So I attended my first rehearsal of Kapeng Malamig last Saturday afternoon. It was great to see Gino again, my workshop superfriend, hahaha. Went to the venue with Lara, as Jojo wasn't able to attend that day.

Holy kamote, after a brief warm-up, sinalang na kami agad for choreography. My golly, I haven't been in a musical in ages, nor danced as much. I'm not really much of a dancer, and I'm not very enthusiastic if I know that there's something I can't do. Thank goodness Jerome's choreography was easy enough. Maybe it was because I got used to Roeder's dance exercises, hahaha. I remembered how to turn by recalling what he taught us, and I giggled as Gino did a jazz walk. Okay, one dance number down pat.

After a break, we finally got introduced to the production manager. Talked to her regarding the usual matters, plus background of the theatre group and additional stuff. By the time we were done talking, the rest of the cast had already begun to choreograph another production number. The first time they rehearsed it, I was waiting for my turn to talk to the PM (one-on-one), and Geli, the stage manager, put me among the ensemble again. My face was completely blank, but I managed to follow the steps as easily, thanks to a couple of cast members who would pull my hand and whisper as to what to do, yay. So anyway, Tiffy, our director, had decided to re-block and redo the choreography. Hahaha, it looked as if it were choreography for a boyband's dance number, hahaha. But in fairness, I actually enjoyed dancing the whole day.

When I woke up on Sunday morning, I had expected my thighs and arms to be really sore because I wasn't used to dancing that much. Sure enough, I was sore, but just a little.

Off to RCBC after mass for Peachy's thesis. Songs For A New World had to run a DTR at around 2pm, and because I will be working at the front of house, I needed to watch the DTR so I could see the entire show. Peachy briefed me on the distribution of the remaining tickets, as well as the pending payments, plus the selling of the souvenir program. Because of the weird price, we realized that we didn't have enough smaller bills for change, so Sundee and I went to the parking area to break some change. Managed to break a couple of large bills at their office, yay.

The DTR began past 4pm, so I settled in my seat a couple of minutes before the run started. The ushers trickled in one by one during the show, except for Jhelo and Bulinggit, who had arrived before the DTR. Yay for Mimay, who was to be my right-hand man at the FOH. It was tough to find ushers for that day, especially because the Blue Rep gang was paying to watch this event. By the time Joms had arrived, I was only one usher short because Elai never arrived. Oh well, balcony's pretty easy to handle anyway, plus Joms had told me that he had perfect attendance during Avenue Q's farewell run.

By the time people started arriving, the front of house was crazy. People came up to us by the dozen to claim their tickets and to pay for them. For a while, I never got to follow Peachy's ticketing chart. Oh well. But it was great to see a whole lot of people, most of them being familiar faces. Even friends that I haven't seen in ages appeared! I just love the turnout.

I was so glad when the show finally started. Mimay and I bummed around the lobby with the rest of the ushers, like I used to do during Atlantis shows. Camwhoring and talking galore, plus hogging Taste Temptations' yummy cookies and pastries, hahaha.

I have to say, Peachy and Janina's thesis was a big success. I could hear the huge burst of applause and loud cheers through the double doors after every song number, and the audience crowded the entire lobby for almost an hour, congratulating people, mingling, taking photos ops, etcetera. Now this was a really great idea for a thesis. What a turnout!

Congratulations to Peachy, Janina, Robbie, Carla, Caisa, Anna, Harold, Felix and everyone who was involved in Songs For A New World! Can't wait for the rerun of this one!

Ang sakit isipin na hindi ka susuportahan ng mga mahal mo sa ginagawa mo. OK, so fine, hindi naman sa wala silang tiwala sa iyo. So maybe they want what's best for you. Pero parang ganun din ang pakiramdam eh. Alam ko naman ang priorities ko. Tapos ganito ang mangyayari. Halos pareho lang ang mga ginagawa natin at walang humpay ang pagsusuporta ko sa iyo sa kahit ano. Pero dahil pinili ko ito amidst all that's already happening sa buhay ko, wala akong makukuhang suporta sa iyo.

Bakit kailangan pang pagpilian? Ang sakit talaga.

Last Thursday evening, I went with Peachy and Janina for their rehearsal of Songs For A New World. Haha, I've always wanted to check out their rehearsals, but clashing schedules and the venue was a problem.

After class, we headed off to 9 Works. Crazy cab driver. Anyway, they were starting rehearsals late because Felix will be arriving about an hour late, so a bunch of us first went to Hotshots to grab some dinner. After chowing down, it was time for the run through to start.

I love the songs in Songs For A New World. I have last-song-syndromes of almost half the songs. Anyway, while I was sitting there as they began the second act, I sent a text message to the Tartuffe gang. I said I missed being in a musical. Paging Dingdong and that new musical that he's writing, hahaha. And what about Xanadu with John and Edz? Hahahaha!

Anyway, because of that thought, another outlet might begin. Haha, Jojo, Lara and I just looked like we dropped by last night, when we were actually supposed to audition. And it's amazing how small the world gets every day.

We are now "un-Tartuffeefied." Crazy days of rehearsal and "non-rehearsal" are over. Things were always crazy, and I have to admit that it's quite a relief for it to end. The cast and crew were such great company, and it was a delight spending time (and killing time as well) with them.

It was Tara who told me about this thesis production while we were at one Labfest rehearsal venue. She said that a bunch of them were already casted, but can't commit anymore because they will be involved in The Golden Child. So she gave me a bit of info and I managed to schedule an audition (which lasted for about 5 minutes).

Anyway, yesterday's call time was at 8 in the morning. By the time I arrived, there were only a handful of people. Sigh. Call time seemed useless to some people even on the day of the show. After an hour still, not everyone was there in the theater. Put the camwhoring on hold and began dressing up, especially because lacing up those corsets required the help of another person. My costume had consisted of 4 pieces of clothing, 2 of which needed lacing up from the back. My goodness, because of the corset, my waistline was reduced a few inches, so my skirt felt like it was falling off. Thanks to Allie, we managed to fix it, and keep my petticoat and corset from coming out from my skirt and top. I slipped into them before I had my hair curled. Holy kamote, once again, because of my straight hair, it was uber-tough to curl, but thanks to Kaye, the outcome was pretty good. Yung makeup lang ang hindi ko makayanan. It was the same level as my makeup in Beauty and The Beast 4 years ago, hahaha. But I guess it was pretty close to the makeup they really had during the Baroque period. Holy kamote, from call time until whenever, Jojo was on the thesis group's nerves, as everything wasn't complete. Costumes, backstage assignments, food... oh, so many to mention. In fairness, I love how Lara's costume as Dorine turned out.

We never had a run-through before our 1pm show. We only did a paper tech, then rehearsed the curtain call. Oh well. That's what we get for people not coming in on time, even for once.

