"na-excite ako sa storyline ng fly me to the moon!"--dea formacil

Medyo abala nu'ng hapon na iyon ang resident director ng ARTIST PLAYGROUND na si Paul Jake Paule kaya hindi na namin siya inabalang makapanayam. Padating ang aktres na si Dea Formacil in any minute, at salamat naman kay Ms. Fatima Cadiz, na ka-alternate ni Dea sa role na Karayuki sa dulang FLY ME TO THE MOON dahil ito muna ang nag-istima at nagpaunlak na panayam sa amin (mababasa ang artikulo namin kay Fatima someday soon sa blog site na ito--rms*). Anyway, hindi pa man natatapos ang panayam namin kay Fatima, dumating si Dea na siyang sadya naming makapanayam talaga nu'ng hapon na iyon sa ARTS ABOVE venue ng intimate theater group na ito na nagsisimula nang gumawa ng masidhing mga alingasngas. 

Pagkatapos kasi ng matagumpay nilang mga pagtatanghal sa nagdaan nilang play na HAPPINESS IS A PEARL, very eager agad silang gawin itong FLY ME TO THE MOON at kinuha nila si Dea na nakasama ni direk Paul Jake sa dulang KANSER 2017: THE NOVEL. Si Dea ang gumanap na Maria Clara sa dulang yaon at si direk Paul Jake naman si Elias. Naisipan ni direk Paul Jake na kunin ang serbisyo ni Dea dahil sobrang ningning ang pinakita nitong kagalingan sa Kanser. Kaya hayan, nasundan agad ang proyektong pang-teatro ni Dea right after Kanser.

DEA (center) with her director at kanser2017: thenovel-direk frannie zamora (left) and actor joelmolina (right)

Anyway, nagsimula na ang interbyuhan. Unang tanong ng isang blogger kay Dea: Ano ang mga naging damdamin niya sa magagandang acting reviews na nakuha niya sa dulang Kanser 2017:The Novel?

"Napaka-surreal po ng naging pakiramdam ko, Kuya Robert", maagap na naging sagot ni Dea."With all those good reviews, mas lalo akong na-insspire ngayon to do better. Ang dami kong natanggap na mga papuri sa Facebook ko, lalo na sa PM. Hindi ko na lang na-post 'yung iba, basta nasa PM lang ng Facebook ko.

"Kaya overwhelmed talaga ako, Kuya Robert", dagdag ni Dea."May pana-panahon nga po pala talaga ang mga artista sa teatro na tulad ko. Sabi nga ni direk Frannie Zamora, ito na nga daw talaga ang TIME ko to shine."

dea internalizes as karayuki

Very well said, Dea. Ngayon, pag-usapan naman natin ang Fly Me ToThe Moon. Ano naman ang naging damdamin ni Dea nu'ng ialok sa kanya ni direk Paul Jake ang role?

"Wow, grabe, na-excite po akong talaga sa storyline ng Fly Me To The Moon",muling sagot ni Dea. "It was written by Rody Vera pa, na alam nating lahat na isang magaling na manunulat po, di ba? From a period Filipino woman in Kanser, this time naman period Japanese woman naman ang gagampanan ko. What a big challenge forme.

"Roeder Camanag helped me out sa character ko Karayuki", dagdag ni Dea. "Pinakita niya sa akin ang mga old photos ng mga Karayukis. And I researched far deeper sa role ko. Sila 'yung mga female entertainers noon sa Japan na naglalakbay sa dagat at nagpupunta sa ibang mga bansa. Ginagawa rin silang prostitutes kadalasan, at ang nangyayari sa iba, kapag nagkasakit na o may disease at nagamit na, tinatapon na lang sila sila sa dagat.

"May sorpresa sa character ko doon sa play na hindi ko pa mairi-reveal", anya Dea. "Ang lagi kong kausap dito ay Pilipinong transvestite na si Melanie. May matutuklasan si Melanie sa pagkatao ko sa bandang huli na ikagugulat ng lahat."

dea (center) withher directorin "fly me to the moon"-paul jake paule (right), and a friend (left)

Hirit na tanong pa kay Dea. Kumusta namang katrabaho ang isang tulad ni Paul Jake Paule?

"He's so cool", muling sagot ni Dea."Ang saya namin working together. Very creative ang mind niya at marami siyang inputs sa character ko na Karayuki. Actor din kasi siya kaya alam niya ang mga atake sa bawat character."

Tanong: Ano ba ang mensahe ng Fly Me ToThe Moon?

"It's about love"pagtatapos na wika ni Dea. "What you can do for love. Or how far can you go for love. Actually, the story was inspired from a true story in Japan. I just hope that I can give justice to it. Panoorin na lang po nila."

Definitely, manonood kami.



(SINULAT NI robert manuguid silverio)

dea formacil joins the cast of "fly me to the moon", artist playground's next artistic play!

dea (center) with her new director in "fly me to the moon"- paul jake paule (left) with actor randy medel villarama (left)

dea: spreading her wings

dea reads a line for "fly me to the moon"

dea interacts with new stage actors in artist playground's "fly me to the moon"

dea during a rehearsal for "fly me to the moon"

After creating much "awe's" and "wow's" at the longest-running play of Gantimpala Theater Foundation's KANSER2017: THE NOVEL, portraying the role of Maria Clara, Ms. Dea Formacil revealed to a blogger that she now joined the cast of Artist Playground's next artistic play- which is entitled FLY ME TO THE MOON.

