Theater outside the box
September 10, 2004 | 12:00am
The past few years have seen the world of theater in the Philippines grow at an amazing speed. When in the last twentysomething years the slim pickings that theater lovers had for an evening of drama were only Repertory Philippines and the rare performances at CCP, the last few years have seen more and more theater companies blossom in the city and bring a wider spectrum of choices to those that love the world of plays, acting and music. Now, in addition to Repertory Philippines, smaller companies such as Tanghalang Filipino and Actors Actors Guild are gaining more recognition while equally large and impressive groups like Trumpets, New Voice and Atlantis are stepping forward to take their place in the theater arena. And then, just when we thought we had more or less reached a stagnant phase in theater growth, a group of creative minds gave birth to a new company that promises to bring theater to a new level of performance. I call it – theater outside the box.
Indeed this new company, The Metropolitan Theatre Guild, introduces itself to the Filipino people with a bang with its maiden stage offering of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. This group, commonly referred to as The Met, is a pioneering non-profit theater organization focused on the development of the Philippine theater industry through the merging of Filipino artistic excellence and sound business administration. Their main dream is incite a renaissance of Filipino theater and art and revitalize the theater industry through a series of spectacular productions and breathtaking performances.
High hopes to be sure and not an easy feat for theater talent is so abundant on our shores that the discerning stage-lover is accustomed to high quality performances. Nevertheless, The Met is unwavering in their dedication and their Board of Directors includes intelligent and experienced veterans such as Nation Artist for Theater Design Salvador Bernal and Dr. Ricardo Abad, renowned director and sociologist. These luminaries along with many others come together in the guild and produce new and cutting-edge performances set to take the theater world by storm.
And with that in mind their first offering is a new spin on an old classic. Shakespeare’s classic A Midsummer Night’s Dream is no two-hour typical bard but a new twist to something well-known and well-loved. The play even contains homage to our culture as it includes selected translations by Rolando S. Tinio. Containing new and innovative approaches, the show combines dazzling space-age sets and fabulous costumes by Bernal. Actors fly across the stage thanks to an Australian special-effects team which was also in-charge of the flying scenes in The Matrix. Dr. Ricardo Abad mixes traditional Shakespeare up with his own personal directorial vision for the show.
It’s all about being different and being new as I discussed with executive producer Steven Uy. "We were excited to bring something daring and exciting to the theater world," he shared after the performance. "It’s been a wonderful experience for all of us from the actors to the creative team to the set designers to the makeup artists and hopefully to all the viewers as well."
In all honesty, the play does indeed serve to represent The Met’s vision for fusion in all artistic areas of the entertainment industry. Bringing together an eclectic cast was part of the show’s appeal and Midsummer performers come from all over. From newbies to veterans, theater-goers can enjoy a diverse cast that boasts some of theater and cinema’s finest talents such as Miren Alvarez, Richard Cunanan, Mona Katigbak, Mylene Dizon, Epy Quizon, John "Sweet" Lapus, Joel Trinidad, Topper Fabregas, Issa Litton, Monica Llamas, Shiela Valderrama and Ronan Capinding.
What’s the verdict on The Met’s first showcase? I have to be honest and begin with saying that it was nothing like I’ve ever seen, which can be translated in different ways. Luckily though, I was pre-warned that this Midsummer was a far cry from the usual Elizabethan performances I’ve come to accept from Shakespeare plays. I admit that I’m a purist when it comes to shows like these and while many say that they’ve begun to get tiresome and even boring, I still believe that Shakespeare is timeless and classic and I look forward to that when I purchase tickets to see one of his pieces.
But, that’s just the purist in me, this time I was willing to open my mind to new and different avenues to Shakespearean theater and I looked at everything with a clean slate. One of the first things I noticed was that the makeup was delightful. Designed and executed by Ricci Chan, a popular makeup artist in the metro, Ricci is also a veteran in the world of stage (you may remember him as the original and unparalleled Angel of Rent) which may have been a plus when he pulled off the intricate makeup designs on leading characters like Titania, Oberon and Puck. With the imaginary aspect of the piece behind it, the look came off quite well.
The rest of the production was interesting as well albeit I admit I was somewhat confused for a while. The opening scenes introduce characters with rather oriental clothing and Chinese-style makeup doing a sort of Egyptian dance and spouting lines about Athenian laws. It was a hodge-podge of cultures which I couldn’t decide was good or bad. Add, of course, the Filipino portion into the mix and you’ve got the United Nations theater in front of you. I liked the production venturing into different cultural arenas for Shakespeare instead of just Italian or Greek, but I think it would have come off clearer if they had just chosen one poignant cultural avenue instead of bringing them all together at once.
I think that was actually my biggest concern about the performance. Due to the eclectic mix of cultural influences, no one thing stood out among the costumes and backdrops, which would have been nice considering the designs were wonderful. The constant cultural shift confused me and occasionally kept me from appreciating other aspects of the show like the great stage design and lights. If there is such a thing as minimalistic and complicated this stage design would be it and I applaud Donato Karingal for the wonderfully simplistic lighting design that quickly and effortlessly transported the audience into a strange and captivating world of pure imagination.
Now props, lights, makeup, and twisted Shakespeare aside I think the performance was spectacular. Despite the constant threat of being overshadowed by the enormity of props, flying ropes, and the like the ensemble did a wonderful job with the play. Graciously handling the double effort it must have taken to perfect Elizabethan lines in an entirely new setting the actors brought together old and new seamlessly. Much like Leonardo di Caprio and Claire Danes’ Romeo & Juliet, it’s a very dangerous line to tread bringing Shakespearean language into a modern setting without it sounding forced or contrived. The actors did quite well though on this aspect particularly Richard Cunanan, Miren Alvarez, Shiela Valderrama, and Monica Llamas who pulled off the dialect effortlessly and were simply a joy to watch. Additionally, Joel Trinidad, a household name in the world of theater, essayed Lysander beautifully. His lines were delivered strongly, clearly, and enunciated perfectly – something very important to me. Unfortunately though, due to his superb performance and strong presence, Joel often dominated his stage partner who, while portraying Demetrius well, was at times overshadowed. Of course, I must also mention Epy Quizon’s exceptional performance. A familiar name to be sure, this was my first time to see him live on the stage and he did not disappoint. His Puck was wonderfully mischievous and calculating and everyone in the auditorium clung to his every word. Finally, I can’t end without mentioning scene stealers Ronan Capinding and John "Sweet" Lapus who, while delivering the comical and sensible Filipino translated selections well, provided the audience with uncontrollable laughter. I, for one, could not stop chuckling when their characters finally performed their play for Theseus’ court.
In conclusion, despite my earlier apprehensions and reservations, I would recommend watching A Midsummer Night’s Dream to anyone with a penchant for theater that’s new and exciting. Again, I warn you already, it’s not your normal trip to the Globe but I definitely think it’s bold and daring and a great way to present a new kind of theater. Above all that, it’s fun and combats the age-old misconception that theater, or even Shakespeare in particular, is boring. The Met has indeed kept their promise of innovative and experimental performances with this first stage production and I look forward to what they have in store next.
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