BOAC: PROMO ALERT

HIMALA: The 10th Anniversary Celebration of the Musical

Thirty years after the film was first shown to Philippine audiences, Himala still remains as one of the most celebrated Filipino films ever made.  

This March, listen, learn and be moved as May Bayot, Isay Alvarez and Cynthia Culig-Guico bring to life Elsa’s story through the music composed by Vincent de Jesus in  HIMALA – A CELEBRATION OF THE MUSICAL

 

 

Watch HIMALA (A Celebration of the Musical)  

on MARCH 24, 2013 (SUNDAY),  8PM at the PETA PHINMA Theater  Ticket Prices: 2000 (VIP Orchestra), 1000 (VIP) and 650 (Balcony)
For reservations, contact: Onay Sales (0917.908.0565)

 email: ronaleans@yahoo.com
 

PROFILES:
 
VINCENT DE JESUS is a multi-talented, multi-awarded composer/lyricist, musical director and musical scorer whose body of work includes theater, television, advertising and film projects. He has been recognized by the industry and honored with three Urian Awards, two Golden Screen Awards, two Star Awards and one Film Academy of the Philippines Award for Best Achievement in Music . Vincent is also a celebrated writer having received the Carlos Palanca Memorial Award for Literature and is a member of the Writers’ Bloc Inc. Truly a man of many talents, Vincent is also an actor, singer, musician, director, record producer and a teacher for musical theater. He has been a member of the Philippine Educational Teacher Association since 1985.

RICKY LEE is perhaps the most prolific and most celebrated film writer of his generation. Since he began writing in 1973, he has completed over 150 film scripts which have been brought to life by some of the country’s most respected actors and film directors including Lino Brocka, Ishmael Bernal, Marilou Diaz-Abaya, Laurice Guillen, Olivia Lamasan, and Mel Chionglo. He has received over 50 trophies from the film industry’s various award-giving bodies and was honored by the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino with the Natatanging Gawad Urian Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003. He has also received international acclaimed in international film festivals in Cannes, Toronto, and Berlin among others, where a number of his films have been screened. Ricky is also a fictionist, journalist and playwright.

MAY BAYOT was already considered one of the country’s best vocalist as the lead singer for the band ACOUSTIC JIVE when she set foot onstage to take part in her first musical. It was her tour de force portrayal of Elsa In Himala the Musical that established her as one of the most gifted performers in the Philippine Musical Theater industry. Her performance was so well received that she won the Best Actress in Musical Role award from the Aliw Awards. She was also given the first Gawad Buhay citation for Best Actress in a Musical Role. Truly a versatile performer, May is also a core member of Transitopia Contemporary Dance Commune.

ISAY ALVAREZ first gained international attention as one of the lead cast members of the London Production of Miss Saigon. Since then, Isay has become a moving force in the Philippine Theater industry while still being actively involved in international productions. Isay and her husband, Robert Seña, have harnessed their joint experiences on the global theater stage to produce shows and albums. Not one to rest on her laurels, Isay has also become one of the busiest film and television actresses.

CYNTHIA CULIG-GUICO has enthralled audiences in the US, Canada, Scotland, Spain, France, Italy, Japan and Germany as the soloist and lead actor in numerous concert and stage productions. She received her Bachelor of Music Degree in Voice from the UP College of Music. Cynthia has chosen to “pay it forward” by teaching aspiring performers at the Philippine Opera Company, Trumpets’ Playshop and the Miriam Music Center.

BOAC: Bring Old Books and Get 20% Off!

Buy tickets to the March 2 / Saturday / 8PM schedule of D WONDER TWINS OF BOAC and get 20% discount when you donate any book/s for BOOKS FOR A CAUSE.

Books For A Cause (BFAC) is an advocacy that aims to provide precious knowledge to every Filipino and increase literacy through continuous learning.

The initial beneficiaries are the PEOPLE, CHILDREN and OUT-OF-SCHOOL-YOUTHS of Cuyapo, Nueva Ecija, specifically those from the remote places of Baloy and its neighboring barangays who never had a library in their lifetime.

BFAC accepts used textbooks or any reference books and learning materials including children’s books, dictionaries and Encyclopedias. The books you share will certainly make a BIG difference.

For more details about BFAC, visit http://www.booksforacause.net/ or like their FB page: https://www.facebook.com/booksforacauseph/info

------

Read some of the praises, raves and reviews about BOAC here:

http://www.watchplays.blogspot.com/2013/02/boac-praises-raves-and-reviews.html

 

Catch it on its closing weekend run

MARCH 2, 2013 / SAT / 8PM / PETA

Ticket Prices: 1000, 800 and 600

 

Contact Us:
Robert Ceazar Marzan  (0922.888.5348)
Jayme del Rosario (0927.202.2017)
  Onay Sales (0917.908.0565)

 

BOAC: Praises, Raves and Reviews

 

"D' Wonder Twins of Boac should become choice viewing for all who love a good laugh, excellent scripting, and grand emotional musical numbers."

