Show delivers sexual discourse in a funny way

MANILA, Philippines — At the start of the original Tagalog play, DickTalk, the actors readily warned the audience what they would see onstage was something sensitive. The title alone connotes anything about the phallic symbol.

Hence, in case you are the faint of heart or someone who finds it oddly scandalous to outrightly say the male sex organ in the vernacular, then DickTalk is not for you.

The topic most people find it hard to talk about, let alone present in a stage play, the show more openly tackled and freely delivered.

The five performers — Jake Cuenca (Peter), Mikoy Morales (Cecile), Nil Nodalo (Rob), Gold Aceron (Jun-Jun) and veteran actor Archie Adamos (Doods) — were respectively given their unique, interesting and lengthy monologues about their woes, problems, sentiments, stories and hopes.

Writers Benj Cruz Garcia and Ara Vicencio created unique discourses for the actors all related to their sex organ sans any friction. At the helm is veteran director Phil Noble of PETA (Philippine Educational Theater Association).

V-Roll Media Ventures presented its maiden production in cooperation with Trifecta Brand Lab. With concept creators Edwin Vinarao and Christian Clemente, DickTalk fearlessly and boldly explored the issue of manhood and masculinity in a hilarious yet intellectual, real and honest way.

It has been nearly two decades since the Ricky Lee-penned and the Joel Lamangan-directed Penis Talk went onstage at the Music Museum (2004). There was even Halik ng Tarantula, the daring adaptation of Kiss of the Spiderwoman, staged in 2013 with BB Gandanghari and Jet Alcantara.

More popularly, so was Eve Ensler’s Vagina Monologues, which was said to have inspired DickTalk, that was why comparison became inevitable.

The creative team of the show molded each colorful character with relatable experiences. What was taboo to be discussed at the time the experience happened, the actors found it liberating to talk about now.

Good-looking local artists like James Reid, Daniel Padilla and John Lloyd Cruz were mentioned in the actors’ dialogue.

Jake started his discourse by connecting his 2021, headline-hogging road mishap, where even a Grab rider was hit by a stray bullet, to his character’s lament.

DickTalk is Jake’s sophomore outing onstage. In 2018, he made his theater debut in Sandbox Collective’s two-hander play, Lungs, opposite Sab Jose.

In the play, Jake was the good-looking Peter North Teves, a chef and professional escort, the son of famous and now-retired bold stars and Hardy “Hard Dick” Teves and Poquita Diaz.

Peter hurled invectives repeatedly, as if they were naturally part of his lines. He was unbelievably battling breast cancer. He sought three opinions. Two from certified surgeons and one from the traditional hilot.

“You’re nothing but a second-rate German cut,” complained the passionate Peter to his genitalia. “Isang piraso ng karne, pero naging puhunan ko.”

Word got around that Jake’s character would go full monty to display his jaw-dropping body. Yet, he only teased by bringing his sexy briefs one side down at the end of his act.

Twenty-four-year-old TV and film actor Gold Aceron made his theater debut in the show, playing a 16-year-old character, Grade 10 student Jun-Jun, someone that really suited him since he can readily pass for a teenager.

As the first character to be introduced, JunJun was doing his research about the male reproductive organ and he was shown masturbating. Only, the act was hidden behind an old TV set. He bravely did a butt exposure onstage, too.

Throughout the play, other Tagalog sexual terms were used by the characters, apparently needed in their delivery.

Even the female sex organ, made it to the discourse of Rob or Dayanara May Robles, played by real trans-man Nil Nodalo, another first-time theater actor.

He emphasized the vagina was simply a physical identifier. “I don’t want one,” Rob shouted. “I never needed one.” He was born female, but opted to become a transgender — even in real life.

Mikoy Morales portrayed Maria Cecilio or Cecile, the youngest and only boy in a brood of six. The only thorn among the roses.

He refused to identify himself as gay, though, even if he has a vintage Barbie collection from Mattel and he used tissue every time he peed. He was coming to terms with himself as he was set to tie the knot.

Veteran TV and film actor Archie Adamos played a 65-year-old retired college professor Rodolfo “Doods” Mortiz, who was suffering from erectile dysfunction. But he remained happily married with five children and many grandchildren.

Although he still enjoyed the boys’ night out with his friends, Doods was the most senior among his friends. Archie’s portrayal certainly added a different dimension to the character.

DickTalk did a well-received debut onstage last weekend at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium at RCBC Plaza in Makati City. The play will have a limited run until tomorrow (April 23) at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium (RCBC Theater).