TEATRO BALANGAW Act Two: 1994-1995

Act Two: 1994-1995

Christmas 1993 and Holy Week 1994 came to pass, the group slumbered. In May Montenegro as ‘hermano’ in Lupac proposed a play production. Mandia came with ready scripts by ‘anonymous’ authors of two fairly well-known comedy plays popular in city schools: “Manggagahasa Kami sa Isang Linggo”, and “Bakit Babae ang Naghuhugas ng Pinggan”. Stage actors/Dubbers of cartoon programs who worked with Mandia arrived with him to act out the roles for the first play. The second was to be performed by selected local talents.

“Manggagahasa..” was a total disaster. The classic “Hoy! Tama na ‘Yan” (Hey! Enough of that!") polluted the air again, the audience made no effort to hide their disinterest, such that the actors were too embarrassed to take center stage for the final bow. The second comedy with characters that looked like they came straight from comic books managed to elicite laughter from the slapstick comedy. A good ‘workshop’ exercise.

NO MORE ELI PLAYS FOR MANDIA.

It was evident that for some theater practitioners, for as long as a play is presented to an audience, that could already be considered success (“basta naipalabas!”). It had nothing to do with whether or not they understood it. But the rest of Balangaw disagreed with that crazy concept. We had not existed to serve somebody's bloated ego and grand illusions of one being 'god of theater', a phrase off and on repeated before the young talents to establish artistic authority. Really a phrase used by amateurs.

Obligacion proposed to Balangaw member, Rudy Mariposque (a.k.a. Rudi Mariposky), to take up the challenge of directing a new play this time whose only aim was to draw from the audience “a long and rousing applause”.

“Only if no one will claim credit for my artistic directing!”, he demanded. The simple deal was closed.

MARIPOSQUE AS NEW ARTISTIC DIRECTOR.

“ISANG ARAW SA HISTORY” (PAYE IN RETROSPECT) by Obligacion came into being. The play had a campus and classroom setting. The main protagonists were high-school students and their teacher in History subject. The students were asked to write individual essays on “What the Battle of Paye Means to Me”. The inconsistencies in certain claims and unlikelihood of such a ‘battle’ occurring in Sitio Paye, Balimbing during the Filipino-American war were each laid bare by the students before their alcoholic History teacher. He was the principal researcher/historian on the subject, and the students just came short of accusing him of ‘historical and journalistic dishonesty’. Musical excerpts from “Labanan sa Paye”, were also utilized to break the scenes.

The covered plaza was filled with people. Boy and Girl Scouts from all over the province who were encamped at the Paye site were brought by trucks hired by their organizations to watch. The receptive audience applauded at every scene. Then, at the curtain call it came: “the long, rousing applause!”. So startled was Rudy, the audience wouldn’t stop cheering that he ran to Eli asking: “What are we supposed to do now?”

“Well, you have to say something, probably introduce every single player this time?” The applause was louder when he did. Then the group learned, and everyone involved felt strongly what “critical acclaim” meant - for the first time!

“Eli, nangyari ‘yung gusto mo!”, an ecstatic Dindo Asuncion who arranged the music and took care of the lights said.

Later the Sangguniang Bayan of Boac had a deliberation on the Paye controversy presented in the play and formed a “fact-finding committee” to ferret out the truth. It, however, seemed natural for such a committee to die a natural death. Politics.

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VIRTUSIO AS ‘GUEST’ DIRECTOR.

In March 1995, Gil Virtusio from Batangas who had joined the ‘93 “Moryonan” production as an actor came to Bahaghari unexpectedly, thinking that with a few weeks to Ash Wednesday, Balangaw was in the middle of a new “Moryonan” play.

“But you did not present anything for Holy Week last year!”, he argued, “and this would be the second year in a row now...”

“Are you willing to direct a play this time?”, Eli asked.

“You write a new script!”, was Gil's daring answer.

“Who will be our actors? School’s over! Many are vacationing in Manila. And we have no money!”, that was Rudy.

“Let’s go to town!”, Eli proposed.

“MORYONAN: IKALAWANG YUGTO” was being written by Obligacion page by page while the daily rehearsals were going on. The students, mostly living at the town center were only too happy to join since school was over. It was clear that the project would be an exercise in ‘focus and determination’. No money for costumes, meals and snacks, lights and sound. Even the venue was a problem. The covered court was blocked for political speeches. The election campaign period had commenced.

But old costumes could still be used, there could be some supporters and friends who could provide snacks, bamboo torches, lots of them, could be used in place of stage lights, a dried up circular fountain in front of the Rizal monument (opposite the covered court), measuring four (4) meters in diameter - and the area around it - could serve as the acting area. Theatre in the round!

At dress-tech, the bamboo torches were extinguished by the summer wind one after another, voices were completely drowned out by the blaring political speeches from right across. In just 10 minutes all the torches were out, the final rehearsal went on illuminated only by street lights and the moon. At the end of the rehearsal the actors were completely quiet staring at the floor. They were ready to uphold the “show must go on” tradition in theater but only if they could be seen by the audience.

“Yes, we will find a way. We will have lights and sound by tomorrow!”, Obligacion said with muffled voice.
Michael Seno who was acting as campaign leader for Bong Carrion passed by and came to the rescue. The mobile system they used for the campaign was available the next day and he would be happy to allow us to use it, gratis. Rico Sanchez offered to provide soft drinks and snacks for the cast.

The play was done in record 10 days from the writing of its script to premiere night. “MORYONAN: IKALAWANG YUGTO” was the first production of Balangaw that had a re-run in Boac, brought to Gasan and Mogpog before a jampacked audience. For these free shows support came in for coverage of lights and sound, transportation, meals and snacks. The costumes and props improved. Mostly students from Immaculate Conception College and a few studying in Manila who had returned for vacation were among the cast. Gil’s two Filipino friends from “Migrante” in Hongkong came to lend a hand in the production of the Boac re-run.

Mandia who was pre-occupied in Manila with his own affairs came, protested the assignment of Virtusio as guest director, during a visit, argued that he had the right to stop the performances as “artistic director of Balangaw” finding imagined defects in a play that had been premiered successfully and shown in two towns outside Boac. The “I am the God of theater in Marinduque” and “I am the Messiah” lines were thickening the Bahaghari air this time. Quotes like that are, of course, a dime a dozen in this country but really, it was just all about who was the better director between the two.

“Him with his stage managing and masteral degree that he has yet to earn, and me with my experiences and all the books I’ve read, yes, let us have a debate on theater directing!”, a forceful Virtusio argued.

But it was not hard to see who between the two would pass off as the better director, one who knew his art better and religiously practiced the basic: understanding the material at hand.

As ‘hermano’ again for the Lupac barangay fiesta on June 1, Mandia and Montenegro had a talk in Manila. The latter wanted “IKALAWANG YUGTO” presented in Lupac to entertain the community on the eve of fiesta with Mandia as director this time. The company director/playwright acquiesced. With the exception of a couple of actors who had acted in “Ikalawa…”, the new group trained by Virtusio were utilized for the now-controversial play.

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