REVIEW: Lysistrata

"Lysistrata"
Tanghalang Ateneo

Genre: Comedy / some musical
Director: Ricardo Abad / BJ Crisostomo
Original Story: Aristophanes
Translated by: Pete Lacaba
Cast: Maria Carissa A. Alejandro (Lysistrata), et. al

Rating: 8.5/10

This may be quite late for a review, but oh well, this is just the Fil paper that I made for it.

***

Sex as Art. Sex for Peace

Nitong mga nakalipas na panahong pangteatro, nagsulputan ang iba’t ibang mga dulang tumatalakay sa mas matured na nilalaman. Hindi rin ito nakalagpas sa Ateneo, datapwa’t isa itong akademikong institusyon na nasa pangangalaga ng mga paring Heswita. Nariyan ang “Fluid” ng Fine Arts Program; ang “Tarong” ng Entablado; ang “Bare” ng Blue Repertory; at kamakailan lang, ang “Lysistrata” ng Tanghalang Ateneo. Lahat ng mga nabanggit na produksyon ay may ekstensibong eksena patungkol sa pagtatalik at kung ano pang mga sexual acts.

Sa papel na ito, susuriin ang dulang “Lysistrata”, na hinango ni Pete Lacaba mula sa dula ni Aristophanes at sa direksyon ni Ricardo Abad at ni BJ Crisostomo. Bilang isang dula na may malaking pagtuon sa sex, maraming mga bagay ang dapat isaalang-alang at intindihin para unawain ang dula higit pa sa pisikal na dimension nito.

Hindi patungkol sa sex ang pangunahing tema ng dulang “Lysistrata”. Ito ay kwento hinggil sa digmaan at kapayapaan at pakomedya ang pagtalakay sa mahahalay na eksena. Dahil sa hindi matigil na giyera sa pagitan ng Sparta at Atena, isang grupo ng mga maybahay mula sa Gresya ang nagtipon-tipon upamg mag-isip ng paraan kung paano nila maibabalik ang kapayapaan sa bayan nilang nasadlak sa dahas. Sa pamamagitan ng pinuno nilang si Lysistrata, napagkasunduan ng mga maybahay ng mga sundalong Gresyan na tatanggi silang makipagtalik sa kani-kanilang mga asawa hanngang hindi natatapos ang digmaan. Nagtago sila sa Acropolis at nang lumaon, inatake ng kalibugan ang mga lalaki at pilit nilamg kinukumbinsi ang kanilang mga asawa na lumabas na at bigyang-tugon ang mga pagnanasang karnal.

Sa conflict na iyon pa lamang, tumatatak na ang pangunahing isyu na bibigyang-pansin ng dula at ang resolusyon na magaganap ukol dito. Isa itog matingkad na halimbawa ng Feminismo dahil sa nabibigyang kapangyarihan ang mga babae laban sa kanilang mga asawa. Kung sa digmaan ay masasalamin ang “machismo” dahil panay mga lalaki ang kalahok sa giyera, iba naman ang nangyayari kapag nasa bahay na. Ang mga pagkakataon gaya ng pagtatalik ay patunay na kailangan ng mga lalaki ang mga babae upang makapamuhay sila ng maayos – at puno ng nag-uumapaw na ligaya. Sa usaping sex, parehong naipapakita ang kahalagahan ng lalaki’t babae sa isa’t isa. Syempre ba naman, mas masaya ito kaysa sariling sikap o magpakasilahis sa kapareho mong kasarian.

Nang mawala ang mga babae, hindi ito kinaya ng mga lalaki sa kadahilanang hindi napupunan ang kanilang pagnanasa sa sex. Sa pamamagitan ng pagtanggi sa kanilang mga asawa, naipakita ang kakayahan ng mga babae na maging independent sa kagustuhan ng kanilang mga asawa at ng patriarchal society na mayroon tayo. Kaya ng mga babae na bumalikwas sa nakagawian na at i-udyok sa lahat na meron din silang mga karapatan at kapangyarihan. Sa huli, natigil nga ang giyera at napatunayan ng mga babae na kaya rin nilang magdulat ng panlipunang pagbabago at kapayapaan sa kanilang bayan.

Ngunit may kinalaman pa din sa usaping Feminismo ang weak point na makikita sa dula. Parang nailalarawan ang mga babae bilang mga “kasangkapan” na lang para makipagtalik. Sa medaling salita, nagiging obheto na lamang ang mga babae at nawawalan ng saysay at halaga ang isang sagradong bagay gaya ng sex. Noong una na hindi pa pinagkakaitan ng mga babae and mga asawa nila ng pakikipagtalik, hindi pinapahalagahan ng mga lalaki ang mga babae at pilit binabalewala ang kanilang mga opinion at saloobin. Subalit nagbago ang ihip ng hangin simula nang nag-init amg mga lalaki at nahumaling sa kanilang mga sexual desires. Ang mga lalaki na ang naghahabol sa mga babae at nagmamakaawa sa kanila na punan ang kanilang pagkukulang. Lumalabas na handa lamang bigyan ng karampatang-pansin ng mga kalalakihan ang kanilang mga asawa kapag oras ng pangangailangan.

