hey all sat at the feet of Rep's Bibot Amador. Today they are brilliant actresses, passionate educators and mentors, and determined keepers of the flame of Philippines theater.

MENCHU LAUCHENGCO YULO

It's hard to beat Menchu Lauchengco Yulo when it comes to dramatic prowess, musical talent, and sheer stage presence. All that, accompanied by a loveliness and elegance that younger actresses can only envy, has made her the undisputed princess of Philippine theater. It is a respect that celebrities half Menchu's age certainly share; many of them ask her for coaching during their own stage debuts. Menchu mentored KC Concepcion backstage when the Megastar's little girl took on the lead role in Beauty and the Beast.

More actresses will be knocking on her door soon, especially with the resurgence of Philippine theater. “Musical theater is growing,” Menchu says. “People are beginning to believe in it again.” Maybe that's one reason why this mother of two, who used to appear in only one major musical a year until her eldest reached teenager status, has expanded that repertoire. After Once On This Island, Menchu is slated to perform in the dual role of Dulcinea/ Aldonza, the love interest of Don Quixote and the foil of Miguel Cervantes, respectively, in Rep's The Man of La Mancha, which opens this November.

Despite the economic battering that lures performers to juggle other acting jobs, Menchu is adamant about maintaining a standard of excellence. “You cannot compromise quality and casting. You do theater a disservice if you live with an attitude of mediocrity.”

PINKY AMADOR

As of press time, Pinky Amador has just narrowly missed fulfilling her own American dream. She was one of five finalists on Hollywood Dream, whose winner will be brought to the entertainment capital of the world and given the chance to make it on their own. “If they gave me a shot at a walk-in par in Desperate Housewives, I'd say, ‘Go!'”

Making it in Hollywood would have been a logical step or the culmination of a theatrical career that has branched into TV and movies in the Philippines . As one of the original 11 actresses who auditioned and were part of Miss Saigon in 1989, Pinky later played opposite Ron Moody's Captain Hook as Tiger Lily in Peter Pan, and has played a Burmese princess, a Filipina chambermaid, and a mail-order bride in various British TV shows. When the parts weren't coming, she'd do work as a temp or in a travel agency to pay the bills.

Hollywood may turn out to be a far more competitive arena than the West End , but it is one mountain that the forty-something actress has to climb. “It's like Mt. Everest . Whether or not I conquer it, it's the fact that I tried. After 22 years of acting, how many things still excite me? You have to keep topping yourself.” Pinky credits her strong backbone and discipline to her theater roots. “I've been lucky to have the best teachers possible.”

MONIQUE WILSON

“Sanay kami sa hirap,” says Monique Wilson, Rep and Saigon alumna, versatile actress, feminist advocate, and founder of New Voice Company (NVC), known for putting out productions that speak boldly on sensitive issues such as female sexuality (The Vagina Monologues), the psyche of a sexual abuser (Frozen), and a dictatorship's rampage (Cabaret). “We have never known it to be easy. When the economy changes and there is political upheaval, theater is constantly here.”

“We” refers to the wider theater community in general and the 15 NVC students that Monique had mentored to grow as her peers, colleagues, and comrades-in-arms. And they are part of the reason why the battle is worth fighting. As one more step of advance into the frontlines, Monique's company is performing Andrew Lloyd Webber's Aspects of Love this month.

Part of the fight, as Monique puts it, is actually “studying your craft seriously, sacrificing for it. That's why it can be frustrating to see when society gives more importance to TV and film.” Monique herself has had quite an education. After first hitting the London stage as Kim in the original Miss Saigon, she has recently graduated with a degree in MA Applied Theater Education, Directing, from London 's Central School of Speech and Drama. Those classes expanded what was already a broad understanding of the art. “As an actress, you just see the art of acting, or as director, the art of directing. But it's not enough to act and direct. I had to polish my skills to be an effective artistic director, and how to lead this company into a realization of our vision. It's a constantly changing world.”

- -