1pm show. Because of the non-run through, I realized that the only way to reach stage left was behind those darn bars, if the fireplace wasn't in place. I felt sleepy, and I only became pretty alert during the 3rd act with John and Dingdong. A bunch of forgotten lines here and there, but we barrelled through. But all in all, we did manage to pull off a good show. Wait a minute, was that Sir Tim Dacanay I saw sitting in the front row? Thanks po for watching!

Break time. Found out that our food wouldn't be arriving until half an hour before our evening show, so we had to fend for ourselves. Still in makeup and some of us sporting one piece of costume, we headed upstairs to the cafeteria for food. A bit of rest, then I slipped back into my top (I was wearing only my corset under my jacket the whole time) so I can have my hair curled again, this time by Pangga. Still couldn't get over the makeup when I had it retouched, so I went behind the door to fix it, getting Lara to check it for a second opinion, hahaha.

6pm show. I felt much better with this one, but even with that, I still ended up forgetting the same lines I had forgotten during the first show, hahaha. And because I got more comfortable with my fan, I got a little too attached and found a way to bring it with me until the final act, and Lara even made good use of it, hahaha.

Betty and Opa watched the show! Thanks ladies! Hope you enjoyed, despite your notes, ahehehe. Dinner at Tapa King with the two after the show. Chikahan galore. Man, I missed these girls. Too bad Mimay couldn't make it. There must be a next time, hehe.

Joined a bunch of the cast at Providence for videoke and drinks. Found Jojo, Edz, Lara, Dingdong, Grace, John and Darwin already there, armed with beer and tokens. Hala na, audition na rin ito para sa musical that Dingdong's writing. Jay, his girlfriend and a couple of their other friends dropped by for a while, but after a duet, they all left. Then the rest of the night was full of camwhoring, incriminting photos (HAHAHA), Xanadu, and crazy toasts.

Shoutouts and those darn toasts to follow in a separate blog. Hehehe. Time to grab some photos from everyone's Multiply albums. Congratulations to all those "tartuffified"!

Okay, so I spent the long weekend rehearsing for Tartuffe, because tomorrow is already showtime. It's been a really crazy week, what with a lot of things seeming to me as if they were done at the last minute. I never saw a rehearsal where everyone was present, except the day of our pictorial. Sana pala araw-araw may pictorial para lahat present. Oh well.

Got to see some of the costumes during last Saturday's "non-rehearsal." Yes, I call it that because the time we were supposed to be using as rehearsal was spent for setup. So we mostly just hung around at the black box theater, eating, talking, goofing around and camwhoring. I love love love my skirt! I wish I could keep it, hahaha. Thesis ladies, can I? Oh please oh please oh please! So anyway, I only got to try out the skirt with the petticoat, as they had said that the top was not yet finished. Oh well. So I tried it on, and went to the stage. Yikes, big time adjustment with the full skirt and the loveseat. Then Jojo added a hand prop for Elmire at the last minute. Uh-oh, that wasn't rehearsed, dearie. Big no-no. But even though I said that, I couldn't really turn diva, could I? Go with the hand prop and get used to it right away. Oh well.

Hahaha, I found out that day that Jay also happened to be Tito Jaime's nephew! So that was the uncle that he mentioned who had this huge collection of theater videos. Yes, Tito Jaime, I guess it does run in the family.

Got to watch The Golden Child that evening with Rosa. My golly banana, I loved every minute of it. The cast was outstanding! And I love how they made the set. I hope I could still get to watch the Filipino version.

My mom didn't warn me before Sunday that we were to have anti-pneumonia shots at church that very morning. So my upper left arm was pretty sore the entire day. Well, better than feeling feverish. My arm sort of felt totally useless and just hung there, because if I make a slight movement... ouch.

Last 2 rehearsals of Tartuffe were held at Makati Cinema Square, where Barbie lives. Met up with Lara at Greenbelt and decided to walk all the way to MCS. But by the time we reached Pasay Road, we ended up taking a jeep instead, hahaha. Found Dingdong and Jay at Chowking, and we all walked together to Barbie's unit. Rehearsals were on the second floor, the huge open area near the pool, and we managed to run the entire play despite my useless arm.

Call time for today was supposed to be at 9am, but at around past 1 in the morning, we get text messages saying that our rehearsal was moved to 1pm. Arg... I had planned out my entire afternoon around rehearsals, and they can't just reschedule like that on a whim. Oh well. Met up with Dingdong at Starbucks PeopleSupport so we can walk to the venue together. Haha, it felt like a long walk when we did so from MCS to PeopleSupport with Lara the night before, but these were the kind of walks I enjoy because of the time to talk with each other.

It was pretty sunny that very afternoon, so we ended up rehearsing in the shady area leading to the pool. This was the only rehearsal that I felt much better with the play. Well, we should be, as the show is already tomorrow. Haha, John and I are finally a team. I know how to use my last-minute prop. And I could actually get around Jay's mixed-up lines, hahaha!

OK, fine, to those who are interested... in other words, who have nothing better to do, hahaha, please come and watch Tartuffe, August 19th (Tuesday) at 1pm and 6pm at the Black Box Theater, 6th floor, SDA building, College of Saint Benilde.

Tickets are at P150 each.

Tartuffe is a thesis production by Production Design majors: Camille Mercado, Rianna Gatus, Nina Garcia, Rachelle "Pangga" Go, and Renzelle "Barbie" Tinoy.

Direction by Jojo Flores and Joey Remetio.

Lighting Design by Zard Eguia.

Anyway, time to get some sleep. Early call time tomorrow. Break a leg to everyone involved in Tartuffe!

There it was in my hands. Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, circa July 2004. After 4 years, I got to see it again.

During my afternoon break today, I went to the library and decided to watch a video, any video, that I could get my hands on. I was supposed to just browse through the selection that they have within reach, until I suddenly decided to ask for an old video from way back in 2004. After a couple of minutes of waiting, the assistant handed me the video. Yep, my thesis production, along with Rain, Anthony, Kathy and Precious. Hahahaha.

I immediately popped it into the nearest VHS player and "kicked back, relaxed and enjoyed the movie." (Wahahaha.) I had several stuff going on in my head as I watched the entire video. Hala, after 4 years, notes ba ito? Hahaha! I now apologize in advance for this lengthy entry as I write everything down.

