A LIFE IN STAGES

It was the late ‘70s, and theater in the Philippines was still finding its footing. Repertory Philippines, one of the few theater companies at the time, held auditions for an upcoming production of The King and I. Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo, then 15 and a high school varsity volleyball player, found herself at the Insular Life Theater with her brother, singer Raymond Lauchengco, then 12, waiting for their turn.

“I just said okay, not knowing that an audition meant you had to sing on stage,” she explained. “So, I signed my brother up too, without telling him.” He got cast in the show, and she went back to playing sports. But as Menchu sat in the audience on opening night, “It’s cliché, but by the time the curtains went up and the orchestra began, I was in love,” she recalls. “I promised myself I would audition and get into the next show.” So, she did, bagging a role in Rep’s Fiddler on the Roof. She hasn’t looked back since.

Over the next few years, Menchu became a mainstay in Rep’s shows, learning the ropes as she went along. In between rehearsals and performances, she and the other “kids of Rep” like Iwi Laurel and Rina Samson would hang out in the theater, absorbing as much as they could about the craft.

“These were the days before theater workshops or YouTube. I learned by making mistakes. I learned by being thrown on stage with the veterans — sink or swim,” she points out. “Even live musicals — I didn’t know much about. The only way to watch a Broadway show was to fly to New York.”

Zenaida Amador, one of Rep’s founders and an icon in Philippine theater, would often hold short acting classes for them when they weren’t working on a show. The late director Freddie Santos also became a mentor to the young actors. Between balancing school, rehearsals and performances, all that mattered was, “I was having fun. I had friends. The stage became my classroom,” she recalls.

Formative years

Her years with Rep were also highly formative for Menchu and her contemporaries, which included the likes of Audie Gemora, Michael Williams, Bart Guingona and Jaime del Mundo. With two seasons of five shows each per year, they were acting in one show and then rehearsing for another, even between matinee and evening performances.

A big part of Amador’s training was to take on whatever roles were given — be it a lead, part of the chorus, or even as part of the crew — eschewing the idea of a “star mentality” among them. It was akin to a theater version of boot camp. “It’s easier to play a lead role because it’s cut out. You know what your objectives are,” Menchu notes. “In the chorus, you have to create your story beyond just being Girl 1 or Player 1, so you can stand out.”

It wasn’t long until Baby Barredo saw her potential as a leading lady, casting her as Liesl in The Sound of Music and Maria in West Side Story. Despite a slew of voice and dance lessons to prepare, Menchu admitted to feeling a lack of confidence that she could actually do it. “People said I was wonderful as Maria. To me, it was all a blur,” she recalls. “I was grateful we had such a supportive cast. Junix (Inocian) just kept trying to make me laugh.”

As Amador used to say, “No one lives more lives than an actor does, with all the different characters that they play.” That said, Menchu has lived a myriad of colorful lives through her characters, such as Fantine in Les Misérables, the title role in Evita, Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd, Fosca in Passion, as well as roles in Man of La Mancha, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Oliver!, The Baker’s Wife, Company, Amadeus and many more under Repertory Philippines. She also appeared in Once on This Island, The Last Five Years and Love Letters for Atlantis Productions, starred opposite Lea Salonga in the Singapore Repertory Theatre’s God of Carnage, and performed in Red Turnip’s production of A Doll’s House. When the Cameron Mackintosh Miss Saigon tour came to Manila, Menchu also took on the role of Ellen in the first Manila tour of the hit Broadway musical Miss Saigon in 2000, receiving rave reviews.

Big leap

In 2008, fellow thespian Audie Gemora presented Menchu with a challenge —direct Stages’ production of West Side Story starring Christian Bautista and Karylle. His rationale? She had played Maria in the ’80s, so how cool would it be for her to direct this new production. “I wasn’t sure if I even wanted to direct. It was a whole other ballgame,” was her initial reply. Just the same, Menchu took the leap with the same kind of obsessive enthusiasm she had for past projects, doing extensive research to prepare.

“It was a learning process for me. As an actress, all you think about is your role. As a director, you worry about all of it,” she adds. “You think about how to fix things. Because of my experience, I instinctively knew what wasn’t working, even if I couldn’t explain it in technical terms then.”

Menchu also began to watch shows with a more critical eye — understanding the blocking and taking in what she saw so she could use it in future shows.

Her best-kept secret? She cast actor and director Jaime del Mundo in the show, using him as a sounding board throughout rehearsals. “He taught me a few tricks, like using blocks on a board to plot people on the stage so we could gauge how it would all look,” she explained. The trick came in handy when she directed Musikal II for CCP post-pandemic, with its large cast and complex staging.

It wasn’t until a few years later that Menchu put her director’s hat back on for Rep’s Little Women, during which she fully embraced this new creative space. She allowed her actors, including the likes of Caisa Borromeo and Cara Barredo, to fully explore their roles as the four sisters. “If I see that my actors are struggling, we analyze it. I have them say it in their own words so they understand the thought behind it,” she noted. “It helps to get their characters to the next scene and the resolution of their arcs.”

As Menchu’s confidence as a director grew, she knew what to carry over from her years as an actor. Describing herself as a nurturing director, she says, “To a point. I try to talk to them in a way that will inspire. As an actor, if your spirit is broken, it’s hard to get that confidence back.” Scene work and table readings are critical parts of her process, tasking the actors with understanding the text. “I want them to become thinking actors, to discover what their characters bring to the story, to use their strengths and hide their weaknesses,” she adds. Watching shows became refresher courses for her, understanding the blocking and taking in what she could apply to future projects. “I would often ask myself, What would I do with this show? Why did they do it that way? What did I learn from this? Then I research,” Menchu further notes.

When she directed Rep’s I Love You. You’re Perfect. Now Change, which opened in June, Menchu had to find a way to bring the ’90s musical comedy revue into 2024. Navigating 40 characters, ranging from a shy couple on their first date to two lawyers figuring out online dating, she had one reminder for her actors Gian Magdangal, Gabby Padilla, Marvin Ong and Krystal Kane: “The only way to make this work is if it is grounded in truth. You can’t play it like a caricature so that people can connect with you.” A lot of run-throughs helped the cast with stamina and memory, which paid off with the rave reviews on opening night.

New generation

With a new generation of theater actors stepping into the limelight, Menchu has a bit of advice for them. First, do your homework. “Many don’t, and that is a struggle for me as a director. Know what the show is about. What was it created for? Don’t just expect the director to tell you what to do.” Second, build your foundation by taking lessons and learning from the process. “Watch and absorb, even if it’s not your scene. There are courses you can find on the Internet.” Lastly, don’t just wing it. “A lot of young actors just try to get by. Learn about your characters. What are you bringing to the show? Add texture and color to the scene.” That said, Menchu is still generous in sharing what she knows with the actors she works with. “I’ll give it to you, but if I have to teach you and give you the basics, learn from it. So that in your next show, you have something to bring to your director.”

Talking to Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo about the highlights of her career as an actress and director, it’s hard to believe she has been at it for almost four decades. Her enthusiasm for and commitment to the craft have not waned one bit.

“Nothing in my career was something I asked for or pursued — from acting to directing to becoming an associate artistic director,” she explains. “I’ve been lucky. I was just really happy to be in the theater. I didn’t even aspire to do lead roles, but I am grateful for them.”

For Menchu, each new show — whether she signs on as an actress or a director — is a chance to take the audience on a magical ride through the lives of its characters. Each story is a step toward a greater understanding of the human condition. “With every production, I learn something. Once you say you know everything, you’re dead. You will stop growing as an actor or a director.”