The promise of ‘Dading’

GABBY Eigenmann (right) is up to the task. And we hope Gardo Versoza gets to do more.

Ricky Davao’s latest directorial assignment is the GMA 7 afternoon soap “Dading,” which top-bills Gabby Eigenmann as a young man who belatedly admits that he’s gay. He ends his romantic relationship with Glaiza de Castro, but they remain good friends. Glaiza’s character falls for a shiftless guy who gets her pregnant, but it’s her gay former BF (and present BFF) who helps her get through her difficult pregnancy.

After watching its first telecast, we can share that the new afternoon series may initially feel lightweight, but it quickly becomes more substantial and insightful, and is shaping up as an instructive study of gayhood and fatherhood, and how these seemingly contradictory impulses can thematically bisect and intersect.

Davao’s handling is focused and pertinent, although some early scenes are awkwardly thought up and staged, like a key sequence at a mall where significant plot and thematic points are touched on while the four characters involved are simply standing or walking around.

More often, however, Davao’s direction is proficient at showing viewers the significant developments and details they should focus on, the better to appreciate insights into the developing plot.

Also helpful in this regard are the lead portrayals of Eigenmann and De Castro. He has the tough assignment of believably making his gay character’s thoughts and feelings understandable to the general TV audience and it’s gratifying to note that he’s up to the task at hand.

Glaiza also has difficult thespic moments to essay and, similarly, she does more than just pass muster.

We’ll be watching

How will the story develop? If Gabby’s character is to become a gay “Dading,” will he be taking care of Glaiza’s child because her lover is too shiftless to assume his obligations? We’ll be watching the show regularly to find out.

Also in the series’ stellar cast is Gardo Versoza as a “mature” flaming fairy. We hope he’ll be given more to do than just swish and dish; he’s too good an actor to be limited to “gay comic relief” duties.

If “Dading” lives up to its promise, it could go a long way in compensating for the general penchant of local TV shows for featuring gay characters as garish stereotypes to make insensitive fun of, just to generate cheap laughs.

In a sense, “Dading” harks back to the memorable impact made decades ago on the movie screen by “Ang Tatay Kong Nanay,” which was also about a gay (Dolphy) who became the surrogate parent of a foundling (Niño Mulach).

That film by Lino Brocka had many virtues, but we daresay that “Dading,” because it’s a daily TV series, has more opportunities to deal with an even wider and deeper range of issues related to gayhood and fatherhood—in full, confounding and illuminating interplay!