• Opening: Rian looked funny as he adjusted his pants strap while facing upstage.
• Taray, sabay-sabay talaga ang pag-ikot ng ensemble towards the audience at the beginning of the first chorus. I love the applause. I swear, I had goosebumps.
• Altair, with his arms akimbo, seemed to look as if nag-effort talaga siya magpalaki ng katawan.
• As everyone swayed, the girls swayed to every beat while the guys did so every other beat.
• Funny ni Mimay as she indicated "the Bible."
• Who or what was Sir Dennis (Jacob) gesturing at? He did so for almost every few steps as he crossed the stage.
• Parang frat ang mga brothers as they greeted each other with handshakes.
• Panalo ang pirouette ni Ezer (Reuben) as he introduced himself.
• Drei's Jamaican accent as Judah was sort of a spoiler.
• Rain (Gad) naman, hesitated whether he was going to sit down or stay standing. Ayan, nahiya at tumayo na lang.
• I still can't get over Ryan's cape as Simeon. Dude, that's a tad too much.
• Sir Dennis still gestured too much that he reminded me of The Sopranos.
• Brothers all knifed behind (Henry) Joseph, hahaha.
• Lakas ng boses ni Nicco, considering he's not the only one with a lapel mic. In fairness, their singing sounded really good. Syempre, si Sir Jed ba naman ang vocal coach and MD namin, hehe.
• Rian's costume as Isaachar, with his mischevous expression, made the character look somewhat like Abu, hahaha.
• Joseph: "shif?" (sheaf)
• Arg, Ryan's upstaging with his hands. Malaki na nga siya eh.
• Drei and Nicco, as Judah and Napthali respectively, have shining shimmering (splendid? ahaha) costumes and are both downstage center pa. Ow, my eyes.
• Ryan, laging nakikipag-agawan with Rain sa coat ni Joseph.
• Villy as Ishmaelite: "Shore!" (Sure!)
• Agawan pa rin ever sa coat si Ryan and Rain. And I remember Rain always insisting that he has the coat.
• Mental block: "(And I don't speak)... Egyptian very well."
• Brothers' cries drown out wives' singing in the chorus of "One More Angel."
• Shining shimmering Rian and Nicco, specially with that follow spot.
• Naks, mukhang close talaga si Reuben and Benjamin.
• Rain is Rain, not Gad, as he clapped to begin the dance part of "One More Angel."
• Who's the wife in the gold skirt dancing with Nicco? Arni? Haha, her butt almost nudged him after she had lifted her skirt.
• During the interlude, everyone went upstage, leaving most of the center pretty empty.
• Rain's gesture: "Let's go again!"
• Tagal ng wait after "One More Angel."
• Mental block: " ... worked much harder..."
• Mental block: "Potiphar... (was cool and)... so fine..."
• Ang lambot ng katawan ni Robert as Potiphar's wife.
• Si Nikki, pa-sexy ever, hahaha.
• "Letting out a mighty roar..." Galit ka, Mimay?
• Joseph: "the weendows... and shut out the light..."
• Natulala ako kay Henry as Joseph in "Close Every Door."
• Those votive candles aren't really that effective.
• Mimay seemed to keep shifting her weight.
• Drei as Baker: Kick-kick gesture... "Shucks, nauna siya magpa-consult."
• Go go go Joseph! Favorite namin ni Nix!
• Ang payat ni Misch!
• Kembot kung kembot si Nikki at Misch, hahaha.
• Dale has too many patterns on his clothes.
• Nicco, where are you going? Haha, excited mag-turn. Sige, tawa pa.
• Ayan, nahawa si Villy.
• Si Dale din! Gitnang-gitna pa, hahaha!
• Is it me, or did Ryan sort of shove Junjun away?
• Unahan talaga ang guys sa apron for the ending of "Go Go Go Joseph."
• Ang ganda ng Sphinx! Especially with the lights! Gandagandaganda!
• Mukhang magpapa-picture sila Mimay and Robert, haha.
• Mimay's funny indication: "Get down on your knees."
• Ang kulit ni Robert as he and Mimay surveyed the Egypt scene, touching the girls' skirts and shoes.
• Rian as Pharaoh: "Maaahn..." (man) "Caaahn..." (can)
• Even if it's not noticable in the video, I can still tell that Misch is the only one whose shoes aren't white.
• Pero si Misch lang ang audible among the girls. Well, duh, she could be the only one with a lapel yata. I forgot how Kathy did the mic traffic.
• Deadma ever and guards, pero panalo si Earl sa "Hey!"
• Funny talaga ni Robert, Matapos siya sumbungan ni Pharaoh about Joseph, makisali pa rin siya sa fan girls in "Stone the Crows."
• Ryan's beret in "Canaan Days" still strangely looked like mine that I lost exactly after the show. And what's with the shades? Ginagaya niya si Sir Manolet when he did a cameo in our opening show.
• Altair's pants as Asher looked a little too tight.
• Kulit ng improvised tango ni Nicco and Dale (though they've done this once before backstage, I think). And nice color combination too (blue and orange).
• Nauna pa sila sa music sa sobrang anticipation, hahaha. Excited lagi.
• Kakulitan na ng mga ibang brothers ang sumunod. Rian's successful attempt to lift Dale, then Miko and Junjun's fake cartwheels.
• Nung nagsolo naman si Junjun, tinaboy niya si Drei, hahaha.
• Ang clueless talaga ni Rain when Drei gestured to him, right on until the dip.
• Ang kintab talaga ni Nicco sa footlights, argh.
• But Nicco, when you forced Ryan to bend back down in "Grovel, Grovel," did you do that on purpose? Good job, hahaha.
• "Is it him?" "NO!" HAHAHAHA!
• Joseph: "Guards, seize him, lockED him in a cell!"
• Brothers: "Show him some mercy..." I like.
• Reuben's disappearance resulted in 5 boys on stage right, and only 3 boys on stage left during "Benjamin Calypso."
• Drei as Judah: "SandAH!" (Sand)
• Benjamin looks a little TOO helpless.
• Better 2nd "Show him some mercy..."
• I forgot about that gold chariot!
• Aba, may close-up ang sphinx.
• Ah, and finally, the infamous blackout, ahehehehe.
  

Oh my, this got a little too long, didn't it?

Man, I missed this crowd. Mimay, when's the reunion you were planning?

I hate it when I have to be blamed for something I didn't do. It irks me to no end when people avoid their own responsibilities. Que annoying. Oh well.

What I said yesterday sounded pretty pathetic now. At 26, I still feel like I'm such a loser due to certain arrangements for particular situations. Plus I get no acknowledgement whatsoever for the things I've already accomplished. So yeah, I admit, I am quite the pasaway, but have I always been the screwup?

I look at my friends and other people and see how far they've gone. They're happy and content. It always makes me feel... inferior... inadequate. Sometimes I get so paranoid to the point that they talk about me, because I've reached nothing. Well, not exactly nothing. So maybe I've already done a few good things in life, but it feels like nothing compared to what these other people have done. Oh well.

OK, quiet time's over. Lunch time begins now.

Yesterday, Betty and I had planned to watch The Golden Child, in hopes that we can manage to squeeze in. That, and I wanted to get rid of the monotony of these past couple of weeks. Classes have been pretty mechanical, and rehearsals... well, you guys already know my sentiments there. Heck, during one "non-rehearsal" the week before, Lara, Dingdong and I headed to Starbucks and talked the night away, discussing how we would go about the play. Well, to cool our heads, we ended talking about anything under the sun. Funny moment was when we found Jay outside, and when we all turned to wave at him as he was about to enter with his girlfriend, he suddenly boomeranged and followed his girlfriend away from Starbucks.

