Here's a quick backgrounder: La Ronde (French for "round"), the play from which Laro is adapted, was originally written Arthur Schnitzler in 1897. It exposes the provocative sexual encounters of different members of society across different social classes. There are ten interconnected scenes that consists of two of the characters. One of the characters becomes part of the next scene, to be paired with a new actor. That new one becomes part of the next scene until the last character is paired up with one of those in the very first scene. Basically, Scene 1 has A and B, Scene 2 has B and C, and so on until J and A ends the play.
In 2004, the ever-talented Floy Quintos adapted the play to reflect what realities in the gay community in Manila. In the same format, 10 familiar members of this world interact in pairs. Expect power struggles, people winning and losing in their chances at love.
The best part for me is how well the actors are. Playing the multiple roles are a mix of new faces and theater powerhouses: Andre Miguel, Paul Jake Paule, Phi Palmos, Gio Gahol, Mike Liwag, MC dela Cruz, Al Gatmaitan, Victor Sy, Ross Pesigan, Jon Abella, Vincent Pajara, Jonathan Ivan Rivera, Jay Gonzaga, and Vincent A. de Jesus. Each actor played their roles really well, making the play worth watching more than once. MC dela Cruz was so effective in serving the tension in both his scenes with Gio Gahol and Al Gatmaitan. Shining exceptionally is Vincent A. de Jesus as the Philantropist. He had the whole theater's attention from the first word that he uttered until the lights faded. Phi Palmos is very notable in his role as the Drag Queen as you can feel both vulnerability and strength in every movement. Andre Miguel may be at the start of the play but his endearing performance as a playful, hopeful whore proves to be memorable.
It is complicated, some characters may even be abrasive but this fictional take on the community is a reminder of how complex everyone around us are. What you see is rarely more than half of who a person really is. Each encounter is a risk where you can gain as much as how much you are willing to lose. At times, it is our perversions that motivate us and usually it is how we control or lose control of them that determine how our dice throw would end up.
Take your chances and watch Laro this June. Running for only 8 shows on June 1, 2, 8, and 9 at 3PM and 7PM. It will be staged at Arts Above, Penthouse of West Venue Building (BIR), West Avenue, Quezon City.
This Artist Playground production is directed by John Mark Yap, with movement design by Jm Cabling, set design by Io Balanon, costume design by Nicolo Perez, lighting design by Miggy Panganiban, sound design by Arvy Dimaculangan, and graphics design by Gian Nicdao.
Tickets are at PHP600. Buy yours at Ticket2Me:
https://ticket2me.net/e/2327
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