-PEP

"This is theater at its best.
This is theater as it should be"

-Manila Standard Today

  

 

"Much more than educational entertainment, it arms its audiences with insight, incites them to action, and spurs them off to the real world to rewrite the story of our times. And it doesn't hurt that this play provides laughter and song with its tonic of truth."
- Rappler

There may be a need for plays like “D' Wonder Twins of Boac” to help us understand that our task of remembering is to make us think of a different future. It is a future where the cycles of the past are broken in favor of a cinema that both inspires and entertains." 

- GMA News 

 

 

 

"Their punchlines...were delivered with timing and at the most unexpected circumstances.  It filled the theater with laughter."

-bulatlat.com

"D Wonder Twins of Boac not only experiments with contrasting eras and tackles the fine line dividing drama and comedy, it also illustrates the inner workings and complex tapestry of the Philippine film industry."

-Philippine Online Chronicles

 

"What I really, really appreciate when Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) adapts  a work - whether it be opera (TOSCA), a historical novel (NOLI AT FILI), a person's biography (BATANG RIZAL), children's play (LOLA BASYANG) - is that they know where to draw the line between respecting the original material and then in a very out-of-box way, make the material their own.  Such was the case with  D WONDER TWINS OF BOAC.”

"...in the case of  D WONDER TWINS OF BOAC, it's different with Cris Villonco's,  who played the cute and adorable as the feisty probinsyana Viola and the handsome Cesar. Far from her classic or classy ingenue roles, she was able to portray a character na makamasa.  Her accent was very crude, something you don't usually expect from someone with her breeding. "

"..delicious dollops of sweet melodies, spicy sexual innuendos, and gender bending hilarity...You don't have to be a student bused in for a school requirement to watch this show. D Wonder Twins of Boac is a show you will want to see just for sheer entertainment."

 

Catch it on its closing weekend run

MARCH 2, 2013 / SAT / 8PM / PETA

Ticket Prices: 1000, 800 and 600

 

Contact Us:
Robert Ceazar Marzan  (0922.888.5348)
Jayme del Rosario (0927.202.2017)
  Onay Sales (0917.908.0565)

 

'D Wonder Twins of Boac': A better ending that's up to you

By Rome Jorge
Original Article can be found HERE

MANILA, Philippines - Live performances, the most ancient of arts, are the premium entertainment of the 21^st century — the one experience that can't be digitally reproduced, downloaded, and pirated. 

Never before in recent times have there been so many commercially successful plays performing concurrently. And yet it has always been tough getting audiences to watch theater. It requires commitment for both those on stage and in the seats; theater companies need the cast and crew for every single performance and audiences just can't walk out on real people. 

If it's good, then the live performance becomes an unforgettable personal experience. And if it's bad, it's torture being a captive audience to people making fools of themselves onstage.

To keep the rafters packed, local theater companies have resorted to several strategies: stage musicals, use famous plays, modernize classics, cast television and movie stars, and choose educational shows — the kind you can pre-sell to schools as a requirement for their students.

On top of all these demands, a theater company must still come out with entertaining and artistic fare if they are to retain audiences (and schools with their busloads of students) for the next season.

But when the company is none other than the highly esteemed Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA), even more is expected.

And they deliver.

Rody Vera's “D Wonder Twins of Boac” doesn't just transform William Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” into a Filipino musical set in the Tagalog movie business of the 1960s; it delivers Brechtian Theater that subversively incites audiences into introspection and action even as it makes them laugh and sing.

Shakespeare; Bertolt Brecht; the decline of cinematic creativity in the Philippines and the advent of formulaic, derivative and exploitative films — all these weighty topics are easy to swallow with a sugarcoat of comedy and melody, thanks to playwright Rody Vera; director Maribel Legarda; music composer Jeff Hernandez; choreographer Carlon Matobato; stars Cris Villonco and Chrome Cosio; stage veterans Shamaine Centenera-Buencamino and Bodjie Pascua.

Then there are also the cast members Juliene Mendoza, Gino Ramirez, Paolo Rodriguez, Carlon Matobato, Riki Benedicto, Gie Onida, Eric dela Cruz, Roi Calilong, Kiki Baento, Kat Castillo, Tricia Huseña, and Divine Aucina; costume designer John Abul; set designer Lex Marcos; and lighting designer Jon Jon Villareal. 

Just like Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night,” Vera's “D Wonder Twins of Boac” tells of a shipwrecked heroine pretending to be a man to fit in and come under the employ of a wealthy man, who then sends her/him to beseech the hand of a wealthy dame in marriage, only to have that matron fall for her male guise even as she gets enamored to her master. 

But as the title “D Wonder Twins of Boac” suggests, its heroine Viola (Villonco) has a twin brother Bastian (Cosio) and the two are a vaudeville pair from Boac, Marinduque. Separated by a shipwreck, she tries her luck auditioning for the part of a man at Campanilla Pictures looking for “the Philippine Elvis.” Unknown to her, the same studio has hired her long lost twin as a stuntman. 

She ends up as the envoy of its owner Doc Orsino (Pascua/Mendoza) who wants to unite his studio with its rival, BLV Studios, by marrying its owner Olivia Nepomuceno (Buencamino). Just like Shakespeare’s heroine, Viola secretly becomes enamored with Orsino even as she evades the advances of Olivia. 

