Like it is for most interesting story's; it was about a girl.
But I think the best place to start would be the beginning. When I was a kid my dad owned a pair of these really long bamboo sticks. What I really wanted in life was to cut off a piece of one of them so I could make a babmboo glass like Mr. Howell on Gilligan's Island. That would be so cool. Every time I'd ask they'd say no. When I asked what they were for I couldn't understand the explanation and so a few days later I'd ask again. One day I took a hacksaw and just started cutting. Being 6 yrs old as I was I got tired after about 5 mins and all I made was a little hole. That's as far as it got and I never asked again.
My Dad used to direct plays at the Robson Square play-house. His set designer was my Tito Roger. Tito Roger and his friends used to do this weird dancing every Flip day. Old ppl dancing looked weird.
When I was about 14 my two older brothers started dancing for the Roger Cabrera dance troupe staring Roger Cabrera, Roger Cabrera Jr,...and a bunch of other ppl. So odd of them. At least they stopped getting into gang fights. That Flip day I saw 'it' for the first time. It was so interesting. My only thought was, "I can do that." And that Flip day I saw Her and my only thought was, "I want to do that." Lets just say that I met possibly the hottest Filipina girl to ever walk the earth. That next year I joined up. About a year later my brothers and I were forced to quit because of familly politics. Translated: A fellow dancer Jr. fancied liked my brother. By 16 I was retired from dancing.
In 1991, Mt Pinatubo erupts. A group of like minded youths gets together to form a group dedicated to raising funds for the relief effort. Kaibigan is born. After Pinatubo we raise money to buy heart/lung machines and after that it was something else. It was my work with Kaibigan that got me involved in the initial group that founded the Philippine Women's Centre. You may have seen them around town. They're the group of youngish Philippino's that are always protesting some thing or the other. Then came a summit of all the local youth groups and FSA's in the area called upon by a group calling themselves Kababayang Pilipino. Our group, who was dedicated to real world change, frowned upon this new group as a bunch of elitist forming a social club. We sent a couple of reps who came back reporting what we expected and that they were planning a show and needed dancers. Pft!
That Flip day I watched this "KP" perform and man, they kinda sucked. I met a few of the dancers as they walked around in their costumes recruiting. They came to our booth and talked to me because they heard that I used to dance. I gave them pamphlets damning the man. It was about this time that Kaibigan died. Eventually I met Faye, the director for the drama portion of the show and she got me to read for her. That first day I met some of the other actors including this dude named VJ. With all the female actress being really hot all the guys read for the part of "Boyfriend". Of course I landed the part of "New Immigrant", you know playing to my "type". As it turns out the then hottest girl in the world didn't get the part of "girlfriend" anyways. The actors, dancers and singers, (kp was so sad that they didn't have musicians yet) operated as separate entities. That first joint practice Faye demanded 'performance level' and I was so ready. I took all those present on a journey of an oppressed new immigrant who had left everything only to be scorned by a new culture and who's only recourse in life was to take it and like it. I'm getting all choked up just thinking about it. Of course afterwards I was informed that the part was written as a comedy. It was during that first practice that I realized I still wanted to dance. So tirelessly, I lobbied both Faye and Randy that I could do both. How about...no. I practiced the dances anyways and eventually Randy put me in a few dances. So how did I thank him? I went to New York for the summer only to return for the last few practices before the show. To make a long story end all I have to say is that first show I didn't know any of my dances, didn't know my costumes or how to wear them. At least I made them laugh.
During my time and adventures with KP our hero met many more most hottest girls in the world.
I never got the girl.
Rhoel.
-Drama is easy, comedy is hard. Charlie Chaplin.
...a few afterthoughts that I thought might be interesting. My first link to KP was also a girl. Dinah A. did hip hop at a fasion show I did before and actually convinced me into meeting Faye. The unnamed actor that landed the coveted part of "Boyfriend" was last seen by VJ when a group of us took Likha to the beach this one time. Apperently "Boyfriend" was walking hand in hand with his boyfriend.
posted by R @ 10:43 AM
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