Photos by Lyra Jazmin
Theater has its own way to exhibit abstract ideas such as fleeting affection, sentiments, and attraction into relatable live motion stories. MINTeatro—the school’s official theater production organization—managed to do it with the seven plays they performed in the evening of April 30. The mini plays ran 10 minutes each, and were given the collective title ‘Flings, Things, and Feelings’.
The night began with the lighthearted I Have A Bomb (directed by Sebastian Katigbak). It followed a perky young woman (Enzi Eclarin) who was trapped inside a library with a suicide bomber (Aljon Veneracion). In this stage, the young woman tried to persuade the bomber to call off his plans with her outrageous suggestions and modern-day witticisms.
The play Heart of Hearing (directed by Lia De Jesus) featured love struck characters Josh (Sam Bautista) and Angie (Gigi Tolentino) whose story was built on a series of phone calls and held-back feelings. It is a slow burn romance that served as a cautionary tale about the gratification and pitfalls of a “pseudo-relationship”.
Little Wishes (directed by Xabrina Aquino) was about a musician (Rafa Jimenez) and his hit song, and his hidden feelings for his lady friend (Pia Meily). This stage started off as a discussion about an artist’s sincerity in making art—with the woman raising points about how artists perceive women. Under the guise of art criticism, the musician was able to share his long held-back feelings towards his good friend.
It’s the worst feeling to be stuck, just as how the pair in the play titled Stuck (directed by Justin Ellamil) portrayed. It was a coversation between two strangers at an airport cafe in Phoenix, Texas. A young lady barista (Kyanna Villaruel) finally had the guts to talk to the quiet and nonchalant guy (Patrick Corro) who is always seated at the same spot in the same cafe, everyday. But as the two got to open up to each other, they both realized that there is more to life than the place they’re currently stuck in.
Remember when as children, we loved to pretend that our toys were alive? This was the premise of the play Butterfly Kisses (directed by Yela Apao). Avid butterfly collector, Gerald (Justin Ellamil), caught another Monarch butterfly that he wished to display beside his first Monarch, Marco (Sebastian Katigbak). The other butterfly is Louise (Sophia Tan), a naive and cheerful critter whom Marco, a philosophical insect, wants to impress.
Canvas (directed by Kyanna Villaruel) hit close to home, as it talked about losses and gains in life through the eyes of a mother (Helen Balaoing) who lost a son in a war, and a homeless guy (Jam Pangilinan) who only wanted to live day to day after serving the military.
The night ended with the family drama Jigsaw Cactus (directed by Kiefer Sison). This play featured a grieving father (Renzo Jimenez), and a longing daughter (Yvonne Russel) having a conversation over a jigsaw puzzle. The puzzle pieces were used as a guiding metaphor to unravel the pent-up anguish of the two about the loss of a mother and wife, and how death affects a family.
With the showcase of the seven plays by MINTeatro, the school’s thespians have proven themselves to be a talented troupe that knows how to wield their ‘theater magic’ the best way possible. W