Benjie as hermano also introduced the first boat race in Lupac in 19994, together with Sto. Nino de Pescador as Patron Saint.
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. But then we are supposed as a general rule to present only plays with Marinduque content. Nothing more, nothing less.
SADLY, 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.
Came June, Obligacion proposed to Balangaw trustee, Rudy Mariposque (a.k.a. Rudi Mariposky), to take up the challenge of directing a new play this time whose only aim (to drive home a point) was to draw from the audience “a long and rousing applause”.
The only goal aside from the usual.
The answer:
“Only if no one will claim credit for my artistic directing!”, he demanded. The simple deal was closed
MARIPOSQUE AS 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” the previous year were also utilized to break the scenes.
The covered plaza was surprisingly filled with people who came towatch. 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 play. The receptive audience applauded at every scene. Then, at the curtain call the biggest came like a thunder: “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 very first time!
“Eli, nangyari ‘yung gusto mo!”, an ecstatic Dindo Asuncion who arranged the music and took care of the lights said running to me.
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 hahaha!
“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” the previous year were also utilized to break the scenes.
The covered plaza was surprisingly filled with people who came towatch. 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 play. The receptive audience applauded at every scene. Then, at the curtain call the biggest came like a thunder: “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 very first time!
“Eli, nangyari ‘yung gusto mo!”, an ecstatic Dindo Asuncion who arranged the music and took care of the lights said running to me.
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 hahaha!
(To be continued)
Note to Teatro members: I have ran out of photos to include in this 'teleserye'. Baka naman may inatago kayo diyan please.