When the two decide to consolidate their studios, the ensuing film stars Viola as a man and Bastian as his body double stuntman. 

For all the delicious dollops of sweet melodies, spicy sexual innuendos, and gender bending hilarity, this play leaves a bitter taste in one's mouth — and that's intentional. Brechtian to the end, “D Wonder Twins of Boac” does not give its audiences the feel-good ending they expect. 

Instead of a sweet suspension of disbelief culminating in a satisfying closure, the jagged pill of truth jars them to the reality that awaits them outside the theater — a Philippine movie industry that is as formulaic, derivative, and exploitative as the one portrayed onstage. The “happy ending” necessary to complete the story is up to the audiences to enact with the films they choose to see, shun, and make themselves. 

PETA beautifully exceeds its didactic mandate with “D Wonder Twins of Boac.” Much more than educational entertainment, it arms its audiences with insight, incites them to action, and spurs them off to the real world to rewrite the story of our times. And it doesn't hurt that this play provides laughter and song with its tonic of truth.

You don't have to be a student bused in for a school requirement to watch this show. “D Wonder Twins of Boac” is a show you will want to see just for sheer entertainment. 

Villonco's crystalline voice shines in PETA Theater's excellent acoustics. Rodriguez flips his wig and brings the house down with his comedic genius as several characters. Marcos's fantastic stage gimmicks include a descending pylon of video flat screens and confetti. Villareal's lighting design is ever the unsung hero. (One only needs to watch a badly lit play to appreciate what he does.)

And then there's the winning chemistry of the cast and crew's ensemble efforts that allow this play to shine on so many levels. And of course there's Vera's wit, Hernandez's melodies, and Legarda's leadership. Whether appreciated as entertainment, as education, or as a call to action, “D Wonder Twins of Boac” fits the bill. - Rappler.com

 

Catch it on its closing weekend run

MARCH 2, 2013 / SAT / 8PM / PETA

Ticket Prices: 1000, 800 and 600

 

Contact Us:
Robert Ceazar Marzan  (0922.888.5348)
Jayme del Rosario (0927.202.2017)
  Onay Sales (0917.908.0565)

 

‘D Wonder Twins of Boac’ and Philippine cinema

By JANESS ANN J. ELLAO

of Bulatlat.com

Original Article can be found HERE

MANILA – It’s an old tale one can narrate over and over again – with varying settings and back story – but one would still get the same enchanting result.

The Philippine Educational Theater Association closes its 45th season with a comedy-musical “D Wonder Twins of Boac,” a modern adaptation of William Shakespeare’s “Twelfth night.” The play is directed by Maribel Legarda

The story begins with twins Viola (Cris Villonco) and Bastian (Chrome Cosio) from the small town of Boac in Marinduque. They spent their childhood joining singing and dancing contests in their province, which, in real life, is a reality for many Filipinos.

Their journey to Manila, however, was met with misfortune when Viola lost Bastian in a shipwreck. Believing her brother to be dead, Viola pursued their dreams until she, disguised as man named Cesar, was hired as the Friday boy of Doc Orsino (Lex Marcos), owner of a big film studio Campanilla Pictures.

Truthful to Shakespeare’s original piece, Viola became Orsino’s messenger to his love Olivia Nepomuceno (Sharmaine Buencamino), owner of another movie studio BLV Studios. Viola soon finds herself entangled in a very unusual love triangle affair.

Critic of today’s film

There have been several adaptations of Twelfth Night that was produced both in theater and in film, among the most recent was the American film “She’s the Man,” (2006) where the character Viola was struggling to prove herself as a soccer player, disguised as her brother, to get into the school team.

As expected of PETA, its long tradition of theater did not fail its audience as it adapted the classic literature to the Philippine context. Its playwright Rody Vera said there was no other way to depict Shakespeare’s duke and the rest of the cast than to set it during the decline of the Golden Years of the Philippine Cinema, an aftermath of a period in the country’s history where movie producers were treated as royalty and their stars as minions.

“What a delightful setting where actors can overact, passion can overflow, and comic twists and turns can aptly punctuate a fantasy world all its own. And yet, the underlying rumblings of a movie industry that is beginning to fall through slowly, is just the background of this entire sensational, spectacular dazzle,” Vera said.

Though the setting was in the 1960s, the critique of the quality of films that were being produced at that time still applies today. Many believe or claim that there is now a reawakening of Philippine cinema as more and more independent films are being produced.

Malvolio (Gino Ramirez, Lao Rodriguez), an award-winning director who fancies Olivia, described the then emerging musical and comedy films as “bakya” (literally wooden sandals), meaning unsophisticated. These films, he said, treat their audience as if they were dumb.

Is his description not applicable to the themes of the films we have today? Overused themes of films today are about a man who has to choose between his wife and his mistress, love developing between a man and his girl Friday, a mother looking for her lost child, a cruel stepmother oppressing a step or adopted daughter who would later turn out to be a scion of a rich family, and the list goes on.

Round stage and live music

The story is filled with varying levels of conflicts between and among the characters and the characters, too, against themselves. But Vera managed to weave the story smoothly; everything just fell into place.

