Kokoy de Santos cheers ‘baby’ Elijah Canlas’ milestones, explores theater in ‘Mapanakit!’

@radar.ph Kokoy De Santos shared that his growing passion for theater is partly influenced by the continued success of his close friends in the industry, Elijah Canlas and Royce Cabrera. “Actually ‘yang si Elijah, ’yan baby ko ’yan,” De Santos said in a recent interview with Radar Entertainment, speaking fondly of his “Gameboys” co-star. He added that both Canlas and Cabrera have long encouraged him to try stage acting. “They said ibang experience, which is totoo naman talaga. Iba talaga.” De Santos recently watched Canlas in the stage play “About Us But Not About Us” and Cabrera in “ENDO,” praising both for their performances. He also expressed pride in Canlas’ venture into music, noting his talent for rapping. “Ang saya-saya lang na sa lahat ng medium, kumbaga, magkakasama kami at nag-she-share din kami ng kani-kaniyang experiences,” he said, adding that navigating the industry alongside his friends and exchanging insights brings him joy. Now stepping deeper into theater, De Santos joins Biñan Youth Performance Council Inc. (YPC)’s maiden commercial production “Mapanakit! Mga Dulang Bittersweet.” He stars in the one-act play “Ganito ang Pinangarap kong Kasal” alongside Phi Palmos and Loudette Barias. The production marks his second stage outing following his debut in “Ateng” last year. De Santos shared that he remains eager to learn, often asking questions to better understand the intricacies of theater from more experienced peers. He emphasized the distinct nature of stage acting, noting that unlike film, where certain character types may overlap, theater offers a different experience each time, with new roles, challenges, and lessons. For De Santos, taking on these challenges across different mediums ultimately comes down to one driving force: “pagmamahal palagi sa sining.” “Mapanakit! Mga Dulang Bittersweet” runs from July 25 to Aug. 9 at the IBG-KAL Theater in UP Diliman, Quezon City. (✍️🎥: Rafael Asonza) #radarPHEntertainment #radarPH ♬ original sound – radar.ph