Anyway, found out through Paolo that yesterday's matinee show was a pre-sold show, but I still went to CCP to check out the Cinderella crowd. I was supposed to buy a souvenir program then, but Kiwi said that they were already out of programs that week. Oh well, maybe next week when I really watch The Golden Child, hahaha.

Headed to Jollibee for lunch after checking out a couple of the current exhibits in the CCP galleries, and as I waited impatiently for my Nacho Overload to arrive, I listened to Betty's latest... "dot, dot, dot," hahahaha! Eventually, we impulsively decided to watch a movie instead. Hopped in a cab and went to Robinson's Place Manila, and I suggested we watch Mamma Mia!. We had joked the day before that it was our "mother-daughter day," so the film's title was pretty apt. Plus, it's a musical consisting of my favorite songs that I used to sing along with those old cassette tape players, ahehehe. Bought tickets first, then went window shopping, until we finally settled into just hanging out at Cheesecake Melliza (yum!) right across the cinema, and talked about her new brainchild, which is... all still in her head, ahehehe.

Hahaha, I couldn't help but laugh out loud when I noticed that the lyrics to every song was subtitled during the entire movie. My mom would love this, hahaha. But it annoyed me that the girl behind me was singing almost every song out loud. Oh well, to each his own. I only realized after the movie that the girl playing Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) was also the ditzy Karen in Mean Girls, hahaha. And Pierce Brosnan's singing... well, he's alright. He's hot, yeah, but I didn't really enjoy watching him as a musical type, ahehehe. Oh well. But I love the entire Greek villa. I'd love to stay in a place like that. And of course, Meryl Streep is always spectacular. I love her as Donna. Hehehe, as soon as the movie was over, Betty suddenly had last song syndromes. Heck, almost everyone did. I heard at least a couple of girls singing and humming the songs when I was in the ladies room.

All in all, had a blast hanging out with Betty again. Good luck on your next project!

Got this meme from Bunny. To quote her, "I've been on LJ so long and done my very best to keep up witheveryone's lives. But sometimes I think I might have overlooked a fewthings."

<b>Name/Alias:</b> Hogi (tymeless for 9 years already!)
Age: 26
<b>Fandoms (if any):</b> Hmmm... Not a lot... O_o
<b>Currently Reading:</b> The Actor's Checklist by Rosary O'Neill
<b>Last Movie You Enjoyed:</b> <i>Iron Man</i>. It's the last movie I saw, hahaha.
<b>All Time Favorite Movie:</b> <i>Noises Off</i>.
<b>Favorite Snack Food:</b> Different flavored French fries... Or anything that came from a potato.
<b>Favorite Drink:</b> water, coffee and green tea.
<b>Favorite Time Waster:</b> Writing random thoughts in the small notepad I keep with me. And reading all updates in Multiply and LJ, hahaha.
<b>Fictional Character You'd totally make out with:</b> Oh my, tricky question... Perhaps Dodge Anders from Frank Beddor's The Looking Glass Wars
<b>Interesting Hobby:</b> Crochet... Most people think it's for old maids. No one enjoys handicrafts as much anymore. I don't follow patterns; I make them up as I go along and forget to note them down just in case I want to do the same project again, hahaha.
<b>Guilty Pleasure:</b> Tambay for long hours.
<b>Okay, you get to ask me any Question now:</b>

Got to watch Cinderella this afternoon with the Atlantis staff (an "unofficial" matinee before this evening's opening show?). By the time I arrived at the office for lunch, Lawyn immediately asked if Tad was doing anything that afternoon, because we suddenly had an extra ticket. Rang Tad, but as it turned out, he couldn't skip their 3pm acting class. Darn it. But because Riki was getting out of class early due to the fact that he's sick, we both agreed that he take Tad's place so he can kill time before he can drive home.

Hahaha, picked up some interesting news from Mae while I was hanging around in the office before we had to go to CCP. Anyway, Lawyn, Mae and I went ahead to the theater with Claire a little earlier because Claire had to be there an hour before the show started. Ate Sally and Ate Janine stayed behind as they were waiting for Ate Sally's cousin and nieces.

Because Riki still had to show up in class, I met up with him in the lobby before the house opened to hand him his ticket, then he could just catch up once he got out of the conference room.

Each of our seats were in different but consecutive rows, but I ended up sitting on the other end of my row, while Ate Sal and the rest were on the other end. Hahaha, to my surprise, Mrs Garcia and Deedee, along with two other ladies suddenly appear and sit right in front of me. I haven't seen both mother and daughter in ages, and it was actually great to see them again, specially with Mrs. Garcia looking pretty well.

On with the show. Once the curtain rose, I was awestruck by the set designs. But I couldn't help but suddenly laugh out loud when I saw the town square in the opening number. There was this huge fountain right in the middle, so it looked like the opening of Beauty and the Beast, hahahaha! Those stepsisters were a funny tandem. That creaking knee was hilarious! And those rat siblings were so adorable. The ensemble was such a treat to watch, from their colorful costumes and of course, their tremendous presence. I wonder how much of today's Filipino performers can match that. Loy and Sheila Martinez, who were part of the cast, did so. Of course, no surprise about Lea. Her voice was crisp and clear and made it as effortless as mere breathing.

The special effects were pretty seamless if you don't think much about it like I did (like I always do, HAHAHA). The Fairy Godmother's teleportation from outside the door and into the house amused me for a while, then I suddenly started figuring out how everything would be transformed. How will that huge pumpkin on the table turn into a glorious carriage? Ah, the secret of the scrim. Once I got distracted by the tranformation of the two rats, everything else was already happening. The carriage was suddenly in the middle of the stage, and out comes Lea in a sparkling gown (haha, of course, this stage secret of dressing was my favorite). Huge applause from the crowd. Hahaha, Lea's expression as the carriage began to move was so cute! It looked as if it really was Cinderella's first time to ride in a carriage.

Riki didn't get to go in until after intermission (20-minute intermission!) but I filled him in on what he had missed in the 1st act. On with the ball. Hahaha, the prince (I forgot his name, as I was only looking over people's shoulders into their souvenir programs, ahehe) was pretty tall for Lea, but okay, he has the aura of the prince down pat. Plus he's cute, ahehe. Even though I couldn't hear some words, I still am a sucker for that certain "Prince Charming singing voice." And there we go with the transformation again, from the gown to rags, hahaha! The magic of the pillars!

I really can't help but be amused with all the designs and special effects all throughout the show.

