MANILA, PHILIPPINES— Greek tragedy has been buried in between the forms of literature and genres of short-term entertainment of creator platforms that make it easy to churn content.
This March, Tanghalang Ateneo is opening their season with one play that has been told through different iterations over the rich history of theater: Oedipus Rex.
Oedipus Rex tells the story of a great ruler who hailed from the south, whose current reign is plagued by deaths and curses: bodies upon the streets, with no deliverance in sight.
The treatment that was given is such that the audience will have a grasp of the story despite being a tale predating the calendar we use today.
The technical aspect of the production did not let down as the lighting design by D Cortezano gave the mood for the entire minimalist set, showing only the upper torso of the actors’ frames. More so the sound design by John Robert Yam, which had the audience gripping at pivotal moments—that through ASMR of heaving breaths, and audible gasps— signified plot devices more effectively than the audience knew.
Meanwhile, the actors that have played cast were well immersed into their craft; divulging the truth with merely haptics that their chorus roles allowed them. Post-process editing also took effect into the news segments and programs held in the play.
It is also note-worthy that Marian Rivera-Dantes played vice president Creon to an obsessive and bully tyrant that is Oedipus. It is a refreshing attack for someone who has seen Rivera-Dantes’ performance in small screen teleseryes that gave her ripe years of fame. The decision to break the forth wall is also spine chilling especially when it came to the denouement of the plot.
With so little words to give credit to the production of Tanghalang Ateneo’s season opener, Oedipus Rex is a must watch and will have you gripping at the edge of your seat as art reflects reality once more.