Their punchlines, though some were not exactly that new, were delivered with timing and at the most unexpected circumstances. It filled the theater with laughter.

The play, however, was not able to establish well how and when Viola started to fall for Orsino, at least when one is not familiar with the original Shakespeare piece.

The music was well written. And to everyone’s amazement, they played the piano live.

The production design by Lex Marcos, who also played Orsino, made use of arena theater or theater-in-the-round with the audience sitting around the stage. The director Maribel Legarda said during the press preview that it was a challenge to the staff and crew on how they would adjust to the round stage. 

This is only the second time in Peta’s history that it performed in an arena theater. And, bravo, they did.

Theater-in-the-round, of course, has its disadvantages because there were scenes where the characters had to turn their backs on the audience. But the good thing, too, is that you can sit anywhere in the theater house and still get a good view of the play.

The play ends in a surprising twist. If you want a clue, here is an excerpt from the song “Ang Pelikula’y Isang Panaginip” (A film is a dream), which they sang in the end: “Ang pelikula’y isang panaginip na di tayo magigising. Ang akala nating happy ending ay may nakatago palang dillim.”

 

Catch it on its closing weekend run

MARCH 2, 2013 / SAT / 8PM / PETA

Ticket Prices: 1000, 800 and 600

 

Contact Us:
Robert Ceazar Marzan  (0922.888.5348)
Jayme del Rosario (0927.202.2017)
  Onay Sales (0917.908.0565)

 

A retelling of Shakespeare classic in PETA's 'D Wonder Twins of Boac

By Philippine Online Chronicles

Original Article can be found HERE

 

Award-winning Filipino playwright Rody Vera retells "Twelfth Night," William Shakespeare's comedy of errors in the Philippine Educational Theater Association's (PETA) comedy-musical, "D Wonder Twins of Boac."

Shakespeare's ancient Illyria and the 60's rock 'n' roll era in Manila seem to lack similarities, but the fact that Vera--who is skilled in the craft--is able to do a fitting adaptation only proves the universality of Shakespeare's work as it resonates in another time.

Vera's latest opus, "D Wonder Twins of Boac" maintains "Twelfth Night's" theme of mistaken identity as Shakespeare's lovers and dukes turn into studio producers who regard themselves as royalty and their stable of stars as their minions. The new setting is the 60's Philippine film industry, with two competing studios Campanilla Pictures and BLV Studios.

"D Wonder Twins of Boac" focuses on the story of two aspiring talents from Marinduque, twins named Viola (Cris Villonco) and Bastian (Chrome Cosio), who were separated in an unfortunate shipwreck going to Manila. Driven by her dream to make it big in showbiz and believing her brother to be dead, Viola disguises herself as a boy and auditions to become the 'Elvis' of Campanilla Pictures owned by Doc Orsino (essayed by Bodjie Pascua, alternating with Lex Marcos). Doc Orsino hires Viola (now disguised as Ceasar) and becomes his boy friday. Eventually, her disguise causes numerous complications when she falls in love with Doc Orsino, while Donya Olivia (Shamaine Buencamino), the unresponsive object of Doc Orsino, falls madly in love with her.

Vera reveals that the play also speaks of his personal experience and memory of the 60's, "Part of my childhood is about lining up in Life Theater to watch the next film release of Sampaguita and Vera-Perez Pictures."

Director Maribel Legarda describes Vera's adaptation as one that "taps into a core conflict that plagues the film industry" as the musical tackles the age-old debate of commercial versus artistic films.

"The decline of the studios in the 60's allows us to dramatize a most serious concern as though it were something to laugh about," Vera adds.

"D Wonder Twins of Boac" not only experiments with contrasting eras and tackles the fine line dividing drama and comedy, it also illustrates the inner workings and complex tapestry of the Philippine film industry.

The ensemble includes: Phillip Lazaro, Gino Ramirez, Paolo Rodriguez, Carlon Matobato, Riki Benedicto, Gie Onida, Eric dela Cruz, Roi Calilong, Kiki Baento, Kat Castillo, Tricia Huseña, and Divine Aucina.

The play's music is by PETA's young composer-arranger Jeff Hernandez, with choreography by PETA Senior member Carlon Matobato, set design actor-designer Lex Marcos, costumes by New York-based Filipino designer John Abul, with lighting by seasoned designer Jon Jon Villareal.

 

Catch it on its closing weekend run

MARCH 2, 2013 / SAT / 8PM / PETA

Ticket Prices: 1000, 800 and 600

 

Contact Us:
Robert Ceazar Marzan  (0922.888.5348)
Jayme del Rosario (0927.202.2017)
  Onay Sales (0917.908.0565)

 

Theater Review: In the golden age of Pinoy cinema with 'D' Wonder Twins of Boac'

By REN V. AGUILA
Original Article can be found HERE

 

It was when I read “Twelfth Night” that the following quote gained a very interesting context: “Some are born great, some are made great, and some have greatness thrust upon them.” 

