["PLAY THE KING" IS ACT TWO OF THE "PLAY" SERIES. PLEASE READ "PLAY THE QUEEN" FIRST.]
It's been four months since Priam Torres, the once unpopular president of the Elysian University Student Council, assumed office. Thanks to his chief-of-staff Cas...
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FABIENNE
MUKHANG MAY chance pa ako para makapag-apply bilang star ng susunod na theater production namin. A few days ago, chinika ni Belle sa 'kin na umalis na ang Repertory Theater director na siyang humawak sa Romeo and Juliet play. Apparently, may na-receive siyang directorial offer mula sa isang malaking university sa Manila. Kung tuloy na 'yon at 'di na siya magtse-change mind, mawawala na ang posibleng humarang sa application ko.
Malakas yata ang kapit ko sa taas, ah?
Dahil bakante na ang posisyong iniwan ni Direk, usap-usapan kung sino ang papalit sa kaniya. We soon found out na magtuturo sa isang subject namin sa second semester—sa Theater 166 o Applied Theater—ang magiging bagong direktor. Of course, excited na kaming makilala siya lalo na't ilang linggo rin kaming 'di nagklase sa subject na 'yon. Third week na ng classes, pero ngayon pa lang papasok ang prof namin.
"Good afternoon, class!" bati ng isang lalaking pumasok sa auditorium. Galing siya sa front entrance at naglakad pababa ng center aisle. 'Di namin agad naaninag ang itsura niya dahil madilim sa kaniyang nilalakaran. Only when he stopped at the lit area that we finally caught a glimpse of his face and figure. "Sorry to keep you waiting for, what, about three weeks?"
Siniko ako ni Belle sa braso. Paglingon ko sa kaniya, abot-tainga ang ngiti niya na parang may narinig siyang good news. Alam kong excited din siyang mag-start ang klase namin sa subject na 'to, pero ibang-iba ang dating ng kurba sa labi niya.
Bumalik ang tingin ko sa bagong prof namin. At first, I thought he was a teaching assistant or a secretary of our college instructor. Bata pa kasi ang itsura niya, malamang kasing-edad o mas matanda siya nang kaunti kay Kuya Fabrice. Kulot ang buhok niya na parang ginamitan ng hair curler ang bawat strand. Artistahin din ang itsura niya—makinis ang mukha at glowing pa ang skin. Gaya kay direk no'n, may nakabalabal na scarf sa kaniyang leeg.
"I'm Bernard Salvador, your Applied Theater instructor," pakilala niya sa 'min nang tumuntong siya sa stage. Napatingala kami sa kaniya. "I'm also the new director of this university's Repertory Theater. Please be gentle to me."
Muntik na akong mapanganga. T-Talaga? Ayaw kong magtunog na ageist, pero mukhang bata pa siya para mailagay sa gano'ng posisyon. Our previous director was already in his sixties, and the one before him was in his mid-forties. Ang layo ng age gap niya sa kaniyang predecessors.
"Some of you probably have questions." Hinawakan niya ang dulo ng kaniyang scarf at inilapit sa ilong niya. "I may look young, but I've been exposed to theater for half of my life. By the way, I'm thirty years old. 'Di halata, 'no?"
Thirty? I thought he was just twenty-five or something!
"The key is to eat healthy, exercise regularly, and live stress-free." Nginitian niya kami na tila ipinagyayabang ang kaniyang mga puting ngipin. "I've been performing at PETA since 2015. I've recently finished my doctorate degree in Performance Studies at UP Diliman. So if you're worried about youth and inexperience, there's nothing to worry about at all.
