Star Magic artist mentally prepares for role in ‘One More Chance’

Sheena Belarmino as Tricia —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Singer Sheena Belarmino reprises her role as Tricia, the lead actor’s new girlfriend, in the Philippine Educational Theater Association (Peta) production of “One More Chance: The Musical.” The musical plot revolves around the rocky relationship of Popoy (CJ Navato), a single-minded engineer, and Basha (Nicole Omillo), an architect still in the midst of figuring things out.

When they eventually break up, Tricia is there during one of Popoy’s lowest points. She saves him in a way, but only for a while. Popoy and Basha reunite in the end but Tricia played by Sheena was one of my favorites.

The singer, dancer, actress and Star Magic artist started her career in reality competitions (“Dance Kids,” “Tawag ng Tanghalan Kids” and “Your Face Sounds Familiar Kids”). Her debut as an actress was as the antagonist in IWantTFCs digital music series “Lyric and Beat.” She was also part of “Tabing Ilog: The Musical,” a collaboration project between Peta and Star Magic.

To prepare for the restaging of “One More Chance” that runs until Oct. 27, she made sure to get sufficient rest, limit her intake of sweets, and take her vitamins.

“Health is really wealth so I make it a point to find time to rest even when my schedule is tight. I always prioritize my body because I need it to be able to do my job. It’s hard to get sick in the middle of the shows,” Sheena said.

Drawing emotions

Now that she’s more in sync with her role, she said she prioritizes being mentally prepared. “Knowing the plot of the story, which is painful, we need to be ready to shake off any heaviness after so we don’t bring it with us into our regular lives.”

In her role as the new girlfriend, Sheena experiences emotions ranging from the initial highs of a new love to imminent dread and raw anger. Where does she draw the necessary emotions from?

“For my character, it’s more on how I connect with Popoy most of the time. It helped that we had chemistry work during rehearsals to establish what Tricia’s purpose was in Popoy’s life.

“I was also happy that I got to connect with my character who shares the same passion I have for music. To get into character, I listened to the playlist I made for her (laughs). It’s easier if you find similarities with the character so the transition is less of a hassle. That works for me.”

Aside from “One More Chance,” Sheena is also busy as one of the hosts of “Showtime Online U,” so she needs to keep her health and stamina up.

“I make sure to catch on my sleep, eat well, hydrate and take my vitamins. I want to stay healthy not just for myself but also for the sake of the cast. Kaya ang lala ng pag-alaga ko sa boses ko—parating modulated para iwas-paos.”