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| Duets A BRILLIANT PERFORMANCE |
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Duets A BRILLIANT PERFORMANCE
by Dr. Richard Gunnar Juve
Saturday my wife, I and a dear friend attended a comedy matinee play at the Repertory Philippines Theater on the second floor of Onstage, Greenbelt 1 in Makati. The production entitled Duets, by Peter Quilter, is a must see. Break all previous appointments, cancel all dates and treat your lady and yourself to a magnificent, performance that will make you laugh, and at the same time, think about some provocative social issues. After all, a comedy often masks deeper social and political situations. The standards of acting are still lofty at the Repertory Philippines. Last year I attended a production and loved it. This year I came back after checking out to see what was playing. We attended with our friend Pinky, had drinks at a lovely first floor restaurant, made some impulsive book buys and casually strolled up to the second floor and purchased our tickets from friendly folks for the second row center stage. After all a live play should be seen close up so that you feel you are a witness to the performance, sort of a fly on the wall, a voyeur, an intruder to the comic events. Your state of consciousness is altered. You leave your troubles behind and march into the actors world.
The theater is large, clean, air-conditioned; seats deep and comfortable for my big bulky frame with plenty of leg room unlike seating in most intercontinental airlines and American east coast theaters. The ten minutes proceeding the start up were enjoyed listening to piped in quality jazz, performed by top rate stars over a first class speaker system. The production started on time and was startling by the simplicity of the living room set and the two actors that appeared in the form of Jonathan and Wendy, middle aged singles meeting for a blind date initiated by their mutual responses to love wanted ads in the daily Personals section of the news paper.
The entire four sets are different scenarios played by Joy Virata and Miguel Faustmann who are consummate professionals with world class skills. There are times when you are in the presence of great actors or actresses and you instantly know it; you are spell bound, drawn to them and carried off by a brilliant performance. Remember the stalwart performance by Marlon Brando in “The God Father” or the many great performances by Al Pochino, Gene Hackman, and Demi Moore. Joy Virata is a Meryl Strep, capable of imitating many accents. These two actors could do a “Casa Blanca” like Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart. Yes, they could even do the “African Queen”. When Faustmann, and Virata step onto the show’s stage you feel their exuberance and immediately know they are phenomenal performers of world class order and Academy Award consideration. Each of the four sets requires a different character playing a completely different roll and both stars rise to the occasion in their enormously challenging tasks. The energy levels were high and like a world class athlete they had to mount the stage and give it their best shot which was extraordinary.
We were captivated and enthralled from the “get go”, as the two stars held our interest. You could identify with the situations they created. Director Ana Abad Santos did a splendid job . Each of the sets was a romantic comedy in a different real world situation, by people you knew, know or imagined you had acquaintance with . You were eyewitness to the bare facts and details of their lives.
The show is entertainment at “bargain basement prices” and hilarious. The play is billed as an “examination of love relationships” but is more than that. It is more than slapstick comedy, it is reality which makes you laugh. The actors are able to get inside life and the lighter side of love relationships and you lock on to their problems and efforts and more interestingly their feelings and frustrations.
The crucial element in any play is the actors ability to identify and play their roles effortlessly and with fervor. Ms. Virata and Mr. Faustmann are genesis at work. The work is of enormously exceptional quality. From the very first word uttered you are captivated by the charm and illusion of “I am there”. You are influenced by their words, drawn in, and admit that you have seen it before. You can not avert your eyes. You know the characters from somewhere else and you find yourself smiling, chuckling and then roaring with laughter. Hand motions, movement of the head, timing lines are all perfect and natural. A splendid job. This is the epitome of the live stage and a mandatory attendance. Don’t miss it. Don’t disqualify yourself, this is a performance that you want to say you saw and be one up on your friends and associates. You owe it to yourself. Carp diem. Grab the opportunity. Get up and just do it. Order the tickets now at 887-0710 or go on line at www.repertory.ph.
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What's more, we will mail the tickets to your home at no extra cost to you. What have you got to lose? 
REP maintains two groups of eight singers who are available for special after-dinner entertainment, product launches, or other corporate affairs. One group is composed of veteran, professional solo performers; the other, of talented, young, up-and-coming singers. The program features show-stopping performances of show-tune medleys arranged for solos, duets, and octets with simple choreography.
