Friedrich von Schiller's Maria Stuart

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

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

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


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“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.

Exquisite and Romantic: Floy Quintos' Atang

"Atang is a play of memory, simple and accessible. And the staging is evocative of the feeling." I copied that straight from the Director's Notes in the souvenir program.

What is Atang? Who is Atang?

I bet that 60-70% of my online contacts here in Multiply do not know her. I have to admit though that I didn't know Atang (1902-1991) until, well, tonight. Atang de la Rama is a national artist described as "reyna ng kundiman, ang paraluman ng mga makata, ang panguna at nag-iisang tala ng Dulaang Tagalog sa Pilipinas..." She is the queen of Philippine kundiman and zarzuela.

As early as 12 years old, she had already been considered a veteran Filipino artist. You can just imagine how prestigious that is given the time period when mass media wasn't even around in the country.

Anyway, you'll never really appreciate the information I just typed there unless you've seen the play by Floy Quintos.

...

I got in Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero Theater without any expectation of sort; I didn't even know that the play was in Filipino. But since I've always loved plays, theater, and Broadway musicals, I knew that I was still going to enjoy the experience.

And I was right.

Filipino talents never cease to amaze me. When Ayen hit the first note in "Nabasag ang Banga," I was in awe. It is semi-operatic and in Filipino; and the song is a kundiman. Goosebumps. I have seen Cinderella and West Side Story and they both startled me; but, Atang definitely made a much different impact. It brought me to a rather different sphere. Seeing Atang kindled the proud Filipino spirit in me in a rather new and unexpected way, through Balagtasan, Dula, and Kundimans.

The music was exquisite. The poems were remarkably romantic. Most of the time though I got lost in words like "lugasin", "huwaring", "samyuin", etc.; and although there were moments when I just couldn't understand an entire phrase or two, surprisingly enough, I was still moved by them. Because somehow I knew the puissant of passion behind every word and every phrase recited. I didn't realize how beautiful and romantic Filipino words can be. I've never been so proud of our own: language, culture, theater.

The play definitely appeals to the Filipina spirit and womanhood: dedicated, sacrificing, romantic, daring, and mysterious.

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If you plan to see the show (which runs until Feb 08, 2009), watch out for:
(1) Kitang Dalawa
(2) Ang Bayan Ko
(3) Nasaan ka Irog
(4) Pakiusap
I especially loved these parts of the production.


Bituin was part of the cast, too. She's superb in Mamang Gusting.

For pictures, check out Franco Laurel's gallery @:
http://fjlaurel.multiply.com/photos/album/67/Atang_-_Isang_Dulang_May_Musika#
http://fjlaurel.multiply.com/photos/album/65/Atang_-_The_Pictorial

I Just Met a Girl Named "Maria"

I'm not gonna discuss here the storyline because I assume that you already know it. I'm just going to write a really short critique of the play specifically focusing on what I think of the actors/actresses.

I didn't expect it to be world-class level but it certainly was. It's not like I've seen a lot of Broadways, hehe, it's actually just my second. But, I can confidently say it was world-class. Eighty percent of the cast were Filipinos (unlike in Cinderella where it seemed like only around 2-3 actors were Filipinos including Lea), and yet I felt like I was elsewhere, in London perhaps?

Their dialogues were impressive with unmistakable American and Puertorican accents, which makes you think twice about their nationalities. I've seen the Broadway musical on dvd more than five times already and I can confidently say that the live performance was comparable to the one on film.

I loved Joanna Ampil. Yes, I was lucky to catch her play Maria's part last Saturday with Mom. She's so much like Lea in a sense that she sings clearly, passionately and wonderfully without even trying or at least without showing any signs of difficulty in doing her craft. Every note she sang was perfect. She was beautiful on stage.

I was also amazed with Pam G., the one who characterized Anita. Wow! She was very graceful and strong at the same time with a superb dancing prowess. Her Puertorican accent was perfetissimo, just like Joanna's. Her presence on stage was very dominant.

Jeff Singson who played Bernardino was also impressive. I read in the WSS InsideStory that it was his first performance on stage in big supporting roles. It didn't seem like it though. Gian Magdangal who played Riff in the musical, on the other hand, was equally outstanding.

Christian Bautista was amazing in his songs but he was a little below par from his co-stars when it came to dancing and dialoguing, he didn't have that American accent that they had.

The stage backdrops were alright. That's actually good considering that I've just seen the Cinderella musical.

It was such a lovely experience that I had with my mom and the cast of West Side Story. Grabe, ang galing ng mga Pinoy sa theater. :)

Cinderella: A Musical

So, so excited! :) I'mma watchin wit mi bro.