Saturday, September 12, 2015

Review of Dulaang UP's # R < / 3 J: "Current-ifying" a Classic

September 12, 2015



Despite being a tragedy, Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" has endured through the years since its initial publication in 1597 with its story of a pair of young lovers whose romance was doomed from the start. This story has been told and retold and retold once again, adapted into various situations and various cultures in many films and plays of varied styles. 

For its 40th theater season, Dulaang UP once again challenges conventions to stage a radical adaptation of Romeo and Juliet in the context of present-day Filipino youth culture, politics and showbusiness. The very title itself, composed of seemingly random symbols and letters, may not be properly read by the older generation.  I still do not know how to properly pronounce it. Apparently the </3 between R and J means "heartbreak".

Everybody knows the story of Romeo and Juliet, so each production strives to stand out by the uniqueness of its interpretation. This DUP staging calls itself a "multimedia hallucination" so that would give you an idea of how this show will probably go. That they explicitly warn that this play is for mature audiences only suggests that their show will be bold and daring.

The setting is still called Verona, but in the Philippines. The Montagues become the Montes family. The Capulets become the Capule family. The two families are bitter political rivals. The names of Romeo and Juliet are reduced to their initials, R and J. The big difference here is that their Juliet is not a shy 13-year old shrinking violet. Instead, 16-year old J is a showbiz star, a brash spirited teen idol. This difference in the basic character of J would later figure in the radically-changed ending. 

From the very first scene, your attention is immediately grabbed by the unique vision in white of Romeo and Juliet floating and frolicking in midair, as they were borne by dancers who contort their bodies into different positions in order to achieve the proper effect. From such a triumphantly surreal beginning, the whole Act 1 would prove to be a very exciting, very creative telling of familiar stories. This flexible ensemble of dancers would again be imaginatively utilized in a series of scenes depicting R and J's secret rendezvouses as cubicles and cars. 

One of the best scenes for me was that that wild party scene where R and J first met. It was so well-staged with so many dancers on the stage with so much energy and debauchery. The excellent lighting and soundtrack in that scene transformed the whole theater into one big nightclub. It was truly trippy and electric. 

I had never seen the stage of Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero Theater so big and so bare, with minimalistic props coming in and out as they were needed. Everything flowed so efficiently. The projection screen is used in ways I had never seen before with so many original visuals. So much popular youth culture has been injected into this play in the visuals, the lingo, the technology, the music, the dancing. So many facets of the original play which I did not notice or pay attention to before were given prominence here, like Romeo's first love Rosaline or Mercutio's homosexuality. 

Roco Sanchez and Francesca Go, the lead actors playing R and J, are relatively new with a short list of prior theater credits, but their acting performances were so brave, vital and memorable here. They possess amazing dancing skills to boot from classical balletic moves to interpretative jazz moves to funky hip-hop moves.  The onstage chemistry between these two young actors was undeniable, giving the audience a sense of romantic thrill in their scenes together. When R said J was "resplendent", Go truly was. Sanchez exuded the vibe of a young Yul Servo. 

Among the young supporting cast, the standout was Stephen Vinas in the bad boy role as J's cousin Tybalt. His stage presence was as remarkable as his six-pack abs, as he literally stood out from the madding crowd onstage.  Rowald Aviles and Jonathan Abella, playing the guys on R's side, Ben (for Benvolio) and Markky (for Mercutio), unfortunately could not match the intensity projected by Vinas on that stage. Better casting choices could have made that big brawl scene even more breathtaking than it was. 

The senior actors playing the rival politician fathers, Ricky Ibe (as Congressman Montes) and Mitoy Sta. Ana (as Mayor Capule), portray their roles in their slimy best.  However, Ibe actually captured more attention in his second (uncredited in the playbill) role as the Boy Abunda-like emcee of TV talk show "Diretsahan". The caricature was hilarious, especially as he mimicked how Abunda would interrupt the guest as they were talking. By quick costume and wig changes, Marynor Madamesila would portray both Mrs. Montes and Mrs. Capule. She would have her big scene in Act 2 as the Psychiatrist lecturing J about the hormonal basis of love.

After the intermission though, the whole texture of the play will change. For all the visual and emotional vibrancy of Act 1, Act 2 was the complete opposite. We know this Act 2 would be a downer the way events go, but I did not expect it to be this down. R's long sobbing soliloquy may have been a big dramatic moment for Sanchez, but I felt it lost something when the video showed of his suicide did not coincide with how it was portrayed onstage. I do not know if I like the twist in the ending about J. The long final scene was in complete silence, lit only by cellphone flashlights . Too bad during the show I watched, the dramatic power of that scene was interrupted by a girl's sneeze piercing the silence, causing the audience to burst into giggles. 

