MMQ’S Dying 4 Love – Friday Night Theater Dates this February

 

MMQ salon theater presents DYING 4 LOVE 2014 

 Four short plays (Drama and Comedy) on all 4 Fridays of February – about Experiment, Obsession and Revenge and Love.

Foreign and Filipino crew and cast – in support of 4 different charities for children and women.

My date with MMQ  Powerhouse Performers

Has it happened to you that you feel something quite strongly, yet choose to look away from your instinct? Watch the male lead Manuel Tinio‘s incredibly great chemistry with both his co-actresses Vaishali Ray and Lesley Leveriza-Lina. ‘Four Walls’ is a superb choice that makes MMQ’s plays this February a MUST WATCH. 

Scene-from FOUR WALLS

Have you fantasized about someone/something so consistently, that the Illusion-Reality boundaries seem to blur? Well, alternate sexual orientation, gender stereotypes and human-ness of it all are celebrated and also thoroughly showcased by the happy-go-lucky cast of ‘Carmen Dicks’. The ‘female private investigative eye’ is funny as well as fatal. An overwhelming visual treat of a comedy, this one! Go watch!

Scene from CARMEN DICK

How often do we get annoyed by our partners’ irritating habits, yet remain so forgiving-ly oblivious to our own obsessions….like licking a blob of KETCHUP straight from the bottle !! Ketchup is sooo much fun to watch with its light-hearted witticisms and theatrics.

Scene from KETCHUP

Dramadies of Love— so hilarious– they can make you Cry! Sometimes pretty painful– so you laugh at Love instead! Human hearts can be so bizarre in their patience, weirdness and insecurities that they can pretty much silently break — both on their own and what they love! For that reason, just seeing a staged act of everyday emotions can be cathartic and liberating. I love catching up with friends and bonding with family over such theater dates. 

WELCOME to MMQ’s Dying 4 Love in Manila! Brought to you by MMQ Theater and Events Group. This is MMQ’s 7 th year performing theater in the living rooms of Manila’s elite. The MMQ Plays‘ format is modeled on the Parisian theaters with small intimate audience patronizing the arts and artistes in their city. Michelle Washington and Mimi Carter— both Expat ladies with a lifetime’s worth of experience in Dramatic Arts and even Music– have been nurturing local and foreign talent in the city and perfecting their unique offering to Manila.

When in Manila in February do not miss Dying 4 Love coming up every Friday Night of February in the posh villas of MMQ Patrons and supporters. For the repeat audiences from previous Salon Series– DYING 4 LOVE is not all Four Comedies– but Drama and discourse, as well . The proverbial ‘fourth wall’ between the stage and the audience is broken as some characters would show you how…. as you are sipping wine and enjoying the acts.

As a Sneak-Previewer, I was left drained– what with all my senses being so involved in the DYING 4 LOVE of MMQ! 

Most of us in the test audience were unable to clap n hoot, or even get up from our spot in the audience. As for me- my hands were shaking as I reminded myself to take pictures for this review.  The actors taking the bow also looked in need of debriefing. And the Directors were really proud of the outcome. Some earlier acts did shock me with their overt sexual content, but that could be my subjective response to the intimate content in a limited public space of living room theater. Some of us might prefer it played down. However, Alma A. Carpio mentioned– ‘this factor too would make MMQ’s Februaries different from most of theater scene in the Philippines today’.

The overall intensity was over the top. I really wished that MMQ’s multi-talented Mimi Carter would sing and lull the emotions that her team is going to stoke. MMQ is clearly taking calculated steps to go farther, I must say. The audience response this year will be a good indicator of what Manila wants from its Dramatic arts,beyond the Musical Theater already so popular in the country, that is.

 When asked about their choice of this year’s plays, this was the response:

“MMQ’s DYING 4 LOVE pushes the envelope this year (2014 Salon Series). We like to be NAUGHTY. Also… it is time– we challenged MMQ’s audience. I want them to go home– not just clapping and you know- wine cheese and canapes– but have something on their minds as they leave from here.” – Mimi Carter

The founder of MMQ Mimi Carter‘s very American Let’s do More vision and enterprise, her founding partner Michelle Washington‘s vivacious Give it your all Performance expectations, and the debut MMQ director Nic Campos‘s young Filipino ‘ Yes, let us do it’  hunger to take his cast’s and his own natural talents to a peak –makes MMQ super hot in Manila’s Theater and Arts scene. MMQ is a consistent multi-national multi-cultural nonprofit Arts for Charity organisation in the Philippines. I cannot but applaud their contribution to Manila’s gradually growing population of Dramatic Art Lovers.

MMQ DIRECTORS- Mimi Carter, Michelle Washington, Nic Campos

 

The venue is private villas of  theater lovers who want to support the charity benefactors associated with MMQ. Its commendable when people offer their spaces to accommodate and nurture the microcosm of right brained sensibilities in their environment. I see it as a salient expression of social responsibility that Corporates can well take their cue from, and sponsor more generously!

 FOR Information, Reservations, Tickets & Sponsorship 

 Munch on great canapes and vegetarian food by Sexy Chef, and sip the bubbly and wine sponsored by LeCellier. Food n Beverages included in the Ticket price. A great Valentine’s treat! The 4 Feb Friday evenings with MMQ will leave every one pretty full — every which way.

CHIT CHAT Time

Me to Nic Campos— How was it- making your debut as Director with MMQ this year? You have been their male lead in last year’s Salon. This season you are  a male Director–directing 2 women characters in TRACES?

Nic (a gifted stage personality in Manila)- It was an interesting experience. We kind of did it together. I looked for actors for my play’s cast. And asked the ladies what they got from their play’s characters. As Women– different from how a Man would feel. We are in a society where certain subjects have an inherent gender bias– like say ‘Cheating”. And then I reflected their perceptions back in the direction, and also added mine as I directed the act. It has evolved to a point where both of them are beginning to own their characters. I feel good! 

Unlikely strangers on HIghway in TRACES

Some of us in the audience felt that Lesley Leveriza- Lina shines versatile in both her roles. While Geraldine Tan did better in the over the top play ‘Carmen Dick’. These are experienced artistes with recognition from Filipino TV shows and Indies. I like that they- as performers- continue to challenge their selves in theater. A theater artiste definitely subjects her/himself to another level of vulnerability altogether as he faces the response of a live audience. Each performance, each show– sees them playing a little more, evolving and growing , or retracting….much like Jazz Musicians. So Really REally REally ALL THE BEST MMQ ! I have personally had the privilege of seeing how MIMI CARTER  and MICHELLE WASHINGTON have groomed so many of these actors and many more all the year round.

 MMQ”S CHARITY BENEFACTORS THIS YEAR:

SHIPHRAH BIRTHING HOME

ENTERPRENEUR VOLUNTEER ASSISTANCE

SPRINGBOARD FOUNDATION

BERDE BAGS

 Cocktail, Buffet and Raffles between the 4 Plays. 

Non- Vegetarian and HEALTHY vegetarian food by Sexy Chef, Wines sponsored by Le Cellier.

Food n Beverages included in the Ticket price.

A great Valentine’s treat!

 Judging from the preview – MMQ night is going to be a night to remember. When In Manila MMQ FEBRUARY dates rock the Valentine’s season. Mature content and audience for this show, right!

Over the Top yet Fun to Watch