Forever/Call Me Flory | Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero | Gantimpala Theater Foundation

GANTIMPALA' S FOREVER - love amidst hate. CALL ME FLORY - the truth
covered with lies!"

From Gantimpala Theater Foundation (GTF), the theater company that staged
the 2006 ALIW Awards Best Play (non-musical category) F. Sionil Jose's The
God Stealer/ Nick Joaquin's The Queen's Jewel, comes Forever/Call Me Flory,
another twin-bill of Filipino plays in English written by National Artist
for Theater Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero under the direction of ALIW Awards Best
Director Tony S. Espejo.

FOREVER, is an old-fashioned melodrama set in the 1950's. This play is about
love, maturity, and self-sacrifice. It is also about closure and healing,
listening and accepting. It is a play about people who realize that letting
go is greater, more sublime, than holding on.

The other production is CALL ME FLORY, which is a satire that pokes on
social climbing and social climbers during the time when Manila's 400
espouse 'the true, the good and the beautiful'. It shows that pretense is a
cheap trick. It is fun, wacky, and hard-hitting piece on our secret desire
to belong to the high society.

"These Guerrero plays continue to mirror our modern times. Forever speaks of
emotional deception and pride. How many relationships could have been saved
if we just give true love a chance and allow what is in our hearts do the
talking. On the other hand. Call Me Flory is about societal deception. Here,
we get a glimpse on the lifestyle of the rich and famous, their many slices
of hypocrisy and the weapons they use in order to perpetuate their version
of the truth," enlightens Espejo on why the two are GTF's 29th season
enders.

He says further: "This is the 4th season presentation of the GTF National
Artist Production Series. We make it a point to include in our production
lineup literary and dramatic works created by the country's National Artists
for Literature and Theater come alive on stage. It is GTF's way of paying
tribute to these Philippine literature and theater icons. We want to create
a sense of appreciation for the artistic legacies of our literary and
dramatic arts masters among our student audiences."

The cast from the Actors Company includes Roeder Camañag (Ernesto/Federico) ; Monica Llamas (Maria Teresa/Matilde) ; Kimberly Diaz (Consuelo/Osang) ; Wilma Doesnt and Lailanie Ann Tejuco (alternately portraying Florencia Aragon de Caracoles also known as Flory); Billy Parjan and Vincent Reyes Kuipers (alternately portraying Oscar); Abner Delina (Ernesting); Troy De Guzman (Gordon) and Jude Sypongco (Capote).

Helping Espejo bring the 50's glamour of Forever and the psychedelic feel of
Call Me Flory are J. Dennis Teodosio (playwright for additional dialogues
and characters); Joey Nombres (Lights Designer); Roobak Valle (Set Designer); Albert Figueras (Costumes Designer); Glenda Alday (stage manager)and Pamela Hundana (production manager).

The production is a collaborative artistic venture with the National Parks
Development Committee (NPDC). Color Care and Everbilena support the 29th
production season of Gantimpala.

Performances are slated on December 9-10, 16-17(10am/2pm) , SM South Mall
Cinema 3 in Las Piñas; and it resumes in 2007 starting Jan 25, (10am/2pm);
January 26 (9am/12nn/3pm) ; January 28(10am/2pm) ; and February 3-4 (10am/2pm) at the AFP Camp Aguinaldo Theater in Quezon City.

For tickets and booking information, call 899-5745/896- 3503; for outreach tours/ sponsorships, call 528-0603/536- 5860.

J. Dennis C. Teodosio
0921-2818248 / 6560314

"Papa'no kung hanapan nila ng lesson ang buhay ko?"
- Gee-Gee At Waterina
(TP's Comedy Twinbill,2006/ Virgin Labfest,2005)
http://www.philippineplaywrights.org

"Pagkuha niya ng barya sa pitaka, makikita niya mga mata ng anak --- bilog
na bilog ang mga iyon katulad ng itinuturong alkans'ya."
- Tonyong Turo
(PBBY-Salanga Writers Prize,2006)
http://www.adarnahouse.com

"Sa mga gabing mapanglaw at pilit kong pinalalakas ang aking loob, natitiyak
kong may nakikinig sa dilim."
- Terminal
(Gawad Ka Amado para sa Maikling Kuwento,2005)