MANILA, Philippines?Wow.

Last week I had the great fortune of seeing two original Pilipino plays: ?Atang? (by Floy Quintos, directed by Alexander Cortez) and ?A Portrait of the Artist as Filipino? (by National Artist Nick Joaquin, directed by Jose Mari Avellana, himself the son of two National Artists, Daisy Hontiveros-Avellana and Lamberto Avellana).

First Pinoy superstar

I caught an evening performance of ?Atang? at the Wilfredo Ma. Guerrero Theater, Palma Hall. To be honest, I had no idea what to expect. I barely knew anything about Atang dela Rama, National Artist for Theater and Music, Queen of the Kundiman and Queen of Sarsuelang Tagalog. So while waiting to enter the theater, I browsed through the souvenir program to get a bit of her biography in my head, so I wouldn?t feel like a complete idiot when the show began.

The sets were mostly white ?arches, walls, sheer curtains, backdrops upon which videos and photographs would be projected, pictures of Atang, of her husband Amado V. Hernandez (himself a National Artist for Literature), clips of her movies, titles of songs. Save for a few pieces of furniture, the stage was a clean palette, the perfect venue for Atang (played magnificently by Shamaine Buencamino) to bring to life her memories.

And what memories they are! Using the fictional character of Guia Almonte (charmingly portrayed by Ayen Laurel), Atang recalls her beginnings on the sarsuela?s stages as a little girl?watching rehearsals of (and eventually appearing in) the sarsuelas written by her brother-in-law, her starring role in ?Dalagang Bukid,? the touring life in Asia and America, falling passionately in love for the first time, her marriage to Amado Hernandez and taking up of his causes.

The cast was uniformly wonderful (including Bituin Escalante in a star cameo as bodabil mainstay Katy dela Cruz), many of them playing multiple roles. But the shining star was Ms Buencamino, who could elevate your soul and break your heart with just one look.

I honestly have no idea if ?Atang? will have reruns in the future, but I certainly hope so! This is one play that every Filipino theater artist, old and new, must see.

No, I didn?t know Atang when I entered the theater, but I sure felt like I did when I left.

A glimmering portrait

Two days later, I watched ?A Portrait of the Artist as Filipino,? staged by Repertory Philippines. I had seen the musical ?Larawan? (which starred Celeste Legaspi and Zsazsa Padilla as Candida and Paula, respectively) a few years ago, so I kind of had a bare-bones story in my head: Two spinster sisters, with a painting left to them by their father, and a cast of colorful characters that see the painting as a gift, a curse, an opportunity and a reminiscence of one?s youth. The Manila of old disappearing and a new Manila emerging. At least, that?s what I remembered.

In this performance, Ana Abad Santos was Candida (she and Irma Adlawan alternate in the role), and Liesl Batucan was Paula. Boy, what tenacious, finely-tuned and honest performances they each turned in. I also really enjoyed Dido dela Paz as Don Perico?the rest of the audience must have, too. As he made his final exit, the audience burst into applause.

Although Ms Abad Santos and Ms Batucan were, in tandem, the stirring emotional center of this play, I must say the most enjoyable part for me was the end?the party to celebrate the Feast of La Naval. It tickled me pink to see Ms Baby Barredo onstage again. From what I was told, director Jose Mari Avellana gave her (and the other actors sharing the scene with her, including Ernie Zarate and a very resonant Chinggoy Alonso) license to ad lib to their hearts? content. Well, they did?enough to bring needed levity, but not too much to overshadow the story being told thus far.

You have one more weekend to watch (and enjoy) ?Portrait.? If you haven?t gone yet, hurry!

My heartfelt congratulations to Dulaang UP, Repertory Philippines and everyone involved in these wonderful productions. You have given your audiences thrilling nights at the theater. Thank you. Bravo!