The Suffering of King Tragedy

Haring Lear: Souvenir Program

The tragedy opened its curtain with the scene of the King deciding which part of his Kingdom will go to a specific daughter. As said earlier, the King leaned more on the greedy words of Goneril and Regan. Their sugar-coated words of their love and glory to the King made them easily own a part of the kingdom. Meanwhile, the truthful Cornelia was banished from the kingdom even if she has the best intention among the three. The tragedy began for the King. Blinded by the cheesy words his greedy daughters told him, gave the third piece of the kingdom to the husbands of the two full-of-hungers for kingdom. His suffering will then begin. The tragedy continues.

I can say that the play has a very creative mind. As stated earlier, the main three causes of King Lear’s tragedy-filled life are her daughters. The director of the play chose men to act as the daughters. Aside from the daughters being male actors, one thing distinct about the play is that most of the actors are bald. Only King Lear, the old man, has the hair in the entire play.

The music used in the whole play was very engaging. Intense music played as intense scenes come to the viewers eyes. I really enjoyed the scene when the main scene stops and a guy who’s almost naked passed through the stage and induce blood to the scene. He’s like an angel of death, bringing judgment to Gloster. The music seemed like cabaret music, a sexy one that balances the gore of the blood. 

Haring Lear: CD Cover

In terms of production design, the set is very well-thought about. The throne that the king sat seemed more than a normal king’s throne. The stage was really designed for the rain, the funny one of all their props. I had a funny feeling when seeing the black-guys using shower-like props to act as rain. It is a creative and distinct way of showing rain. Knowing that it is a closed theater, a thrust stage to be exact, they used really elements to make the play “wet.” The mountain scene also is a creative scene for me. They used boxes to signify that the blind man, Gloster, is climbing a mountain. Aside from the boxes the said actor climbed, the electric fans in the scene were also a funny one to see in the set. The fans symbolized the air in the mountains.

Haring Lear: Show Ticket

In terms of costume, it was also creative. The play being themed with black costumes really gave an emotion that it will be a sad ending. King Lear, after retiring from his kingship became modern. He wore a polo, a Hawaiian themed outfit to be exact and it is paired with a pair of modern slippers. The led lights that embraced the necks of Regan and Goneril were also creative. It symbolized the royalty of the two. For the Lakayo, the puppet also is a good choice for the set. Lastly, I really love Cornelia’s costume. The white overalls she wore at start symbolized that she is really the good one in the story. Moreover, the last costume of Cornelia had left a different feeling for me. She wore a white plastic bag to cover her body.

For the actors acting, they really acted well. I can say no negative about how they acted. I really enjoyed when the Lakayo acted, how he tells the King about the foolishness he had done. Also, I enjoyed Oswaldo being on stage. He is the comedy in the tragedy. His lines that seemed foolish were the balancing act for the play. Everyone acted well that everyone deserves a standing ovation. Especially King Lear, who was a strong personality and ended up losing his mind at the end.

Overall, it was a good play. It is a different approach on the play knowing that it really has a brutal ending. Almost every important starting character died in the end but their acting served well the play. Haring Lear, a PETA’s production, is a must watch. A tragic story full of suffering and pain yet full of fun and smiles at the end.

Sayaw Nila'y Bitin, Sana'y Pahabain

Ang Sayaw ng Dalawang Kaliwang Paa ay isang movie na binabalutan ng samu't saring literatura. Mapatula man o musika ay naging sangkap para mapukaw ang damdamin ng mga manonood. Ang musikang ginamit para maging “labsung” ni Dennis at ni Marlon ay kakaiba. Hindi ko akalaing may magugustuhan akong magagandang purong tagalog na kanta maliban sa musika mula sa Eheads at Rivermaya mula sa likhang ito. Kaya nga siguro nanalo ito ng Best Musical Score sa Cinemalaya.


Ngayon naman hayaan niyong ako ang maghatol kung tama ngang nanalo ito ng Pre-Colombian Bronze award sa 28th Bogota International Film Festival.


