Pilar Pilapil rejects being Gretchen Barreto's grandma in new show

THE ACCLAIMED PLAY “The Vagina Monologues” is re-staged at Teatrino Greenhills on April 29 and 30 by Mia Dulce D’Bayan of Cecilian Performing Arts who did the hit “Once on This Island” and was also executive producer/assistant director of Gil Portes’ Cinemalaya entry “Two Funerals”. It topbills Pilar Pilapil, Giselle Sanchez, Kalila Aguilos, Angeli Bayani, Mailes Kanapi, and Princess Manzon and Rica Paras of PBB.

So how did Pilar get into the show? “The producer is my neighbour and she asked me if I’d like to do it,” Pilar says. “I said yes as the last time I did theatre work was years ago in ‘Agnes of God’ in UP. Here, I’ll deliver the monologue ‘I Was There in the Room’, about a woman who witnesses her daughter in law giving birth to her first granddaughter. It’s constructed like a poem and must be delivered simply but with heartfelt feelings as the personal account of one woman’s experience.”

She did “Lobo”, “Betty La Fea” and “Agua Bendita” at ABS-CBN. How come she doesn’t have a current show? “Actually, may offer sila but I didn’t accept it. Kasi they want me to play Gretchen Barretto’s Lola. Kung mother sana, okay lang. But hindi naman logical na lola, kasi I’m not really that much older than Gretchen. Kung kay Andi Eigenmann pa, puede.”

How’s her daughter Pia? “She’s okay.” Is it true Pia has split from husband Jerry Gonzalo? “No, they’re still together. They have four kids. The eldest is now 17, about to graduate from high school, and the youngest is 8.”