 

When I learned last year that the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) was going to adapt the comedy and set it in the film scene of the 1960s that my curiosity was piqued. Rody Vera took the studio system and made it into a set-up that made sense. 

 

“Producers were indeed like royalty,” Vera told the assembled press in a post-performance forum.

 

“D' Wonder Twins of Boac” works in the milieu with the prevailing atmosphere that society has forgotten much about the first Golden Age of Philippine Cinema, and what came after. 

 

Studio names like Sampaguita and LVN survive in nothing more than crumbling compounds in the New Manila area – not far from PETA's present place. There is also a sense that, beyond a few plays taught in some high schools, some of Shakespeare's more interesting work has not found wider resonance around these parts. But what PETA has achieved this time is much more than I expected.
 

Cris Villonco stars as both Viola and Sebastian in "D'Wonder Twins of Boac."

It started with the setting. A theater in the round is not the ideal place to stage a comedy, as director Maribel Legarda said in the same forum, “because there is nowhere to hide.” 

 

In the light of what “Twelfth Night” does, and of what this play does, it works. Vera's script, like Shakespeare's, relies on the fact that the audience is all in on the joke and we really know what happens. Or do we? The scene transitions, with the set changes, were staged to feel like what happens in a film shoot, and those were amusing in their own right.

 

Which brings me to the acting. The ensemble was generally good, though I wonder what it would have been like with Bodjie Pascua doing Orsino (his alternate and the play's production designer, Lex Marcos, was the one on stage when I watched). And it is without qualification that I was impressed with the twins, played by Cris Villonco and Chrome Cosio, both of whom are working with Legarda and PETA for the first time. Villonco's Viola/Cesar was convincing enough, with her Cesar showing the appropriate degree of awkwardness, especially in Cesar's scenes with Olivia (played here by Shamaine Buencamino).

 

Still, there were some problems in this very early performance that needed resolution, and hopefully this will be the case by the time you read this. The music, mostly played by a live ensemble, led by composer and arranger Jeff Hernandez, sometimes drowned out the actors.

 

When the actors were able to have their voices heard on the sound system, it was sometimes spotty, especially when they were dancing. Ever since I started watching plays around these parts, I noticed that sound was a problem, though PETA usually has a very good technical track record on this score.

 

Vera's adaptation is the best thing about this play. It is very faithful to the source material, and it keeps much of what I enjoy about Shakespeare's original. Of course, it is up to a point, but I will not spoil it here. His attempt to add color by mentioning personalities from the time whose names still resonate (and others long since forgotten) might go over the heads of younger viewers, but it could pique new curiosity for this transitional time in Philippine cinema.

 

This comes at a very interesting time, indeeed. When the National Film Archive is up and running and slowly piecing together our film heritage. Organizations like the Society of Filipino Archivists for Film (SOFIA) are rallying behind the need to examine our cinematic past. Every so often, new treasures are dug up. A documentary thought to have been lost, from the same era where “Wonder Twins” was set, was premiered on the sidelines of Cinemalaya 2012. “Recuerdo of Two Sundays on Two Roads Leading to the Sea” was found in the archives of a New York organization which hosted a competition to which the documentary was submitted.

 

But for me, what resonated more was the message that our sense of forgetting has, as the saying goes, forced us to repeat it. Just as the film “Shakespeare in Love” was Tom Stoppard's way of talking about contemporary Hollywood in terms of the Elizabethan era, this play smacks with the sharp tang of recognition. 

 

The Philippine studio system has not died yet. It has merely taken a different shape after a long absence. 

 

There may be a need for plays like “D' Wonder Twins of Boac” to help us understand that our task of remembering is to make us think of a different future. It is a future where the cycles of the past are broken in favor of a cinema that both inspires and entertains, and challenges our presumptions about the way things are. To make us remember is a challenge this play has taken on, and in my view, it could serve this purpose. – KDM, GMA News

 

Catch it on its closing weekend run

MARCH 2, 2013 / SAT / 8PM / PETA

Ticket Prices: 1000, 800 and 600

 

Contact Us:
Robert Ceazar Marzan  (0922.888.5348)
Jayme del Rosario (0927.202.2017)
  Onay Sales (0917.908.0565)

 

REVIEW: PETA's D' Wonder Twins of Boac

By Kate Etoista-Koo
Original Article can be found HERE

For an interesting take on William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, schedule a visit to Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) and catch D' Wonder Twins of Boac. This comedy play will be staged until March 3 at the PETA Theater Center in Quezon City.

Written by playwright Rody Vera, this new play revisits the plot of an old theater favorite and breathes new local and cultural life into it.

The key characters from the original play are all present and deliver excellent over-the-top performances. However, the setting is placed in 1960's Philippines, Manila and Boac, Marinduque. Another modification is that the play is set in an era when two big film studios experienced their subsequent decline.


Director Maribel Legarda decided to stage D' Wonder Twins of Boac in a round arena and thereby provides the audience with a whole new and intimate take on theater. The stage consisted of four round circles set in the middle of the theater and this allowed theater goers to feel as they were part of all the goings on happening on stage. It is the second time in PETA's history that the company decided to do theater in the round, making it a fitting choice to close their 45th theater season.


