Monday, January 18, 2010

The Drama of It - by Daisy Hontiveros Avellana


DAISY HONTIVEROS AVELLANA.....Joan of Lorraine

"When reading the typescript for the first time, I came to the end of THE DRAMA OF IT by Daisy H. Avellana...I burst into tears." wrote Carmen Guerrero Nakpil , known to close friends and fellow writers as Chitang. "No, they were not the lachrymose over-sentimentality of this dotard about to turn 87, but the instant, hot, scalding recognition of an adolescent, the kid sister of Leoni and Mario Guerrero, for I had happily had a front seat at the Avellana life-theater....It's one big, great tale not only about the Avellanas, but also about how life used to be lived in this country, about art and theater, about dedication to ideals and unfailing courage and untainted ambitions and, above all, undying generous magnificent love."

Thus went the Foreword by Chitang Nakpil, of the book, THE DRAMA OF IT , the biography of Daisy Hontiveros Avellana, Philippine National Artist for Theater.

In her 176 page memoir by Daisy we are right on the front seat of Daisy's and Bert's life story replete and enriched by their radio, stage and movie involvements and successes.

I was proud and so was Mama Sarah to have been a part of those exciting years with them and Barangay Theater Guild productions especially the excellently rewritten script of Uncle Nick Joaquin A PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS FILIPINO painstakingly crafted by Daisy and Bert, National Artist for Film and Theatre before ther gala presentation at the Aurora Gardens, Intramuros (circa 1955).