Isa pang kapansin-pansin sa dula ay kung paano tinahak ng produksyon ang mga maseselang eksena na tungkol sa sex. Kung tutuusin, halos buong dula ay parang ganoon nga. Gumamit ang director at manunulat ng mga devices upang hindi gaanong bastos ang labas ng dula. Kailangang “lambutan” ang ilang mga eksena dahil ang pangunahing tagapanood naman ng dula ay mga mag-aaral ng Ateneo, na ang iba ay mga minor pa o di kaya’y masyado pang inosente para tanggapin ang ilang mga realidad ng mundo. Sa pamamagitan ng komedya, nabalanse ng dula ang mga mahahalay na eksena nito. Imbis na “maganahan” o mandiro sa kung ano man ang nagaganap sa entablado, nagkakaroon ng kaunting pagkitil dito dahil sa mga linyang binigyan ng wit and humor.

Binigyang kulay din ang produksyon gamit ang mga malilikhaing bagay gaya ng entablado na sa unang tingin pa lang ay kita ang hulma ng mga ari ng babae at lalaki. May ibig ding iparating ang ubod nang laking mga penises at breasts. Nagkaroon din ng makabuluhang audience interaction dahil sa pagganap ng koro at paglapat ng awit at sayaw sa ilang parte ng dula. Ang mga ito ay nakabuti sa pagbibigay ng panibagong buhay sa natatanging likha ni Aristophanes at nabigyang-hustisya naman ito ng Tanghalang Ateneo dahil lutang ang layunin nilang bigyan ng bahid ng pagka-Pinoy and dulang Greko.

Ang pagsasadula ng “Lysistrata” ay isang magandand opurtunidad para sa mga manunuod nito, lalo na sa mga Atenista, na mabigyan ng bagong pagtingin hinggil sa maselang usapin ng sex. Sa postmodernong panahon, ang mga bagay na itinuturing na taboo noon ay dapat nang mabigyan ng kaukulang-pansin ngayon. Sa pamamagitan nito, mas lalawak ang kaalaman ng mga tao tungkol sa nasabing isyu at makatutulong sa kanila na gumawa ng mga responsableng desisyon nang hindi naisasakripisyo ang sariling prinsipyo at paninindigan.

Tsap Tsing

Is it bad to name this post with a Chinese cuss? Hahaha.

Wala lang. I'm just so fucking disappointed.

A chance was given, yet it's so stupid for me to let it loose again. Ugh. Talk about sheer unluckiness.

I hate my so-so performance this sem.

I need motivation. :|


Beach beach beach come to me.

I'm Now an Australian Shopaholic Runner

Someone restrain me from shopping please. I chanced upon this sale in Glorietta last Saturday this shop has some Team Manila products at huge discounts. I ended up draining the credits of my ATM. Hahaha.

Maybe watching 'Shopaholic' will help me limit my lucrative tendencies.

***

As I was going home that day, my driver's license nearly got confiscated. From Ayala Avenue, I turned right to EDSA. And behold, an officer of that stupid MMDA flagged me down.

It seems like turning right when the red light is on is prohibited. So there. Actually, I really didn't know (or forgot) (or didn't saw the sign that says so). And the car ahead of me turned right too, so I just followed him.

Luckily, I remembered that a friend of mine gave me before. I put on the best English accent I could muster (I admit, this is hard. haha) then explained that I am a balikbayan from Australia and I just got back to the Philippines two weeks ago. After five minutes of make-belief trash talk, he let me go! :D He might probably thought that he couldnt not extort money from me since I just came back from kangaroo-land and it follows that I don;t know the street trade here.

Yay, at least I consider that as a fun experience. Screw MMDA.

***

HURRAH!!! No more P.E. class for me. FOREVER! and evah!!

A while ago, I joined the Loyola Schools Fun Run, which kind of serves as the culminating activity and the finals for this sem.

I ran 5K. To get an A, we need to do the lap in 25 minutes, a feat that I considered at first as very unrealistic. I was jogging months and weeks before it and the best I could muster was around 38 minutes.

But then, miracles do happen. Or should I say, my efforts paid off. I clocked in 29minutes, 10 seconds!! Weeee! Even though I didn't finish it in 25 minutes, I'm still proud of myself. Harharhar. Like, I was fifth in my class or something.

