‘Telling the good stories’

MANILA, Philippines - Director Tuxqs Rutaquio senses a renaissance in Philippine theater. He is exhilarated by the theater community that is fueled by a deep passion for the stage. He also notes that nowadays theater companies are more open to sharing talent and ideas, creating venues for the exchange of ideas and a surge of new material.

With this in mind, Rutaquio, Tanghalang Pilipino (TP)’s associate artistic director, looks forward to the company’s latest season. Dubbed MensaHEROs, the plays featured in TP’s season explores different facets of heroes as messengers of good vision, good deeds, bravery and courage.

Fresh from spearheading the well-attended 9th Virgin Labfest, Rutaquio hits the ground running as TP’s latest season kicks off. “We have a wide range of materials this season… a children’s play, a musical, a straight play, an opera, and a stage classic,” he says, noting that the upcoming season has something for every type of audience.

Rutaquio first worked with the company in 2005 when he designed for the play “Ang Pokpok ng Ohio,” after which he auditioned for the role of Didi in “Zsazsa Zaturnah.” Rutaquio was also part of the Virgin Labfest since year one, which is where he met writer Layeta Bucoy, who he considers his soulmate. TP’s season opener, “Sandoseng Sapatos,” is Rutaquio and Bucoy’s tenth collaboration.

“Sandosenang Sapatos” shows the father as hero and his unconditional love for his child that has a disability, says Rutaquio on how the play espouses the theme of MensaHEROs. The play is based on the poignant children’s book by Luis Gatmaitan. “Lahat kami umiyak (We all cried),” says Rutaquio on reading the story for the first time.

Rutaquio admits that even during rehearsals the cast and crew still get teary-eyed. The production started rehearsals in May because the actors perform on rollerblades, a challenging skill Rutaquio decided to use to define the difference between reality and fantasy in the play.

While gliding on their skates, the actors of “Sandosenang Sapatos” have to sing as well – the play is sung from start to finish, Rutaquio explains. Singer-songwriter Noel Cabangon composed four songs for the play, while music director Jed Balsamo completed the rest of the pieces, basing them on Cabangon’s genre and style, giving the whole play a unified sound – “That’s the genius of Jed Balsamo,” Rutaquio says.

“Sandosena” marks Rutaquio and Bucoy’s first children’s play. The director hopes that the audience takes something valuable away “The heart of the play – eliminating judgment for people with disabilities, and appreciating the unconditional love of a father.”

MensaHEROs also features in its season a re-run of “Ibalong,” the fantastical stage adaptation of the Bikolano epic. There was a clamor to show the play again, Rutaquio says, and it will be shown in time for the Ibalong festival, to be held in Legaspi, then at the CCP in August.

The season will then go on to “Merchant of Venice” adapted by Rody Vera, from the translation of Rolando Tinio. The play will show the struggle against institutions in power and how these affect the people under them. Rutaquio adds, the look and feel of the play will be based on Pasolini’s “Salo,” a controversial film for its graphic content, promising to make TP’s version of “Merchant of Venice” very unique and edgy.

“San Andres B.” is an opera composed by Chino Toledo, with libretto by National Artist for Literature Virgilio Almario, and directed by Floy Quintos. The opera obviously reflects the hero theme of the season as it celebrates the 150th birth anniversary of Andres Bonifacio.

Finally, the season is rounded off with “Mga Ama, Mga Anak” with actors Eddie Garcia and Robert Arevalo alternating the lead role. Rutaquio explains the father character in this play is the complete opposite of the father in Sandosena.

“The father is very controlling over his children,” says Rutaquio. “The hero is one of the sons who vows never to do what his father did.”

“We have to educate our audiences that this is one of the oldest art forms,” says Rutaquio on what he hopes to achieve in this new renaissance in Philippine theater. “Some still do not realize that there’s so much energy put into one production. We have to educate them on the arts, not just television and film, but live theater. Iba talaga ang feeling ng live theater… It’s ephemeral.”

“For as long as there are stories to tell, good stories, I will never stop,” says Rutaquio with all the passion and commitment he puts into every play.

Tanghalang Pilipino’s MensaHEROs tells five stories of heroism in different facets and forms. Not only will fictional heroes be portrayed on the stage, but backstage as well, as the cast and crew of TP will be working hard to bring their message to the audience, fueled with the passion and hope and power that comes to life on stage when the curtains go up and the lights come on.