Simulan natin sa pamagat ng palabas. Kakaibang pamagat ang ginamit ng mga lumikha para sa masterpiece na ito. Agad na magtataka kung tungkol saan ang palabas na ito. Sayaw ng dalawang paa? Nakakapagtaka kaya maiintriga kang malaman ang istorya ng palabas na ito. Nais lang naman ipakita ng mga direktor kung maari nga bang dalawang kaliwang paa ang sumayaw ng maganda at nakaka-impress. Dalawang kaliwang paa kasi karaniwang ang lalaki ang siya unang hahakbang sa isang sayaw at ang gamit niya ay ang kanyang kaliwang paa.


Ngayon alam na natin kung bakit ganon ang pamagat, talakayin naman natin ang ang paksang gustong talakayin ng may-akda. Nais iparating ng movie na ito na hindi ito ang pangkaraniwang indie movie ng dalawang lalaking magkakaroon ng relasyon sa simula, gitna, o sa katapusan ng palabas. Hindi ito isang pang gay film kung saan may laman tayong mamalasin habang nanunood tayo sa isang movie house. Sakto lang ang “kabadingan” ng pelikulang ito kung tama man iyon sabihin.


Dumako naman tayo sa istorya mismo. Kakaiba din ang istoryang ito dahil akala ko’y isa itong student-teacher relationship kung saan may sayaw na nakakakilig si Karen at Marlon. Akala ko rin ay mayroon lang selosong Dennis na susulyap-sulyap habang sasayaw ang dalawang nabanggit ko at sisira pa sa “pag-iibigan” ng dalawa. Ngunit hindi pala ganon ang plot ng akdang ito. Hindi ko inaasahang magiging iba ang takbo ng storya. Akalain mong hindi pala matutuloy ang relasyong Marlon at Karen o isa ito sa mga kakaibang love triangle. Hindi nailahad ng akda kung ano nga ba ang relasyon ni Marlon at Dennis, kung deds na deds ba si Dennis kay Marlon. Kakaiba ang mga eksenang aking nasasaksihan dahil ang kadalasang eksena sa chick-flick movies na napapanood ko kung saan magkakatitigan ang magkaibang kasarian ay nakita ko kay Dennis at Marlon. Ang pagtatabi nila sa sahig na tila nakatingin sa ulap at nangagarap pagtapos ng kanilang ensayo ay nakakagambala para sa manood ko na alam ay nangyayari iyon sa opposite sex. Ang yakapan nilang tila may bumabalot na tamis ay kakaiba din dahil tila bang magkaiba sila ng oryentasyon pagdating sa kasarian. Ang tulo ng luha na nagsilbing panapos na imahe sa manunuod ay nagbigay din ng hindi pangkaraniwang reaksyon sa akin. Hindi pangkaraniwan ang mga eksena, mga hindi mo talaga aasahan.


Pangkalahatan, masasabi ko na nagustuhan ko ang likhang ito. Pamagat palang ay parang tuksong nang-aakit at talagang nanaisin mong magkasala para malaman lang ang tinatago nitong taglay. Ang mga tunog na ginamit ay napakasarap sa tenga. Akala ko’y hindi na ako maiinlab sa musikang Pinoy ngunit nainlab muli ako. Hindi ito pelikulang may formula na alam na agad ng manunuod ang susunod na mangyayari. Gusto ko ang pelikula dahil sa mga napakaraming tanong na iniwan niya sa manood. Ang dami kong iniisip habang pinapanood ko ang pelikula at lalong napaisip ako pagkatapos nito. Tinanong ko ang aking sarili, kaya nga bang ibaba ng isa lalaki ang pride niya hayaang ang kapwa lalaki ang magturo ng sayaw at kontrolin pa siya. Kadalan kasi ay ang lalaki ang controlling at passive lamang ang kababaihan pagdating sa galaw sa sayaw.


Iniwan man akong bitin ng panapos na imahe, natuwa ako dahil nakapag-isip ako sa pelikulang ito. Gumana ang utak ko habang pinapanood ko ito at hanggang ngayon ay tanong ko sa sarili ko kung bakit nga ba umiyak si Marlon sa ending. Iyak ba ito ng saya dahil tapos na ang ginagawa niya? O isa itong pagtanggap na mahal na gusto niya si Dennis? Panuoorin niyo nalang at hayaan ko kayong ang gumawa ng sarili niyong ending sa palabas na ito.