A local adaptation of an American play / The Filipino identity

Not having read the comedy of Paul Osborn, I now wonder how faithfully its Philippine adaptation by Tony Amador and Joy Virata hews to the original, the idea of a rural setting in the 1920s having come from director Baby Barredo. The synopsis, imaginably, is an adaptation likewise.

Family bonding is not as close among Americans as it is among Filipinos. Living in proximity with family members after each has married is not typically American, either. As adults, Americans prefer to live far from other family members to maintain their independence.

The atypical American play Mornings at Seven or 7 ng Umaga is as charmingly Filipino as it can be. Further, there is the interpolation of Tagalog words and Spanish phrases – these hark back to 300 years of Spanish rule over our country – which, along with the period costumes and single set, deepen ambiance and atmosphere.

The story itself, so un-American, is so Filipino, and the adaptation is credibly native, with direction and execution making for a startlingly – and incredibly – remarkable production.

The comedy is all about family relationships. The vagaries of human nature being what they are, the relationships generate anxieties, unpleasantness, sly maneuverings, inconveniences as also occasional joys.

The story revolves around four sisters: Cora, wife of Doroy; the unmarried Etang who lives with them and who is suspected of having an affair with Doroy; Aiding who is married to Caloy – their son Hermie can’t make up his mind about marrying his fiance Myrna – and Esther, married to David.

Certain family members have quirks and eccentricities. Caloy has fits of depression. David, a pseudo-philosopher, believes he is on the crossroads of something he has yet to discover. He and Esther are about to part ways largely because he vehemently resents her visits to her sisters.

Caloy and Aiding have another house nearby which is meant for Hermie when he marries. Cora, who intensely hates Etang, eyes the house as a love nest for her and Doroy in their old age, this nest being meant to drive Etang away against Doroy’s wishes. Cora does convince Caloy to lease the house to her.

Amidst the thickening and unfolding plot, characterization is vivid and dramatic. Many of Repertory Philippines’ seasoned and experienced "old guard" are in the play each delineating his/her role with flair and aplomb.

Miguel Faustmann as Doroy and Baby Barredo as Cora are rather conventional types and their roles, for the very reason of conventionality, are challenging and magnificently portrayed. In fact, each role is excellently acted out. Enchang Kaimo as Etang, the rejected – and ejected – sister is a stirring figure as she rebels and fights back tooth and nail. Jay Valencia Glorioso is a tearful, hapless Aiding about to be abandoned by Caloy, played by Chiqui Xeres Burgos whose fits of depression are everyone’s concern.

Joy Virata, the witty, dynamic Esther is superb, her every movement and gesture, her unsteady, uneven gait suggesting the creaking bones of old age. Her laughing scene with Barredo, as they ridicule Myrna, Hermie’s fiance, is infectiously rib-tickling.

The initial entrance of Tony Amador, the dictatorial David, petrifies and compels attention. Joel Trinidad is utterly convincing as the shy, inhibited, hesitant and repressed Hermie while Liesl Batucan, Myrna, his fiance, is all sweetness and light, her saccharine manner overwhelming her prospective in-laws.

The family squabbles are ultimately resolved, with love and forgiveness prevailing.

Although rural life is slow-paced, the staging’s rapid tempo keeps the audience keenly awaiting every development. Baby Barredo’s direction and the portrayals make for a quietly amusing yet arresting play of convoluted family relationships and brilliant character delineations. Undertones are serious and thought-provoking.

The colorful costumes are by Celia Diaz Laurel, her single set design of two authentic-looking house facades facing each other was executed by Adul Lasin and Ben Zacarias.

Other playdates of 7 ng Umaga at Onstage Theater, Greenbelt 1, are March 31, April 1-2, 7-9.

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After the launching of Authentic Although Not Exotic, a book of essays on Filipino identity by anthropologist Fernando Zialcita, a round-table discussion on the subject by him, Prof. Isagani R. Cruz and Jessica Zafra will follow, with Chaco Molina as moderator. The event will take place on April 4, 7 p.m. at the Instituto Cervantes.

On April 22, also at Instituto Cervantes, an open house will be held from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. in celebration of International Book Day. New as well as secondhand books in Spanish will be on sale. In accordance with Spanish tradition on Book Day, a flower will be given to those who purchase books – while the supply of flowers lasts.

Guided tours of the new IC building on Kalaw St., Ermita, will be conducted at 11 and 12 a.m., 1, 4 and 5 p.m.