4. Teatro Play: Ang Tatay Mong Kalbo

During my high school days I always watched the plays that were showcased and I grew a certain fondness for it. I have always been interested in arts, from dancing to visual arts and theatrical plays to movies. So when I was told to watch a play for my English Enrichment Class, I was quite excited. 

Entrance of MPH1, APC displaying the actors and their
respective roles 

After I found out it was actually in Filipino, I was quite confused but needless to say I was still happy to watch it because theater is not just about a understanding the language but the holistic feeling you get from the performances.

Ang Tatay Mong Kalbo written by Isagani, R Cruz, PhD is an adaptation of the French play "The Bold Soprano" by Eugene Inesco. This play was written in the style of the Theater of the Absurd, which is a type of drama that tries to portray absurdity of human life using illogical, meaningless, and deliberately confusing action and dialogue. 

Ang Tatay Mong Kalbo is an excellent example of a theater of the absurd. The plot follows the lives of Mr. and Mrs. Santos, Mr. and Mrs. Reyes, Maria the maid and Hepe the fireman. Though I did not understand fully what was said, I thoroughly enjoyed it. 

In the beginning, Mr. and Mrs. Santos have a ridiculous conversation about rice. Yes! Rice! I assumed that this being a Filipino play and it’s common knowledge that Pinoys love their rice, it was bound to be in there. They get into heated arguments with each other and Mrs. Santos points to the crowd saying that "all guys are the same". The crowd cracks up and Mr. Santos is clearly annoyed by her complaining. The actress that played Mrs. Santos was perfect for the role. Her sublime performance of a over-the-top Dona was truly fitting for the role and I loved her expressions in her eyes and face. Her sly looks to her husband was quite hilarious and she managed to pull it off each time.

Later on Mr. and Mrs. Reyes joined the scene. When they first entered the stage, they acted like they did not know each other but had a slight inkling of them meeting somewhere before. The scene was cleverly written and as each clue of where they might have seen each other was said, I soon realized that they were husband and wife. I laughed at how idiotic the scene was and how oblivious they seemed, but I guess this is exactly the requisite of a 'theater of the absurd'. When they finally realized they were husband and wife, they both were ecstatic and filled with love, caressing and hugging like they haven’t seen each other for a very long time.

My favorite part would have to be the entrance of Maria the maid. I seriously lost it there, especially when he makes his grand entrance and then does a twirl on stage saying "360". The actor that played Maria was flawless. He was funny in every sense. I loved his playful flirtatious character especially during the scenes where he would bend over showing his under-garments to the crowd. The audience all laughed hysterically and I thoroughly enjoyed his performance.  

Final prepared stage before the show started

The fireman, Hepe, was equally is funny. His hysterical loud gasp when Mrs. Santos who seemed to be hitting on him so weirdly funny. It was like a mixture between a loud baby crying and an old man shouting with no teeth. My favourite part of his was when he fell in love with Maria the maid. He jumps on her, caressing each other. I laughed so hard at that part. 

To my readers, if you ever have the opportunity to watch this play either in your local theater stage or school, please do so. You will not regret it. Or if a play in the style of 'theater of the absurd' is in your area, then watch it.