VLF set traverses different textures of mental health

By Brontë H. Lacsamana, Reporter

Theater Review
Virgin Labfest: “Pusong Mamon”
Buhaghag by Gerald Manuel
Footprint by Jerom Canlas
Taksyapo! by John “Sweet” Lapus

THE VIRGIN LABFEST (VLF) is back with more “untried and untested” one-act plays onstage. For its 21^st year, the festival showcases narratives that reflect on the many ways people reveal themselves.

This year’s theme is “Hubo’t Hubad,” meaning “completely naked,” referring to the vulnerability required of playwrights to stage their personal truths and bold Filipino perspectives. For the month of June, the Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez (the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Blackbox Theater) welcomes both new and regular festivalgoers curious to see this year’s offerings.

One of the sets is titled “Pusong Mamon,” a phrase that means “soft-hearted,” used to describe those who are sensitive or easily moved. All three plays depict the turmoil of people undergoing distress and the ways they cope, ranging from mental discipline to family support systems to simply letting their emotions out.

Buhaghag by playwright Gerald Manuel, directed by Tess Jamias, drops us into the deep end of the pool, as we follow a young lady taunted and tormented by a long-haired entity in her bedroom.

As the being continues to goad her into destructive behavior, the audience witnesses with extreme dread the lowest lows of someone undergoing depression. The play is carried capably by Krystle Valentino as the desperate Phoebe and Adrienne Vergara as the monstrous, laughing entity that seeks to destroy her.

The set design is brilliantly executed, with strands and clumps of hair seeping into the walls and throughout the bedroom, a literal signifier of the eerie, dark mess that can cloud your mind and lead you to have the worst possible thoughts.

For the playwright Mr. Manuel, the character of Phoebe can represent “someone you idolize or look up to, someone who can do a lot of things or be anyone,” but suffering a silent kind of despair and tiredness that no one else sees. People who have experienced depression or suicidal tendencies, or witnessed it in others, may find that they resonate deeply with this story.

Following the introspective horror of the first play is another story that’s just as heavy, except the burden is borne by many. Footprint by playwright Jerom Canlas, directed by Mikko Angeles, places a grieving family in a virtual archive of memories.

It centers on their respective dives into the digital remnants left by JM, their loved one who has died. Elijah Canlas as the brother, Pappel as the girlfriend, Jojo Cayabyab as the father, and Meryll Soriano as the mother turn in a solid ensemble performance, embodying a family scrambling to make sense of a tragedy.

It is yet another extremely personal story for the Canlas brothers, who dedicate the piece to their real brother who took his own life a few years prior. Writing the play was “a way to heal,” according to the older Mr. Canlas, especially for their whole family.

Through the filing cabinets and screens that represent memories with the deceased, the play is an effective form of expression that grapples with how families can come together, share a sense of loss, and somehow move on.

Finally, Taksyapo! by playwright John “Sweet” Lapus, directed by Tuxqs Rutaquio, ended the set with a cathartic way to cope with mental and emotional distress. Taken from the Kapampangan curse word (the equivalent of bwiset in Tagalog), it is set in a rage room or rage booth somewhere in Central Luzon.

There, two strangers — the owner of the business played by Mosang and the customer from Manila played by Christian Bables — uncover an unexpected connection by exchanging tales of love and disappointment, all while throwing cups, plates, and other dishware to release their anger.

Out of all of the plays in the festival this year, this is undoubtedly the runaway comedy hit, cleverly penned by Mr. Lapus. Its premise is simple, but it operates as catharsis for the characters on various levels, from personal struggles all the way to societal frustrations, even allowing some audience participation to dictate what the characters should wail about next.

It’s also an apt progression for VLF 21’s Set D, “Pusong Mamon,” as we start with a depressed character exercising mental fortitude by herself to keep living, then move to a family brought closer by a harrowing tragedy, until we conclude with two complete strangers from different walks of life coping with their respective problems together.

The flow of witnessing heavy burdens carried by oneself, by a family, and ultimately by a society with so many ills and frustrations offers an insightful experience for the audience. These three plays are probably the most succinct example of why we watch live theater.

Aside from this set of plays seen by BusinessWorld, nine other new one-act plays from both veteran and upcoming playwrights are being staged until June 28 at the CCP Blackbox Theater.

For more information, contact the CCP Box Office or visit the social media accounts of the CCP, Tanghalang Pilipino, The Writers’ Bloc, and Virgin Labfest.