Indecent proposals are nothing new to actor Paolo Gumabao, and he admits to having had many encounters with them.

"Hindi na yata talaga mawawala ang mga ganung proposal. (I don't think these kinds of proposals will ever go away)," said Paolo when asked how he handles indecent proposals during an interview after he kicked off the provocative play "Walong Libong Piso" at Teatrino in Greenhills, San Juan City on Aug. 1.

Paolo added, "I turn them down, but I answer in a way that they will not be offended. But I don't want to judge them. The best thing to do is handle it with care, be respectful when you decline them so that you will not have enemies."

Paolo still had a slight fever when he kicked off his theatrical debut on Aug. 1.

"I try to feel better, and I force myself to feel okay," said Paolo, who revealed he nearly cancelled the show. "Tataas at bababa yung temperature ko, but I'm okay. Kaya naman at naitawid ko naman. (My temperature will go up and down, but I'm OK. That's why I made it through.)

When asked why he still pursued the show, Paolo said, "The show must go on, rain or shine. I had a great time. But you know, no matter how good your work is, you need to improve. So I will recheck the script to see what should be improved."

Paolo said he was happy with his theatrical debut, especially when he saw familiar faces in the audience. "Ang daming sumuporta na kaibigan ko, and I am excited to see my other friends in the future shows. (I have so many supportive friends, and I am excited to see my other friends in future shows.)"

Previously, Paolo said he was thrilled and excited about his first stage performance in the daring psychological one-character play.

"Daring ang scenes ko rito. This is my comeback sa pagiging daring sa mga eksena. (My scenes here are daring. This is my comeback to being daring in scenes)," said Paolo when asked about the play during a media conference at the Manila Hotel recently.

Paolo added: "Noong nabasa ko yung script, nakita ko na lahat. Pati yung climax nakita ko na. So this is interesting kasi kami lang ang artista sa stage and that's challenging. We have to find ways na interesting dahil mag-isa ka lang sa stage. Iba ang expressions sa stage kesa paggawa ng movies. (When I read the script, I saw everything. I even saw the climax. So this is interesting because we are the only actors on stage and that's challenging. We have to find ways that are interesting because you are alone on stage. The expressions on stage are different from making movies.)"

"Kaya naman, it's a challenge. Lagi kong kausap ang manager ko kapag may project ako. Ako kapag may project ka na kinakabahan ka, yun ang gawin mo. Kasi yun ang magpapa-stretch sayo. (That's why it's a challenge. I always talk to my manager when I have a project. When you have a project that makes you nervous, that's what you do. Because that's what will stretch you)," he added.

Entrepreneur and philanthropist Engr. Benjamin Austria, founder of BenTria Productions, confirmed the play is daring, which also stars Drei Arias, John Mark Marcia, and Juan Paolo Calma.

"This is something that will surprise the audience. And I think they will enjoy it. We never had something like this in a while," said Benjamin.

Paolo recounted his first impressions as he delved into the script. He reflected on the depth of the characters and the intricate plot, feeling inspired by the potential of the story unfolding before him.

"Noong nabasa ko yung script, nakita ko na lahat. Pati yung climax nakita ko na. So this is interesting kasi kami lang ang artista sa stage and that's challenging. We have to find ways na interesting dahil mag-isa ka lang sa stage. Iba ang expressions sa stage kesa paggawa ng movies. (When I read the script, I saw everything. I even saw the climax. So this is interesting because we are the only actors on stage and that's challenging. We have to find ways that are interesting because you are alone on stage. The expressions on stage are different from making movies.)"

"Kaya naman. It's a challenge. Lagi kong kausap ang manager ko kapag may project ako. Ako kapag may project ka na kinakabahan ka, yun ang gawin mo. Kasi yun ang magpapa-stretch sayo. (That's why it's a challenge. I always talk to my manager when I have a project. When you have a project that makes you nervous, that's what you do. Because that's what will stretch you),"

"In this industry, hindi porket matagal ka rito, mas madali ang trabaho. Mas humihirap siya kasi naglalagay ka ng new techniques. Since. may experience ka, gagawin mo ngayon mas malalim ang character mo. (In this industry, it's not because you've been here a long time, the work is easier. It's harder because you're learning new techniques. Since you have experience, you'll now make your character deeper)," Paolo said.

Written and directed by Dante Balboa, the theatrical play is set to run on Aug. 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, and 16. Dante said: "The theme of the play is relevant to contemporary issues as well, as it tackles hypersexuality disorder and mental health issues amongst the protagonist as well as the antagonist of the story. The play leaves the audience with psychological questions about who deceived and who was deceived between the two characters."

Paolo shared his excitement for theater acting, embracing the transformative power of storytelling and the joy of bringing characters to life.

"Excited ako sa teatro because siya ang pinaka-root ng acting. Lahat ng magaling na aktor pinagdaanan nila ang teatro. So excited akong matuto sa teatro. (I'm excited about theater because it's where acting is rooted. All the great actors went through the theater. So I'm excited to learn from theater.)"

"Iba talaga ang pressure kapag nasa stage ka because all eyes are on you. Bawal magkamali at dapat memorize mo ang lines mo. If ever magkamali dapat makahanap ka ng way na makabalik ka. (The pressure is different when you're on stage because all eyes are on you. You can't make mistakes, and you have to memorize your lines. If you ever make a mistake, you have to find a way to get back up)," the actor said.

Paolo also said he enjoyed the rehearsals because he learned other acting techniques from fellow actors.

"Masaya ang rehearsals namin. Apat kasi kaming actors dito pero same lines lang kami. So pinapanood namin ang rehearsals ng bawat isa. So lahat natuto kami sa isa't isa. (Our rehearsals were fun. There are four of us actors here, but we only have the same lines. So we watched each other's rehearsals and learned from one another)," he said.

BenTria Productions debuted with the film project “Broken Blooms,” which received awards here and abroad. Aside from Broken Blooms, BenTria produced Huwag Mo Akong Iwan, Fatherland, and the upcoming Graduation Day.

In the concert scene, BenTria made its mark when it came up with two successful sold-out concerts: Grooving with Champions starring Laarni Lozada and Kris Lawrance, and Always & Forever featuring Pops Fernandez and Martin Nievera.