By Totel V. De Jesus
Baron Geisler’s nearly comatose career had a sudden shot in the arm by winning in this year’s aptly named Gawad Buhay Awards, held April 12 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. He was given the Outstanding Male Featured Performance in a Musical award, the equivalent of best supproting actor in the category, for his debut role on stage.
Last year, he played “Tikbalang” or shape-shifter in Tanghalang Pilipino (TP)’s nearly three-hour long Aurelio Sedisyoso. It tackles the life of nationalist playwright Aurelio Tolentino. Pure coincidence, the staging of the play and the awards night was held at the theater named after the playwright.
Geisler wasn’t able to receive the award personally because he’s in a rehab facility in Cebu. CCP artistic director and vice president Chris Millado, who also directed Sedisyoso, received the trophy on Geisler’s behalf. He said theater could be an effective way of healing or rehabilitating oneself.
“I know Baron will be very happy for this award and I hope he will come back to theater once he’s out of rehab,” said Millado.
Through his official Facebook account, Geisler responded by saying thank you to Millado and TP, promising to do better in life, again. It’s not the first time Geisler won an award while having troubles with the law or with himself.
Sheer coincidence, among those earlier acting accolades were also given at the CCP. In 2008 when he won his first best actor award in Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival for playing a gay TV producer role in Francis Pasion’s Jay, he was battling a court case against Patrizhia Martinez for acts of lasciviousness. She is daughter of now-estranged couple William Martinez and Yayo Aguila.
When he won his second Cinemalaya best actor trophy in 2010 for Mark Meilly’s Donor, it was Yasmien Kurdi he’s up against with for alleged sexual harassment.
It was hard for the theater industry to accept Geisler when TP announced last year he’s going to be part of Sedisyoso. But Geisler passed the audition. In the past he had troubles with actors who started or have close friends in the theater industry. Among them were comedian Jerald Napoles and actor Ping Medina.
Meanwhile, Aicelle Santos, a Kapuso Network mainstay, won the same award in the female category for her role in the musical stage adaptation of Lino Brocka’s Maynila sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag. Considered by critics as one of the greatest Filipino films, it was adapted into screenplay by Clodualdo Del Mundo Jr. from the novel of Edgardo M. Reyes.
Santos is also known for recently playing the iconic role Elsa in Vincent de Jesus’s musical adaptation of Ishmael Bernal-Ricky Lee classic, Himala. Elsa was played by Nora Aunor in the movie. Santos is also known for the lead role, Aileen, in the smash hit Rak of Aegis by the Philippine Educational Theater Association (Peta). Though Rak is having its sixth re-staging starting June this year, Santos won’t be part of it because she will play Gigi the bar girl in Miss Saigon for the United Kingdom touring production.
Lifetime Achievement awards were given to Peta president CB Garrucho and former Ballet Philippines (BP) artistic director Agnes Locsin. For complete list of the winners, visit Gawad Buhay’s Facebook Page.
Gawad Buhay is considered our version of Broadway’s Tony and the West End’s Olivier Awards. It is given by the Philippine Legitimate Stage Artists Group Inc. or Philstage, the umbrella organization of leading professional theater and dance companies. They are Repertory Philippines, Peta, Trumpets, Ballet Manila, BP, Actor’s Actors Inc., Culturtain Musicat Inc., 9 Works Theatrical, Red Turnip Theater, Philippine Opera Company, Full House/Resorts World Manila, Stages Inc., Gantimpala Theater Foundation and Philippine Ballet Theater.
Philstage’s president is senior theater actor-singer Audie Gemora.
