It has been almost 3 years since I last saw a PETA play. Coming back to the PETA Theater Center to watch Care Divas and root for old friends brings me a sense of pride. It is this pride that I wish to share with my wife, Aires (who knows almost nil about my PETA days), and with Heaven in the years to come.
Seeing Melvin, Buddy, Dudz, Vince, Tita CB and the rest of the cast perform made me proud that I was molded the PETA way. Hats off to Liza Magoo for a brilliant script, to Vince for songs that make you laugh and weep, and to Tita Maribel for a superb direction.
Care Divas is about a group of caregivers in Israel who just happen to be all gays. During the day, they dutifully perform their roles as medical attendants to sick old people. At night, they don the most outrageuos costumes and perform as the musical group, the Nightingales, whose ultimate dream is to land a stint in a big club in Tel Aviv. Amidst sporadic bombings and under the watchful eye of immigration police, the caregivers move from one employer to another, for others with luck, for most without luck --- spurred by a common dream of helping the families they left behind in the Philippines. They get a break in Tel Aviv but not in the way they imagined it to be.
To say that Care Divas is simply a play about gay people is outright discriminating. Yes, I am sure our gay performers had a blast doing these roles but more than this --- they gave a different twist to the plight of overseas Filipino workers. "Hay, naku! naku! Harang talaga!" As Vince's songs relay --- human spirit triumphs over any obstacle.
Watch Care Diva and marvel at the triumphant spirit of Philippine theater. It is after all not just your ordinary gay play.
