Sharing the theater limelight of Lea Salonga in Broadway Asia’s Cinderella held at the Main Theater is the - Tanghalang Pilipino staging of David Henry Hwang’s Golden Child at the Little Theater, both showing in the premises of Cultural Center of the Philippines and both Tony award-winning Filipino theater artists.
Golden Child tells the story of Andrew Kwong who visited in a dream by his long deceased grandmother Ahn, and forcefully narrates the story of her father. While doing a flashback scene in China, the family awaits his return after spending several years of doing business transactions in the Philippines. His three wives, Siu Yong, Luan and Eling, after receiving each a gift, fear that their strict traditional Chinese culture might lead to an end. Consequently, a British missionary Reverend Baines influences Eng Tien Bin to convert to being a Christian. It follows then through some unfortunate events in the lives of the family as Ahn, claiming to be the golden child and the daughter of Siu Yong, observes what has become the story of her father’s destiny in life.
Hwang made this voyage so similar with the story of his grandmother who particularly lived in Cebu, his grandparent’s hometown.
In this particular play, Loy Arcenas, the director, captured what has to be both Asian and Western. Using witty dialogues of Hwang, he even made the staging visually stunning when he used layers of translucent scrim curtains of black and red from foreground to background, typically used for Asian’s representation of death (black) and revenge (red). This becomes so cinematic especially on the use of lights.
One comment though in the play is that there is a need on stage a white curtain perhaps at the center to complete the perfect harmony of death, revenge and rebirth. The latter should symbolically represent as a continual journey of life after death (notion about the souls roaming around us). This definitely was not clear.
Tantamount to its brilliant set design and direction were the actors. Every scene was so effective and magnified with its allusion of cinematic editing transitions whenever lights would dissolve from one area to another, leaving the mysticism of the Chinese tradition so interesting to look at on stage. Tina Chilip (Luan, the second wife) played it so well that every scene of hers catches every beat and nuance of the lines. She creates her own space as if she owns it. Liesl Batucan (Eling, the third wife), Tess Jamias (Ahn, golden child), Leo Rialp (Reverend Baines) were also captivating in most of the scenes. Art Acuna (Andrew Kwong / Eng Tien Bin) displayed his acting style so vividly. His clarity and understanding of how the characters should be are evident in his portrayal. Finally, this perhaps makes Irma Adlawan Marasigan one fine thespian artist we can boast of today in contemporary Philippine theater. She puts exact timing of humor and seriousness effortlessly not to mention her elegant, consistent gestures with confidence and maturity as an actress. Truly, a great ensemble cast artistically enunciated with power and intelligence in the craft.
Hwang must not have been aware of the positive marks he has done with theatrical scenes almost like film sequences, inter-cutting it with one room to another. This idea welcomes the usage of cinematic techniques on stage wherein seldom thought of by a playwright who has a background on screen writing. In the Golden Child, this concept is absolutely striking.
In multiplying the dramatic efficiency of Arcenas’ staging were Victor Villareal’s rhythmical use of sound and music, Gino Gonzales’ costuming and Barbie Tan-Tiongco’s cinematic lighting. These greatly supported the cinematic impulse of David Henry Hwang’s masterpiece.
Golden Child tells the story of Andrew Kwong who visited in a dream by his long deceased grandmother Ahn, and forcefully narrates the story of her father. While doing a flashback scene in China, the family awaits his return after spending several years of doing business transactions in the Philippines. His three wives, Siu Yong, Luan and Eling, after receiving each a gift, fear that their strict traditional Chinese culture might lead to an end. Consequently, a British missionary Reverend Baines influences Eng Tien Bin to convert to being a Christian. It follows then through some unfortunate events in the lives of the family as Ahn, claiming to be the golden child and the daughter of Siu Yong, observes what has become the story of her father’s destiny in life.
Hwang made this voyage so similar with the story of his grandmother who particularly lived in Cebu, his grandparent’s hometown.
In this particular play, Loy Arcenas, the director, captured what has to be both Asian and Western. Using witty dialogues of Hwang, he even made the staging visually stunning when he used layers of translucent scrim curtains of black and red from foreground to background, typically used for Asian’s representation of death (black) and revenge (red). This becomes so cinematic especially on the use of lights.
One comment though in the play is that there is a need on stage a white curtain perhaps at the center to complete the perfect harmony of death, revenge and rebirth. The latter should symbolically represent as a continual journey of life after death (notion about the souls roaming around us). This definitely was not clear.
Tantamount to its brilliant set design and direction were the actors. Every scene was so effective and magnified with its allusion of cinematic editing transitions whenever lights would dissolve from one area to another, leaving the mysticism of the Chinese tradition so interesting to look at on stage. Tina Chilip (Luan, the second wife) played it so well that every scene of hers catches every beat and nuance of the lines. She creates her own space as if she owns it. Liesl Batucan (Eling, the third wife), Tess Jamias (Ahn, golden child), Leo Rialp (Reverend Baines) were also captivating in most of the scenes. Art Acuna (Andrew Kwong / Eng Tien Bin) displayed his acting style so vividly. His clarity and understanding of how the characters should be are evident in his portrayal. Finally, this perhaps makes Irma Adlawan Marasigan one fine thespian artist we can boast of today in contemporary Philippine theater. She puts exact timing of humor and seriousness effortlessly not to mention her elegant, consistent gestures with confidence and maturity as an actress. Truly, a great ensemble cast artistically enunciated with power and intelligence in the craft.
Hwang must not have been aware of the positive marks he has done with theatrical scenes almost like film sequences, inter-cutting it with one room to another. This idea welcomes the usage of cinematic techniques on stage wherein seldom thought of by a playwright who has a background on screen writing. In the Golden Child, this concept is absolutely striking.
In multiplying the dramatic efficiency of Arcenas’ staging were Victor Villareal’s rhythmical use of sound and music, Gino Gonzales’ costuming and Barbie Tan-Tiongco’s cinematic lighting. These greatly supported the cinematic impulse of David Henry Hwang’s masterpiece.
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