After a tiring albeit successful week-long chemistry conference at this past week, I was able to take a break and catch the opening night of Tanghalang Pilipino’s Kudeta at the CCP last Friday with some friends.
After seeing Insiang two months ago, I was excited to be back at the CCP for the new production. The teaser blurb (specifically “wickedly funny”) caught my attention a long time ago:
A wickedly funny play about a coup that topples the country’s President and how he fights back with all the weapons he has in his disposal- his enemies’ uncanny ability to self-destruct, and descendants who come out of nowhere. Is this the Philippines?
I had only read this blurb shortly when I watched the ADMU TA Seniors’ Fluid directed by Floy Quintos. Knowing he’d be handling this production only made me look forward to it more. The play is George de Jesus III’s Filipino adaptation of The Coup by Mustapha Matura. Matura, born in Trinidad, is a highly-awarded playwright, having quite a number of plays staged in both the US and UK.
The action is set in Trinidad and Tobago and the scene opens with Caribbean commonfolk gathering around the grave of ex-president Edward Jones. We learn that Jones dies as a result of a coup, though the details are not mentioned. Amidst intermittent gunfire, the townsfolk amuse us with juicy gossip about the president and end with frenzied dancing and praise of their deceased leader (they had a “Caribbean choreographer” listed in the programme). The next scene, possibly set weeks before the initial scene, opens with Edward Jones, played by Philippine film and theater luminary Mario O‘Hara, in a prison cell guarded by soldier named Mikey. We eventually learn hat Jones is already held as prisoner by the coup plotters. Jones is visited by these coup leaders every now and then and is threatened to sign manifestos that would help them legitimize their new government. Amidst their threats, however, Jones refuses to cooperate and uses the insecurities and suspicions of the bungling coup leaders to turn them against one other.
With the heavy topic, one may find it interesting that Mustapha manages to fuse in comedic moments smoothly: the leader’s megalomania and admitted promiscuity, the First Family’s excessive lifestyle, the converted torture expert, the befriended prisonguard (who may actually be the president’s illegitimate son), and the antics of soldiers trying to secure their newfound power. Behind these events, though is a dark truth that Floy Quintos admits in his notes, “It could very well be a comedy. But given our own experience with coups and coup plotters, it could be something else. A bleak glimpse into what could happen, into what is entirely possible in this country.”
The play made me wonder what would have happened if Trillanes succeeded in his attempts to overthrow the government. Or even before that- if Honasan succeeded in his? How unpredictable could those situations have been? How lasting the effects?
Two moments from the play strike me the most. The first is when Jones reflects on the path of Trinidad towards independence and later muses, “Hindi pa tayo handa.” Even the preparedness and seriousness of the plotters are questioned later on with their antics: throwing tantrums because they are not saluted, giggling with excitement with small recognitions of leadership, worrying about change when they wind up just like the deposed president in the end. I wonder how Trillanes and company would have carried out the change they wanted if they had succeeded. Perhaps like the end of the play, the suspicions will never end. The new leaders will always have to watch their backs.
The second memorable moment offers an answer to the problem of power. Black Lightning, the military torturer who is later converted offers a soliloquy before he is executed. What does one do with too much power? Black Lighning’s final words: “Let go.”
The play is a must-see, if just for the fine acting of Mario O’Hara. His portrayal of Eddie Jones is powerful, eliciting both laughter and empathy from the audience at the perfect moments. His presence onstage really draws one to the depth or the comedy of a scene: the greatest male performance I’ve seen for quite some time. (I wish I had a pic taken with him after. Sayang!) Notable too are the performances of Bong Cabrera as Mikey and Chrome Cosio as Black Lightning, whom I look forward to seeing take on more lead roles in future shows.
Though the length of the production was a bit taxing (2.5 hours), I enjoyed the show. Not the comeplely comedic play I was expecting, but a more intense comedy: darker and richer, and I’m not complaining.
Kudeta runs at the CCP Tanghalang Huseng Batute until Feb.3 (Fri and Sat at 8pm, Sun at 3pm). Tickets available at Ticketworld (very cheap) so NOOD NA!! Then let me know what you think.
