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There are two promising plays opened at the Tanghalang Huseng Batute,
Cultural Center of the Philippines for the fourth installment of a
laboratory festival for playwrights popularly known as Virgin
Labfest 4: Layeta Bucoy’s Las Mentiras de Gloria (The Lies of
Gloria), directed by Tuxqs Rutaquio; and Rogelio Braga’s Ang Bayot,
Ang Meranao at ang Habal-Habal sa Isang Nakababagot na Paghihintay
sa Kanto ng Lanao Del Norte directed by Nick Olanka premiered at the
Virgin Labfest 4.
Bucoy’s play is character-centered. Gloria
touches on a woman’s incestuous relationship with her fraternal
twin brother Utoy and the life of lies and deceit they have lived
separately through the years as they become more mature and old. The
play ends pitifully and dramatically.
May Bayot’s emotive performance made the play
so moving and affecting. She interpreted the character like a cancer
victim. Bart Guingona, her co-actor, could have been more effective
had he commanded Tagalog—the play’s speaking dialogue—well.
However, struggles for the right speed and pronunciation of native
words. Nonetheless, acting wise, he was able to justify his casting
with his engaging performance.
Rutaquio, with his numerous work experiences in
directing, bravely utilizes thrust staging with Gloria. Thrust
staging is a three-sided stage where a director would take advantage
of consistently using quarter and profile blocking for actors and
set is placed with a three-quarter axis. Thrust staging is a tricky
space where one would not see the difference between the proscenium
(the part of the theater in front of the curtain) and the thrust.
Rutaquio’s blocking scenes were done mostly in proscenium. This
affected the viewing pleasure of an audience when sitting on both
unfavorable sides of the stage. Tricky as it is, Rutaquio
successfully contributed intensely as a director to his actors.
For his part, tackles hilariously unresolved
problems every Pinoy is still facing with his satirical play Bayot.
Racial and gender discrimination, hypocrisy, bigotry, divisiveness
of faith and corruption are few of the issues discussed in the play.
To add on to its mirthful observations, the play sarcastically used
vulgar street language, tawdry words and kitschy taste. Two
outstanding actors, Joey Paras and Arnold Reyes, effectively
utilized these devices.. They were actually the saving grace. Paras
played a gay visiting NGO worker while Reyes effortlessly
personified a native Muslim habal-habal (motorcycle taxi) driver.
Olanka, known more in the film circuits,
directed these competent actors well. However, there were unwise
choices with the set design and the choice of costumes. To see only
a projection of a mountainous setting all through out the play is
quite disappointing in an otherwise outstanding play.
These two playwrights, Layeta Bucoy and Rogelio
Braga, should inspire the others in creating witty, challenging and
tasteful drama.
-- Joey B. Ting
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