Homegrown Lily blossoms in Prague

LILY CHU (second from left) in Prague Shakespeare Company’s “Cymbeline,”

We get a kick out of hearing the success stories of homegrown Filipino talents getting cast in substantial roles in theater or film productions abroad. But, what many of them don’t have is Lily Chu’s consistency and knack for reinvention: In the three years since she decided to move to Prague with her Czech husband, she has already appeared in 10 substantial plays (“Hamlet,” “Marat/Sade,” “Macbeth”) and musicals (“Rent,” “Chess”)—and counting!

It’s interesting to note that, on the day before we finished this interview, Lily had just completed her third commercial for June alone—and the irony of her surprising career surge isn’t lost on the lovely, soft-spoken actress. She recalls, “I went to VTRs and go-sees for commercials in Manila for 10 years, but I never got a part, except once—for my hand and back!

No attitude

Lily’s relative success doesn’t surprise us at all: She is one of the hardest-working actresses we know, she takes to directions well, reports to rehearsals on time and has no attitude. We acted with Lily in one of our favorite English-language musicals, James Lapine and William Finn’s “Falsettos” (we portrayed Dr. Mendel, she played Charlotte), and directed her in Eve Ensler’s “The Good Body” and Kander and Ebb’s “Cabaret.”

How did her theater career in Prague begin? Chu shares, “After I enrolled in Prague Playhouse’s Meisner class, I heard about auditions for the musical, ‘You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown!,’ and landed a small role. After that, I auditioned and got offered the part of Hippolyta and the understudy for Helena in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream,’ then played one of the nasty stepsisters in a British panto version of ‘Cinderella.’

LILY CHU

“Then, I was cast in ‘Hamlet’ by the Prague Shakespeare Company, the Czech Republic’s prestigious English-speaking theater group, of which I’m now a member. Director Tina Packer wanted multilingual actors for ‘Hamlet,’ so I had to translate my lines into Filipino!

“In Prague, my favorite role so far would have to be Sylvie, who is caught between the love of two men in a traveling magic show, in ‘The Detectives’—which is presented year-round by Bear Theatre.”

How different are Czech audiences from their Pinoy counterparts? She replies, “The Czech people can afford to watch theater shows regardless of their socio-economic class. One thing that stands out to me about Filipino theatergoers is our love for laughter and the ability to find humor in almost anything.”

What has she learned from Filipino productions that have helped her thrive in Europe? Lily proudly beams, “The discipline and how much love Pinoy actors dedicate to our work. I am continually guided by our ability to take direction, even under duress, as well as our sense of perfectionism that I’m proud to carry with me—wherever I go!”