by Regina Layug Rosero
A full minute of erotic moaning. Sexual tension between martial artists and presidential candidates. Homoerotic alternate Philippine history. And an audience nearly falling to the floor with laughter.
This may not be a scene you imagine taking place at the CCP, but that was exactly what happened when Deus Sex Machina took to the stage at Tanghalang Huseng Batute.
Deus Sex Machina is Manila’s “first-ever comedic erotica live reading show.” DSM’s writers and performers take a topic—be it Pokémon, Philippine political personalities, Magic: The Gathering, or beloved films like Star Wars and Star Trek—and sprinkle them with innuendo and euphemisms along the lines of something resembling the plot of hilariously bad porn. The written pieces are performed in front of live audiences, sometimes by the authors themselves, with much feeling and to the sound of raucous, often embarrassed, laughter.
The very first DSM show took place in October 2014, at UNO Morato in Quezon City.
Since that fateful first night, DSM has inflicted its erotic humor on consenting audiences at various venues: Boho Sarapsody in Cubao, Route 196 on Katipunan, Staple and Perk Bakery in Makati, the now-defunct Sev’s Café in Manila. Each DSM show features around eight performances, with each performance roughly 10 minutes long.
For two years now, DSM has been part of the Fringe Festival, “a platform dedicated to showcasing experimental and original works by local Filipino artists.” DSM’s Marco Sumayao says, “These past two years, the Fringe Festival was where DSM made big leaps in production and audience size. When we joined last year, we were fresh off our first two shows. Those were held in much smaller venues, with just a few dozen of our friends as the audience. At Sev’s Café, during last year’s Fringe Festival, we saw just how big DSM could grow to be. It was more than a hundred strangers, spoken word fans, comedy fans, and even a couple of the festival’s foreign reps and directors watching us.”
As part of the 2016 Fringe Festival, “Deus Sex Machina: Fringe With Benefits 2 – Rebooty” was held at CCP’s Tanghalang Huseng Batute on February 25. Sumayao said, “This year, we got to achieve one of our stretch goals: to perform at an actual theater. That was huge, and it’s all thanks to Fringe! It’s definitely going to be a big part of the show’s growth moving forward.”
DSM performer Sabrina Schnabel was thrilled to perform at the CCP. “As a theater artist growing up in Manila, CCP was the reach! Lea Salonga performed there, Martha Graham had her dancers there. So, I had exactly zero chill. Standing there under the lights, I realize it’s a good thing everything was written down, because it’s impossible to be cool!” Schnabel performed in “Disney Sex Machina,” a supposition of what happens when Disney princesses offer sex advice, and “Erotic Rap Battles of History,” featuring Heneral Antonio Luna and Jose Rizal.
Long-time DSM writer and performer Timothy James Dimacali said of the experience, “It’s quite fulfilling! After all, it’s not every day you can say your work has been staged in the country’s premiere culture and arts venue. As a writer constantly trying to improve my craft, I feel a sense of achievement, but also a push to get more done.” For the CCP show, Dimacali wrote science fiction comedy that referenced the classic film 2001: A Space Odyssey.
DSM’s next shows are scheduled for May 2016. For more information, visit their Facebook page at http://facebook.com/DeusSexPH.
