Meeting Judy Ann Santos in a French Gallery

Oct. 29, 2008 -
She was wearing a red dress and black heels. When she entered through the front door of the Alliance Total Gallery, one would have thought that one was already a part of a shoot for her latest TV endorsement of a slimming supplement. Almost everyone did look her way. It was Judy Ann Santos, the country's most recognizable actress to date who could cry copious tears at the drop of a hat. She arrived to support the exhibit of her fiance: fellow actor, host, and TV model Ryan Agoncillo.

The exhibit, titled "EPSON PRO: Partnership of Art and Technology," showcases EPSON printer-reproduced works of eight of the country's premier photographers and graphic designers such as BenCab, Bien Bautista, George Tapan, Jun de Leon, Quincy Castillo, Drew Europeo, Robert Alejandro, including Agoncillo. Two of Agoncillo's photographs were on exhibit: "Pagsulong," a 7 by 10.5 color photograph and "Tagak," a 9 x 6 color photograph. Agoncillo had previously exhibited the two works at the Meralco theater lobby during the premier of Santos' movie "Ploning," and was shot in Palawan during the filming of the said movie.

Judy Ann Santos had visibly become sexier and had that confidence about her. She initially had Ryan's hands locked in hers but was soon introduced to and engaged in a conversation with the tall National Artist for visual arts Bencab himself. Bencab, later, also was seen being photographed with her in front of his works: "Concealed/Revealed 1" and "Concealed/Revealed II". Seeing that Bencab did a photo-op with "the" Judy Ann Santos, who were we not to follow suit? But, of course, in such a French-y gathering, our group reined in our excitement and decided to wait a little bit longer for her to mingle around, and only made our move when we spotted her next in front of Agoncillo's work.

I personally have respect for Judy Ann Santos now, especially for producing "Ploning" herself, and because it was a noteworthy film. One can forgive her other films, but "Ploning" definitely merits a place in Philippine cinema history. And I was, myself, visibly glad that I finally did meet her in the flesh that night, a night beautifully imprinted on my mind.


*The exhibit, organized by EXTANT PR SYSTEMS, INC and headed by Ms. EVAN CARIAGA (tel. nos. 527-0478 / 536-5720), runs from Oct. 29 to Nov. 4, 2008. Portion of the exhibit sales will be donated to the GMA Kapuso Foundation.

french viewing and tessa prieto

Last June 8 (2007, Friday), I was able to get my hands on a few tickets (thanks to Ms. Weckerle) for the show "Company 9.81," an aerial acrobat show by artist Eric Lecomte. This was a part of the French Spring 2007 events this year.

I originally intended for my niece to watch a repeat (as rumours had it) of the fascinating show "Pokemon Crew" because she was so much into percussive dance these days. But there were no repeat shows that night for these incredible dancers who seemed to have gums for bones. Let me backtrack a bit here. I watched the Pokemon Crew (the current group to bag the hip hop dance world title) performance last June 6 and I was mesmerized by the six guys (read: eyes fixed on their abs). Ten minutes into the show and I realized how generous the universe can really get. I did not have to fly out of the country to watch these guys. All I had to do was to be there (and bug my friend Sid for tickets).

Anyway, so there we were at the Little Theater. I have center orchestra tickets but I gave my mom, niece and three other girl officemates the ones nearest to the stage while I huddled with my sister Nymph (real sister, as in blood sister) further back. A few minutes into the performance and I heard a swish of a gown to my left. Lo and behold, there was Tessa Prieto in her signature fabulosa gown. That was my first sighting of Tessa (deep down I knew that I'd meet her one way or another) and I wasn't dissapointed-- she came like a princess. And so, on with the show. Lecomte was the king of weightlessness on stage: sliding like a fish onto the floor then swinging on a limb next like there was no danger beneath him, or that the whole stage itself was water into which he floated effortlessly.

The crowd loved him and we all gave him a generous amount of applause at the end of the show. A few minutes later he re-emerged and wrote something on the slides projected on the wall. The audience could not read clearly what he wrote and so he blurted out "salamat po" and that, of course, earned him another round of applause. There was a forum that followed where the members of the audience did get the chance to ask Lecomte questions. Among Lecomte's answers was his fascination with gravity and that other show he did in the mirror facade of an actual building a few stories off the ground. No, he did not have any special diet: he ate what he could. And no, he did not go to the gym. But yes, certainly, he did have some accidents in the past. He said he's also open to teaching the kind of acrobat skill he performs if there'd be classes that would result from a cultural agreement between France and the Philippines. And just when we thought we had heard all that we had wanted to hear, Tessa raised her hands. She had managed to move forward to the center seats, and there, in her orange gown, asked about the red balloon that Lecomte used in his performance and how it flew about on the stage and up into the beehive-like coverings of the Little Theater ceiling. Lecomte responded that it was a trick and as all tricks are trade secrets, he could not reveal how he'd done it. But he told Tessa that if she would be that insistent, he would later tell her about it backstage. That, of course, went well with the crowd.

Later, I learned from my officemate and friend Sonja that seated in the same row with them was a snooty French guy (who was gorgeous, nonetheless, the time I sneeked a peak at him later). Sonja told me that, at one point during the show, when my other officemates were commenting briefly on the performance, the guy suddenly told them to stop talking. And their mouths, of course, went promptly into their pharynxes. I told them later that they should have told the guy "arret por vous!" or some other bit of french words they could muster. After all, the performance was a totally visual one, not an aural experience. Anyway, they decided to enjoy the rest of the night and went straight towards Lecomte at the stage and had their photos taken promptly with him.

I went ahead through the side exit, and before long, Tessa was also exiting the same side. Of, course, the kikay that I am, I went and asked to be photographed with her. And of course, my nanay, my sister, and my officemates and friends: Caleta and India (true amigas that they were) followed suit. For that moment, at least, we were weightless. :)