WATCH: Jake Cuenca in his first theater role | ABS-CBN
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WATCH: Jake Cuenca in his first theater role
WATCH: Jake Cuenca in his first theater role
ABS-CBN News
Published Aug 09, 2018 05:48 AM PHT
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Updated Aug 09, 2018 06:50 AM PHT

MANILA – Jake Cuenca is both excited and nervous for his first foray into theater.
MANILA – Jake Cuenca is both excited and nervous for his first foray into theater.
Known mainly for his “bad guy” roles in television and film, Cuenca stars in the local production of Duncan Macmillan’s “Lungs.”
Known mainly for his “bad guy” roles in television and film, Cuenca stars in the local production of Duncan Macmillan’s “Lungs.”
Joining him in the two-person, one-act play about parenthood and making ecological decisions is Sab Jose, who is also seen in the ongoing “Eto na! Musikal nAPO” at the Maybank Performing Arts Theater.
Joining him in the two-person, one-act play about parenthood and making ecological decisions is Sab Jose, who is also seen in the ongoing “Eto na! Musikal nAPO” at the Maybank Performing Arts Theater.
“I’m super excited to be working with Sandbox and 9Works, and also with Sab. This is the perfect material for me. It’s not something that I do on TV or in movies – especially now with TV and movies, my projects are so intense. It’s nice to do something very, very real like this right now,” Cuenca said.
“I’m super excited to be working with Sandbox and 9Works, and also with Sab. This is the perfect material for me. It’s not something that I do on TV or in movies – especially now with TV and movies, my projects are so intense. It’s nice to do something very, very real like this right now,” Cuenca said.
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“I studied in the States before… a big part of my curriculum there was theater. It’s something that I’ve always wanted to do and I’m so happy that they offered this to me.”
“I studied in the States before… a big part of my curriculum there was theater. It’s something that I’ve always wanted to do and I’m so happy that they offered this to me.”
While it has always been his dream to try acting in theater, Cuenca admitted that he was initially overwhelmed by the script of “Lungs,” which involves 90 straight minutes of conversation between two characters – M and W.
While it has always been his dream to try acting in theater, Cuenca admitted that he was initially overwhelmed by the script of “Lungs,” which involves 90 straight minutes of conversation between two characters – M and W.
He said memorizing so many lines in a short period was a huge challenge for him. “Nagdalawang-isip ako kasi sabi ko, ‘Oh my God, I’m gonna memorize all these lines in a month.’ But they gave me ample time to rehearse, to read, to analyze, and also to build a relationship with Sab,” he said.
He said memorizing so many lines in a short period was a huge challenge for him. “Nagdalawang-isip ako kasi sabi ko, ‘Oh my God, I’m gonna memorize all these lines in a month.’ But they gave me ample time to rehearse, to read, to analyze, and also to build a relationship with Sab,” he said.
“I don’t know how people will be reacting, but like I said, I’m just lucky to be able to go to school for it and prepare for it, and have an opportunity to be in front of an audience and act… I’m looking forward to [more theater projects], but let’s get this one behind first,” he added.
“I don’t know how people will be reacting, but like I said, I’m just lucky to be able to go to school for it and prepare for it, and have an opportunity to be in front of an audience and act… I’m looking forward to [more theater projects], but let’s get this one behind first,” he added.
Jose, for her part, praised Cuenca for “bringing something new to the table” which, she said, “forced me to bring my A-game.”
Jose, for her part, praised Cuenca for “bringing something new to the table” which, she said, “forced me to bring my A-game.”
“This is my first straight play. I’ve been doing musicals all my life so this is very foreign, very strange to me. But I think it helps that I have Jake as my partner. Because yes, we have different backgrounds, but like what he said he studied in New York and I studied in London so the techniques, the methods, we talk about them a lot… it helps with our character work,” she said.
“This is my first straight play. I’ve been doing musicals all my life so this is very foreign, very strange to me. But I think it helps that I have Jake as my partner. Because yes, we have different backgrounds, but like what he said he studied in New York and I studied in London so the techniques, the methods, we talk about them a lot… it helps with our character work,” she said.
“I have a new partner here, and it helps that he’s such a professional about this.”
“I have a new partner here, and it helps that he’s such a professional about this.”
Cuenca and Jose went on to talk about how they relate to their respective characters – M (for man) and W (for woman).
Cuenca and Jose went on to talk about how they relate to their respective characters – M (for man) and W (for woman).
“My character’s a lot more neurotic. I mean, I think I’m neurotic already as a person… I’m intense. But I think with W, my character, she just overthinks everything, from having a baby to what she’s going to eat today to how much water she should use today… I’m similar to her in the sense na I’m in my 30s, and the questions about when I’m getting married, when I’m having a baby, they keep coming. So the pressures of adulting, I can relate to her in that sense,” Jose said.
“My character’s a lot more neurotic. I mean, I think I’m neurotic already as a person… I’m intense. But I think with W, my character, she just overthinks everything, from having a baby to what she’s going to eat today to how much water she should use today… I’m similar to her in the sense na I’m in my 30s, and the questions about when I’m getting married, when I’m having a baby, they keep coming. So the pressures of adulting, I can relate to her in that sense,” Jose said.
“And I’m just fighting for the relationship. Because W, she goes crazy but you know that deep down, she just wants the relationship to work with her partner. They drive each other crazy but at the end of the day, there’s so much love there,” she added.
“And I’m just fighting for the relationship. Because W, she goes crazy but you know that deep down, she just wants the relationship to work with her partner. They drive each other crazy but at the end of the day, there’s so much love there,” she added.
Cuenca, meanwhile, said: “For me when I read the script, one of the reasons I accepted it is it reminded me of my last relationship. There are so many things in that script when I’m like, ‘This is exactly what I was going through.’”
Cuenca, meanwhile, said: “For me when I read the script, one of the reasons I accepted it is it reminded me of my last relationship. There are so many things in that script when I’m like, ‘This is exactly what I was going through.’”
He continued: "The thing that I related to with M the most was just how much he loves W… this is my first play and I’m not going so far away from home. I’m using my experiences and my personal choices for this. I don’t really need to go so outside of the box… And the language it speaks is perfect. I didn’t really adjust so much to the text. Ganoon din kasi ako magsalita eh.”
He continued: "The thing that I related to with M the most was just how much he loves W… this is my first play and I’m not going so far away from home. I’m using my experiences and my personal choices for this. I don’t really need to go so outside of the box… And the language it speaks is perfect. I didn’t really adjust so much to the text. Ganoon din kasi ako magsalita eh.”
Presented by The Sandbox Collective and 9Works Theatrical, “Lungs” is directed by Andrei Nikolai Pamintuan with assistant direction from Caisa Borromeo.
Presented by The Sandbox Collective and 9Works Theatrical, “Lungs” is directed by Andrei Nikolai Pamintuan with assistant direction from Caisa Borromeo.
It will be shown at the Power Mac Center Spotlight in Circuit Makati from September 22 to October 7.
It will be shown at the Power Mac Center Spotlight in Circuit Makati from September 22 to October 7.
Gabs Santos will play the role of M in certain performances.
Gabs Santos will play the role of M in certain performances.
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