One of the first shows that I watched at the Claire Isabel McGill Luce Auditorium when I entered Silliman University in 2001 was "Fiddler on The Roof". It was a fantastic show and I just found myself standing and applauding as the cast lined up for curtain call. I was touched, entertained, but at the same time jealous of the cast. "Nganong wala koy apil ani?" I asked myself. "I have to be on that stage. I must join a musical production in Silliman!"
I was just a freshman - an ambitious freshman. I scanned through the program notes, and looked for the name of the person who is behind this MAJOR production. hmmm... directed by: EVELYN ROSE ALDECOA. Suddenly, I noticed the applause gets louder, and an elegant woman went on stage to take a bow. It was Ms. Evelyn Rose Aldecoa herself. Watching her on stage, I promised to myself, “someday... somehow, I will get to work with her, and that day would be MAJOR".
(the cast of Fiddler on the Roof 2001. Photo from Ms. Blanche Banot)
I had to wait for almost a year for that moment to arrive. I was in second year college when Kuya Michael Alar, who was one of our youth leaders at Silliman Church, saw me walking from Guy Hall on my way to the Cafeteria. He approached me and asked "bass singer man ka sa Men's Glee club diba? Invite tikaw bai! Join sa Souled-Out Singers. We are in need of bass singers." I did not know what to answer at first, so he explained further that SOS was not a university-based choir but a gospel singing group organized by "Ms. Evelyn Aldecoa. "SHOULD I SAY NO?! That would be stupid. So of course I immediately said YES. He gave me further details about the rehearsals, etc. so one Sunday afternoon, I was at the gate of the Aldecoa's waiting for the SOS members to arrive. I did not expect to see a lot of familiar faces. Most of them were in the cast of "Fiddler on the Roof" and are campus figures. They warmly greeted me and welcomed me to the group. It was an awesome feeling to be in that circle. I was nervous, especially when ma’am Evelyn and her sister Ma’am Jenny greeted me and started to ask some questions. I wanted to melt then and there, but the moment they started cracking jokes and when the group started to sing, the nerves just turned into excitement. “I belong here”, I said to myself. It was indeed an honor to be part of the SOS family. The music… the fellowship… the friendship…the food… and the fun – a lot of good memories with SOS.
(SOS concert at the Luce Auditorium with tenor Jonathan Badon. Photo from Mark Ybanez)
(SOS concert in Cagayan de Oro city, Oct. 30, 2004. Photo from Mark Ybanez)
(SOS christmas party/cosplay in 2004, if memory serves. Photo from Mark Ybanez)
Later in 2003, ma’am Ev asked some of us from the bass section of SOS to be part of “the King and I” that she was staging. She needed some skinny, bass singers to portray as monks! YEHEY! I was one of the monks. “This is the beginning!” I thought to myself. I mean, I am not a theater first-timer because I have been in theater since elementary as a member of Liyab Cultural Group back in my hometown, and I was able to attend a PETA-designed workshop when I was 13. But this, I thought, was the MAJOR chance I have been waiting for.
Well, our part in the play was short. We had to pass through the stage twice while humming, then appear at the King’s death scene. It was short, but important! We set the mood. Haha!
(Cast of "the King and I" in 2003. Found me? Photo from Blanche Banot)
(Oh yes, that's me! The tall, old, bald guy)
And now, for the biggest surprise, after one of our SOS rehearsals in 2005, mam Ev approached me and asked me if I wanted to join her next production, the Man of La Mancha. I smiled in delight and immediately said yes! Then she continued… “I want you to play Don Quixote.” … there was silence… and I thought “hmmm… the name sounds familiar.” LOL! Maybe detecting my ignorance, she explained to me that DQ is the main character of the story, and that it fits me perfectly in terms of “physical” requirements, “bony, hollow-faced with eyes that burn with inner vision”.
In a state of shock, I uttered only one word. ”Sure???” Then, I immediately realized that it was stupid to show skepticism to “the Evelyn Aldecoa” so I immediately said “sige ma’am.” I HONESTLY FREAKED OUT, especially when the SOS members told me that the actors who portrayed Don Quixote in the past were "Elmo Makil" and "Dominador delos Santos". Who would not panic?! But ma'am Ev assured me that things would go well and that there's nothing to worry about. And who would not trust Evelyn Aldecoa’s powers?
Then, the rest is history.
(the power cast of Man of La Mancha in 2005. Photo from Blanche Banot)
(a scene from Man of La Mancha - Don Quixote with Aldonza (Sheila Pabalate) and Sancho Panza (Rosbert Salburo)
It was a pleasure working with Ma’am Evelyn. I learned professionalism, theater etiquette, acting lessons, and gained high respect for theater. She was a “director” in the rehearsal room, but she was a mother, a friend, and a mentor outside. My acting was not perfect, but I know she was happy with my performance.
Right now, I feel overwhelmed with grief. Rest in Peace Prof. Evelyn Rose Aldecoa. I will miss you. You once told me "SAYANG HOPE... SAYANG... short-lived imong acting career. Sayang jud." You said that with genuine sadness in your eyes when you knew that I decided to work in a BPO after the successful production of Man of La Mancha. But what you didn't know madam is that I've always wanted to be as successful as you are in the field of theater. I promised to myself that one day, God willing, I will go back home (theater) and follow your footsteps. So when fate gave me the chance to return home (through the Youth Advocates Through Theater Arts - YATTA), one of the things that I aimed to do was to make you proud.
And just before you left, I had the chance to tell you about my numerous activities within and outside YATTA as a theater artist-teacher. I was like a young boy showing my medals to his mom. I saw the spark of delight back in your eyes, and you showed so much support to all my endeavors in theater, like a mother cheering on her son. "That's very good! Keep yourself busy doing theater works", you told me.
Madam, I know that this is the path that you wanted me to choose, and I will not stop here. There’s no turning back. You inspired me so much. This might sound selfish, but your passing pushes me to do even better in this field, and that is because I hope that you’ll be watching over me from heaven and you will see me grow. Promise, I will make you proud, aron dili SAYANG ma'am Ev... dili SAYANG.
I will miss you forever. Rest in Peace with the Lord.
(thanks to SU Speech and Theater students for this beautiful photo of mam Ev.)