Hahaha, after the show, I almost immediately ran into Bobby and Chari at the doors. Congratulated and thanked them, and nodded to Bobby smiling like a kid who enjoyed a good cartoon movie. Congratulations to Lea and everyone involved in the production!

Didn't really stick around long after the show, as Tad was already waiting for me at the entrance for an early evening out. Darn, didn't manage to get a souvenir program. Maybe one of these days, I can just drop by CCP and buy one from Kiwi at the lobby.

I've been thinking about these stuff since yesterday, so I figured I'd blog and let it out now before I blog about anything else.

Iba-iba pa rin talaga ang pananaw ng iba't ibang tao, maski sa teatro. To each his own pa rin talaga, pagdating sa taste. Haha, I remember Bart speaking about taste in the arts during his script analysis lecture two summers ago. And then there was last year as well, when Jerald and I compared how different people can still be from different companies. You can tell who are there because they truly have the passion. And then there are the ones who indulge in it as a mere hobby.

There are even some who aren't even that open-minded. They come with a closed mind already so in the end, all they'll just have to say is that they don't understand it at all. But come on, isn't that part of being an artist? Keeping and open mind? So what are you guys doing? You're boxing yourselves in. It's like that guy who once said, "Come on, am I the type who would watch a play like ***************?" Hey, don't knock it until you've tried it.

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I think there are some things that are pretty irrelevant andunnecessary. Sometimes it seems that they're playing it off for morelaughs instead of giving it any purpose or even realism.

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Remember Clue/Cluedo, that old board game? Where were Colonel Mustart,Professor Plum, Mr. Green, Mrs. White, Mrs. Peacock and Miss Scarletwhen Mr. Boddy was murdered? Saw Clue the movie yesterdayafternoon, after years of not seeing it. This is another film favoriteof mine, along with the film adaptation of Michael Frayn's Noises Off.Tim Curry as Wadsworth just cracks me up. I just love the wittydialogue, along with the clever twists and turns in the story. And ofcourse, because it was based on a mystery board game where you can comeup with several possible combinations of the result, the film had 3possible endings, all equally crazy and funny as the entire film.

After yesterday's rehearsal, I met up with Rosa at Glorietta before we had to go to Assumption to watch Romeo and Juliet. Found her with her officemate Ate Ng at Bo's Coffee, where Rosa gave up on her drink and less-sinful cheesecake for me to eat.

It was my first time to meet her Ate Ng, and after Rosa had said that we've been best friends (along with Iam) since 5th grade, Ate Ng then asked if I had been interested in theater since time began, upon noticing that all 3 of us have pretty different interests.

Haha, Rosa and I then recalled that before we had met each other, it was she who was interested in the performing arts. She was in the dramatics club for 2 years, while I took up Girl Scouting and was in the library club. She was actually the one who had talked me into trying out for my first school production in 7th grade by means of (literally) dragging me all the way to the music room for the auditions. After we had both passed the audition, during one of our first meetings, Rosa had slipped out of the music room (with Iam in tow) most probably because we had learned about Sir Tony (Espejo), our director. I stayed, and that's how I fell in love with theater.

How amusing it is to look back.

Which segues to this meme I found in Olive and Martha's blogs. Olive did it as an unbirthday activity and Martha followed suit for her own reasons. I remember doing this twice already, as I had grabbed it off Reggie's blog some years ago. But it would be nice to do it again. Maybe it would shed some light into things I always put off thinking about.

Fifteen years ago I...
was in 5th grade, and randomly had lunch with different friends in my class. After a time, I hung out regularly with a girl named Miriam, and when another girl asked if she could join us because she couldn't find her other friends, all 3 of us instantly bonded. We became best friends ever since, no matter how different we were from each other. Our crazy quirks, simple eccentricities and library trips brought us together. Hahaha, we even had our own spot on the floor in the library, where the Nancy Drew and Bobbsey Twins books can be found.

Ten years ago I...
was a high school junior and was in the school's track and field varsity team for the second year in a row. I had always been a typical class wallflower, having some frustrating experiences with my classmates the year before. I was sort of afraid to bond with the people, but because this year had different people in our class, I suddenly felt at ease. I spent more time hanging out with my track friends, including this group of senior guys. I hung out with them every day after track practice and always went home way past curfew. Plus for the first time, I felt rejected when I didn't get to be part of the school's musical production.

Five years ago I...
wrapped up an OJT for Atlantis' Dreamgirls. Broke up with my (then) boyfriend of 4 years, and poured out my frustrations with a colleague in the production. I didn't realize it then, but it was my final summer with Trumpets Playshop. I also branched out from my eccentric Broadway taste in music and explored the world of acoustic. Hahaha, by then, I had become a groupie and made new friends through a forum some of us had created for a popular acoustic band when they were at the peak of their career. I learned a lot about the music business through my friend's dad, who was the producer of the group's album. But the mere mistake of even trying to get involved with someone in the group had created quite a stir, and I was advised to "stay away," which I eventually did after getting harassed several times. I learned to move on and find peace of mind, and by doing so, I returned to my theater roots by bagging a couple of jobs. First was as stage manager of the Akafellas's concert, and then as stage crew for Atlantis' Urinetown.

Two years ago I...
joined my first workshop under Tanghalang Pilipino, under the influence of my baby bro, Nicco. Hahaha, after several talks (even the night before the workshop's first day), we signed up for Beginning Acting under Ms Tess Jamias and Ian at the last minute. Mimay ended up joining us as well. Weekly night outs at someone's place na walang tulugan were our ideal methods of bonding. I ended up sharing the stage with Mimay and Nicco, two of my closest friends in our particular circle, our crazy moments captured on every photo and a DVD. I also learned how to wear my heart on my sleeve this year. I realized that being plastic even to yourself can be pretty hard to deal with.

One year ago I...
returned to Musical Theater through my 2nd workshop with TP. I was also a virgin to Writers Bloc's Virgin Labfest (like Olive), but as an assistant stage manager, thanks to Minette's referral. She was the one who noticed that I was much happier being with TP. Also bagged a job at the season's first play, Pilipinas Circa 1907, where I didn't realize that I was becoming closer to one person in particular as I casually dropped by every dressing room backstage. After a brief relationship the year before, it was thanks to Tad that I had learned that it was alright to love again.

Yesterday I...
went to watch METTA's Romeo and Juliet with Rosa after Tartuffe rehearsals. It was also in celebration of 10 months with Tad, and I gave him a bonnet that I had crocheted (which I also want for myself, hahaha!)

Today I...
spent the day vegging out after hearing mass in the morning.

Tomorrow I...
have rehearsals again for Tartuffe, and I haven't memorized my long lines in the 4th act, ahahaha.

Next week I...
have no plans yet whatsoever, aside from school and rehearsals. Still hoping that Jill and I can get together sometime next week, hehe.

