Note: This photo-essay appeared in a slightly different version in the 06-12 March 2015 issue of FilAm Star, 'the newspaper for Filipinos in mainstream America,' published in San Francisco, CA. The author/blogger is the Manila-based Special News/Photo Correspondent of the weekly paper.
We first sighted him in Manila during the first
anniversary of the Million People March to Stop Pork Barrel: the Stand Up, Sign
Up at the Rizal Park on 25 August 2014. He was on stage for some time as one of
the emcees during the program held there.
We followed his expressions of support for this advocacy in the social
media, but we did not know he would come home in time for this mass action.
It looks like Bernardo Bernardo is back for good after 12
years in the United States as an “artist of extraordinary talents.” He arrived
in San Francisco in 2002, settled in Los Angeles in 2009, and in between those
years, according to his online biographies, he plied his artistic ‘trades’ in
the East Coast, West Coast and the Midwest as host, singer, stand-up comedian
and stage actor.
As stage actor, he was in the musical “The Long Season”
as a Pinoy cannery foreman in Alaska, and in “Voyage,” a play based on the
lives of four generations of Pinoy immigrants in Alaska. He was most involved
in the play “The Romance of Magno Rubio” by Lonnie Carter based on a short
story of Carlos Bulosan. We saw him play
the role of Prudencio, one of the five Pinoy laborers in “Magno Rubio”, when it
was mounted in New York in 2007. We learned he translated this play to
Filipino, and directed its staging in Los Angeles for which he won the
L.A. Weekly Theater Award for Best Direction 2012.
During his American sojourn, he received several awards,
the latest being the LAFACE 2012 Filipino-American Heritage Achievement Award
for Entertainment, along with Certificates of Recognition from the State of
California, the County of Los Angeles, and the City of Los Angeles for
"outstanding contributions to the Filipino-American community through
Music and Entertainment."
Now back in the country’s entablado, he is the president
and artistic director of Studio Connections International, a new player in the
Philippine scene, whose vision is “to help form alliances among performing arts
companies in order to raise professional and artistic benchmarks in educational
Philippine Theatre.” From its company profile, we gather that the
company aims to “Create [a larger audience for Filipino theater using the
national language], Educate [through training programs in acting, directing,
playwriting and production management], and Connect [with other production
outfits with a similar sense of responsibility to our art and responsive
mindset to the challenges of our evolving contemporary society]”.
Its first venture is a partnership with the De La Salle
College of St. Benilde School of Design and Arts (SDA) in presenting Philippine
Educational Theater Association’s Haring Lear, an adaptation of William
Shakespeare’s King Lear by National Artist Bienvenido Lumbera, directed by
Nonon Padilla.
Bernardo turned 70 early this year. It may be the ripe age to perform Haring Lear,
the aged ruler (“the foolish king,” says director Padilla) who decided to give
up his power and divide his kingdom among his three daughters, Goneril, Regan
and Cordelia. He did not like his
favorite daughter Cordelia’s simple declaration of affection for him though, so
he disowns her and gives her away to the King of France. Thus, two older
sisters ended up equally splitting the kingdom between them.
This Filipino King Lear is set in a futuristic world. The
actors are all male, which was how Shakespeare’s plays were staged during his
time, with the female roles played by men. Everyone is bald in this case. The actors are all from the PETA Kalinangan Ensemble:
Gary Lim (Gloster), Buddy Caramat (Goneril), George de Jesus (Regan), Abner
Delina Jr (Cordelia, Lakayo), Nico Dans (Edgardo), Rhenwyn Gabalonzo (Edmundo),
Lambert de Jesus (Kent), Roy Calilong (Oswaldo), Renan Bustamante( Duke ng
Albanya), Jeff Hernandez (Duke ng Cornualles, Ikalawang Kapitan), Jason Barcial
(Duke ng Burgonia, Utusan, Sundalo), Jess Evardone (Tagapaglingkod,Matandang
Lalaki, Duktor ni Cordelia, Eraldo) and McDonnel Bolanos (Hari ng Francia,
Maginoo, Utusan, Sundalo, Kapitan).
The costumes appear to be Japanese kimono inspired. This
reminds that the famous Japanese director Akira Kurosawa also adapted King Lear
for his award-winning movie, Ran, where the emperor divided his kingdom among
three sons, not daughters.
Bernardo’s costume change to modern comfort clothes tells
us that Lear is timeless. This is when he realizes the deceit of his two
daughters, and when begins to slip into insanity. His tale happens today.
Snatches of it sometimes jar the familiar run of news programs, or serve as
motif of a TV series or a Filipino movie.
The power struggle after the division of the kingdom is a
web of hatred, intrigue and betrayal involving two families: the king’s and that
of Gloster (Gloucester) with his two sons Edmundo and Edgardo. The mad Haring
Lear briefly regains his sanity when he reconciles with his daughter Cordelia
where a glimmer of love flickers. Everyone dies though except Edgardo who will
become the ruler of Britain.
Bernardo Bernardo held us captive throughout the play especially
when he was raging in the storm, and during the final dying moments with
Cordelia. He had an excellent support
from the ensemble of PETA actors.
He is back. Those who grew up watching the long-running
sitcom “Home Along the Riles” would certainly remember his Steve Carpio character
who gave Dolphy contravida moments in every episode.
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