Les Paul Pineda as One of the Five Attendants

1. Tell us something about yourself.

My name is Les Paul Pineda. As a son of a musician, I got the inheritance of music. Basically, I love music. Without music to me is like eating a burger without a patty….sucks right? Anyway, I’m 19 years old and studying as an Industrial Engineer in Don Bosco Technology Center. Besides formulating and solving mathematical problems and making basic furniture, I sing…I also dance but not as much as I sing…I also act but no as much as I dance. Music has been a huge part of my life. I may not be a recording artist or a celebrity but music is my life.


2. What made you decide to audition for Siddhartha?

Actually a friend of mine, Jingle, who is also part of the cast, invited me to audition for the play. Since Siddhartha was a musical play, I got really excited.

3. How did you feel when you were chosen as one of the five attendants?

When they gave out the roles, I was really excited that I got one of the roles as Siddhartha’s attendant. It even got more exciting when the playwright said that our scene (the 5 attendants) will be comical. I’m a crazy person so I’m really into the comical side.

4. Have you had any previous experience with musical theatre?

Yes. The first musical which I joined was rendition of Jesus Christ Superstar which was composed of mostly amateurs like me. Siddhartha was the second production I joined. And I can say that I’m lucky to be in this production

Marc Raymond Bolongon as Ajnata, the King's Attendant

1. Tell us something about yourself.

I am a nature lover. I love breathing the fresh air! I love going to the beach, getting tanned under the sun. I love scuba diving – oh, I just can’t take my eyes off the beautiful treasure that awaits when you dive under the sea.

Aside from those mentioned above, I also love shopping, surfing the net, reading books, singing dancing and acting.

I love entertaining other people. Being able to entertain people is my life!


2. Why did you audition for this play?

After my last performance for the theater show during college, I thought to myself, “Will there be any musical outside the school? Can I still join and showcase my talent? I wanted to improve my singing, my skills in dancing and acting. But will I still be invited for a musical or any acting career?”

A friend from a previous college musical answered it all! When I heard them talking that there will be an audition for another musical, a bell inside my head rang and a light bulb on top of my head lighted up! I could not miss this opportunity! So, I approached my friend–with a smile and tantalizing eyes and said, “Can I join?”

3. What did you feel when you were chosen as Ajnata, one of the five attendants of Prince Siddhartha?

It was after my college graduation when the results of the audition came. Unfortunately I was not part of the major cast. I felt so weak and low then. But I recall during the auditions I was very jittery and I kept thinking, "can I make it?" This was after all the very first musical outside of school. And I saw that it was a group of talented people all gathered together for this major project. I felt so small, smaller than a mushroom, which stands around tall grasses and trees.

During the first weeks of our rehearsals, the head of the production crew approached me and announced, "You will be one of the five attendants, okay? You need to practice your lines and I will be giving you scripts."

This made me very happy. At that time, I didn't know that I was part of the main cast after all. It must have helped that I never stop practicing dancing, singing and even acting.

4. Have you had any previous experience with musical theater?


I had the chance to act in front of the camera, do a little hosting during special events or occasions and dance in front of a crowd most of the time. But as for singing, I basically hated singing before. I just don’t know why- it’s not because I have the worst voice ever, but it gave me goose bumps when I would hear someone started singing- especially classical songs!

One time in school, I was absentmindedly singing a song when a friend exclaimed, "You can sing!"
"I can sing?" It didn't even occur to me that I had a good voice.
So when I was in junior year in college, a History professor invited me to audition for a musical play. I decided to give it a try! I basically didn’t have formal theater experience nor voice lessons but I tried to learn and listen to every lecture and feedback that my mentors shared to me.

These are the following shows in college that I was able to participate:

* Cry of the People – March 2006

* Hundred Night’s Show – December 2006

* Musical 101 – March 2006

Edison Saynes as The Prophet & King's Attendant

1. Tell us something about yourself

To my acquaintances I am Edison , to my classmates I am Saynes, to my friends I am Jingle and to my family I am either Ging or Kinkol. And to each name that they call me I show distinct and unique characters to which I believe what actors do in theater—we can be anyone we want to be on stage. Sometimes, we are the characters we play.

Half a decade ago, I quoted: “Ten years from now, I would be a successful nurse, but I would not hold my acting career. Most probably, I would be an actor and a nurse at the same time—no kidding!” This was what I told myself back then, but I learned nursing was not for me and I assume theater is! I may have given up being a nurse but I will never give up theater.


TRIVIA TIME!!! WEE!! (5 things you should know about JINGLE)

1. I have a stuffed animal (chicken) who I bring to the theaters I perform in. (this craze started not long ago.)

2. I spread love through the JINGLE POSE.

3. I challenge people—in any way possible. ack!

4. I love body bags.

The Last and the most important..
NOTICE: keep this a secret.

5. I AM JOHNNY DEPP. €ö3 €ö3 €ö3


2. Why did you decide to audition for this play?

I have always been hungry for theater. There is not a single call from companies for open auditions that I did not know of. I always wanted to audition to all of them but to certain circumstances, I was not able to.

I heard of the auditions for Siddhartha from our Theater teacher in San Carlos . An hour after I knew about it, I searched the net and thought it was the same play running in theaters abroad that the Cebuano producers are planning to stage, little did I know, it was an acquaintance who is the playwright/musical director of Siddhartha (yes, Jude and I weren’t friends yet). I was also auditioning for another play and joining both musicals would be impossible to do, but I still decided to push thru with Siddhartha, which was the right choice.

Aside from my passion for theater, I had my friends auditioning for Siddhartha which was also my drive.


3. How did you feel when you were chosen for your role as one of the attendants, a monk and even the Prophet Assita?

Whew! Thank you for the question! Hehe.

I really had fun being part of the ensemble—dancing to almost all of the numbers in the play, the excitement of memorizing the steps, the gazillion costumes I would be switching and all. When I was chosen to play as Bhadrika and as the monk, it was a challenge and a big responsibility for me to give justice to the characters.

A much bigger surprise came to me when we were to re-stage the musical in CCP. Ms. Daisy and Jude gave me the chance of auditioning for the roles Assita and the King—I was eyeing for the latter.hehe. Not getting the king’s role was quite a disappointment but it I did not allow it to pull my enthusiasm down because I have always believed that “There are no small roles, only small actors.” So instead of sulking on my disappointment, I spent time on studying my role, making a 3-D of the character and believing I was the prophet. Later, I found out, and realized it was no easy job being—it was physically and emotionally challenging! Whew!


4. Have you had any previous experience with musical theater?

I was under Michael Williams in a musical theater workshop which culminated in a musical entitled Godspell and before that I was part of a Visayan Zarzuela.

In my elementary and high school days, I was a part of several musicals in school plays (West Side Story,Southa Pacific and Beacons of Freedom) and several straight plays in college.