THIS MONTH, film and TV actors Ricky Davao and Rina Reyes return to the stage in Tanghalang Pilipino’s (TP) Filipino adaptation of Georges Feydeau’s classic farce, A Flea in Her Ear, on Oct. 18-21 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP).
Titled, Baka Naman Hindi, Mr. Davao and Ms. Reyes play the husband and wife Victor and Alicia Delgado in the play set in 1907 Philippines. Alicia fears that her husband is cheating on her and, wanting to catch him in the act, start the ball rolling for the mayhem and misunderstandings that come after.
This adaptation was created by Virgilio Beer Flores.
“My father (Charlie Davao) was in the play. I must have been about 13 then. It was the very first play I had ever seen and I was fascinated,” Mr. Davao was quote as saying in a press release. That 1970s production featured some of the country’s great actors including Vic Silayan and Bernardo Bernardo and was produced and directed by the current CCP President, Arsenio Lizaso.
Mr. Davao said that this was one of the reasons why he decided to become an actor. A few years after watching his father perform in the play, he starred in TP’s first ever production — Dalagang Bukid — where he played an American character. He went on to perform in various plays including Bongbong at Kris, In Frailty’s Grace, Silang Nalugmok sa Gabi, Lihis, and Felipe de las Casas, among others.
Meanwhile, Ms. Reyes, who has focused on film and TV, noted at the sidelines of the press conference on Oct. 2 at the CCP that “theater is for my soul,” and that she relishes being back on the Tanghalang Pilipino stage.
“This is me coming out of hibernation, me coming home [to theater],” Ms. Reyes said.
Ms. Reyes used to perform regularly with the theater group, having played in Bienvenido Noriega’s Bituing Marikit during the group’s first season, and in the twinbill Paraisong Parisukat/Kailangan: Isang Tsaperon directed by Spanky Manikan.
Also joining the cast of Baka Naman Hindi is Lou Veloso, Tex Ordonez de Leon, Nazer Salcedo, Rafa Siguion Reyna, Nelsito Gomez, Raffy Tejada, Gilleth Sandico, Mosang, Anthony Falcon, Jef Henson Dy, Felipe Ronnie Martinez, and Wenah Nagales.
“This is my first time doing a comedy and a farce and it’s really challenging because it’s very technical,” Mr. Siguion Reyna told reporters shortly before the press conference.
Directing this adaptation is Dennis Marasigan who functions both as the director and lighting designer. Mr. Marasigan is also directing TP’s Ang Pag-uusig, an adaptation of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible which is now on its second run after a successful 2017 production. Ang Pag-uusig runs until Oct. 28 at the CCP Studio Theater.
Baka Naman Hindi has performances on Oct. 18 to 21 at the Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino (CCP Little Theater). There are 8 p.m. performances on all four days, and 3 p.m. matinees on Oct. 20 and 21. Tickets cost P1,000 and P1,200 (with discounts for students, senior citizens, government employees and groups) and are available at the CCP Box Office (832-3704) and Ticketworld (www.ticketworld.com.ph or 891-9999). — Zsarlene B. Chua

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