The final image we see on the big screen was a real-time video of the audience. This, and the unconventional absence of a curtain call, were head-scratching puzzles for the audience as they reluctantly and very quietly, I guess thoughtfully, filed out of the theater. This was the most uneasy ending of a theater show I have experienced. 

Just when you thought they could not do anything more to Romeo and Juliet, here is "#R </3 J" to shake you up. Dexter M. Santos skillfully directs and leads the choreography team to bring this novel adaptation by Guelan Varela-Luarca to vivid life. The technical designers -- Krina Cayabyab (Music), John Batalla (Lights), Ohm David (Set), Winter David (Video), Darwin Desoacido (Costumes) -- have collaborated to create the perfect theatrical hallucination for us to immerse ourselves in. 

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"#R </3 J" will have three last shows today September 13, 2015 at 10am, 3pm and 8 pm. There will be another show on Sept. 14 at 8 pm to accommodate those who bought tickets for the Sept. 8 show cancelled because of power outage and inclement weather. Venue is at the Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero Theater, 2nd Floor Palma Hall in UP Diliman. 

For ticket inquiries, you may contact Samanta Clarin (09277406124) or Camille Guevara (09178239531). You may also contact the DULAANG UP Office at 9261349; 4337840 or 9818500 loc 2449.



23 comments:

  1. I love plays more than movies. Maybe because you can see the real actors without the use of edits and takes.

    Kai, www.lilpink.info

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  2. I love plays too, and Romeo and Juliet is a classic. It's always nice to see how a director can add something new to a centuries old famous play!

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  3. Romeo and Juliet has been staged so many times but fans of the story would still love to watch every rendition. This play has a different twist since there are portrayals of local artist such as Boy Abunda and injections of humor.

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  4. I've read the book but have never seen the play. I would have loved to see this. It's a classic and I think I'm going to put it on my list of must see plays.

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  5. It's so nice that we get to see different versions of this beautiful story. I wish I could've had the chance to watch this one.

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  6. this sounds like an awesome remake (can i saw it's a remake?) of romeo & juliet! but how do we pronounce the title, huh? "hashtag R smaller than slash 3 J"? sorry if that's a weird question, but I just wonder how do people buy the tickets when they cannot even pronounce the title of the play.

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    1. That symbol </3 in the middle of R and J means "heartbreak". Do you see it? :-)

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  7. This sounds pretty cool. And wow, you go to a lot of plays! What's your favorite so far?

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  8. Ooh, the classic Romeo and Juliet. Would've loved to see this play but can't really go out right now. Hopefully they make another one next year and I'll be able to enjoy it.

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  9. I really love modern-themed plays like this because it's a lot more relatable to today's generation! Looks fun to watch! :D

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  10. This is something interesting to watch these shows which we have read in the books and to see them perform is simply wonderful.

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  11. I like the Romeo and Juliet depicted in present day setting. It seems like a nice play. I would hope for a movie concept too that creates a contemporary love story inspired by the story.

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  12. We don't have that many play in my country so I am not so well in this yet. But I enjoy watch play as we get closer to the scene and we can feel and hear the emotions of the casts. We can relate more to this contemporary Romeo & Juliet remake than the classic version.

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  13. I was just wondering if your article has coding problem! Haha... Indeed the title is really weird and not good for seo search too! :P

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    1. Haha! As you see in the poster, that indeed is the title of the play. That symbol </3 in the middle of R and J means "heartbreak". I had to put spaces between each character or else Blogspot would not publish the article!

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  14. "that scene was interrupted by a girl's sneeze piercing the silence, causing the audience to burst into giggles" was that really on script or unintentionally happened?

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    1. I do not think so. It sort of ruined the moment for those on stage, I felt. The audience simply could not stifle their giggles. The girl was seated in the front row so everyone could hear her sneeze in the deafening silence.

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  15. I love the sound of this awesome remake and the title is so cool. I can totally see the R(omeo) *hearts* J(uliet)! I have always love R&J shows and plays. The last one I went to with my friends, thereafter my own Romeo proposed to me!! <3

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  16. It has been so long since I watched a play from UP. I think it was on my 4th year in highschool and we watched El Fili and Noli.

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  17. Well, we all knew the Romeo & Juliet love tragedy, it takes a finger that Filipinos can copycat the show. It's entertaining and lovely of course!

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  18. I have seen a lot of Romeo & Juliet stage plays and films. But, this one with a modern day twist seems a good one to watch. Montes family and Capule Family. Wow! galing naman ng nakaisip nito.

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  19. I haven't seen a Romeo & Juliet play but I heard so many good feedback. I'm pretty sure that a Filipino adaptation would be interesting to watch.

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  20. I didn't see the meaning of the symbol </3 in the title until you mentioned it. Interesting!

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