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MANILA, Philippines – Red Turnip, a new theater company, showcases the musical ‘Closer’ and promises to shake up the Philippine theater industry.
G Töngi reports.
I’m here at Whitespace for the Gala of Closer, brought to us by Red Turnip. Established theater actors and good friends Jenny Jamora, Rem Zamora, Topper Fabregas, Cris Villonco and Anna Abad Santos make up Red Turnip, the newest theater company in town.
Red Turnip’s maiden production is Closer, an acclaimed play by Patrick Marber.
It drew in a big crowd on gala night, proving the Philippine theater scene is ready for more unconventional story plots.
Musician Marc Abaya ventures into acting for the first time in Closer as he portrays Daniel Wolf, an obituarist.
He says Red Turnip pushes the envelope in terms of material.
MARC ABAYA
MUSICIAN AND ACTOR
It’s a talkie play where they have to be vulnerable and the audience has to be sensitive also and they are forced to deal with the emotions of the actors and what we put them through with the script of course. So that’s it. If they don’t do it no one else will and it’s always good to push the envelope so we don’t stay stagnant.
Film and TV actress Angel Aquino also makes her stage debut with the Red Turnip theater company as the photographer Anna.
She says stage has a completely different set of challenges compared to film and television work.
ANGEL AQUINO
TV & FILM ACTRESS
How different am I here? Very nervous and someone who’s treading on uncharted waters for me. But I will give my best, I am trying my best to give justice to Anna and the material because it is a wonderful piece.
Theater Veteran and co-director Bart Guingona says productions like Closer reminds people entertainment is not just about fluff.
BART GUINGONA
DIRECTOR AND VETERAN THEATER ACTOR
Our entertainment in this country gravitates towards what is shallow and what is easy and so sometimes its important to remind people that the theater can be much much more than that.
No stranger to theater, Cris Villonco multitasks as a producer, showbuyer and actress as she portrays a stripper named Alice.
CRIS VILLONCO
ACTRESS AND RED TURNIP FOUNDER
This is my most daring. Yes it definitely is. It has pushed me to great great great great lengths. I’ve lost 15 pounds because of this and Anna for some reason always pushes me to the edge.
Ana Abad Santos, Red Turnip founder and actress directs Closer and says shows like this deviate from the norm of commercial musicals.
ANA ABAD SANTOS
RED TURNIP FOUNDER AND CLOSER DIRECTOR
We put up this company because we really wanted to put up daring pieces of theater. We wanna rock people, we wanna rock your life. I feel that theater is here to shake us up and I wanna do that. I wanna shake people up.
Red Turnips’ Closer ends this October 27 so don’t miss this bold and courageous theatrical production.
G Töngi, Rappler Manila. – Rappler.com
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