D' Wonder Twins of Boac follows the story of twins Viola and Bastian from Boac, Marinduque. They've hit the local circuit of fiestas, singing and talent contests, and other competitions and are hoping to make it big. Following the still-popular trend of going to Manila in order to make a name for themselves, the twins get separated from each other when their ship gets shipwrecked in a storm. Mind you, all this is happening within the first two minutes of the play and it is quite dramatic. And the twins end up thinking the other is dead, too.


Here is where the plot of Twelfth Night is interwoven beautifully into the whole play--with the mistaken identities, complicated love attractions, scheming and plotting for financial gains--through fantastic song numbers and intense acting by all the cast.


Viola, played by Cris Villonco, becomes Cesar in order to 1) avoid a life of continued begging on the streets and 2) because film studio Campanilla Pictures was looking for its next big star to the tune of Elvis--a singing, dancing, acting male all-in-one sensation. But instead of becoming the big star she/he hoped to be, Cesar ends up becoming the boy-Friday of Campanilla Pictures owner Doc Orsino Villar, played by Lex Marcos. But because Cesar also proves to be a looker, Doc Orsino employs Cesar to seduce rival BLV Studios owner Donya Olivia Nepomuceno, (cted brilliantly by Shamaine Buencamino) into a partnership with Campanilla.


Cesar agrees because Doc Orsino promised Cesar would be made a star and because slowly, Cesar is developing feelings of complicated love towards Doc Orsino. Cris plays her dual roles really well and is quite believable as male Cesar, with hints of feminity, ala Gwyneth Paltrow's take in Shakespeare in Love. The whole thing is made more hilarious, because even as Cesar was sent as a means of seducing Donya Olivia into a dual partnership with Campanilla (Doc wants the studios to merge and for him to marry Olivia), Donya Olivia falls in love with Cesar.


This unintended love triangle proves to be a strong asset to the entire musical play as it provided the most laughs and drama. Shamaine is hilarious as she tries to seduce Cesar, who being egged on by Doc Orsino because of the deal she made, tries his/her best to avoid the advances.


Lex Marcos, who plays Doc Orsino started with the intention of bringing the two studios together, but ends up inexplicably falling for Cesar as well. Lex proves to be an excellent choice for the strong-willed Doc Orsino role and it is quite interesting to see his transition from treating Cesar merely as his boy-Friday to when he falls in love with Cesar and starts to do counter-strategies in keeping Cesar away from the clutches of Donya Olivia.


Cris Villonco delivers the innocence and naivete needed as Viola and awkwardness and sweetness along with struggling with duplicity and deception as Cesar. Her involvement with Donya Olivia's strong character versus Cesar's more toned down nature is so pleasing to watch and be engaged in. Her chemistry with Doc Orsino is so weird and interesting to witness, even as her character struggles to keep it all cool and macho. You will find yourself gasping for air because of too much laughing or holding your breath for fear of discovery whenever these three are on stage.


Shamaine Buencamino plays Donya Olivia as if the role were written for her. She is eccentric when she first appears as the grieving sole living owner of BLV Studios, after the death of her beloved brother. She becomes all cougar-like when she becomes attracted to Cesar and does everything in her power to make Cesar hers. Shamaine adds so much depth and richness to her character and her interactions with the other cast that it is hard to imagine D' Wonder Twins of Boac without her in it.


Chrome Cosio plays Viola's twin Bastian and becomes a wannabe stuntman looking for a job in Manila. He ends up befriending Antonio (played by Riki Benedicto) who has lusty intentions towards Bastian, which the latter tries to circumvent at all costs. This plot line references the homosexual undertones of Twelfth Night again. Chrome's Bastian is strong and driven and when he gets mistaken for Cesar, dives headlong into it, with hints of incredulity at being pursued by such a beautiful woman as Donya Olivia.


Lao Rodriguez as Malvolio is a high-brow person who personifies "I'm-a-better-filmmaker-than-you" to the tee. He is unwittingly involved in a subplot of intrigue orchestrated by Toma, Donya Olivia's drunken uncle and acted by Gie Onida along with Maria, Donya Olivia's househelp and acted by Kiki Baento. Through a series of calculated conversations and forged letters, they convince Malvolio that Donya Olivia has fallen for him in an attempt to bring the mighty filmmaker down. He ends up making a complete fool of himself and all these antics provide the play with huge bursts of laughter. Lao Rodriguez will have people hating Malvolio and loving how he plays Malvolio's egoistic snobbish character.


The complete opposite of Malvolio would have to be Luciano, played to the hilt by Phillip Lazaro. Luciano is swimming in two lakes because he is both  Donya Olivia's director and Doc Orsino's conspirator in teaching Cesar initially how to seduce and woe Donya Olivia. Luciano is the big-hit shallow director who, as Phillip plays him, lets us love his outlandish ways, "I-won't-take-crap-from-you" attitude, and ability to spread good intrigues all throughout the play.


The supporting cast of Toma, Antonio, Maria, Eric V. Dela Cruz as Rudy, Roi Calilong as Valentino, and Tricia Husena as Juvy indeed give full support in their interactions with and for the main characters. You will find yourself loving each of these quirky, zany characters and more than once, wish you were on the round stage with them, laughing and conspiring together.


