Friedrich von Schiller's Maria Stuart

“So, are you a Mary Stuart or an Elizabeth?”

Without a thought, I said, “Mary Stuart. Definitely.”

-------
“Lust for power or martyrdom for faith?“
-------

It was an impulsive decision to watch the play yesterday. I’ve been wanting to see it but I didn’t think I was gonna go yesterday especially that I wasn’t able to persuade anyone to tag along with me. But... for lack of anything better to do I finally decided on going.

The stories of the queens and kings of England didn’t really have any appeal to me. I’ve seen Elizabeth I and II, Alexander, Henry VII, and The Other Boleyn Girl. They seemed... long and boring... I have to admit though that I haven’t read any of the novels (fiction or non-fiction) written of and about them. I wasn’t interested.

But I love plays... and I love DUP’s performances... well except for that one time when they staged Lulu.

Anyway, when I got inside the theater I had a feeling that it’s gonna be a great play. For one, Dir. Tony Mabesa directed the play. Moreover, Shamaine Buencamino was playing the character of Queen Elizabeth I. She astounds me. There was also something about the empty stage, which was decorated with the walls of a citadel illuminated with dark blue dimmed light. It was perfect! I was seated right at the center where I have a perfect view of the entire stage, not too small nor too large to fit the scope of my vision. And of course, everything was audible from where I was... I was proud of myself to have gotten there on time. But more importantly, I was proud that I was able to drag myself to the play even if I had to watch it by myself. In retrospect, it was the most ideal resolve. :-)

Act I, Act II, Act III... I was agog with anticipation of the scenes to follow. There were a lot of witticisms. I loved the graceful and elegant bantering of the actors... The word-fights stung. The plot, the staging, the actors -- all evocative. It was flawless.

In the first act, I was particularly moved by the confession of devotion and allegiance of Mortimer to the Queen of Scots Mary Stuart. The devotion of subjects and servants during their time was overwhelming. It was as if they were serving a god... willing to stake their lives for the majestics... It was beautiful. Still in Act I, the repartee between the Queen of Scots and the Lord High Treasurer of England Lord Burleigh was agitating. It’s something to look forward to when you decide to watch it. In Act II, Queen Elizabeth entered the scene with all grandeur, with her “supporters” and “loyal” barristers tailing Her Majesty. The scene that stuck is where the three counsels tried to persuade the Queen of England of each of their own stand on the clamor: sentence Mary Stuart to death or not. The dialogues were all persuasive. You could actually feel the hidden desires and selfish intentions of the “demagogues”. In Act III (the most thrilling part before the intermission, I suppose), Queen Elizabeth and Mary Stewart finally came face-to-face with each other - a special request by Mary Stewart herself. The best part? The insults. Wow. It was poisonous. They were both resentful. The two dignified and resplendent queens finally let down their guards and jumped into a heated and acrimonious argument. In short, they turned bitchy. Of course, we know who won. Well, not really. :-)

During the seven minute intermission, I just stayed in my seat... tried to digest everything I saw. Powerful.

Act IV: the warrant to behead the Queen of Scots was signed. Sigh...

Act V: the last moments of the Queen of Scots. This last act was so moving. It brought me to tears. The Queen of Scots’ last moments on earth were spent with her faithful and loyal servants. It was so moving. They gathered around her, pledging their troth for their queen. She was, at that moment, very down-to-earth, thoughtful, and very respectful. More importantly, she was repentant. She also made sure that all her faithfuls would be left in good fate once she’s faced her execution. It was heartbreaking; and yet one couldn’t help but feel happy for the queen. She was loved... dearly loved. Her martyrdom to her Catholic faith was also very special. Queen Elizabeth? I wouldn’t wanna narrate here the sad fate of Queen Elizabeth...


------

“So, are you a Mary Stuart or an Elizabeth?” My answer? “Definitely a Mary Stuart.”

I recommend that you watch the play. It’ll be staged until the 6th of December. :-) It made me want to buy all those books that narrate the lives of these two iconic women.