Hit and Miss in GTF’s Florante and Laura (Theater)

In its 31st season theater offering, Gantimpala Theater Foundation in cooperation with National Parks Development Committee presented at the AFP Theater the timeless Filipino tale of love and revenge via Francisco Balagtas’ Florante and Laura. Bringing closer to students, this is one of the four Filipino classic plays GTF wants to stage for this year’s season. It also includes Kanser (Noli Me Tangere), Ibong Adarna and El Filibusterismo.

The company’s objective as enunciated by GTF founding president and still the artistic director Tony Espejo is to focus on live theatrical performances using it as an educational tool for the student audiences and the public. For the company, preserving cultural heritage is an important contribution to contemporary Philippine theater. Roobak Valle directs and designs Florante at Laura using Rene Villanueva’s text and “komedya” as its form. Arkin Da Silva (Florante) heads the ensemble cast that also includes Nelia Aguado (Laura), Ronald Concepcion (Adolfo), Abner Delina Jr. (Batang Florante / Tagapagsalaysay), Dong Afurong (Duke Briseo), Pamela Hundana (Reyna Floresca), Abel Napuran (Haring Linceo), Christian Parado (Menandro), Billy Parjan (Antenor), Jerald Napoles (Sultan Ali-Adab), Yutaka Yamakawa (Aladin), Lailanie Ann Tejuco (Flerida), Julius Empredo (Osmalik) and the GTF ensemble. Andy Villareal serves as lights designer while Sergio Anlocotan Jr. functions as the choreographer.

To put komedya in GTF’s version is a hit and miss. Having learned komedya as one of the oldest existing dramatic theater forms, it talks of the lives of the Moors and Christians. It is also usual to hear it in dicho (recitative). In completing the artistic expression of komedya, director Valle must have at least considered the whole staging conventions of the form in his juxtaposition to Balagtas’ play. The production missed the point of the set (stage design) where the two kingdoms (Moors and Christians) should distinctively be evident on stage. Color best represents the division of the two kingdoms regardless if it would be realistic or stylized (non-realistic in design). These were not clear in the staging. Moreover, the costuming was confusing as it did not detect who is the victorious and the villain among the Christians and the Moors unless one exactly knows the komedya characters. Design, color and accessories were totally floating on stage as each costume cannot be determined one from the other. There was no indication of symbolic wealth and beauty. It is all gloss and spark but no contextual meaning. Consequently, what is missing is the sense of mahiya (magic) especially in such work as Florante at Laura where fantasy is definitely involved and experienced.

In contrast with the initial weak premises, the dances were a hit. The brisky paso-doble in entrances and exits of the royalties, the marching patterns paseo and the sword fighting movements and gestures called batalya, were used as traditional komedya choreographies. Students proudly cheered everytime they would see these dances.

Gantimpala Theater Foundation’s effort to stage Florante at Laura and other folk Filipino classics is a true commitment in fulfilling their objective to make use of theater as an educational tool for specific target market – students. There is no doubt about it. Though a suggestion is offered after watching it – the company needs to make it more imaginative, arresting and updated.