 years, she is now set on proving her mettle in theater via Virgin Labfest’s (VLF) Staged Reading of “Run, Marga, Run.”
In an Instagram post, the actress shared it has always been her dream to be part of a theater production.
“Galing na galing po ako sa lahat ng nagta-teatro. Bilib ako sa GALING, HUSAY, at TAPANG nilang tumuntong sa entablado at humarap sa mga manunuod na tila walang bahid ng nerbiyos o alinlangan at buong-buo ang kanilang pagkatao. ’Pag naaalala ko ’yung mga napanuod ko na theater plays at ’yung mga klase ng performances ng mga actors, iniisip ko gusto ko maging kagaya nila, gusto ko rin maging magaling na artista,” she added.
Though apprehensive at first, it didn’t take much convincing for Lotlot to accept the challenge when presented to her.
“Sa loob loob ko, sa pagkwestiyon sa sarili ko, ‘Kaya ko kaya? O baka hindi ko kaya,’” she said. “Nang tanungin ako kung interesado ako at nabasa ko ang istorya (napakagandang material), alam ko sa sarili ko na this is it!!! Ito na ’yung matagal ko nang pangarap magawa. May halong nerbiyos at takot. Pakiramdam ko umiikot sikmura ko sabay hilo at hingang malalim ay nagdesision ako at buong buo sa loob ko ang pagtanggap nito at pagsabi ng, ‘OO!’ Totoo na ito!!! GOD HELP ME!”
Other plays under Virgin Labfest’s Staged Readings are “Mrs. Victoria,” “Dinuguan,” “Changing Partners” and “Mac And Naty.”
“Run, Marga, Run” is set to open at the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Bulwagang Amado Hernandez on July 1.
The annual VLF, which started in 2005, aims to provide playwrights a venue to present their “unpublished, untried, untested, and unstaged” works to theater-going public. It is a project of the playwrights group Writer’s Bloc, Inc., CCP, The Idea First Company, and CCP’s resident theater company Tanghalang Pilipino (TP).
Starting this year, VLF will open TP’s theater season, which is now on its 30th season.
Aside from the Staged Readings,12 new featured works, three revisited plays from last year’s festival, and three “Fragments” or site-specific performances will be presented as part of this year’s VLF.
A new category has been added this year called From Stage to Screen or film screenings of motion pictures that were adapted from past VLF plays.
The 12th Virgin Labfest runs from June 29 to July 17.(MNS)