The Philippine Australian Global Alliance of Service and Advocacy (PAGASA) proudly presented ‘Tertulia,’ an afternoon of feasting on the literary arts – to include theatrical songs, poetry followed by a powerful play on Dementia, “The Moon and the Bakunawa.”.. Matinee shows were staged on the weekend of 22 and 23 February, 2025 at Liverpool Catholic Club at Prestons.
Despite the short lead time, health issues and other challenges, PAGASA President, Jhun Salazar along with artistic director, Mars Cavestany soldiered on and managed to lead the cast out of their comfort zones to declaim, perform and sing. “We are exposing our audience to the magic and joy of theatre ,” said theatre lover, Cavestany. “It’s a once-in-a lifetime cultural exchange” he adds.
The play, “The Moon and the Bakunawa” tackled the sensitive topic of dementia and is the poignant autobiographical story by Benito Chan. It is his own personal story of the gruelling eight years he cared for his mother while watching her deteriorate slowly into nothingness. “It is a painful experience to watch a loved one’s mental health slip before your very eyes” said Salazar.
The play was first staged in Western Australia by the Philippine Educational Theatre Artists of Western Australia (PETAWA with the support of Dementia Australia. The main characters were played by seasoned actors from the Philippines, Divina Cavestany (as the mother) and Philip Panganiban (as the son) .
Divina Cavestany in her powerful portrayal as the mother along with Philip Panganiban as the son.
Divina Cavestany was excellent, without a doubt, in her role as the mother suffering with dementia. She captivated the audience with her powerful performance and took them with her every step of the way – through every wink, every pout, every smile, and every wonder and through every heartfelt emotion of her sad and painful cognitive decline.
“Dementia is confronting not only the senior citizenry but also the entire nation,” added president, Jhun Salazar.
Dementia Australia supported the project and CareServices Australia conducted an open forum on dementia at the end of the show.
Liverpool Catholic Club provided the use of the beautiful, ultra-modern performing arts centre for free.
25 February 2025
