Karibal (A One-Act Play)

Source: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/cnainsider/breaking-silence-ugly-truth-beauty-contests-pageants-philippines-12810222

Characters:

Maria Lourdes “Malou” Montes - 40s, former beauty queen, morena

Grace Noble-Ledesma - 40s, former beauty queen, fair-skinned

Setting:

Mother and Daughter Pageant, early 2000s, cramped dressing room, two mirrors

---

Malou is looking at herself in the mirror. She is in a state of undress.

From backstage, a conversation is faintly heard.

Grace

Do you need help with your gown? How about makeup? Ah, Grandma does know more on that. Okay, you go ahead, tell me if you need anything.

Grace enters. She is wearing a robe.

Malou

Same section pala anak natin (beat) magkaibigan ba sila?

Grace

Bea mentions her sometimes.

She tries to decide between two pairs of heels.

Malou

Na-mention siguro ni Victoria before pero-ang dami ko kasi iniisip. Kailan kaya sila gagawa ng cure para sa aging? Masyado pa akong bata para magka-senior moments. Nakita mo ba yung adviser nila? Si—ano pangalan nun? Mrs. something.

Grace

Mrs. Cruz

Malou

Ayun! Mrs. Cruz! Kailangan niya mag-moisturize, lumulubog na cheeks niya. Anyway, kinausap niya ako kanina pero ‘di ako maka-focus kasi ang baho ng hininga niya. Kung ano-ano pinagsasabi—si Victoria daw may attitude problems—ang kapal ng mukha! Irereport ko yan sa principal—

Grace

She’s not the first person to say it. You’d know more if you tried attending PTA meetings.

Malou

May gusto ka bang iimply?

Grace

It was only an observation.

Malou begins touching up her makeup.

Malou

Super busy kasi sa work nowadays, ang daming shoots, meetings. ‘Di bale mayaman naman asawa mo, ‘di mo kailangan pag isipan mga ganito.

Grace puts down the shoes, still undecided.

Grace

And what is your job, again? Last I heard the scandal—

Malou

I'm an actress.

Grace

Really? Any recent movies?

Grace begins touching up her makeup.

Malou

'Di mo type. Masyadong creative. Experimental. Alam mo naman, my Victoria can dance. Artistic siya, mana sa akin. May agents na lumalapit sakin kasi she has a model face. Sabi nila, we could be sisters!

Grace

Bea is an exceptional piano player, she’s very passionate about opera. You know, she's being scouted for a scholarship in the States.

Malou

Wow, you must be so proud.

Grace

Of course.

Silence.

Malou

Ang bilis lumipas ng oras noh? May anak na tayo, may career ako, tas ikaw. . .mukhang masaya ka naman.

Grace pauses.

Parang kahapon lang ilang oras tayo nagrerehearse para lang kumembot on stage. My God, ‘di ko talaga ma-sway yung hips ko like you.

Grace

And I could never spread my legs like you.

Beat.

Grace

Your routine with Victoria earlier was absolutely beautiful— that split—how do you maintain your figure?

Grace wipes off her lipstick and chooses a different shade.

Malou

Diet and exercise lang! Super simple. Yung mga laman laman ko di na kasing perky ng dati so I do yoga. Juice cleanse try mo, nakakapayat talaga! Nako, di ko talaga makalimutan kung gaano sila ka-strict sa measurements natin dati! 34-24-34. 34-24-34. ‘Yan yung mantra ko before the parade—

Grace

You know they made us stand in our underwear when they measured us? When the crowd looked at me I still felt—

Malou

Ang drama mo naman, what’s wrong with being looked at? E since birth mukha kang Coca-Cola bottle (Laughs) Makakapatay yung ibang girls for a body like that!

Silence.

Malou

Ang galing ni Bea sa Q&A kanina! May potential siya, matangkad, maganda legs, ano yung word na ‘yun, very affluent sa English, enroll mo kaya siya sa beauty camps. Nung time natin, ‘di pa uso yung mga training na ganyan. Sariling sikap lang. . .

Grace

And what do you mean by that?

Malou

Wala! Sinasabi ko lang na mahirap sigurong maging perfect, yung lahat na binigay na sayo pero okay lang na bitawan mo tutal pwede naman siya bilhin ni daddy, diba?

Grace

Shut up.

Beat. Malou laughs.

Malou

Aba! Ilang kopong-kopong na ‘di ka parin mabiro.