After seeing Insiang two months ago, I was excited to be back at the CCP for the new production. The teaser blurb (specifically “wickedly funny”) caught my attention a long time ago:
A wickedly funny play about a coup that topples the country’s President and how he fights back with all the weapons he has in his disposal- his enemies’ uncanny ability to self-destruct, and descendants who come out of nowhere. Is this the Philippines?
I had only read this blurb shortly when I watched the ADMU TA Seniors’ Fluid directed by Floy Quintos. Knowing he’d be handling this production only made me look forward to it more. The play is George de Jesus III’s Filipino adaptation of The Coup by Mustapha Matura. Matura, born in Trinidad, is a highly-awarded playwright, having quite a number of plays staged in both the US and UK.
The action is set in Trinidad and Tobago and the scene opens with Caribbean commonfolk gathering around the grave of ex-president Edward Jones. We learn that Jones dies as a result of a coup, though the details are not mentioned. Amidst intermittent gunfire, the townsfolk amuse us with juicy gossip about the president and end with frenzied dancing and praise of their deceased leader (they had a “Caribbean choreographer” listed in the programme). The next scene, possibly set weeks before the initial scene, opens with Edward Jones, played by Philippine film and theater luminary Mario O‘Hara, in a prison cell guarded by soldier named Mikey. We eventually learn hat Jones is already held as prisoner by the coup plotters. Jones is visited by these coup leaders every now and then and is threatened to sign manifestos that would help them legitimize their new government. Amidst their threats, however, Jones refuses to cooperate and uses the insecurities and suspicions of the bungling coup leaders to turn them against one other.
With the heavy topic, one may find it interesting that Mustapha manages to fuse in comedic moments smoothly: the leader’s megalomania and admitted promiscuity, the First Family’s excessive lifestyle, the converted torture expert, the befriended prisonguard (who may actually be the president’s illegitimate son), and the antics of soldiers trying to secure their newfound power. Behind these events, though is a dark truth that Floy Quintos admits in his notes, “It could very well be a comedy. But given our own experience with coups and coup plotters, it could be something else. A bleak glimpse into what could happen, into what is entirely possible in this country.”
The play made me wonder what would have happened if Trillanes succeeded in his attempts to overthrow the government. Or even before that- if Honasan succeeded in his? How unpredictable could those situations have been? How lasting the effects?
Two moments from the play strike me the most. The first is when Jones reflects on the path of Trinidad towards independence and later muses, “Hindi pa tayo handa.” Even the preparedness and seriousness of the plotters are questioned later on with their antics: throwing tantrums because they are not saluted, giggling with excitement with small recognitions of leadership, worrying about change when they wind up just like the deposed president in the end. I wonder how Trillanes and company would have carried out the change they wanted if they had succeeded. Perhaps like the end of the play, the suspicions will never end. The new leaders will always have to watch their backs.
The second memorable moment offers an answer to the problem of power. Black Lightning, the military torturer who is later converted offers a soliloquy before he is executed. What does one do with too much power? Black Lighning’s final words: “Let go.”
The play is a must-see, if just for the fine acting of Mario O’Hara. His portrayal of Eddie Jones is powerful, eliciting both laughter and empathy from the audience at the perfect moments. His presence onstage really draws one to the depth or the comedy of a scene: the greatest male performance I’ve seen for quite some time. (I wish I had a pic taken with him after. Sayang!) Notable too are the performances of Bong Cabrera as Mikey and Chrome Cosio as Black Lightning, whom I look forward to seeing take on more lead roles in future shows.
Though the length of the production was a bit taxing (2.5 hours), I enjoyed the show. Not the comeplely comedic play I was expecting, but a more intense comedy: darker and richer, and I’m not complaining.
Kudeta runs at the CCP Tanghalang Huseng Batute until Feb.3 (Fri and Sat at 8pm, Sun at 3pm). Tickets available at Ticketworld (very cheap) so NOOD NA!! Then let me know what you think.
image from: www.tanghalangpilipino.com
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