LOYALIST REDUX: THE REVIEW

When a thirty-minute play managed to squeezed-in within your very soul three different dimensions of your senses, the result was truly satisfying.

It challenged your INTELLECT.

It titillated your FUNNY BONES.

And it revealed hidden EMOTIONS of love and anger.

You got ENTERTAINED, sculpted further your INTELLECT, and played-in with different set of your EMOTIONS.

It's like like watching a 3-D film, we could say.

The play was entitled LOYALIST REDUX, the first play in the first three sets of mini-plays in the currently-running NEVER AGAIN: VOICES OF MARTIAL LAW stage performances for the benefit of Bantayog Ng Mga Bayani, and produced by Ladies Who Launch.

The series of plays will run for four weekends, and yesterday (September 22), we managed to watch the very first play included in that event. "Loyalist Redux", written and directed by Kanakan Balintagos.

Alongside with the "3-D" effect, the play Loyalist Redux was greatly acted upon by the two lone characters of the play. The loyalist mom (performed so genuinely by Ms. Pinky Amador) and the artist-"yellow" son (performed by the very refreshing Kalil Almonte). 

Ms. Amador's stage movements and feminine clarity was so wonderful to look at on stage. She didn't simply spoke and delivered lines of emotions, but she moved, moved, moved.... along with the rhythm of the play. It's an accomplishment she didn't realize she was able to achieve.

While Kalil, as crisp as a Potato Chip, was smart in deliverance. His voice sounded well and good and his character of a young, idealistic 'leftist' artist was captivating to feel.

In between video clips of a certain Madame and her son and her husband, you'd laugh at the caricature of thoughts and wrong-doings they did for a country, but at the same time, you'd sympathize with the loyalty of one woman who loved them. Somehow, "both sides" were presented.

The direction of Kanakan Balintagos was endearing, pure, sublime. There's a "motherly" touch in it, and you'd feel caressed by the "hand that rocks the cradle" along the way.

Although the play was "subversive" in concept, it was the director's naturalness and dedication to the beauty of Art that made it one memorable play...


THAT WOULD LAST-

FOREVER.


(as written by robert manuguid silverio)

kanakan: "seeker of truth"

pinky: transforming

kalil: crisp and clear