TP: Review of NEKROPOLIS: Actualizing Anarchy

April 22, 2023

There were two sections in this city. The rich lived in Mariposa, where the rich residents were called butterflies. The poor lived in the Projects, where the poor residents were derisively called mosquitoes. The authoritarian leader was a man they called the Mayor. The main opposition was a woman they called the Kapitana (Julie Dimayuga). The nights in the city ring with gunshots as drug addicts were shot down without compunction.

One night, Miggs (Marco Viana) was contemplating about an imaginary wormhole where he can come out the other end as his younger self. A nervous young man named Alex (Marc Lorenz) met up with government employee also named Alex (Vince Macapobre) for his first sexual rendezvous. Claire (Lhorvie Nuevo) allowed lesbian drug pusher Karina (Mitzi Comia) into their apartment to hide during a surprise raid. 

This was an experimental project unlike anything I had seen from Tanghalang Pilipino before. It begins with a series of world-building episodes where various characters described their lives in this chaotic city which was on the brink of civil war. Admittedly, it was very confusing at first, I did not know what was going on. Even at the end, I cannot claim to understand everything that transpired, but I definitely felt the urgent unsettling message it was conveying.

The production design of Tata Tuviera was so abstract, beginning with bodies on the floor covered with newspapers, and ending with an explosive shower of waste paper and skulls making a big mess on the stage.  There were ropes crisscrossing from ceiling to floor in all directions, giving the illusion of shattered glass. The projection designs of Joyce Garcia on the floor or the live shots of the actors onstage on the backdrop heightened the mood of tension. 

The whole play felt like a madhouse when it reached that crazy climax when the whole cast was on different parts of the stage, simultaneous doing their own things, while some random characters were running around like headless chickens, I did not know where to look at or whom to listen to. Director Charles Yee wanted to show writer Guelan Luarca's idea of a society descending into anarchy, and that bleak dystopia was exactly what we saw and felt. 

*****

"Nekropolis" runs only for six shows at the Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenex in one weekend from April 20-23, 2023. 

Upstart: Review of BREAKUPS & BREAKDOWNS: Mercurial Millennial Mindsets

April 15, 2023

One Friday night, playboy commercial model Derek (Nelsito Gomez) was getting prepared for spending a night in a bar to meet up with a new girl. He was trying to convince his roommate and long-single best friend Mark to go out with him so he could meet girls. However, Mark (Reb Atadero) was still struggling to begin writing his new play about finding the perfect girl, so he won't budge from his computer. 

Mark's ex-girlfriend graphic artist Nina (Tanya Manalang), with her boss Felicia (Sarah Facuri), was dealing with difficult clients Howard (Joel Trinidad) and Morgan (Rachel Coates) at work. Sandy (Nicky Trivino) who was seeking advice from her friends Richard (Trinidad) and Pamela (Facuri) on how best to get on Derek's good side. She was leaving for Singapore in a few weeks and wanted to get serious with Derek before that.  

The libretto of the original musical "Breakups and Breakdowns" was Joel Trinidad's first work for theater back in 2005. Its music was composed by Rony Fortich back then and even now as new songs were added to beef up the show. This present edition of the play had been reworked extensively by Trinidad, together with his creative partner and dramaturg Nicky Trivino, along with additional script  suggestions by the cast members themselves. 

Reb Atadero and Tanya Manalang are powerful belters, and, as the lead couple of the show, they both get to sing the best songs in the show. The most vocally- and emotionally-challenging song is "Tired of Goodbyes" sung by Mark and Nina, the most traditional showtune in the list. Both also get show-stopping solo numbers -- "Only Words" for Mark, "Outside the Lines" for Nina -- to highlight their vocal range.

Those who only knew Nelsito Gomez for his iconic roles in "Angry Christ" or "Asher Lev" will be pleasantly shocked with his all-out transformation of persona, as much as they will be shocked by the electric colors of his shirts. The energy of the show tends to sag when his Derek was not onstage. The most attention-getting songs were those naughty ones by Derek, especially "Be Prepared," sung with a small square packet in his hand. 

Rachel Coates, Sarah Facuri and Trinidad himself got to play multiple distinct characters, and their side stories were sometimes wittier than the main love story. I liked the "Clients from Hell" side story best of all. The wishy-washy boss Howard was Trinidad's best character for me. The wig he wore made him look like a totally different person. Coates was so good playing annoying suck-up Morgan, practically echoing everything Howard said. 

The current version of the show now runs for about 2-1/2 hours, with a 15-minute interval between acts. Admittedly, because of the slimness of the plot, I felt the length of this running time, particularly when the momentum and the wit faltered in the second half of both acts. Surely, this pacing issue can still tightened for the regular shows. Anyhow, the vibrant talent and personalities of the actors still kept the show afloat and engaging to the end. 

*****

Upstart's "Breakups & Breakdowns" runs from April 15 (3 p.m.), April 16 (3 p.m. and 8 p.m.), April 22 (3 p.m. and 8 p.m.) and April 23 (3 p.m.) at the Creative Arts Centre, The British School Manila, 38th Street, BGC, Taguig. For ticket inquiries, call or text Upstart at 0917-8116156 or e-mail upstartproductionsinc@gmail.com.  Ticket prices are P2300, 2100, 1800, 800 and 500. 

For those who will be driving their own cars, the nearest parking areas would be in the two malls near the venue -- Market! Market! and Uptown Mall. However, the distance between each mall to the venue will take about a 10-minute walk in each direction. Walking back to the car alone at 10:30 pm after an evening show may not feel safe for nervous types.