Under My Skin

PETA to screen advocacy play after abrupt halt in 2020

By Earl D C. Bracamonte

The Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) will present its advocacy play "Under My Skin" through the medium of film, when it uses the livestream platform to further the crusade. Shot in closed doors in January 2021, with a strict adherence to IATF guidelines, the material, penned by Rody Vera, and directed by Melvin Lee, will be offered to a much-wider audience than the physical stage.

"We waited for the surge to go down and waited for actors to go out of their homes. This is an intimate play and unravels like a docu-drama. We felt we had no closure with this production because of its abrupt halt in March 2020. So when we shot the play for film, which by the way had to be photographed entirely in a single day as mandated by the IATF, it was a sort of reunion and closure.

"Under My Skin is necessary theater as we see the artistry and the advocacy together, while providing a safe space for communication and dialogue - that we achieved through our talkbacks with members of the audience after each show. We shot the play in sequence, employing three cameras for close up, medium shot, and macro/panorama. We transformed the play into a cinematic experience. It's close to film but with the feel of the stage," apprized show director Melvin Lee.

The last live show, that was part of World Aids Day last Dec. 1, 2019, was forced to stop in March 2020, even before completing its season run, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

"Under My Skin is a show about a virus, and another virus locked it down. Launched in the latter part of Nov. 2019, in celebration of World AIDS Day, it has, since then, reached out to over ten thousand theater viewers. And we've encouraged around 150 people to get tested after every show. Statistically, the cases rose from 10% in 2019 to 21% in 2020-2021, for those affected in the 15-24 age bracket," informed PETA executive director Beng Santos Cabangon.

Awareness is greatly important. "Help us to create ripples of change - to change our hearts and minds in serving people with HIV - by showing compassion and how we can help. The cases rose from 33% in pre-pandemic times, to 35% in 2020 due to movement restrictions," shared Love Yourself advocate Danvic Rosadiño.

"We asked the DoH for gaps in their campaign where we could help. The psychosocial baggage of those taking care of the sick are, oftentimes, overlooked. We have a program addressing that concern but the same is temporarily halted due to the pandemic.

"The PETA after-show talkback dialogues between the audiences and the agencies present (and supporting the campaign) saw that there were common grounds from the different sectors where help could be addressed. We believe in the power of theater to move people to action, may it be medical, spiritual, or psychosocial," enthused UniLab spokesperson Claire Papa. The pharma company is a staunch supporter of PETA' s numerous advocacy, including "Under My Skin."

The staged-for-film version of "Under My Skin" will have subtitles, for non-Tagalog speaking audiences, and will be available globally from Nov. 26-28 and Nov. 30-Dec. 5 for online streaming through the Tickets2Me platform at Php 180 (livestream) and Php 250 (video on demand.)

"Our theater may be closed for public viewing, but there are stories that should not be kept in the dark - stories to build an informed community," intimated Santos-Cabangon at the close of a virtual press briefing.

The Department of Education will start to roll out the Comprehensive Sexuality Education program this school year, and "Under My Skin" will be a relevant tool for the course.

Cherry Pie Picache reprises the pivotal role of Dr. Gemma Almonte, a character inspired from a real doctor studying HIV/AIDS. "Human immuno-deficiency syndrome is one thing we should not stop dealing with. From stage to film, the challenge for me was the length of time it took for the transition to happen. Though it was more comfortable for me now playing before a camera because kabisado ko ang film medium. In a play, you need to have mastery, that's the challenge especially that it was to transition the material, after a live show run, to another medium."

Cherry Pie' s outstanding performance was nominated in the Best Actress category in the Gawad Buhay Awards of 2020, alongside Melvin Lee (direction) and Rody Vera (script), as well as the play itself.

"Under My Skin is for people who have a stigma against HIV/AIDS. We need to change hearts and minds because the disease is no longer a death sentence. Everybody is free to decide who they want to partner with, sexually. We are here to show them that help is available," intoned Red Whistle prime mover Ben Bernabe.