When invites were sent out to view the re-staging of this 90
minutes stage play, I immediately took it to know what it is all about. This was one talked about theater piece and I
need to know why.
COCK is one stage piece written by Mike Bartlett and staged
here in the Philippines by the Red Turnip Theater. When it was staged last year, it got good
reviews and was talked about because of the way it was presented and the
dialogues. Simply put, it was a theater
piece that is a must to watch. This
year, Red Turnip decided to re-stage it this October for only a weekend showing
and one should not miss it.
Like any other night for the past few weeks, it was rainy and
definitely a challenge for all commuters.
Because of this fact, I decided to be early. Some would say, I was too early but for me it
was worth the wait before the show. The
show was at 8:00 p.m., and I was there at 10 minutes before 6:00 p.m. It was my first time to be at Whitespace and
knowing parts of the area, it was one location you don’t want to be at caught
in the rain.
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Synopsis: (Courtesy of Red Turnip – Press Release)
"Cock" centers
around a man (John) who must choose between his gay lover (M) and the woman (W)
he's slowly falling in love with. Adding confusion to the mix is M's father (F)
who is hell-bent on preserving his son's homosexual relationship. The four
decide to meet for an ill-fated dinner and that's when all hell breaks loose.
The show has been hailed as "a 90 minute whirlwind
of language and deft theatrics, a human battle royale..." (The Philippine
Star)
The
"year's fiercest quartet of actors" (Philippine Daily Inquirer) have
returned to reprise their critically heralded performances. Topper Fabregas is
John, Niccolo Manahan is M, Jenny Jamora is W, and Audie Gemora completes the
cast as F.
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* *
Since it was my first time to watch a Red Turnip production,
I opted not to expect anything at all.
Like what I normally say to every first time experience “Surprise me!”
and boy was I surprised!
The production is minimalist in terms of set-up. No big sets, no gels on its par lamps, no big
costume changes. It was plain simplicity! And simplicity of the production made it
alive and worth watching! There wasn’t
anything there to distract you. How the
piece was treated made sure that the viewers make use of their own imagination
to visualize the space in real life.
Base on my own theater experience, performing on a small, on-the-round
set-up is no easy feat. Blockings has to
be precise and definite to make sure that all the audience can see what is
happening and the expressions has to be clear because of the nearness of the
viewing public. It is like having your
close-up and full-body shot all at the same time.
All throughout the play, I was thinking: “Am I only hearing one name? What is the name
of John’s male partner? What is the name
of John’s girlfriend? Does John’s male partner dad have a name? Is John the
only name to be heard?” Lo and behold, John is indeed the only name all
throughout the play! Upon realizing
this, one get’s to ask why. The only
answer I could possibly think of, it is simply about John – his search as to
who he truly is. I mean, when you start
asking yourself as to who you really are, the only thing that matters is how
you know yourself and not how other sees you.
Such is the character of John is in this play. It was John’s point-of-view from the present,
looking at the past but is at the present at the same time. For me, this was a piece that tells us the
importance of knowing oneself regardless of age and time and not to be dictated
by society. This was truly one
socio-relevant piece worthy to be staged and re-staged.
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| Rem Zamora-Director |
The quartet of theater actors were a true delight to behold
and hear. Each of them was able to give
life to the character in a none-so-typical way.
None-so-typical because there was no exact person being portrayed but simply pieces of
personalities that the audience can relate to; may they be gay or straight,
male or female, young or old, partnered or not.
The rich intellect of the playwright is clearly heard with the dialogues
used. The analytical and fertile mind of
the director, which is Rem Zamora – one of the 5 key people of Red Turnip
Theater, is displayed with the way the blockings are made. His blockings showed his true aim regarding
the piece and that is to make the people think and at the same time realize
that what one individual is feeling is not necessarily unique to him or her but
something we can all relate to by understanding where the person is coming from
(this is my take on how the blockings were made). There was subtle
symbolism but clear reasoning as to why one character is in that spot and not
on the other spot. Making use of that
small round space to recreate a pad, a train station, a room, a patio is no
easy feat. The staging is something
similar to a cockfight, if you will think of it. The way the actors threw their lines, the
walk they make around the area, and the way audience gets to have those glued-into-your-seat
moments; it was all because of the right positioning set by Rem, with the help of
his cast and production – especially his cast/actors.
The actors are gems to behold! All of them brilliantly cut and polished in
this re-staging of COCK. Going back into
the characters that they have portrayed some months back, was a step in knowing
more about the character that they are portraying. It was like knowing a dish but tasting
another aspect of it or drinking that morning coffee and finding another flavor
in it or seeing a dress that you haven’t worn for a time and when you tried it
again, you see certain richness in it again. I LOVE ALL OF THEM! I don’t have a favorite for they have all
given their all and have created a tapestry so beautiful to look at.
How do I love them? Let me count the ways:
- The character voice of Audie Gemora is so catchy! It was something that I am both not expecting
and is expecting from him being a seasoned theater actor. If his character is present in the lives of
all gay man, then this society is way different from where it is now. I love his clear whisper-like dialogues! It was so normal and controlled! Sure sign of theater experience and
discipline.
-
- Jenny Jamora may be petite in stature but she
gives a big punch when it comes to acting.
The way she portrayed her character “W”, will make biological female and
female-at-heart thinks of their ways when into a relationship. That underlying yearning, that being tough
but soft in the inside, that hunger that is present in us all; the character “W”
has it and Jenny showed it all in smooth transitions. She was able to show that sweet, supportive
side and the yearning, drama prone side of a female.
-
- “M” – the male partner of John, brought to life
onstage by Niccolo Manahan, is one character worth your mind. Niccolo was able to show the complex weave
that “M” has made in their relationship.
That authoritative but loving person, that supportive but demanding
individual, that manipulative but caring person; all this was shown by Niccolo
as he delivers his lines and looks. He has
a bitchy character which he delivered in style, which I can relate too. He may have a bitchy character but he sure
knows his spot in that round space!
On a
personal note, he was the only one who noticed the accessory that I was wearing
that time, a piece that I personally created.
I love him, flying perspirations
and all!
-
- Topper Fabregas as John is a delight to watch! He was in all scenes in those 90 minutes of
production. He shifted from one emotion
to the next with but a step and showed the different sides of his character. He
was able to show both the external and internal conflicts that his character
has. He was true to his craft and
character. The whole play was about his
character and he, Topper, was able to show that and was able to tie all people
in it. He was able to keep me thinking as
to what his character would do but at the same time reach the ending that his
character was made to do.As the story progresses, one would ask: "Who would John chose? Would it be M or W?" It was John. Confused? Catch the re-staging, next time.
Red Turnip Theater truly offers
something new, in terms of materials that they chose to stage. They are simply going back to the basic
principle of stage and that is reflecting life and all its color. They may be bold in terms of material selection but they are definitely a refreshing change from all the musicals that we have onstage right now. To use the
line of one of the prominent person in Philippine theater, Ms. Zeniada Amador:
“You can’t squeeze blood from a turnip, but you can sure as hell paint
it red.”
And to those who would say that
this is beyond Filipino culture, I would be using the first line from this
play: “Fuck you!”
**All photos used were provided by Red Turnip Theater and Franco Laurel
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| The Cast |
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| Topper as John and Niccolo as M |
Scenes shots (courtesy of Franco Laurel):
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| Jenny Jamora as W |
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| Niccolo Manahan as M |
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| Audie Gemora as F |
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