Carla Guevara Laforteza | Photo courtesy of Theatre Group Asia

Carla Guevara Laforteza has been in the entertainment scene for over three decades. Last year, she celebrated her 30th anniversary in the industry through the concert “A`LA CARLOTTA,” as part of the Cultural Center of the Philippines' “Triple Threat” Concert Series featuring the Leading Women of Philippine Musical Theater.

One might think she’s become extra selective with her roles, considering her experience. Instead, she told me, “Hindi ako namimili ng role. Basta kasali ako sa show, happy ako.” I found it surprising and told her it’s refreshing to hear her say that, exuding humility. But, “on the contrary,” she laughed, “I think I’m mayabang. Kahit ano’ng role ’yan, gagawin kong star ’yan!”

This conversation stems from our discussion of one of her new projects, Stephen Sondheim’s “Into the Woods,“ for which her participation was announced earlier this month. In this Theatre Group Asia production, Carla will be playing the Giant, Granny, and Snow White. The theater director and producer Bobby Garcia, who unfortunately passed away in December last year, cast her in these roles. “Bobby’s probably laughing his head off wherever he is now. Because, again, he gives me these oddest roles to play,” Carla said. “For the particular roles given to me [in ’Into the Woods’], I’m surprised and not surprised because I’m always cast in multiple roles.”

In all humility, she’s happy and grateful that the theater directors she’s worked with are confident she could pull off any role. “Whatever role they give me, gagawin ko ’yun. Kahit ako ’yung janitor, kapag pinanood mo, akala mo ’yung janitor ’yung star ng show,” she declared. It’s not that she’s strying to steal the show—she just has her way of making people stop and notice her even when her character doesn’t have lines. Whatever role it is, viewers can rely on Carla to own and nail her portrayal. “I just have joy and so much happiness in creating roles that are given to me,” she mused.

Photo by Myra Ho

Much-deserved recognition

It’s only the first quarter of 2025, and yet Carla has already received three awards, including the “Profiles in Excellence, Outstanding Performances in the Theater Arts and Music“ award from the American Association of the Philippines. She’s also gearing up to receive the International Achiever of the Year award from an award-giving body in Indonesia. 

Delighted, Carla said, “I may not have gotten awards or honor medals when I was young. Pero now, hello! God is good. Ever since I started again—kasi I left showbiz in 2001 because I started a family. When I came back in 2006, the ball started rolling again for me, more for theater.” Beyond thankful, she further shared that ever since she re-established herself in the theater scene, every year since 2016, she would get an award. At home, these awards are proudly displayed atop her mom’s piano. 

It is not Carla’s goal to get awards. They’re a bonus: welcome rewards for the passion and hard work she constantly puts in and additional sources of motivation. Ultimately, she’s more focused on the opportunity to keep doing what she loves: acting and singing. “This is not a job for me. This is not work for me,” she expressed. “I’m playing. It’s my playground. So, talagang gusto ko marami akong ginagawa.” With Carla, it’s a unique case of a balance between quantity and quality.

Photo from @carlaguevaraofficial

Though used to the juggling act of taking on multiple roles around the same period or even within the same project, Carla also doesn’t compromise her standards in a performance. “I’m always performance level,” she remarked. 

People who have seen Carla perform would often say there’s heart in everything she does. “Which is true because I don’t sing just to showcase my voice. I tell the story because that's how I was taught,” she said, crediting her mentors in the theater scene: Baby Barredo, Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo, and Bibot Amador. 

“When you sing, you don't just sing just because maganda. 100% of Filipinos can sing. So, you’re not special,” Carla stated bluntly. “What will make you special is when you tell the story of the song, what your song is about… It’s how you can convey the message of the song to the people who are listening.” 

What being a performer taught her

Having the ability to touch people through a performance and developing this high regard for the craft are things that don’t happen overnight. It took years of training, and for Carla, it’s not simply a matter of knowing the technicalities like the back of her hand; it’s also about understanding and respecting the totality of a production. 

Many say that theater teaches an artist to become more disciplined. But, as someone with both TV and theater acting experience, Carla realized everything boils down to a person’s sense of responsibility, regardless of the stage they’re on. The recipe for a satisfying experience in this creative melting pot is a concoction of discipline, passion, hard work, and artistry. 

“They have to come from the individual actor and not the platform that you’re in. Because you may have a beautiful production, you may have the greatest director, the greatest co-actors in the world, but if you don’t do your job as the actor or as the performer, that’s a big thing. It’s going to make the whole production flop,” she remarked. 

Carla Guevara Laforteza in "Ibarra" | Photo by JC Inocian

This mindset is partly thanks to the training she received from theater industry experts, whom she described as “disciplinarians.” “These people love their jobs so much. They’re so passionate,” Carla said. And because that was the kind of energy and environment she absorbed, she was motivated not to disappoint and to deliver. 

Recalling the long hours of theater training, she said, “Ang purpose namin was to make the show beautiful. It wasn't work for us. During our generation, it was really driven by passion and love for what we do.”

Carla received her fair share of blunt comments from their mentors that others, especially today, may not take well. “It wasn’t painful for me when they would insult us or give us constructive criticism because we knew that, at the end of the day, it was because they wanted us to be the best versions of ourselves when we perform,” she looked back, acknowledging that not everyone may agree with her perspective. “I always see things on the brighter side. Every time something is thrown at me that may seem negative, I see it as ‘Ah, may rason ’yan eh. Kasi kung hindi ko nakikita ’yung negative, paano ko makikita ’yung positive side?”

