Theater Review: Time Stands Still by Red Turnip - When is Love Enough?

"I thought marriage will change me."
                                                                               -Sarah talking to James "Time Stands Still"

When love changes everything. When love conquers all pain.  When love drives us apart.  This are the thoughts that would come to mind when you get to watch the 2nd season-ender production of Red Turnip of Donald Marguilles "Time Stands Still".

Staying true to their calling, Red Turnip's production focuses on the different emotions and aspect of man to his environment.  Opening their 2nd season with Rabbit Hole, Red Turnip aims to capture the metro again with this award winning piece.

This is my second chance to view a Red Turnip production and I am still amazed with the pieces that they get to pick for Filipino viewing.  Compared to Cock, Time Stands Still has more quotable lines that it is quite a challenge to view, write and take pictures all at the same time.

Synopsis:

TIME STANDS STILL is the story of Sarah, a photojournalist who must return home with her journalist boyfriend James after sustaining injuries from war-torn Middle East. The play follows their love story as they negotiate a more ordinary life, far from the thrills of a battleground. Yet the comforts of urban domesticity—the simple pleasures and small compromises—can be a minefield of its own. "Time Stands Still" is a blazingly important play about responsibility - to ourselves, to our loved ones, to our community, and to our world.

"Are you God?."
                                                                             -Mandy talking to Sarah "Time Stands Still"

This is technically Rem Zamora's 2nd stage play directorial piece after his successful staging of Cock. He never failed to amaze me on his interpretation and vision as to how a play is to be mounted for the viewing public.  His idea of combining projected images to show time transition and using an in-the-round blocking despite the stage set-up was a marvel to behold.  He was able to bring along a creative team that helped him bring to light this production though its light and realistic sets.  I am not claustrophobic but the opening scene gave me a feeling of being closed in when the house lights slowly faded out and images flashed at the walls; making you focus on the wall and set presented in front of me.

 "How can you live by yourself with all that you have seen?"
                                                                           -Sarah talking to James "Time Stands Still"

Time Stands Still is about the love between two individuals that brought them together and has also driven them apart.  It is about love that helped them survive their traumas but it also made them see things at a different light.  Such is the dilemma that unfolds in this stage piece.  Sarah is a photojournalist played by respected stage actress Ana Abad Santos, while veteran stage and film actor Nonie Buencamino played the role of James, a journalist.

All of the actors played their roles to the best as expected from their caliber.  Ana displayed her skills as an actress by portraying a person caught between her love for her profession, love for the person who is there for her and her personal guilt because of her role as a photojournalist.  Nonie is the journalist who is caught between his love for the woman in his heart and his personal dream to help ease his own ghost which resulted from his profession.  Supported by Nor Domingo and Giannina Ocampo, playing the roles of Richard and Mandy respectively, the quartet is complete!  The roles of both Nor and Giannina may be supporting in nature but very important!  They gave the needed balance in this emotional piece - especially the candid lines of Mandy, as delivered by Giannina.

They all displayed clear facial expressions that is so important with this type of stage set-up.  Their expressions spoke in volumes!  From Ana's pain to Nonie's frustrations, from the true love felt by Richard (played by Nor) to his young girlfriend, Mandy and to the candidly naive but true emotions of Mandy (played by Giannina).  The camaraderie among the four is true and felt.  It showed on the way they interacted onstage and created that friendship that their roles called for.

"There is so much beauty in the world and all we see is misery . . . both of you."
                                                                             -Sarah talking to Mandy "Time Stands Still"

This 2nd production for their 2nd season truly speaks volume in the heart of the artists involved and the people who gets to view it.  True that it was presented in the persona of journalist but if one would simply take time to analyze things, one would see that he or she was once been their shoes.  We all have felt that feeling of being torn between profession and man.  That feeling of being torn between our personal dream and that of the person we love.  When we have to decide and stand on it.  When we have to feel pain for the price of our own decisions in life.

This is one piece worth of your time.  Not because of its visual effects but because of the heart placed in it.  Heart coming from the director, from the actors and from the entire production of this piece.  Time has truly stood still for me when I was there watching this Red Turnip production.  A moment that truly captured me, heart and soul - as a viewer, a former stage persona and a person who knows how it felt to be torn between two loves.

Kudos to Red Turnip!

"Let us stop running."
                                                                                  -James to Sarah "Time Stands Still"

Photos:
(All photos used were personally taken by me during the press preview of Red Turnip's "Time Stands Still")