"Some roles really choose you." - Delphine Buencamino (on getting the lead role in Mabining Mandirigma)

Mabining Mandirigma just closed its second week. You still have the chance to catch it from July 17-19. The Friday show will be at 8pm while Saturday and Sunday shows will be at 3PM and 8PM.

You may call The CCP Box Office (832-3704) and Ticketworld (891-9999) for inquiries. Ticket prices are at 600, 800, and 1,000.

During the presscon held about a week ago prior to opening night, three bloggers, myself, Axl Guinto and Vin Ello, was able to sit down with the lead actress of the play. 

Here is the transcript of our interview:

Trixie: How do you plan to attack your role as Mabini?

Delphine: Right now I’m not trying to have a judgement and just go back to the events…what really happened. I am looking to portray a real man, who was very young. They all were very “mapusok”. Since the text is very close to what really happened, my main focus now is to really service the text. And I think na yung natural ko na instincts bilang actor, sa process of rehearsals, lumalabas siyang kusa. Hindi ko alam kung dapat bang pigilan ko yun dahil hindi sentimental o emotional si Mabini. I wish he was alive. I’ve never played an actual person before. This is something different. I know that no matter how much research that I do, I know that it will never be enough. It is what it is, and, the most really that I can do, which is not easy, is to service the ideas. Which isn’t just also saying it clearly. To service the ideas of this great mind, I feel like my brain is small. I fell like kulang na kulang yung pinag-aralan ko. Wala akong interes sa science. I had to google a lot of simple words. I won’t say which ones they are kasi nakakahiya *laughs*. Pero ayun, sobrang basic nung pag-aaral ko sa kanya, which can also be a blessing kasi hindi siya tainted ng what somebody said before which influenced the way I think about this person.

Axl: Have you ever watched anything in theater about Mabini?

Delphine: I wasn’t able to watch “Huling Lagda” cuz’ I was doing a production then. I was able to watch La Revolucion Filipina.

Trixie: Are you primarily a dancer?

Delphine: Not actually. I started theater in grade school. Tapos, yung pagsasayaw, nahanap ko siya, late college na. Pero I think it’s because my dad did it. I watched him so many times. I think I learned history more from Dad than my classroom. Which is another reason why I love theater, doing original works. It gives me a chance to study and go back with a newfound interest in history. There’s a different passion involved when you know you are going to give life to it. It’s a giant responsibility. So mas gigil ka sa pag-aaral. Na-experience ko din yun kapag yung dula ay epiko or zarzuela. Ang sarap mag-aral lalo na bahagi siya ng kultura mo. ‘Pag hindi gumagawa ng musical galing sa kultura natin, not that there’s anything wrong with them, iba. This is a different thing.

Trixie: Ano yung character traits ni Mabini na similar sa iyo? Anong difference n’yo?

Delphine: Major similarity is kapag meron akong idea, yung feeling ko tama. Ipu-push ko talaga siya *laughs*. I am not the type of person who will just sit there quietly.

Axl: Nag-audition ka ba for the character?

Delphine: Sinabihan lang ako ni Tata Nanding.

Vin: Kailan yun?

Delphine: Mga January…that there was something and the concept was changing  a lot. Nung una kong intindi, lahat kami babae. Tapos, naging merong babae, merong lalaki. Some roles really choose you.

Delhine Buencamino as Mabini (front) and Arman Ferrer as Aguinaldo(back)

Vin: Yung boses mo ba sa role, mas lalaki?

Delphine: Kung ano yung natural speaking voice ko. Hindi ko naman sasadyain na bumaba. Kasi, pag sumayad siya, mahihirapan na akong kumanta. Gusto nga nila na mataas yung range.

Vin: No attempt of making it male?

Delphine: I won’t kasi my natural speaking voice is low. I’m actually a soprano but my speaking voice is low. I asked the director if I’ll play it male. Hindi ako magshishift up o magshishift down? Sabi niya “hindi”. Feeling ko mas nasa delivery kesa nasa range. Yun yung sinasabi ko kanina, dahil hindi siya sentimental at sensitive sa writings niya, sobrang hindi kaso sa akin na magpleplay ng lalaki. Tapos, nasa wheelchair pa siya most of the time so there’s nothing much you can do. You can’t really change your walk. But, the more difficult challenge aside from understanding the mental workings of this man is having to play someone who’s slightly older than me. Having to play somebody slightly older, that’s difficult. Kung magplay ka ng lola na 80 years old, mas madali, or 12 years old. Kesa 24 tas magpeplay ka ng thirties. Paano yung maturity niya na hindi ko pa nararamdaman physically? Parang…paano ko makukuha yun sa katawan?

Vin: Sa actual play, ime-makeup ka ban g kamukha ni Mabini?

Delphine: I don’t think…there’s no way naman maging kamukha ko siya. So…best na yung pagmumukhaing lalaki.

Vin: Meron bang prostethics?

Delphine: No, I don’t think so. Kasi…parang…yung mga devices na ganito, alam mo namang hindi, so ba’t mo ipagpipilitan?

Vin: Pero may gagawin ba…like…panlalaking kilay?

Delphine: Male…so shading, contouring, I would put on makeup the way male actors put on makeup.

Vin: Since naka-wheelchair ka the whole time, napag-aralan na ba kung ilan ang costume change mo?

Delphine: I don’t think meron. Sa pagkakaalam ko ngayon, parang wala.