Based on the life of Caius Marcus Coriolanus, this Filipino translation by Guelan Luarca under the direction of Carlos Siguion-Reyna mixes apt humor with one of Shakespeare's last tragedies. Coriolanus wasn't originally part of the protagonist's name but rather attached to his original name because this celebrates one's bravery and success in fighting for Rome.
What I liked about this performance is that it made Shakespeare easy to understand. The major challenge in staging a Shakespeare play for the modern audience lie not in his characters which are based in places thousands of miles away from our country, but the fact that the text is always wordy and you have to get the right rhythm or else the audience will be spacing out 15 minutes into the play.
What helped elevate primarily this production is the strong performance of it's lead actor in the title role, Marco Viaña, who can both elicit disdain from the audience with his braggart ways and empathy when the nation he fought for turns against him because of his very nature. Sherry Lara plays the domineering mother to a hilt while the Aufidius of Brian Sy is a multidimensional villain.
As with the recent Tanghalang Pilipino productions, capitalizing on the Actors' Company's capacity to work really well as an ensemble without much guest actors proved a good decision since they were able to show a really clear picture of the characters' relationships to one another thanks to their onstage chemistry.
The set design of Ohm Design with the seemingly throbbing heart at its center and the panels is just perfect for the message of this play: the human heart is guarded no matter how much goodness you bestow upon it unless that goodness will make it feel powerful. Sure, Coriolanus served the people but he made them feel small and so he was no different from an oppressor.
Another notable aspect is the costume design by Bonsai Cielo, which was very easy on the eyes but has pop art elements particularly the designed on the repurposed boots many of the characters are wearing. The lighting design by Dennis Marasigan was at its most enthralling with the purple and red tones during the battle with the Volscian army which earned Coriolanus his title.
Coriolano is a play that is very timely since it is the campaign period and we have to ask ourselves, do we want leaders who please us but just entertain us with theatrics or do we want leaders who kind of piss us off but their honorable deeds are as thick as the slabs of marble in Rome?
Coriolano is the closing production of Tanghalang Pilipino's 32nd season. It will run until March 17 with 3pm and 8pm shows. You may call Ticketworld at 891-9999 or visit www.ticketworld.com.ph for tickets. You may also buy directly from the CCP Box Office with tel. no. 832-3704.
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