Marian Rivera premieres as actress in play comparing Philippines to ancient Greek tragedy
MANILA, Philippines — History repeats itself as a tragedy in “Password: 03d1pu5_R3x,” the present-day adaptation of Sophocles' first play from the timeless Oedipus trilogy.
Tanghalang Ateneo, the longest-running theater company of the Loyola Schools, is staging the production that uses Rolando S. Tinio's Filipino translation of the play. It is adapted and directed by Ronan B. Capinding (playwright of the award-winning "William").
The production is set in the backdrop of the pandemic, with its resulting isolation and despair. This allows it to function as a commentary on "tragedies" resulting from the rise of populism in the Philippines and globally.
Its synopsis reads: “'Password: 03d1pu5_R3x' unfolds in the midst of a national pandemic, with Oedipus serving as the nation’s strongman President. Faced with the need to investigate the unsolved murder of the legislator Laius years ago, identified as the sole culprit of the terrible scourge, Oedipus sets out to uncover the truth — inadvertently exposing his own unwitting involvement as the crime's perpetrator, for which he himself has declared a draconian penalty.”
The play explores parallels between today's society and the ancient Greek tragedy's context.
“This innovative production allows the downward spiral into the hard facts of the famed Sophoclean tragedy to mirror prevalent political struggle, ethics in the post-truth electronic age, and the pitfalls of rabid fanaticism, showing that the truths of this ancient Greek tragedy remain just as tragic in the current times,” Tanghalang Ateneo said in a release.
The cast consists of the Tanghalang Ateneo ensemble alongside veteran actors Marian Rivera-Dantes, Miren Alvarez-Fabregas, Katski Flores, Gabe Mercado, Marlon Rivera and Yan Yuzon.
The show premiered virtually on Monday with additional screening dates set on February 25 and 27. Tickets are available through Tanghalang Ateneo's ticketing partner Ticket2Me.
For further inquiries, you may contact Kristelle Angelyne Ventura at 0966-307-5975.
