EYYY! Solid ang buhay-buhay sa Verona

Cast Productions Shows Filipino Twists to a Classic Story.

“Romeo and Juliet” might be a tale as old as time, but love still finds a way to break barriers in pursuing love against the odds. CAST Productions returns on stage with a story that lingers in the alley of reality, tragedy, and rivalry.

The theater is alive and booming in Verona! Collective Arts of Students and Thespians (CAST)  greeted the rainy days with a heart-stopping adaptation of the classic Romeo and Juliet. From the 2015 adaptation written by Mr. Wilfred Uriate Jr. and with artistic direction by Prof. Romualdo Protacio, herons, alumni, and theater enthusiasts flooded the UMak Performing Arts Theater (UPAT) on September 11, 2024. 

The show “Romeo@Juliet v2.0.24” is a 21st-century feature of Filipino culture and mainstream media references. Prof. Protacio believes the show is no longer a distant tale of Verona, but a mirror held up to modern Filipino society. 

“Some of us may know the story of Romeo and Juliet, but a lot of students don’t appreciate it because of the language,” explains Prof. Protacio. “So we decided to make it into Filipino and then we made it more now mga millennials.” 

CAST returns to the theater stage with this primary production after three (3) years of hiatus due to the pandemic and campus renovation. This led them to perform online shows, recitals, and performances at smaller venues. The re-opening of the UPAT also became the rising sun of CAST to re-alive their productions, bringing Herons to Verona. 

THE COMEBACK OF ROMEO AND JULIET

The first version of Romeo@Juliet started in 2015, and played at the UMak Grand Theater—now renovated into UMak Performing Arts Theater. This year’s version has a minimalist set design from a heavily realistic setting to a more imaginative and innovative staging. 

“Ito, ginawa naming conceptual para this can be anything kaya kulay gray siya kaya neutral siya so pwede siyang maging anong part, anong set… Kasi noon talagang totoo yung nakikita mo, may sala set talaga, may kama talaga. Ngayon, mas imaginative para lang mas makuha namin yung UPAT kasi pahaba yung stage.,” he said. 

The show’s concept, drama script, and musical lyrics were adapted from its 2015 version and updated to suit the Gen Z lingo and tackle relevant social issues. It  revamped the dialogue while still preserving the rhythm and beauty of Shakespeare’s original poetry.

“We realized hindi siya [RAJ] nalalayo sa buhay natin ngayon. Si Shakespeare ang mga dula niya pang jologs talaga during his time, kaya ang mga nanonood sa kanya ay mga masa, walang nanonood sa kanyang upper class kasi yung language nya, [kaparehas sa] ginagamit natin ngayon. We tried our best to come up with rhyme and beater doon sa mga dialogues para ma-capture yung essence ng poetry ni Shakespeare,” he shares how the CAST adapted the play. 

Musical arrangements were enhanced to induce the emotional side of the play further; thus, all the songs, soundtracks, and sound effects were performed live on stage. The director also revealed a scene where they modified Romeo’s death scene to avoid unintended humor.

“Actually yung pagpapakamatay ni Romeo sa harap, kanta ‘yon eh imbis na naging effective, natatawa yung audience kasi kumakanta siya tapos nilason niya yung sarili niya, mamamatay na. Parang hindi siya maganda [so] we deleted that part.”

IT IS DEEPER THAN A ‘LOVE STORY’

As their theme song says, “Handang ipaglaban ka hanggang kamatayan…”

True love knows no bounds— even in tragedy. Shakespeare presented the themes of violence, rebellion, sex, tragedy, and family rivalry to his readers. These themes were incorporated in a Filipino context to educate the audience about social issues artistically and creatively.

Art is a way to tell the truth— this is what Prof. Protacio believes in. CAST is known for weaving social relevance into the audience’s ears and putting them into plays like Taguan ni Rolando A. Bernales (2020), The Little Horrid Princess (2021), and Kati; Ang Pinagmulan ng Alamat by Wilfredo Uriarte Jr. (2022). 

“CAST is known for putting in yung mga social relevance and social issues […] Tapos we also tried yung mga social issues nila [Alice] Guo… para yung mga tao, marealize na itong nangyayari sa atin is part and parcel of all the corruption that is happening in the government.” explained by the director in the show’s themes.

ART CONNECTS PEOPLE

Eye-opening scenes that audiences will take into realities is one of the productions’ goals. The ‘compelling portrayals of their characters’ caught the attention of many herons who watched the play telling that it was the best play they have ever seen and worth rewatching. This led to the continuous growth of the audience and fanbase of the play. Resulting on having full house sessions in just the first week of the show. 

“Napapalitan ng fulfillment yung pagod namin araw araw and makita lang namin na may audience kahit iilan lang ‘yan basta magkaroon kami ng audience na mapapahatid namin ‘yong gusto naming mapahatid ng aral na ibinibigay ng show, masaya na kami.” shared by Mr. Lorenzo Gabriel Tuazon who acted as Romeo Montago.

CAST Productions expressed their deepest gratitude and overwhelming joy from the herons and audience who supported them during and after the play. UMak Technical Productions and Creatives (UTPC) was also mentioned as one of the key figures in the show’s success as they have worked behind the creative shots, lights, and sounds.  

“Thank you po sa pag support and sa pagkalat ng message na maganda po yung play namin. Nabigyan po kasi yung justice yung pagod namin everytime na may nakikita po kaming post lalo na sa [UMak] Herons Updates kasi ang wi-witty nilang lahat. lahat sila nakakatawa, and nafufulfill po yung puso namin kasi nawawala po yung pagod through that.” Shared by Ms. Kathrisse Mei Cruz who acted as Juliet Capuleto.

When asked if there will be possible re-runs of the play, they are unsure of future events. As for the director, “Hindi naman mawawala yung production namin…” so there are endless possibilities.

“If you liked the show, SPREAD THE WORD!” —Prof. Romualdo Protacio

Written by: Mary Jen E. Baer