MDX' William Review: Refreshing, Relevant? Something like that.

by Dogtor Marlon

Nine years after the initial run by the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA), Mediartrix – the multimedia organization of the University of Santo Tomas – stages their own take of the award-winning musical “William” with Mediartrix alumnus Nico Varona at the helm.

Even before Hamilton was a thing, “William” was ahead of its time by telling the story of five high school students through rap. The musical revolves around an ensemble of characters who have to deal with their problems at home and at school, eventually understanding why Shakespeare is still relevant until today. Estella (Mary Agustin) is an overachiever in school. Her mother left her at a young age to marry someone else in London, the reason that Estella could not forgive her. Sophia (Clarissa Lumanog) is a part of a family who recently won in the lottery. She is taught by her father to embrace their new lifestyle and create an image, albeit superficial, that would suit their newfound wealth.

Richard (Andrew Magalit) is the batch representative, an overachiever and hasn’t been open about his sexuality. After an argument during a rehearsal for their school project, TJ (Dan Bernard Caoile) outs Richard by vandalizing in the school restroom and through social media. At the same time, he bullied Erwin (Von Griel Capague), an ill-socialized boy, as he was competing for Sophia’s affection. Through the works of Shakespeare, they eventually find ways to be better people: Estella finally finding in her the capacity to forgive, Clarissa and Richard accepting who they are, TJ learning compassion, and Erwin finding his voice.

Mediartrix’s “William” was staged at the Albertus Magnus Auditorium of the University of Santo Tomas. There are moments in the show wherein the stage felt too big for the actors, even to the point of the stage feeling empty. The show might have benefited from a smaller venue considering the intimacy of the material. Technical problems also arose with the sound system, and most notably with the lights which would distractingly flicker in key moments of the show.

The musical started with flunky delivery of dialogue and actors failing to play off each other, but things eventually picked up halfway through the first act, as the actors became more comfortable onstage. The rap and dance sequences – albeit short – allowed us to sympathize better with the characters. These numbers were on point providing a refreshing interlude to the well-written dialogue by PETA’s Ron Capinding.

Notable performances include Clarissa Lumanog’s quirky take on Sophia, with on-point comedic timing, setting her character apart from the rest of the ensemble cast. Archie Pangilinan plays different father figures for all five teenagers. Despite being a student himself, he provides a sincere and heartfelt interpretation of the five cacophonous characters. April Tolentino delivers as the teacher Ms. Martinez, portraying the character with conviction and strength.

Just like the characters in the show, the audience comes to the theater with only a superficial understanding of Shakespeare but through the second act, we are carried along with the five high school students’ story. Eventually, everyone cascades to clarity and a better appreciation of the Bard’s works and its relevance to our everyday lives.

“William” was surprisingly enjoyable and is a refreshing production for Mediartrix. William’s simplistic storytelling allows it to become a show that can be enjoyed by anyone. With great potential seen in their opening show, future performances can only get better.