Next year I...
will be finally be finished with my degree. I hope to be more focused in my chosen path, and I don't think I'll be coming back to where I had started when I had put off school before. I'm seriously thinking about ballroom dancing next year.

I remember way back in 2001, when Miss Saigon came to Manila, I declined all offers of watching the production. OK, so you may ask, why would I do that? Hahaha, it was in silent protest because it had seemed that the masses wanted to watch the show just for Lea. So yes, I was also a fan back then, but how about we give credit to all the other Filipinos in the show? Oh well, hahaha. Even with that, I got to go backstage with my STAGCRI class and saw how everything was put together, sans the cast. I think I even left a fingerprint on that pretty pink Cadillac, ahehe.

So whenever people keep ask me if I was planning to watch Cinderella, I reply with a brief no. Because I wasn't really counting on watching.

But, as it had turned out, I guess I'll still be watching anyway, hahaha!

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In line with this, I can't help but mention the entire Eraserheads craze.

I was a fan of this group because my brother was a fan. We both grew up listening to the same kind of music. Whatever he listened to, I listened to it as well. When our cousin got a video camera and my brother learned how to play the guitar, they made home music videos using the songs of the Eraserheads. I was their groupie. But when the band had a concert near our place, only my brother got to go because I was still too young.

So I do believe that it's appropriate that I should be at the reunion concert, since my brother won't be able to go, HAHAHA!

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And then there's how some stuff become way overrated once it reaches mainstream, or whatever you call it.

Remember the times when Rent was truly appreciated? Hahaha, when it became a film, everyone wanted to be "Rentheads," quoting stuff like "No day but today" until it got totally worn out.

It also happened with Dreamgirls. Haha, I've been listening to Dreamgirls since I worked on a production on it 5 years ago. When the movie came out, everyone started listening to several renditions of "And I'm Telling You."

Hahaha. Oh well.

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Haven't gotten around to posting these particular snippets.

From Labfest:

"May blocking ba yung mga stage readings?"

"Depende sa doktor."

Uhm, gutom pa yata si Opa when she answered that, hahaha.

In the elevator, 2 girls were talking. One was thinking of running for student council. One of the girls said, "Think about it, if you do something good for them, will they do something good for you?"

Uhm, isn't that a little selfish?

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The crochet project I started last May lay forgotten when I started juggling with school and Virgin Labfest. I only got to pick it up again last week. Well, I'm almost finished with it,yay. By tomorrow morning, it's going to be done. It took 5 balls of blue and black yarn and calloused fingers, hahaha. But it's worth it. It's supposed to be a present for Tad a couple of months ago, but I guess I put it off for a while.

But as I look at it now, I wish I wrote down the pattern (even though I really hardly follow patterns) for the first 9-12 rounds. Because I want to make another one, this time for myself, hahaha!

I had a feeling that I was going to be sick last Friday, that I was afraid of acting cranky during class and rehearsals. Thank goodness my sore throat only evolved into cold when I got home. But when I tried to sleep, I suddenly developed a cough, arg.

In class yesterday morning, I wasn't really feeling up to doing anything, so I was really glad we didn't break into groups for any discussion whatsoever. I was feeling really sick by the time I got to rehearsal at noon, and I really felt that I was also having a fever. But because we were told that we had to be there that day to be measured for costumes, I figured I'd stay a while, get measured, then ask if I could go home and get some rest. After a quick lunch so I could take the medicine I brought with me, I literally fell asleep on the floor while waiting for everything to start.

When I woke up, most of the cast were already there, and Jojo and Joey were reading lines with our two Valeres, Darwin and Toby. I was still lying on the floor, listened to them for a few minutes before I finally stood up. Because I finally got some rest, even though I was still feeling lightheaded, I decided to help Jojo with Toby's lines. Afterwards, we ran through the first two acts and blocked the scenes that wasn't blocked yet. It was 5 in the afternoon when we reached the beginning of the 4th act, and I had noticed that there was no sign of anyone who will measure the actors for costumes. When Jojo was about to start the 2nd scene of Act 4, that's when I asked when we will be measured for the costumes. She stopped and looked at me, and that's when we all found out that Cam didn't text us the night before that the one who will measure us wouldn't be coming in that day. Arg. That was the prime reason I came to the rehearsal even though I was sick and was already having chills.

I thought our thesis had screw-ups. But I guess there are most groups that still have these. No offense.

So after a quick goodbye, I headed out the door and caught the first bus I saw. Went straight to bed and woke up to catch Eksena Manila on Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho.

Okay, so I was amused that Eksena Manila got their fifteen minutes of fame (and gave publicity to our site and forum). The shot of the senior members running inside the MRT was classic, haha. But I felt a little off after they had shown a bit of me when I had said that I got to use part of my acting skills for the slow-mo mission. They then showed some psych expert claiming that these people were frustrated actors, "kulang sa pansin" and "sira ulo". Why did they have to say that? I consider myself an actor. Heck, everyone's an actor in their own right. Just because they got a full interview with Pao who had admitted that he did plays in grade school/high school doesn't mean he's a frustrated actor, and we're all the same as well.

Oh well, to each his own.

Still wasn't feeling well today, so the ticket I bought in advance to a film in Cinemalaya that was to be shown today had gone to waste. Tad came for a visit, though, so that made up for it, yay. Thanks, lovey!

Last Wednesday was the first time I joined one of Eksena Manila's missions. Well, two, actually. As it turned out, Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho wanted to feature a couple of the group's previous missions. I jumped at this chance because it would be an opportunity to finally do the LRT chorale and the Slow-Mo, hahaha.

Off to Gateway after lunch (and yes, I had confessed to Opa, it was my first time to ride the LRT 2 alone, hahaha), and by the time I got there, I think I was one of the two agents who had arrived promptly on time. I had to look for RS and his girlfriend, and had to rely on the description that Agent Rob had sent me via text. Finally found them near Taco Bell with fellow newbie agent Karin (sp?), and it didn't take long until other agents had joined us--Denise with friend Lynell, Mikey, Bleue. A little later, after realizing that we had been standing around for so long, we finally decided to grab some tables so we can sit down.

After an hour, we had an uber-long table, consisting of both old and new agents. Basically we were just sitting around as we waited for Pao to arrive with the GMA crew, just talking, how we're going to divide ourselves in groups for each LRT station, and who were going to participate in the Slow-Mo. Nightowl (Joy, our group's videographer/photographer) had her camera handy for photo ops and documentation.

By the time we all got ourselves something to eat, Gwen from GMA finally arrived at 4pm. She broke the news that the train permit they got was for the MRT, not the LRT 2. Oh well. We then boarded the 2 L300 vans that were waiting for us outside the mall, and we set off for Manila City Hall, where our first mission (Slow-Mo) was going to be.

