Performance and art manifested in discipline and heart
For Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo and Karla Gutierrez, a life on the stage needs courage of spirit. They hope the audience sees this passion as told through Terence McNally’s ‘Masterclass.’
IN many scenes, Yulo completely loses herself in Callas’ soliloquy about life on highs and the pitfalls of a life on the stage.
Photograph courtesy of Maria Callas
Maria Callas once said, “An opera begins long before the curtain goes up and ends long after it has come down. It starts in my imagination, it becomes my life, and it stays part of my life long after I’ve left the opera house.” This statement aptly describes the creative lives of actresses Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo and Karla Gutierrez
— the two women who are the driving force behind Philippine Opera Company’s (POC) production of Terrence McNally’s Masterclass, which opened over the weekend. Lauchengco-Yulo takes on the central role of the iconic opera singer Maria Callas as she conducted a series of masterclasses at the Julliard School in New York in the 1970s. This show marks a major milestone for Gutierrez, who founded POC in 1999, as it closes out their 26th year of bringing opera to a much larger audience.
MENCHU Lauchengco-Yulo fully embodies Maria Callas in her performance, driven by the same ideals of passion, discipline, and a deeply-rooted love for their craft.
Photograph courtesy of Paw Castillo
Early stage years
In their early years on the stage, both Lauchengco-Yulo and Gutierrez were part of Repertory Philippines’ roster of artists. Under the tutelage of Rep founders Zenaida “Bibot” Amador and Baby Barredo, they learned the art of the craft — from all angles. Going through a rigorous schedule of rehearsals by day to doing a show come evening, they quickly learned the value of discipline, and delivering their very best each time. “I remember Tita Bibot would tell us that we always had to strive for excellence in everything,” says Lauchengco-Yulo. Gutierrez echoed that sentiment, sharing “Which is why, to this day, we are never late to anything. The one thing we feared then was the elevator opening, and Tita Bibot would be in front of it.” But each rehearsal under Amador and Barredo, their skills were honed both on and off the stage, learning what a “life in the theater” really looks like, even beyond the klieg lights.
