Shamaine openly admires Floy Quintos as a genius playwright who gave actors not just complex and rich characters but a guide in knowing themselves as Filipinos.

Jose P. Alcantara (1911-2005), described as “the last maestro of traditional wood carving,” is best known for his masterpiece, a large-scale relief narra wood panels that used to adorn the Philam Life Auditorium in Ermita, Manila. Today, Alcantara’s masterpiece is displayed at the National Museum of the Philippines.

Tenor Arthur Espiritu triumphed as The Prince in the Dvorak opera Rusalka with soprano Serenad Uyar in the title role staged middle of May at Opera de Massy, the youngest opera house in France. What’s remarkable about his performance is that the tenor sang the part not in French or German but in Czech!