In a surprising turn of events, I was able to watch two more sets (Sets B and C) in this year's Virgin Labfest 15. My overall total of three sets this year is a vast improvement over the last few years combined despite being at the Cultural Center of the Philippines most of the time. Here are a few thoughts about the plays that I was able to catch and also about the VLF 15 in general.
Layeta Bucoy's The Unreachable Star tells about the homecoming of Ali (Lorrie Figueroa), an engineering student at UP who is basically the hope of the family to get them out of poverty. But instead of a triumphant return, it was a defeated and dejected Ali who came back being recently diagnosed with a mental illness. The strong and convincing performances of Tex Ordoñez-de Leon and Jonathan Tadoian (who replaced Raffy Tejada midway through the festival's run) as Ali's eccentric parents were miles apart from the best effort of the relatively new to the scene Figueroa. Ali's older flamboyant gay brother, played by Reynald Santos, tried my patience with over the top lines that were supposed to lighten up the otherwise dreary material.
In U Z Elisorio's Anak Ka Ng, Connie and her daughter Pina engage in a scathing exchange as both come to terms with a death in the family. The superb performances by Skyzx Labastilla and Krystle Valentino as the mother and daughter at odds carried this play, unfortunately exposing Figueroa's weakness a lot more. I didn't know what was the purpose of Rafael Tibayan's Niko, since he didn't serve anything to move plot or flesh out characterization. Just like in the previous play, this one ended in a kind of an ambiguous stalemate with the two characters ending up in laughter as the lights dimmed.
Undeniably, this year's crowd pleaser and most talked about play this year was definitely Wanted: Male Boarders by Rick Patriarca. With unapologetic, very gay, and camp stage direction complete with nudity, song and dance numbers, breaking the fourth wall, and most of all, Lance Rebolando's acrobatics as Melody, this play enthralled the audience. It doesn't matter that the actual material wasn't groundbreaking at all once you dig on it. But this is what draws the crowd in. Thankfully, it did bring genuine laughs.
Performances for Anthony Kim Vergara's A Family Reunion were spot on. The typical Filipino family dynamics like the squabbles between the siblings Roch (Chrome Cosio) and Hershey (Lesley Lina) and how everyone dotes on the youngest one, Nick (Joshua Martin Tayco), felt all too familiar. As the tension builds, compounded further by the revelation of Nick's Japanese/Filipina fiancee, one couldn't help but wonder how on earth could this supposed to be happy, family dinner end up well. It turned out that the father (Gie Onida) has a revelation of his own. It stopped the squabbling siblings to their senses but for everything to get all rosy all of a sudden felt too hasty for me. This was the play where an ambiguous, kind of stalemate ending with everyone still processing the dad's shocking revelation would've served better.
A totally diifferent take on ex-lovers wondering where they've gone wrong was the appeal of Dingdong Novenario's The Bride and the Bachelor. Starring the always charming Via Antonio as the Bride and Alex Medina in his theater stage debut as the Bachelor, this intimate piece had some parallel universe, astral projection phenomenon, or whatever you may call it, element in it. Basically, the Bride (wearing her wedding gown) somehow magically enters the Bachelor's pad exactly at the same time when her wedding takes place. And the two have a conversation on what happened between them and how they ended up where they are right now. Nothing earth shattering but the unusual element did give this an unusual and fresh approach to an unotherwise often tackled theme.
Surrogare by J. Dennis Teodisio featured gay lovers Adam (Roeder Camañag) and Eve (Paul Jake Paule) celebrating their 7th anniversary. What was supposed to be a romantic dinner between the two was turned upside down when Adam brought along Ana (Karen Romualdez) much to Eve's dismay. After lengthy arguments between the two lovers, they eventually agree to Adam's plan all along which was actually way too telegraphed. This play featured yet another flamboyant gay character who provided most of the humor through his one liners, mostly laced with innuendo and delivered over the top. It actually made me question on how Adam managed to stay in a relationship with him for seven years.
This also made me wonder if Eve and the other gay characters like Reynald Santos' kuya in Unreachable were written like this or turning them into flamboyant characters were a directorial decision to spice things up. It is unsettling to know that if either was the case, then gay characters have been boxed once again as the loud, comic relief.
This also made me wonder if Eve and the other gay characters like Reynald Santos' kuya in Unreachable were written like this or turning them into flamboyant characters were a directorial decision to spice things up. It is unsettling to know that if either was the case, then gay characters have been boxed once again as the loud, comic relief.
Returning next year for the Revisited Set are Wanted: Male Boarders, Anak Ka Ng, and Herlyn Alegre's Fangirl, which is not a surprising decision. Even though I failed to see Fangirl, I've heard much praise about it. Not yet sure if VLF 16 will be at the new blackbox theater that is scheduled to be inaugurated later this year. But what is sure is that next edition will be a bit earlier with the run happening in June. It remains to be seen if I'll be able to defy all odds and catch more sets and plays next year.
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