Tralalalala.

But still, I need to work on my body more. Two weeks till summer. Summer = hotness = beach = _ _ _ _ = FUN!

Hungry for Something Worthwhile

I had an interview for an internship at Ortigas earlier. It's my first time to do have a formal interview and swear, I like to repeat it again!! Hahaha!!!

Its so fun. I mean, I really thought that the ones who are going to talk to me are serious HR managers or mataray people, but no, they weren't. They're fun-loving young people. Haha.

And its kinda different from the interviews that I had in school when I'm applying for something. In school and org-related stuff, I tend to get nervous and have this feeling of backing out pero a while ago, parang wala lang.

I hope I get accepted. I really want to immerse myself once more into writing (and pressure). Plus I hope it could help me to find a career in media even though I'm taking Economics. woohoo!!

***

Going to school was pretty much useless today. I cut my Fil class then I'm like 20-minutes late for Histo. Just in time for the video presentation of our term project. It was so sabaw and all but at least, Sir Ambeth liked it. B! haha! I hope that it'll get higer when we submit the actual paper na.

And accounting was a free-cut today! Hurrah, no quiz too!! :))

So there, since I feel like going back south early today, I immediately left after my class. Just had coffee in Starbucks while reading the stuff that I have to study for Histo165 long test on Thursday.

Could I just say, Emilio Aguinaldo is so stupid. And selfish. I loved the way Apolinario handles things. So clever and brilliant. :)

In life, we tend to encounter terrible terrible lessons, learned at the price of untold sufferings. Forgetting those will make them all the more terrible.

REVIEW: Stages of Love

"Stages of Love"
Musical
Ateneo Blue Repertory

Genre: Musical / Romance (around 75 minutes running time)
Director: Jillian Pena
Original Story: Andrei Pamintuan
Starring: Marc Baluyan, Pauline Oyco/Jowee Ann Marquez, ensemble cast

Rating: 10/10

One could possibly relate themselves to the any of the love-struck characters in Ateneo Blue Repertory's (blueREP) special Valentine offering, "Stages of Love".

This blueREP original, written by Andrei Pamintuan and had already been staged succesfully two years ago, tackles the different complexities of love and how the protagonists get themselves entangled in the beautiful wings of romance.

Set in the light atmosphere of a coffee shop, this is primarily where the 5 couples croosed paths, solved their issues and filled the air with sparks. The main characters of the story (played by Baluyan with Oyco and Marquez as alternates), are the baristas in the cafe, wherein the guy tries to pursure her co-worker, who just emerged from a break-up. Mutual friendship is developed in the cute little nooks of the coffee shop and in the end, girl barista decides whether to leave her past behind and entertain this new suitor knocking at the gates of her broken, yet sympathetic heart.

Meanwhile, even the customers coming in the cafe have their own share of love tidbits too, in varying circumstances. Name it, the play has it: Torpe boys meets popular girl, Mataray lady strikes her charm on geeky guy, etc. These would-soon be couples try to iron out differences between themselves that would eventually lead to cute and sweet romantic angles. Aside from the cheezy pick-up lines, a hopeless romantic who comes out in every sequence as a different character possessing unique personalities provide the best laughs in the play.

Of course, what makes the love story become special is the beautifully-crafted music that compliments the smooth-sailing plot. The songs are selected Original Pilipino Music (OPM) favorites and a few American classic love songs. They are arranged into a very lovely medley, one that can make the audience sing with the actors. The cast did justice to the music as they sung it not just out of musical precision, but also with the right blend of emotion needed.

The setting of the story also provided a great boost to the somewhat thin plot. It is crucial in making the audience believe the general flow of romance between the characters. Together, the play proves that in the world we have now, a feeling of romantic love could very much be developed even in the tiny spaces of a coffee shop.

Love chooses NO place, time nor person. Indeed, it comes the time where you least expect it. When that "person" hits you hard enough, grab the chance and enjoy the best-est feeling in the world. Ever. :)


P.S. Let me just share my most favorite quote from the play:

REVIEW: Ang Unang Baboy Sa Langit

"Ang Unang Baboy sa Langit"
Play - Student Theater Group
Ateneo Entablado

Genre: Light Drama / Comedy
Director: Jerry C. Respeto
Writer: Christine Bellen (adapted from Rene Villanueva)
Starring: Ensemble Cast (composed of students, faculty and alumni)

Rating: 8 / 10

Imagine yourself immersed and bearing witness to the life and ordeals faced by the Messiah... in the perspective of pigs!

