noli at fili: dekada 2000 (dos mil)

tin and i watched the play of her friend at the PETA theater this afternoon. i always enjoy a dose of art whenever i can. it's a treat if it's a straight play performed by great artists.

it's my first time to watch a play at the PETA theater since i used to consider qc to be far away. there were a lot of high school students watching. well, based on their attitude and reaction towards the show, they should be just high school students. yeah, even with the full make up and pumps.

i didn't mind sitting on mono block chairs. i came for the show and it's not really uncomfortable.

looking at the set during open house got me excited. seeing a spiral staircase at the right and another stairs at the left and a hanging platform. i got excited with the options and the blocking.

i'm not really that nationalistic, but i have grown to love and appreciate the national anthem. and whenever it would be played and we would need to stand up to give reverence, i would always sing. out loud. when we were asked to stand up, there was this disclaimer that this is their version so, i opted not to sing with it. but it was easy to follow and not really that far from the original and it's quite easy for me to follow. so, when the second stanza came i joined in. it might be because of the video playing or their version, but your would really feel the love for the country while hearing and specially singing it. it really did set the mood for the production.

but nothing prepared me for the first scene. it was the narration of a number of characters that experienced heavy rain and flood back in 2002. and my golly! it was really raining on stage! literally! how i would love to be part of that scene! the reaction you would show would be very easy because you are actually wet and it really is raining! there would be no need for real tears (since it's something i can't really do easily) since your face would already be dripping. maybe my expectation was really high because they are from PETA, but there are some points that seem to be lacking. one in particular would be the reaction once you realized that instead of holding your newly born baby, you are just clutching a bunch of wet cloth. it would not be as blank or as simple as showned.

since some roles alternates here's the ones we have seen perform:

Ron Alfonso as Chino Arao - i think he was the crowd's favorite. maybe because of his first role when he first appeared. but for me, i think he's really good and has the right reactions to what's happening and to what he is saying.

Jeff S. Hernandez as Mr. Turribio / Juanito Tan Pelaez - he reminds mo of macro's acting back in anatomiya days

Neomi Tabanao-Gonzales as Paulita Mijares and others - i would like to hear her sing

She E. Maala as Paulita Mijares - she's already losing her voice but she was still able to give justice to the character

Joel Molina as Basilio Pilapil and Joshua Deocareza as Isagani Magdangal - they're great actors. maybe i like joel more because when isagani grieved for juli's death, i thought there was something lacking.

Julia I. Enriquez as Clarissa Santos - since she's tin's friend and was the one who gave us the free tickets, i should just shut up right? but i can't. since i've already seen her in maliw during this year's virgin labfest i can't sort of spot the difference aside from the costumes. it was still her. at her second scene, it was obvious that she was acting. that what she was doing is far from who she really is. it's not that natural. well, as tin explained, she's hates those kind of people in the first place so it must be something she was dreading to do. we were also wondering why during the scenes that would require her to be slapped, pushed and/or pulled, they were faking it. after the show we learned that alleyne had an operation. she wasn't even able to join the last run of maliw. all in all, she's still good.

Paolo Rodriguez as Kumander Elias - i hated him during his first few scenes. then, the more action and the less words and/or acting that would require of him, you would eventually just conclude that he's okay. i almost forgot that i don't really like his skills. maybe because i get to confirm the whiff i got during his last few moments on stage.

Kuya Bodjie as Bishop Damaso Villareal - it was good to finally see him act on stage on a play. he did not disappoint me but he did not go beyond my expectations either. which, really made me curious as to how Bembol Roco would have played the character.

Jack Yabut as Coronel Salvi Salvatierra - being a senior in theater, he did not disappoint me as well. you would feel everything that he wants to make you feel about the character. but i was really excited when i saw in the programme that Robert Seña also plays the role of Salvi. i really really want to see Robert Seña act on stage.and knowing his capabilities and the character actor that he is, Salvi's character would be totally awesome.

Lex Marcos as Mayor Ibarra Marasigan/Kumander Simoun - here are the questions i asked while i watch him perform: why him? was it because of his looks? doesn't he look too old? what was he saying? why that face? what was he really feeling? the audience laughed (after he cursed salvi, the first time), was it because he was trying to be funny? did it really hurt when clarissa died? then, the last scene came and he sang the song. i went, aaahhhh... i hope everyone would be able to stay until the last part to see this. but, his co-actors are really good, so, they would stay. but not because of him.

here are some random thoughts about the play:

• i liked the video projections maybe 70% of the time.
• the blockings of the first few scenes were liked unrehearsed.
• it would be nice if victorina's wig was red.
• i would love to watch it again with the other set of cast and with a more mature audience.
• everytime a gun fires, i would flinch a little, scream a little.
• it would be nice to have seen soxie.
• cool story.
• there was this line, i think it was ad lib, when they were referring to the bomb that will be used to massacre all those in paulita's wedding, a character said that it will be stronger than that of the one used in glorietta. in the play, the flood happened in 2002, act 1 happened a year after that (2003) and act 2, three years after. this would make that scene at the most, 2006. the explosion in glorietta happened in 2007.

i love watching plays. i have been out of the stage for a long time now and i'm no longer confident that i would receive the same response i get whenever the curtains go up. so, all due respect to these artists and those who keep the stage alive. expectations could be higher for those in the professional theater groups. you can't help it but expect nothing less but the best. some may fall short, but it's still a dose of art. from the house music until the curtain call ends the tingling sensation running up and down my spine is still there.

kudos to the cast and everyone behind noli at fili: dekada 2000 (dos mil)!