MANILA, Philippines?Our recent article on Gabby Concepcion?s being miscast in his role on ?Maalaala Mo Kaya? last week has prompted some TV buffs to weigh in on the issue. In addition, some media colleagues have also expressed their opinions on the matter.

In general, people agree that Gabby was indeed miscast as a family driver?but some respondents pointed out that, for the Filipino viewing public, believable casting is not all that big a deal.

They recall that for many decades now on TV and in the movies, tisoy stars have played all sorts of ?ordinary? characters like housemaids, vendors and even beggars, and viewers have generally ?accepted? the obviously incorrect casting with very few complaints.

Why is this so? The answer says a lot about our unique attitude in relation to the characters we see onscreen. Basically, verisimilitude isn?t as ?entertainment,? rather than realistic depictions of life.

Since we see them as mere palabas, we don?t look for the paloob?meaning, the shows we see are just that, shows, so we don?t expect them to move us to the core of our being.

This attitude, if correctly perceived, helps explain why many of our productions are happy enough to be superficially diverting or melodramatically touching.

Recreating reality

So, it has in fact limited the believability, depth and power of those productions, and our views have inadvertently been the poorer for it.

That?s why we believe that, for local productions to affect viewers in a truly significant way, we should give believable casting the importance it deserves.

This is how the dramatic arts truly work: Artists have to be so good at recreating reality that viewers forget that they?re watching productions.

With this key suspension of disbelief, they are drawn into the heart and core of the drama, and they can fully empathize with it, so their deepest emotions are elicited.

In fact, the best dramas are those that touch viewers on the subconscious level, where they are most open and vulnerable. If this level is reached, the viewer is moved deeply enough for the drama to effect a real change in their view of life.

If the drama entertains the viewer merely on the conscious level, he can enjoy and even be moved by it, but the effect is shallower and more temporary.

Credible portrayal

For viewers to utterly believe in the drama they?re watching, credibility and reality are key factors?and credible casting is an important component of this process. So, actors who want to do really good work have to be very clear about the characters they can credibly essay?and those they can?t.

Thus, if a dashing tisoy actor is offered the role of a ?lowly? driver, he should decline. To do otherwise would be to compromise the believability of his performance in a major way.

That?s why we were very glad when Nora Aunor became a star?with her authentically Pinay height, looks and demeanor, all of a sudden, local movies could credibly portray many ?ordinary? members of our society, who had either been ignored or incredibly played by tisoy actors in the past.

Nora may not be making movies here anymore (for now, at least), but the high believability standard she set should guide our stars today. Our mantra should be: Believable casting is everything.

Don?t agree to being miscast?you may be a fine actor, but miscasting is a burden that?s most difficult to overcome.