Kisapmata

(Commenting on the play, not the movie) Typing this at a Starbucks in NAIA right now… 3 hrs to kill before I board a plane at 4:50 am 😘 listening to Cowboy Carter as well! I was so impressed by the play when I first watched it at CCP last March. Immediately, I told my mom I wanted to rewatch it, but it was not a serious remark. It was just that good. So when I saw Tanghalang Pilipino’s post about bringing Kisapmata to Arete, alongside a rerun of Sandosenang Sapatos, a play I haven’t yet watched, I grabbed the chance. I paid for their twinbill package, which gives you tickets to both.  I only paid for the regular package, which should have given me a balcony seat at Sandosenang Sapatos. I was surprised when they gave me a ticket to the orchestra… no complaints made though! The orchestra at Arete’s Hyundai Hall was so good, I have to sit there in the future. It was elevated with steps, so your view would be fine even if the person in front of you is a bit tall. It was not as cold either like when we watched Sintang Dalisay. Anyway, Sandosenang Sapatos made me tear up… it reminded me of my teddy bears which I played pretend with. It’s also a heartwarming, colorful spectacle. I am enamored with the actress who played the child; she was singing while she stood on a bed that kept being pushed and pulled. No easy feat! Seeing that the musical ended at 3:20 PM, and Kisapmata was at 7:00 PM, I went home first. My mom and I had BOK Chicken for early dinner, I charged my phone, then prepped my hand-carry bags.  I took a Grab on the way to Ateneo’s Arete at 6:20 PM. I got there at 6:50 pm 😘 and thank God I still got an aisle seat in the middle section! I love aisle seats so much.  The play had me gripped again from the very start; the actress who played the mom Dely (she was the same actress I watched in Kisapmata’s CCP run!) was as mesmerizing as ever. Theatre is built different honestly, because you have to keep performing the same material and you have to do your best every single time since you’re performing for a different audience every single time. I have so much respect for theatre actors, especially with Dely’s actress because the character is elevated from supporting status to being the play’s lead actress. She does so much here; the material is not exactly light either.  Adapting Kisapmata for the stage may seem easy, given its limited ensemble of four actors, but I imagine it was a laborious task. Kisapmata’s fullest potential is realized for the stage. While it still was a microcosm for Marcos Sr’s dictatorship, it also became a profound story about keeping our humanity intact. I also appreciate that it expounded further on themes of masculinity and love and authoritarian rule!  Noel, the husband of daughter Mila, is expanded upon, allowing its actor to give a striking performance. A ten minute frightening sequence where he’s all alone was given the necessary gravitas. Whereas the movie’s horror truly sets in when a doctor refers to Mila as Tatang’s wife, the horror here really becomes most apparent when Noel is then locked up inside the family home.   Mila also has a stunning sequence, which should hopefully net her actress a slew of supporting actress trophies.  Tatang is a bone-chilling villain. The terror his character inspires was more pronounced in this Arete run than when I watched it at CCP. His dominance is overpowering and suffocating. I really do think his actor and his performance matches the menacing aura of Vic Silayan’s portrayal.  The production design is very minimalist, but it was still immersive due to the digital banners placed on the sides of Doreen. I noticed these digital banners had glimpses of events from martial law during a certain scene, which I found to be a great directorial choice aligned with the political climate that the play is still set in. It remembers its roots. I also found the persistent discussion of change very interesting tbh… I hope to truly get it once I watch it on a future rerun. God, I hope this gets staged again.  I did not check my phone once during the performance, because my God the sheer artistry of this play is just breathtaking. This honestly is the best play I have ever seen. I am grateful to be living in a world where creative minds staged this play.  The Filipino is worth dying for, indeed. PS I was a bit surprised when a child who couldn’t be older than 10 was at the performance! I hope the play was enlightening to him tbh