Next Fall

At first glance, the play Next Fall seems to be a magnet for controversy. This play, written by Geoffrey Nauffts, centers on a homosexual couple with different beliefs (one is a Christian while the other is an atheist who rather believes that he has various illnesses) as they go through the ups and downs of their relationship. But Repertory Philippines took a chance and decided to stage this as their initial offering for their 2012 season celebrating their 45th year. And I was able to see a performance of the play during its preview night at Onstage at Greenbelt 1 thanks to director Audie Gemora and his little contest.

Over the course of the play, the relationship between the atheist Adam (Bart Guingona) and the devout Christian Luke (David Bianco) is put to its ultimate test when the latter figures in an accident. Adam, Luke’s parents, Butch (Miguel Faustmann) and Arlene (June Henares), along with friends Holly (Liesl Batucan) and Brandon (Niccolo Manahan) gather in a hospital room and tension arises as secrets are revealed amidst the uncertainty of Luke’s condition. And to offer a breather to the tense scenes, flashbacks are interspersed throughout the play showing the relationship between Luke and Adam from its beginning up to the present day at the hospital.

Repertory Philippines' Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo, director Audie Gemora,

Miguel Faustmann, Juno Henares, David Bianco, Bart Guingona,

Liesl Batucan and Niccolo Manahan

Right from the beginning, I was able to establish the relationships and the connection between the characters which is a good thing. Many times in previous plays that I’ve seen, I had to check the souvenir programme during the intermission to figure out who’s who and how they are related to each other. But I encountered no such trouble with this and comprehended the play  completely despite the numerous flashback scenes. One of the things about this play that resonated in me was the constant search of the characters for a connection. One small detail about the play about connecting that I found so interesting was Luke’s parents trying to contact their other son at the beginning of the play. And at the end, it was Adam who finally was able to connect. This final scene was so powerful to me because of an earlier one when Butch didn’t want to connect with Adam at all despite him knowing of the true nature of their relationship. It made me feel that despite the grim situation, there is still a glimmer of hope in the future because of this new connection that was formed.

I don't want to give spoilers like how the story unfolded and how it eventually ended since it really has to be seen in order to be fully appreciated. The play is an honest depiction of an unconventional relationship that points out sensitive issues that people don’t normally want to discuss. But after watching this, I felt the urge to discuss these issues with someone else but I was with no one else since I was the only one who won the preview ticket. I used to have reservations with straight plays, especially those in English and set in some foreign country since previous plays that I saw left me unconvinced. But Next Fall’s material and its themes transcended language, setting, nationality, gender and beliefs. It presented the truth that applies to everybody that love is indeed what connects us all.

I'd really like to thank Mr. Audie Gemora once again and also Mr. Bart Guingona who was instrumental in my victory at the contest. It was truly a nice experience seeing this play that really stimulated my mind and forced me to reflect on my values which I did as I made the trip home. Next Fall runs for two more weeks until February 5, 2012. I do recommend seeing it with friends and be prepared for a lengthy discussion afterwards.