“But the pressure is both exciting and terrifying as my role is so challenging,” she says. “Physically challenging because there are many bugbugan scenes. My mom, Menchu Lauchengco Yulo, is a religious fanatic and she beats me up regularly. Talagang pasa-pasa ako, maraming bruises. But it’s an honor to be slapped by Ms. Yulo who’s an institution in local theatre. I learn so much from her. The role is far from me. Lagi akong naka-slouched and I’m not like that at all in real life. Emotionally, challenging din kasi I’m a broken person, abused at home and bullied in school. I really break down sa rehearsals. I tend to carry Carrie even outside the rehearsals. I become emotional and have mood swings so I have to de-stress when I get home by taking long showers and watching cartoons. It’s a very technical play also because of the special effects. I’m telekinetic so you’ll see a lot of flying objects here, we have levitation and there’s a lot of blood.”
How about working with Markki Stroem? “He’s a sweetheart, a wonderful actor perfect for his character as the good leading man. But Mako Alonso as Billy, the bad guy, is also great and it’s good I’ve known him since college in Ateneo. He was the president of the Blue Repertory and I was still a freshman then. It also helps that the leader of the mean girls who torment me, Jill Pena as Chris, was once my roommate. We were then dreaming of working together playing lead roles in a show and it’s happening now. My own dad is excited with the play as he’s a big Stephen King fan.”
Now that she plays lead in “Carrie”, does this mean she’ll no longer do ensemble roles like she did in “Nine” and “Aladdin”? “No, right after this, I go back as part of the ensemble in ‘The Addams Family’ with Eula Valdes and Arnell Ignacio, which is good as it’s very light compared to ‘Carrie’ that’s very dark.”
“Carrie” opens this Friday at the RCBC Carlos Romulo Theatre in Makati and will run until October 6. For tickets, call Atlantis at 892-7078 or Ticketworld at 891-9999.