Dea was all too-happy when she told the great news to a blogger, which happened at the cast party of Kanser people, held at Silya restaurant in the Malate area.

"I'm so thrilled", dea told a blogger. "I will be working this time with a different group of theater people. I heard, most of them are new. Products of Artist Playground's acting workshops. Well, I guess, it's nice to work with raw but talented new artists. It will be a new challenge for me.

"And to add, I will have Paul Jake Paule as my director this time", Dea added. "I would like to see how he will direct me. Ha-ha. because he's my co-actor at Kanser.  I do believe, he's such a great director."

Dea is now deep into rehearsals for FLY ME TO THE MOON. She hasn't revealed yet her character in the play. But definitely, it's pretty nice, for sure.

More to come, Dea!


(words by robert silverio)

DEA FORMACIL-CHUA: SHINING BRIGHT (a review on her acting as Maria Clara in the play KANSER 2017: THE NOVEL)

dea with her director frannie zamora and joel molina

dea with the the cast of KANSER 2017: THE NOVEL

Great shouts, unbearable noises of shrieks and clamors, loud claps. These were the reaction of young students who watched Dea Formacil-Chua portray as Maria Clara on the play KANSER 2017: THE NOVEL. And to date, as one blogger witnessed in his four consecutive years of watching KANSER by Gantimpala Theater Foundation, so far, Dea's version of Maria Clara was the most admired and also got the most HYSTERICS.

"They saw the stronger side of Maria Clara on my scenes towards the end", Dea revealed to a blogger. "And I saw that they loved to see a stronger Maria Clara. Some of them really shouted. And at the curtain call, they really jumped with joy. These young students really flattered me."

Yes, Dea shone so bright as Maria Clara. her face glowed in the stage. Her aura magnifying in every scene. And she did not over-acted, but you could feel an outright intense performance.

In the "Paalam" scene of the play, it was there- right at that moment- was Maria Clara's highlight in the play. And she carried it too well. She didn't cry hard, but you could feel so much sadness and love. In this scene alone, many students clapped their hands and shouted for praises.

"Oh, wow. I am glad to hear that", Dea told a blogger. "I motivated myself fully on that scene alone."

Dea will soon appear in some indie films and TV teleseryes. Watch out for her. After KANSER 2017: THE NOVEL, Dea's out to prove more than just that.


(words by robert silverio)

DEA FORMACIL: A MORE DARING AND STRONGER "MARIA CLARA"....

DEA: AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT "MARIA CLARA"

Looking more deeper at theater actress Dea Formacil, you could entirely feel that she has a class of her own. Acting with finesse and style, Dea also exudes MYSTERY and AWE, a perfect mixture of definitions and feminism that could pass as being 'one Maria Clara'.

"I wanna portray a stronger Maria Clara, not the weak one", Dea told a blogger during one intermission break at the rehearsals of Kanser 2017: The Novel. "But I will maintain her great love for Crisostomo Ibarra- because that's what the play Kanser was all about.

"It's high time for them to see a stronger Maria Clara", Dea further continued saying. "Kasi, lagi na lang napapagsamantalahan ang kahinaan naming mga babae. I want to bring out this time the stronger side of Maria Clara via this updated version of Kanser. I just hope that people can accept this time a non-traditional Maria Clara. There are still lots of people kasi out there who doesn't want to see changes. And I guess, I wanna change that mind set."

Dea also told a blogger who interviewed her that Maria Clara also fought on her own to save lives in the novel based upon the play Kanser. And that was the novel Noli Me Tangere of Dr. Jose Rizal.

"When she entered the convent, that was the time she fought", came Dea's defense on her character of Maria Clara. "She didn't actually committed suicide inside the convent. It was another female character on the novel who committed suicide, not Maria Clara. While inside the convent, Maria Clara continued fighting- for her country and for the greatest man she ever loved- Crisostomo Ibarra."

Meanwhile, Dea felt so proud and happy being directed by her friend, Frannie Zamora in this play.

"What's so good about direk Frannie, he gives you freedom to explore more and wider upon the character you are portraying", Dea said again. "He doesn't dictate or spoon-feed to you on what you're going to do. He lets you invent it on your own- and that, I found out, was more challenging on my capacity as an actress.

"I started it out working with direk Frannie during our Laguna theater days", Dea continued saying. "And eversince, he was always caring and loving as a friend. A very sincere person, too. He has a kind heart and a pure love for his craft. We can manage to separate friendship from work. And that's the best."

And one last set of words from Dea, what's Kanser all about, in her own feelings?

"Napakahalaga ng sinulat na ito ni Dr. Jose Rizal", Dea said in the end. "It tells about the persistence and undying spirit of us, Filipinos. The fight for freedom and liberty. The manipulating power of the rich and powerful. But because of love, one woman by the name of Maria Clara struggled on and inspired one man to carry on. This is our fight, this is our love!"

Very well said, Dea.


(written by robert manuguid silverio)

DEA PORTRAYED THE "SISA" CHARACTER IN LAST YEAR'S "KANSER"