Carla’s longevity in the business and her strong, commanding presence may seem intimidating, but off-cam or off-stage—backstage—her go-getter attitude is the kind of energy you’d want to surround yourself with. “I like to help other people shine along with everybody else that they're with on stage or TV. So, para maganda ’yung show, ’diba? Walang naiiwan,” she shared.

Although the production takes care of the details—from the script and the stage design to the hair & makeup and costumes—Carla also likes to be independent enough to help where help may be needed. Her constructive insights could be a rich source of inspiration for aspiring and newbie actors.

Carla gushed, “’Pag ’yung wig na binigay sa’yo, pangit, puwes, ayusin mo! ’Wag mo nang guluhin ’yung wig people. You’re the one performing on stage, you’re the one who’s going to be wearing the wig. Fix it, so you look good. You have to be able to commit to your artistry and know that when you step on that stage, when you go in front of that camera, ikaw ang i-dya-judge, hindi ’yung production, hindi ’yung makeup, designer. Hindi. Ikaw. Kasi, bakit hindi mo pinaganda ang sarili mo? Bakit hindi mo ginawan ng paraan? So, that’s what I’ve learned. That’s your responsibility… Pangalagaan mo ’yung sarili mo para maayos ang projection mo sa camera. Maayos ang performance mo. Don’t put the blame on others.”

Photo by Myra Ho

Onto the next

This year, Carla is part of two musicals: “Come From Away,“ which will open this June, and “Into the Woods,“ which is slated for August. Her preparations started as early as last month. 

For “Come From Away,“ she has started online accent coaching sessions to ensure she is authentic to the material. The musical is based on a true story of the events surrounding 7,000 airline passengers who were ordered to land unexpectedly in Gander, Newfoundland, following the September 11, 2001 terrorist-related attack in the US. She will be playing two roles—Hannah from New York and Margie, a Newfoundlander resident—so she needs to learn their accents. 

“I’ve already started self-rehearsals for that,” she said, showing us the scripts she had close by during this online interview. She’s also been studying the relevant documentaries to help her immerse herself into her characters. 

From a true story to a fairy tale, taking on “Into the Woods“ is another challenge Carla is happy to take on. “I grew up watching fairy tales and reading fairy tale books,” she shared. In the past, she also played fairy tale-related roles in Repertory Philippines productions: Alice in “Alice in Wonderland,” the stepmother of Cinderella in “Cinderella Kids,” the witch in “Hansel and Gretel,” and a chorus girl in “Aladdin.”

Asked what she loves about the story of “Into the Woods,“ Carla said, “It’s so clever how they were able to weave together all the stories of the Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Rapunzel, The Witch, and The Baker’s Wife. They weaved all the stories together na magkadugtong pala sila. Mayroon palang connection.” 

But aside from the narrative itself, what Carla is also excited about is the opportunity to finally do a musical with her inspiration and idol, Lea Salonga. Like Lea, Carla has previously played Kim, as well as Gigi, in “Miss Saigon“ at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London.

“I’ve only done events and concerts with her, so to be able to experience the process of rehearsals and doing the entire run with her is quite amazing,” she said.

Honoring her daughter

Another woman in the entertainment scene that she’s inspired by is her daughter, Sophia Laforteza, who’s a member of the Los Angeles-based girl group Katseye. 

“Oh my gosh! She knows like a gazillion more things than me. You know, I call her Mama because she’s my mom. Siya ang nagpapalaki sa akin. She’s independent. Everything that you see on the news about her, they say that she’s so motherly, that’s all true,” Carla opened up. This Women’s Month, especially, Sophia’s passion and determination to achieve her dreams are also worth recognizing. 

Kids often get asked what they learned from their parents, but parents can also learn from their kids. It’s a beautiful cycle where, because Carla raised her kids well and led by example, she now gets positive life takeaways and reminders from her children.

“I show them, I don’t tell them. Be true to yourself. Don't have a second personality that you show other people and then you’re different at home,” Carla expressed. “However God created you, whatever your ugali is, ’yan ’yun. ’Wag kang mag-pretend. I'm already in the industry where I pretend to be different people. So when I’m Carla, I want to be Carla.” 

If there’s one thing she learned from Sophia, one can reach from the stars as long as you work hard for it. Amazed at the woman her daughter has grown into, Carla is proud to have raised a daughter who knows what she wants and is determined to achieve her dreams. 

“Ako kasi, I never naman dreamed to be a superstar,” Carla told us. “She wanted to perform. ’Yun ’yung difference namin ng daughter ko. Enjoy lang talaga ako na nagko-costume… And my parents know that. With my daughter, gusto niya ’yung attention. She wants superstardom. She wants that. She's so hungry for that… Gusto niya ’yung hiyaw ng tao. That’s her happiness. And that’s how she’s able to perform better. So, that’s why for me, she’s so much better than me kasi she has that confidence.”

When asked for advice in raising kids with potential in creative and performing arts, Carla’s tip was simple: “Encourage it.” Sophia left for the US to fulfill her superstar dreams. One of her sons wants to be a sports car enthusiast, and the other wants to be a pilot. She and her husband let them explore. 

But, no matter where they decide to go, Carla’s ultimate reminder is: “It doesn’t matter what you want to do in life. Just make sure that when you do it, you’re happy.”

For Carla, work that doesn’t feel like work is a blessing. The happiness and satisfaction she gets from her craft drive her motivations in life and fuel her success. 

While Carla looks forward to holding another concert this year, she also doesn’t pressure herself too much. If it’s meant to happen, it will. 

As Carla’s story proves, success isn’t just about the awards, it’s about the sense of fulfillment one gets from the fruits of one’s hard work. Ever optimistic, hopeful, and grateful for opportunities, she emphasized the simple yet powerful message she lives by: “Be happy.”

Photo courtesy of Theatre Group Asia

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