ENTABLADO (ENterteynment para sa TAo, Bayan, LAnsangan at DiyOs) culminates it 27th Season with the adaptation of one of beloved children storybook writer Rene Villanueva's original work's "Ang Unang Baboy sa Langit".

With a running time of almost two and a half hours, the story, as adapted and written by Filipino professor Christine Bellen, tells the tale of the birth of the "Takdang Baboy" (TB), who will be the one to save his fellow pigs from the ill effects of pollution, greed and animosity. Her birth was prophesied by the Rabbit Angel to an ordinary pig couple, Ponyang and Kardo. The chosen pic was asked to be baptized as "Butsiki".

However, when Ponyang was about to give birth, conflict arises when the Punong Baboy (acts like a governor) of the Babuyan Islands decices to acquire and buy the land of his constituents to use it as a mining site upon learning of the vast gold resources of the place. Kardo opposed this and he, together with his pregant wife, decided to move out to the next town. It is in there that Butsiki was born and she grew to be somewhat different from the rest of the pigs, physically and psychologically. She was born very clean, loves cleanliness and hates any sight or smell of dirt. She is also a peace-loving person and is ready to sacrifice anything for what she believe is right. This unique way of thinking of Butsiki will be the one spelling trouble for her.

Bellen's script is succesful in getting the message of Rene Villanueva's transmitted through the play's dialogues. The play served as a tribute to Villanueva, who passed away two years ago. The script followed the narrative of Jesus Christ's life and ministry, suffering and death, however told through the innocent eyes of cute little pigs. The songs written were apt for the message that the play wants on to pass on to the viewers. The comedic wit also balances out the sometimes melodramatic parts.

Direction was also fine as Respeto managed to extarct every possible creative juice from what was given to him. The stage was awesome and it was the first time that the venue (Rizal Mini Theater), did not have any dividers separating it in the entire history of the theater. As for the singing, we could not expect a lot from the actors since Entablado is not primarily a musical group, but still, the singing was commendable despite several flaws, most of them due to off-keys. But acting-wise, the viewes could be so sure that the ensemble gave their whole talents and effort in making their performances as impressing as possible. Special commendation must be given to Jethro Tenorio due to his over-the-top, yet still alluring portrayal of the loathed Punong Baboy.

One of the main reasons why this production was a success was because of the great costumes. The costumes were perfectly fit for all characters. The "animals" within the actors clearly stood out because of it. Great job on the make-up too.

Overall, "Ang Unang Baboy sa Langit" wasvery good and it never failed in getting its message delievered, precisely about how making our world cleaner and safer is directly associated in generating peace.


***sorry for the somewhat unorganized and hasty review. I was kinda sleepy already while I was doing this.***

Congestion

Yay! I finally get to write something really personal. Haha. I was supposed to do this yesterday, but as usual, I slacked off.

***

Anyway, it is a good thing that my hell week is kinda over. Professors are weird. They try to cram theor tests and other requirements before the end of January. Is it the only month that they know?!

***

But despite the hellish workload, somethings make my day happy. Of course, first on the list are my loves. Yesterday was such a good time. Such that we ended up scrambling our way in the busy outskirts of Katipunan Avenue for our long test in Mathematical Economics. Alas, we were late. Just by a minute though. Screw the stupid MMDA officials and Ateneo traffic officials. They have been doing it for years, yet nothing is happening. I love the ride back to school anyway. Fun and perky!

***

What more worsens a very bad traffic than a heavy downpour! The rain is so strong, that it congested Katipunan traffic when I was about to go home. I was stuck for almost an hour in just a road spanning a kilometer! Slower than a turtle. The reason? The stupid city planners of Quezon City doesn;t seem to know what the word 'drainage' means. Water is like a foot deep making only one lane passable. When four lanes, become one? Its Hell!

***

Its a tiring day. I accompanied my kids to their exposure trip in a child center in Cubao. I swear, the kids there are super mega hyper to thenest level! My almost unlimited patience seemed to found its match. Especially when they pinch you hard and they just jump on your back! I pity the persons taking care of those kids. Good thing they are still alive. Haha.

***

To cap off the week, I spent Saturday partying with, well, guess who? NUMBERS! Accounting LT is coming up and I have to be ready. I think that its the only subject wherein I have a good standing currently. And I hope I could maintain it. But the presence of your bestfriend makes everything smooth sailing. Of course, in between those crazy worksheets comes kwentos, chismis and love tales shared over some coffee and junk food. Awww I'm so happy for her. :P Raz I'll give you a month. That perhaps is still long! Hahaha!

***

Too bad I couldnt come to Tin's debut tomorrow. If ever, I would also have sung! Too bad the crowd there will miss a performance of a lifetime. :))

I'm looking forward the week ahead with optimism and possibly a fresh vigor.