BB Gandanghari had been mum about her relationship status for the longest time, but she was in such a good mood at a recent press conference that she finally opened up about having left her heart in the States.
“Magde-deny sana ako,” BB said with a laugh. “Magaling siyang magluto,” she said of her boyfriend.
And?
“Baka nga wala na kami,” she quipped. “At a time like this, when you feel so pressured (at work), you just want somebody to be there, na makakausap mo.”
Love is bound to disappoint, be it in relationships that are unconventional or otherwise. The guy in question had promised to join BB here in Manila this month but didn’t make good on his word.
“I was really expecting na darating siya ng Feb, pero hindi nangyari so medyo na-disappoint ako. Mahirap mag-expect tapos hindi mangyayari,” she said.
Good thing that there is her second foray into theater to think about and occupy her time, something that does not disappoint like lovers that fall short on their promises.
In this latest restaging of “Halik Ng Tarantula,” adapted from the film and Broadway versions of “Kiss of the Spider Woman” by famous novelist Manuel Puig, BB plays both Molina, a persecuted gay inmate, and Irena, the spiderwoman, originally played by Sonia Braga in the film version and Vanessa Williams in the Broadway musical version.
BB is aware that Hollywood actor William Hurt played Molina in the 1985 film version and walked off with an Oscar for his performance. “Pinanood ko siya nu’ng malaman ko na gagawin ko na ‘yung play. Usually takot ako na manood ng ibang actors who had played a role na gagawin ko rin, pero, ito, hindi ako natakot panoorin ‘yung movie. Na-curious lang ako kung paano ginawa ni William Hurt. I’ll attack it differently,” she revealed.
“Kiss of the Spiderwoman” offers the kind of challenge that interests BB. “Basically kasi it’s a two-character play so you have to be able to hold people’s attention for two hours. The glory there is kapag nakita mong nag-enjoy ang mga tao,” she said.
“Halik ng Tarantula,” translated in Filipino by the late playwright Rene Villanueva, tells of two inmates — Valentin, a political prisoner, and Molina, a homosexual fond of recalling scenes from old movies he has seen — sharing the same cell in a Buenos Aires prison in the ’70s.
The part of Valentin is as integral as Molina’s. Three acting newbies have been tapped to tackle the role, namely Jet Alcantara, Xyrus Cruz, and Jovic Monsod.
Cruz, as of this writing, had backed out from the production because he allegedly didn’t see it necessary to go out on “group bonding sessions” with BB to get a feel of the play.
That is, however, a whole different story. BB said she and the production group had thought of getting more seasoned performers for the role of Valentin but for various reasons, decided on hiring acting tyros. “Physically, it’s the eyes. And then there’s the attitude towards work, ‘yung dedication nila,” she answered when asked how they picked her leading men in the play.
Because “Halik ng Tarantula” is a largely political play with sexual undertones, BB admitted that there are scenes that require her and her leading man to engage in acts of intimacy.
“Sabihin na nating I’m very open kung ano ‘yung requirements ng role. Nakakatuwa itong mga lalaki (who will alternate in the role of Valentin), kasi kaswal na lang sa kanila kapag nagri-rehearsal na magtanong, ‘Ito na po ba ‘yung scene na naka-boxers na lang? Naka-briefs na lang?’ Ang ganda kasi nung script kaya mai-imbibe mo talaga ‘yung character,” she shared.
“Halik ng Tarantula” will run from Match 7 to 9 at Teatrino Promenade Arcade in Greenhills.
source: interaksyon.com
