"A HAUNTING EMBRACE OF A DISGUISING HERO LOVING AND CARING IN AN UNENDING QUEST" (A REVIEW ON THE PLAY "EL FILIBUSTERISMO" BY GANTIMPALA THEATER FOUNDATION, DIRECTED BY JOSE JEFFREY CAMANAG)

When a soul gets too tired and weary, and the quest for freedom and the true justice to the Motherland seemed to be far-ending, a true hero also falters and succumbs to to his wounds- physically and mentally. Maybe some other people would continue on with the task and mission he ignited, saving him from a great sin of creating total destruction and giving him the last remaining time and minutes of redemption, absolution and forgiveness. From thereon, his soul would continue on inspiring and the legacy of his life-long crusade lingers on forever.

In a moment of knowing the death of his beloved someone whom he offered his fight and unselfish love for-, and to cure his Motherland of ill-effects of a cancerous system in a society, it seemed that all those things he had fought for had gone wasted and there's no more reason to continue on. A sudden perk of madness would somehow be excusable enough and people around him somewhat participated in saving him from inevitable despair of agony and defeat. But as the ghosts of the past characters paraded on a  dark and mysterious way upon his very eyes, there was a hidden meaning of a haunting embrace that had captured the hearts of those he had loved and cared for.

This is the story Simoun, the lead character in the play El Filibusterismo (based upon the novel of Dr. Jose Rizal with the same title, and produced by Gantimpala Theater Foundation every year for some selected Catholic and private schools as part of their curriculum and also among the '4-Classics" series of plays presented to the students as the main audience), whose true identity was Crisostomo Ibarra in a prequel novel. He came back with an all-out vengeance, and also to try to gather back what was lost in his precious dignity and pride.  But no one really knew who he was in reality, hiding as an impostor, but weak enough to reveal his very true self to a young man named Basilio and a clergy priest by the name Padre Florentino. To the young man- he saw hope. And to the old priest, he regained redemption.

Beautifully executed in a very deep manner of totally implying the messages hidden in every scene of this great theater presentation- the director of the play- Jose Jeffrey Camanag- succeeded in carefully executing the power of each scene, embracing the very delicate issues, conflicts and dramatic insinuations.

In a style that's legitimate as a theatrical performance and an experimental vision of flowing upon the rhythm and the dark undertones, it was so brilliant and breath-taking to watch. This was indeed, hard to attain, but with a solid and accurate theater adaptation of a great novel by playwright JM Fleras and a rare gift of an interpreted vision by the director (director Camanag as mentioned) - the play succeeded to meet its true precious worth.

How the director, again, motivated his actors and actresses who all performed with grace and stylish capabilities of awesome passion and angst-, yeah, it was another mesmerizing factor of delight and appreciation to those who watched the play in its technical dress rehearsal (wherein only the technical aspects of the production faltered and committed mistakes, but understandably enough, it's because it's just a TDR and not an actual performance already nor a Gala presentation)- and at the curtain call of the play, it was amazingly impressive and unforgettable in grandeur and wonder.

The stage design was not made to enthrall, but rather to make the audience feel more and understand more the glory of each scene- in halogen and neon lights of images, colors and pictures as backdrop. It comprehended well with the texture and the artful drama of people long past existed in a Spanish era of an Asian country that was manipulated and ridiculed by foreign religious rulers and manipulating power of deceit and false leaders of a Catholic faith that abused the respect of Law and Order in its true extent.

The music was imparting and it prepared you to defend-off your tears of hostilities and unmerciful treatments to your fellow Filipinos- even though they had lived centuries ago- yet, it was so relating even up to the present times. Alongside with a soulful lighting design, and authentic costumes of faded ancient memories of an old Philippines- and a sound direction that manifested in many different echoes and journeys upon a different kind of a worldly period-yes, we would say that these added aspects within a great play production truly unified to an all-out total wonderful impression and outcome.

An excellent Cast Ensemble with a pretty handsome and convincing bunch of young and fresh Theater actors to reckon with, supported by veterans in the field that didn't steal scenes from each other but rather supported one another to a much uniformed highlight of scenes and revelations- it was all too good, really.

To one theater drum-beater and hanger-on, the writer/blogger who experienced watching the play in its wholeness and form did come to realize in the end that this was the most beautiful stage presentation he had watched in the year 2019. Though he would admit he had only watched a handful (maybe five or six years in the long-year span-rms.*), still, he assured himself that watching the best for the year round was surely like saving the best for last.

But there's still one to mention before ending a heartfelt review for the play El Filibusterismo.

The one thing that mattered the most and led his fellow actors to a more greater outcome of surprising expectations.

He was the very actor who played the character of Simoun in the play. He was the very actor that really created a magnificent praise, deep and inside-out. 

A great salute to actor Roeder Camanag for a superb and tantalizing attack on that very fragile role and character- again we say, the Simoun character- that was finally given an almost living deliverance of a just performance.

The theater world further lives on after this

with heart beats of a greater love

dedication

and profoundness

FOREVERMORE.

(as written by robert manuguid silverio)
note: the mtv of "when you belive" posted above is not connected with the play "el filibusterismo". it was put there to create a certain feeling for the review on the play. thank you.---***

ROEDER

JEFFREY