Grace

Just shut up.

Malou

Seryoso, grabe, kawawa asawa mo, boring ka siguro in bed—

Grace slaps her.

Beat.

Malou

How dare—

Grace:

It’s not my fault all these years I won and you still can’t accept it!

Malou

Ako dapat nanalo. Nag-step down ka kasi alam mong ako dapat nanalo. That night, I deserved the crown first!

Grace

That night! (Beat) That night one of Papa’s friends—grabbed me, my, my breast, and. . .

Silence.

Grace

Mamita was Miss Philippines 1940, my mother was Miss Universe 1967. Every year until I was eligible for the bigger crowns, my mother made sure I was ready. It was the only time she’d spend with me—I didn’t want to but I had no choice, she wouldn’t let me. . .

Beat.

Malou

Pano ka nakatakas?

Grace

My heel—I stepped on him with my heel and-and I ran. I told Papa I wanted to leave. We went to New York a week later and my mother wouldn’t look at me but she couldn’t say no to Papa.

Malou

May sinabihan ka ba?

Grace

I didn’t want to—Papa would kill him.

Malou

Dapat lang. Dapat lang mamatay siya.

Grace

It doesn’t matter now.

Silence. Grace tries to decide between two evening gowns. Malou begins to dress up.

Malou

Sinali din ako ni Mama sa pageants, bata pa lang ako sabi niya ako yung pinaka maganda sa lahat. Alam mo ba, matangos ilong ko kasi pinipisil niya dati para mag mukha akong kanô.

They laugh.

Grace

My mother put books—hardbound books on my head so I “float” not walk.

Malou

Pinapa-memorize sa’kin ni Mama yung dictionary, dapat daw maayos english ko.

Grace

Look at the judges. Maintain eye contact. Big smile.

Malou

The best daw smile ko, a winning smile.

Grace

Turn slowly—show off your assets.

They laugh until it slowly fades.

Malou

16 ako, nung first time kong makipag-sex para sa pera.

Beat.

‘Di siya first offer pero nasa ospital si Mama. Yun yung first time ‘di siya nakapunta. Ako lang magisa. Naalala ko pa yung cologne niya. One time thing lang nung una pero producer siya. Pwede ako i-sponsor, para kay Mama, para makatapos mga kapatid ko. . .

Silence.

Malou

Nung umalis ka ako yung headline sa newspapers—“Malou Montes, real-life Cinderella” Sobrang saya ni Mama.

Grace

What happened to that producer?

Malou

‘Di ko na siya kailangan, this time, masmalakas na ako. Nagalit siya, ibubuking ako sa reporters. ‘Di ako naniwala. Nanalo ako, nasakin yung korona!

Grace

I didn’t know those pictures-

Malou

Magbabago kasi dapat lahat pero wala—wala akong nagawa. Pina-step down ako for “destroying the image and sanctity of the pageant”. Sa public statement nila, sabi pa nila “We will endeavor to crown only deserving upstanding women”

Beat.

Grace

You only did what you had to do.

Malou

‘Di ‘to mararanasan ni Victoria. Walang mangyayari sa kanya kasi nandito ako. Kung pinalaki kami ni Mama nang mag-isa—ako lang kailangan ni Victoria. Ako lang.

Grace

Who needs a man anyway? (Laughs) I barely see my husband. “Business trips” you know? Papa loves him like a son. They golf together (Beat)and Bea needs her father.

Malou

And yung mother mo?

Grace

She started speaking to me again after I had my daughter. She suggested we join this. Bea agreed.(Beat)I can’t say no to Bea. I’ll support whatever she wants.

Malou

Pero ikaw? Ano gusto mo?

Silence. Grace doesn’t have an answer.

Malou

After nung scandal—may rason bakit ‘di kilala movies ko. Ayaw nila—‘di ako pwede maging bida e. (Beat) Minsan, namimiss ko yung dati. ‘Di mo ba namimiss yun?

Beat. Their moment is interrupted by an announcement from the background, five minutes until the final segment.

Malou

Nagheart to heart lang tayo pero it doesn’t mean anything okay?

Grace looks at Malou.

Grace

Of course! You’re still the same woman who slashed my Louboutins the night before the parade.

Malou smiles. Looks in the mirror. Fixes her lipstick one last time.

Malou

E ‘di (beat) may the best woman win.

Light fades until one spotlight remains.