Pao was already at City Hall with 3 others when we had arrived. A quick brief with everyone, then we looked for positions to be at when the Slow-Mo began, and agreed on a signal. Haha, I started a slow walk, crossing the entire space right in front of that KKK statue. Being accident-prone, I walked in fear of the slippery marble parts of the ground, because I had almost slipped when I tried to jump off a step earlier while looking for a position. Suddenly I found Bleue crossing my path, and pretended to slip as I tried to wave to Karin and Thrish. Arg, Thrish had opened her umbrella, blocking her view of me waving to them. Oh well, I kept walking and as I passed Minari who was sitting on the steps, I suddenly heard the signal from Pat, so I broke free from slow-mo and walked towards Karin and Thrish.

We were asked to do another slow-mo, this time we broke into two groups--one coming from SM Manila, and one coming from where we were standing. We were to walk up and down the sidewalk and cross paths, still in slow-mo. I was in the group coming from SM Manila. Hahaha, when we started walking, I could feel more stares than we got from the previous slow-mo. I even felt a woman poking me, trying to push past me, ahehe. I think I even managed to block a couple of college girls when they tried to sidestep Karin and Thrish, who had managed to overtake me even while in slow motion. When we had finally ran into the other group, I bumped into Mikey so I slowly ducked out of his way, only to also bump into Pao, and we made a slow-mo of quite an impact before I started walking normally again, hahaha.

Back to the parking area and began the brief for the chorale. Because we were going to use the MRT instead of the LRT, we divided ourselves up again into 2 groups--one to board at North Avenue Station and another to board the Quezon Avenue Station--instead of the 5, because it was going to be pretty crowded by then, considering it was already rush hour. We ran through the song ("Maling Akala" by the Eraserheads) once, then off we went in our respective vans for both MRT stations.

It took a while before we were permitted to board the platform, and the GMA crew also filmed a bunch of us going up the stairs, waiting around, and waiting for the train. Finally, the train arrived and we all scrambled for seats. Some who hadn't memorized the lyrics had slipped it in their books as kodigo. I had put mine in my phone so I can just text the whole way. It wasn't until after Cubao station (I think) when Pao had began the song. By the 2nd stanza and refrain, everyone started singing along. We were already receiving stares at the beginning of the 2nd stanza, and someone near some group had started complaining. I guess those people were pretty tired after getting off work. When we finally finished the song, the gay guy sitting next to me started looking around, surprised by the sudden silence, so he said "No more?" Hahaha. Pao started singing another song and Minari joined in, until we all got up and got off at Buendia station.

As they always say in Improv Everywhere, mission accomplished.

Spent this evening in CCP for the premiere of Hubad at Cinemalaya. Tad went with me to CCP after our afternoon out, but because he had already seen the film's very first premiere (the rough cut, I think) a couple of months ago, he let me watch it while he had to photocopy a script in the TP office for their acting class.

Found Peachy and Robbie in the lobby. As it turned out, there were a whole bunch of them who came to watch Rob in the film, hahaha! With those two were Sundee, Anna, Santi, Jonjon, Francis, Carlos, Stefan, Bench, and Harold. Oh, and Noel was also there, someone I haven't seen since he was shipped off to Hongkong Disney ages ago, hahaha. Joined them and we found a row and a half for us right smack in the middle of the theater.

I liked how the film also integrated video clips from the actual play, when it was shown for Virgin Labfest 2 back in 2006. I really enjoyed watching all these actors I admire in this one film (yes, including you, Rob, hahaha!). Several familiar venues were used, from Batute theater, MKP (the Jade Emperor headpiece had a cameo, haha!) and LT backstage, Jorhe's gorgeous pad (chandelier included), and of course, Penguin cafe. My favorite part was the montage of the 2 couples on the mattresses. Props to Ms. Denisa on that one. When we heard the conversation about talents of Hongkong Disneyland being associated with prostitutes, our entire group cracked up, referring to Noel, hahaha!

Chaos sort of ensued at the lobby after the show. Haha, I'm exaggerating. It was the regular Cinemalaya crowd that occurs in between film screenings. I honestly loathe crowds, but today, I guess I didn't really mind much. Found Bart in the lobby, and he mentioned that he owes us a cast party of our own. Yahoo, a pending Las Mentiras cast party! Hopefully before Tuxqs leaves for New Zealand, please.

When I found Peachy again in the crowd, she was looking for Rob so she can take a photo of him with Peque Gallaga. Of course, because this is the Peque Gallaga, I couldn't help but follow, and once Rob had their photo taken, I immediately requested for a photo with the big guy. Hahaha, starstruck moment. Thanks for the photo op!

Off to Rai-Rai Ken for dinner, where everyone went on talking about the film, raving mostly about Mr. Koh (Rob's character in the film), HAHAHA!

Haven't blogged much lately, even about Labfest, specially since it had closed last Sunday.

After the first week of Labfest, I returned to school mode for a bit then returned the following weekend for our 2 remaining shows. Of course, I made sure to watch all the plays during the first week so I don't have to contend with paying audiences on the 2nd week. I was also working on our post-production requirements as well, so I can just submit everything that was needed for the production book after all shows closed.

Didn't even get to go to the Labfest cast party at Penguin. My legs were ready to give way, so after watching Pamantasang Hirang during the evening, I headed straight home to my bed. Spent the following couple of days finalizing my production book (goodbye, yucky jar of "umbilical cords"), and Tartuffe mode began as well.

After Tartuffe rehearsals this afternoon (where I didn't really do much because Jojo had focused more on the scenes with Dorine, Valere and Mariane; only came because there was free lunch, haha), Lara, Toby and I headed to CCP to watch Baby Angelo, an entry in this year's Cinemalaya. Apparently, Lara was in it, so we were dying to see it before she gets to show it to her family and boyfriend tomorrow, hahaha! Holy kamote, it was only the 2nd day and lines at the box office windows were already long. I was already regretting that I missed the opening yesterday. Anyway, thanks to being a student again, I took advantage of the 50% discount to a ticket to Baby Angelo, and also bought a ticket to tomorrow night's Hubad. I didn't really get to watch its premiere a couple of months ago at the Dream Theater because of Nemesis.

Baby Angelo... Hmmm... interesting plot, and those 1-F girls (Lara included, hahaha!) gave quite a comic relief for us, hehe. When it came to the conclusion of who owned that baby fetus, it wasn't implied as much and turned out sort of anti-climatic. Or maybe I wasn't too focused on that? Maybe, maybe not.

Sunday tomorrow, yay. A good day, I hope. I'm beginning to enjoy Sundays as much as Tuxqs does, hahaha. Minus the driving, of course, and even though CCP will still have tons of people milling about.

"Ano ba ang hilig mo?"

Not really an odd question. What made it odd was the person who had asked me that particular question.