D' Wonder Twins of Boac should become choice viewing for all who love a good laugh, excellent scripting, and grand emotional musical numbers. Get tickets now for something new and fun at PETA Theater Center with the dual characters played by Cris Villonco.

 

Catch it on its closing weekend run

MARCH 2, 2013 / SAT / 8PM / PETA

Ticket Prices: 1000, 800 and 600

 

Contact Us:
Robert Ceazar Marzan  (0922.888.5348)
Jayme del Rosario (0927.202.2017)
  Onay Sales (0917.908.0565)

 

PETA’S “D WONDER TWINS OF BOAC”: OF TWISTS AND TWIN

Article from http://teatroleecundangan.blogspot.com
Original Article can be found HERE

You know what I really, really appreciate when Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) adapts  a work - whether it be opera (TOSCA), a historical novel (NOLI AT FILI), a person's biography (BATANG RIZAL), children's play (LOLA BASYANG) - is that they know where to draw the line between respecting the original material and then in a very out-of-box way, make the material there own.  Such was the case with  “D WONDER TWINS OF BOAC.”

I'm not privy when it comes to the bard's comedies especially with TWELFTH NIGHT since I'm not a huge fan of Shakespeare's comedies especially this being part of his "Joyous comedies" (AS YOU LIKE IT, and MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING). Except for A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, MERCHANT OF VENICE, I'm more into the bard's 7 Great tragedies.

But with Maribel Legarda's seamless and well executed directorial vision, and Rody Vera's creative and loyal free adaptation of Shakespeare's work, I was able to be drawn back to the script (with a cover that has Helena Bonham-Carter as Olivia on it) which I unceremoniously stashed away and read it for the first time.

Needless to say that's how good the play was and by providing good observations for the production, artistic and acting elements of this play, I guess it shows how I highly admire Ms. Maribel Legarda's tight, well implemented, effective and brilliant retelling of the story on stage.
 
WHAT'S IN A NAME
The first time I heard the title, I didn't have any inkling that it was based on William Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night or What You Will". Sabi ko sa sarili ko na ano ba ito Superfriends? (I told myself, what's this super friends).

The title was catchy but then again it's sounded funny, catchy, familiar but a bit...well and baduy :P. But when I read the accompanying press release regarding it, I found it very interesting.

The title itself is interesting especially if you connect it with the actual story.

It's ironically very Filipino which makes relatable to the audience more.  Come on, let's admit it, most of us has this "jologs" side of ourselves. Every Filipinos, does and I really mean it in a good way. Huwag ng pa-social dyan.

The title makes it very Filipino despite using a quasi-English Title because the "D" for the word "the" is of the text language and is also very jejemon which is also an anachronism to modern times. It is also very Filipino because it reflects how we are very creative in using pop culture names and terms and make it our own in different aspects of our daily life whether it be in business, entertainment etc.

MISE EN SCENE
Arriving a few minutes before the show (due to some unforeseen circumstances) at the PHINMA Theatre was a blessing in disguise - of course only for this particular play (I don't advice you to become late at all as it would be extremely better to arrive early so that you would have the best seat in the house and be more relaxed  when watching a play).

But this moment was an exception to the rule, it was really good that I get to sit at the balcony of PETA for a change. When I watched a play I usually sit  at the first floor but I guess having a seat looking at the play below was a huge advantage especially with the set design of Lex Marcos.

Brilliant, literally the audience is treated to an in the round stage (when you say in the round, the irony is that most stages are square and the reason it's called "in the round" it's because the audience are surrounding the stage literally, as oppose to a proscenium stage where the audience is watching face-to-face with the actors performing. A good example of this is a boxing/wrestling ring - these sports are in a way modern theatrical activities as they are reminiscent of the gladiatorial fights in Ancient Rome).

Anyway, back to the set, the top part of the set has this black (or gray tiles) that is in sync with the 60's theme of the play. What is more interesting is that the set is not simply round but is actually a film reel. So by that alone, the set was attuned literally to the director's vision/concept. The set was already a start of an entertaining play even before it started. Much more appreciated is that there were smaller reels of the stage to provide more leeway for performances.

The costumes by John Abul and Lights design by Jon jon Villareal was just perfect for the era. Most notable of Abul's costumes and Villareal's lights design are the ones for Doña Olivia's character. It further emphasized the melodramatic nature of the character and elicited more comic reliefs for her and was a huge help especially when she was introduced to Viola/Cesar.

photo courtesy of PETA website

STAGING ALA SHAKESPEARE'S TIME
During the Elizabethan stage (RE: Shakespeare in Love - The Rose Theatre) the stage is a Thrust Stage or a 3/4 Stage, but then again Thrust, Proscenium, Parallel otherwise is not important - you can have anytype of stage, it's the staging of the play is what I want to emphasize that is very Shakespeare in nature.

During the plays of Shakespeare's time, there are minimal props and in this play it is the same. That's what I love about this production, they understood that a real Shakespeare's play or adaptation has multiple settings and it would be a challenge on how to present that without being boring.

