Photos courtesy of: Reine Paisley | 9Works Theatrical
MANILA, PHILIPPINES — How do you bring an island to the stage? With a set design that consumes the entire floor up to its battens, a vibrant wardrobe to complement, and the playful and spirited haptics that are characteristically carefree of the islanders. Such was the atmosphere at 9 Works Theatrical‘s Once On This Island.
Thea Astley plays the character of Ti Moune, who as a little girl was saved by Asaka, Mother of the Earth (Rhada); Agwé, god of Water (Garrett Bolden); Erzulie, and goddess of Love (Shiela Valderrama-Martinez). She grew up with warmhearted adoptive parents and one day saved a wealthy man Daniel (Sam Concepcion) from a shipwreck and nursed him back to recovery. Naively, she followed Daniel to his side of the island and falls in love with him. When it was made apparent that she does not belong to the same world, the highest stakes lie on who Daniel chooses between her and his betrothed.
Thea’s Ti Moune is carried by her earnest voice and infectious energy which she sustains without leaving the stage. There were multiple instances when she danced with much abandon and fully eclipsed the ingenue who gave it all for her hopes in love.
9 Works also nailed it with the rest of the cast: a healthy mix of tested thespians and showbiz actors. Together, they step onto that island in an almost transcendent state, with palpable enjoyment in playing their roles, feeding on each other’s energies whether they’re playing villagers or taking the stage in non-ensemble sequences. It’s a sizable 15-piece cast but seen from the audience’s seat, you’d understand why each actor had to be there.
Individually, the actors deliver the need of the story, however strenuous that might be especially in the playful numbers with their sharp movements — reflective of the waters that wave and ripple to the Caribbean beat of the congos.
Among the plays this year, this has been one of the most faithful to the musical form without much intervention or need to employ interruptive devices to recall a TikTok-conditioned audience. This staging fully utilizes its actors as the canvas with an emphasis on the vocal tenacity of what each song calls for: a dramatic vibrato, melody as steady as calm waters, and belting for that booming effect.
The gods and goddesses’ numbers were pretty much perfect; which is not to say that the ensemble-powered ones are less praiseworthy. Standing out is “Mama Will Provide” with the astounding vocals of Rhada that left everyone in awe.
The curved dock that is central to the set design is posed to look rough and ravaged in the initial wreckage; at the same time, it is also the sturdy platform where the ensemble performs. The most of it painted a powerful image when the villagers and the gods gathered for Ti Moune in the penultimate “A Part of Us.”
For another play where girl-saves-boy only to be bound in dreadful heartbreak, there is a lot that provides a refreshing take on love and why social divides result in needless tragedy — where romantic love fails, your community can put your heart back together.
“To choose to love is always the right choice,” said Storyteller Sam Libao, giving weight to Erzulie, the goddess of love’s line, “Love has many powers. If the love is true, it can cross the earth and withstand the storm.”
How do you bring an island to the stage? 9 Works Theatrical can show you how — with every exit of the theater leaving a bit of your heart on the island.
9 Works Theatrical’s Once On This Island is running until September 29 at the Carlos Romulo Auditorium of the RCBC Plaza.