After at least a week-long debate with himself, Tad finally went ahead and purchased that Apple iTouch he's been longing to buy. I think the last straw was when he saw that Jerald had bought himself an iPhone, hahaha. So anyway, every time Tad was thinking about getting a new player, he would ask me about all the differences between the iTouch and the iPod Video. Every time we have this conversation, I would always have the same answer: "Depends on the lifestyle of the person who will own it." So there, he got an iTouch instead of the iPod Video, because we both knew that he wouldn't be able to fill the player with all the videos in the world considering he just wants a music player that's capable of WiFi.

Which brings us back to the first sentence of this entry. We were talking about all the stuff Tad had just put into his new toy, and then I admitted that even though I was such a music lover way way back. But now, I have no clue when it came to music trends and, well, music in general. It didn't really surprise him, as he knew that I mostly listened to Broadway until I couldn't keep up with the new stuff anymore. I then concluded that a portable music player isn't really for me for now. That's when he asked me that particular question. I just shrugged and said that I like blogging.

Then I suddenly remembered the clickety-clacking sounds behind me during class this afternoon. I found Kaye hunched over this uber-small laptop, literally just the size of my spiral notebook. A "cutie laptop," I called it, hahaha. I never realized that the Asus Eee PC was that small and designed specially for Internet-related activities. Now that was for me like Tad's new toy was for him. Hahaha. It's just for something small to carry around while I'm out and my own computer's out of reach, anyway.

Hahaha, now that's pretty small and compact.

Virgin Labfest 4 finally opened this week. I kept telling myself that I couldn't wait for the show to open so I can finally breathe easier. Plus, schedules wouldn't be as crazy anymore, as there are other things that I have that's been piling up.

We were supposed to have our DTR last Sunday, but because of the darn weather, all rehearsals had been canceled that day. DTRs resumed on Tuesday, beginning with our set (Set A: Kapamilya, Kapuso, Kabisyo). By Wednesday, I was already a wreck, as we had called rehearsals in between Virgin Labfest 3 Revisited's matinee and evening shows so we can rehearse a certain prop that never came. Darn it. We finally resolved the issue by coming up with an alternative that was used in Himala the Musical.

Thursday came. Way too early call time to give way for a final DTR before our opening show at 3pm. One thing I just want to say during final DTRs is "Huwag mo akong ngaragin." Hahaha, I've been using that line since my thesis days, but lately I've been too nice to do so. I don't know, what annoys me like hell is when someone would nag at me for slacking off when I'm already trying to do my job. Yes, I'm too nice to speak up for myself, ahehe. The very few who know me that well know what I'm talking about, hyukhyukhyuk.

DTR was pretty much alright, except for a few miscues. Plus I had to wash May's costume immediately after our show, so I didn't get to watch the other 2 plays. I was gearing up for the 3pm show though. Of course, there was even a time that I had to run to Harrison Plaza to buy Karo syrup, but by the time I got there, Shopwise had run out of the darn stuff, so I had to return to CCP empty-handed.

That day was almost like my birthday, working like crazy without even any time for a breather. It was our 9th month, and Tad and I didn't even get to see much of each other, specially after a little minor disagreement the night before. But one sweet gesture, he appeared in the Batute dressing room just long enough to put a venti coffee jelly frappuccino in my hands as a peace offering. Thanks, love! Too bad I didn't get to drink it at that time, so I just left it on the one of the counters by the refreshments.

Thanks to Zee, Dyown and Billy for watching the 3pm show! Sorry I didn't get to stay and chat.

Even though our blood effect didn't work during the matinee show, I still had a bit of laundry duty as the dress that May wore still had some red stains on it, probably from the shower where we had put red food coloring in the water. Thanks to Ate Bheng's patient instructions, I managed to wash and dry the dress just in time for the evening show.

Even if the blood effect worked for the 8pm show, there were still a few glitches then. First off was that May couldn't find the gauze bandage I handed over to her before the show (which I found on the floor in the dressing room, ahehehe). Then our shower went off when the faucet was turned on, hahaha! I was cringing the whole time and was avoiding any view of Tuxqs in case he was doing the same. It was still a good show, though.

To unwind, I found myself in the dressing room during Ang Mga Halimaw, finally happily sipping that coffee jelly delight in a plastic cup. Shared it with Tara, Anna and Martha to hype them up for their own play, Amoy ng Langit, which is the 3rd play in our set. Afterwards, I started collecting my props, quietly bringing them to the prop room so I don't have to worry about lugging all of them during the strike.

Props to Mia for hanging tough out there, by the by. You've finally been "devirginized" by the Labfest, hahaha. Doncha just love the feeling of being up there and hearing "Standing by..." and "Going..." after your every command? Hahahaha!

Two shows down, two more to go. Congratulations to everyone involved in Virgin Labfest 4! And break a leg to those who are still about to open tomorrow!

It's been raining nonstop all morning. It's only an hour before noon but it's as dark as it should be when the sun had just set. Darn this rain. There was also a power failure this morning, and my cellphone's signal keeps fluctuating. Rawr.

Thank goodness I had charged my phone the night before and I had still had signal when Ed had called me to say that all Labfest DTRs and other rehearsals have been canceled today due to the weather. Yay. I don't think I'm up to rehearsing in the freezing cold Batute after enduring such crappy weather. I don't want to go through a relapse.

Last Friday, I still wasn't feeling well, but I still went to class. I had a cold during my first class and found myself almost dozing through another film viewing. By my second class, I already had a slight fever and almost fell asleep in the middle of the discussion. By the time the prof had called for a break, I took some medicine, then took a look at the notes I had taken and I could barely understand everything that I wrote, hahahaha!

By the time I arrived at CCP for rehearsal, I was sort of feeling better. Thanks to Opa for giving me a hand bringing my props and refreshments to Silangan Hall. I sort of spaced-out during rehearsal, but we managed to do 2 run-throughs.

No class yesterday afternoon, but we were required to check out that Pepe Goes to Market at the Fort. But of course, I had rehearsal first. I have to admit, these past rehearsals are getting better already. I was already prepping up for the DTR and can't wait for the show to open.

Rosa and Aris also joined me at Market Market, after they had seen yesterday's matinee show of Avenue Q. After quite a while of sitting around, we were getting hungry. So we quickly left, partly because of our annoyance of a bunch of kids behind us, and headed for Yellow Cab. Hahaha, Rosa just had to say out loud, "I think I'll forever be childless."

Headed for the department store so Rosa can finally purchase that shampoo she's been searching for. When she finally found it, we suddenly bored over the entire kikay section of the store, having realized it was a haven of cheap thrills, with Aris simply just trailing behind us, hahaha.

I have to admit, I love weather like this. But only if I get to stay indoors and just veg out in front of the computer or TV, or just lie in bed with a good book. Funny, but I suddenly remember the good times I had a couple of years ago during that awful storm with no electricity for a few days. I spent afternoons on the landline (because there was hardly any cellphone signal, and my battery was already drained), and evenings reading books by candlelight. Hahaha.