I appreciate that even when the lights were off and the property people had to bring in set props there was movement and dialogue. It provided an illusion that people were really in a movie production and ws just transferring stuff from one place to another. That was very smart of director Maribel Legarda making the transition itself, literally part of the scene.

Another thing, I appreciate in the play is that Legarda utilized harnesses and battens (the rods where the lights are often placed) to lower some set props like the chandelier, Olivia's bed, into place without ruining any theatre moment.

About the story it was a good move by highly respected writer Rody de Vera to be faithful to the story but also amply placing additional and important scenes like the prologue part of the play that gives us a backstory of the twins. This was a great contribution to the story as the original Twelfth Night had we already have Orsino in the first scene, instead of the twins. Vera allowed a more chronological affect for the audiences to understand the play.

The Music of Jeff Hernandez and Carlon Matobato's choreography was psychedelically, strategically and perfectly placed in respective scenes. It help to nostalgically place the audience in the era. It further moved the scene and I was really entertained in all the songs and the way it was executed in the play as they were often hilarious and provided an additional comic strain to an already funny script.

What I didn't appreciate about the the play is how it was divided. Act I was long and entertaining na it actually, to my opinion, could do without the intermission because the laughter, the attention of the audience was still there.

What I also didn't appreciate were the small screens hanging above the stage. Even if I could see it from where I am or where I sat, I hardly notice its change of clips. In directing class, we've been taught that whatever you place on stage there is a reason why one places it there. That was clear, there was indeed a reason however why put something that would hardly merit attention to itself. I personally don't know if that could've been better if there was huge screen like in the movie houses instead of those small television sets hovering on stage.

photo courtesy of PETA website

DRAMATIS PERSONAE
Personally I still think Gwyneth Paltrow didn't deserve her Oscar Award despite having those multiple roles in "Shakepeare in Love" (I still believe Cate Blanchett did a more award winning performance as Queen Elizabeth I).  But in the case of   “D WONDER TWINS OF BOAC”, it's different with Cris Villonco's,  who played the cute and adorable as the feisty probinsyana Viola and the  handsome Cesar. 

Far from her classic or classy ingenue roles, she was able to portray a character na makamasa.  Her accent was very crude something you don't usually expect from someone with her breeding. She gave credible performances both as Viola and Cesar and I personally appreciate that departure. Because she loves her craft, she have cross over to many theatrical groups and continually prove her mettle. It is very refreshing to see a show where Villonco can exhibit her acting chops in a different light.

Notable performances include Lex Marcos (Doc Orsino) who despite his white hair and notorious character you would still love him, and will make your knees tremble ala Viola I guess just to be near him (actually that's why it's a bit sad they sort of change the ending ang ganda kasi nung chemistry, it really provided so much kilig factor). Chrome Cosio's Bastian was also well established it's just that I hope, and this is where I wish playwright Rody Vera didn't follow Shakespeare, he would've been a whole lot better if he had more stage exposure. Basically, it's not his fault but of course his acting is sayang. Just hope he had equal or a little more opportunity to show his acting abilities because Cosio is definitely talented.

Gie Onida (Toma), Lao Rodriguez (Malvolio),Eric dela Cruz (Rudy Castelvi), Roi Calilong (Valentino) played their characters just right and where really funny, with flawless comic timing and they're being comedic is not forced.

But the real scene stealers were Riki Benedicto (Antonio), Divine Aucina (Juvy) and Kiki Baento (Maria/Nanay/Matandang Babae). This is where you can say that "there's really no such thing as small roles" short and secondary their roles were but it made a huge an impact to the audience. Among the lead stars I love Ms. Shamaine Buencamino "over-acting diva-ish, prima donna" Olivia and Philip Lazaro's very smart quips added so much flavor to the comic part of the play. Reminded me very much of Vice-Ganda but still Lazaro has his own version that's classy with a tinge of seriousness especially in the last scene.

BOAC'S ISSUES
I'm sure by now, you've read how much the plot is a visual allegory of the waning quality of filmdom then and now. I love Sampaguita and LVN pictures in fact I used to watch them in Channel 9 and find most plots of modern movies, even at that young age, a rehash of those classic black and white films. New movies has their acting and treatment less bodabil-ish/Vaudeville-ish compared to those early movies, but still I like the way they were filmed which is kindda innocent and pure.

That's actually why I felt nostalgic about this play. It reminded me of those golden years and the downward spiral to the bomba films of the next era was disturbing and sad as people where commercially exploited and lives were destroyed.

Another glaring issue I see in Boac is the gender issue that still exists today. I feel Viola's character that we are still living in a very patriarchal society that women are still to some extent treated as second class citizens, weak, and second fiddle to men. Viola had to be a man to enter showbiz because men usually dominate the silver screen or different media.

 

Catch it on its closing weekend run

MARCH 2, 2013 / SAT / 8PM / PETA

Ticket Prices: 1000, 800 and 600

 

Contact Us:
Robert Ceazar Marzan  (0922.888.5348)
Jayme del Rosario (0927.202.2017)
  Onay Sales (0917.908.0565)