Carlos Celdran's Intriguing 'Livin' La Vida Imelda'

Kiki Baento, who won the MyFABE Theatre Award for Best Actress Play in 2011, invited me to her latest project - a play by Carlos Celdran entitled Livin' La Vida Imelda - and just from the title alone, you can easily guess who it is about! Carlos, who shot into fame (or maybe infamy) with that Damaso incident is no person to mince words. He's one of the bravest artists I know - and just pulls out all the punches here in this play, which I'm sure he wrote - he actually does 99% of the talking - it's a monologue - while the rest of the cast act out the period that he is talking about.

I can totally relate to the play since the Marcoses were in power till I was 15 years old. And he does tell a lot of juicy, salacious stuff here which may really surprise you - considering how much information about the Iron Butterfly is actually unknown to ordinary Filipinos.

Well, you will leave the gallery (yes, the play is set in the Silverlens Gallery in Pasong Tamo - it kinda reminds me of that gallery cum theatre which I frequent in HK before) with some food for thought about Imelda and surely, an opinion about her. I have been lucky to meet the real Imelda twice - and yeah, she's the real thing - a real charmer - a seasoned politician ever ready for that photo op or to shake hands with the hoi polloi (that's me!). That's why I like her. Unlike most politicians, when I met her, she just really goes to you and talks to you in that stilted soft voice (but not in the third person as experienced by Carlos). And she really says hi, like she knows you - that totally surprised me when I met her! And she's really tall! Taller than me, even!  She really learned the first rule in that Carnegie book. She made me feel important.

Anyhow, if you're a history buff, or would want to know more about Imelda, probably the most identifiable Filipino icon of contemporary times - catch this play! I actually liked it and agree totally, 100% with Carlos' view that the elite and the Catholic Church are really stunting the growth of this country. Finally, I found a person brave enough to say that in public.

There maybe things you will agree or disagree with Carlos - and you can tell him after the show, one thing is clear - you'd have to respect him for saying it aloud for everyone to hear!