Written by Shannon T. Lauson
Photos by Waldo Katigbak
Artist Playground brings you “Fly Me To The Moon,” an original by Rody Vera, in its brand new home in Arts Above.
“Fly Me To The Moon” follows Melanie, an aspiring “japayuki” on a hitchhike ride to Japan—aboard a ship chock full of libido-driven men. Having been booted off at the audition, she takes it upon herself to find a way to make her dreams (money, men, and fame) a reality.
She meets Jo, a Karayuki-san, who recounts her encounters with love and eventual heartbreak. They embark on a story of parallels, each recalling the events that led up to their present.
Melanie lends a reluctant ear, while Jo recounts her tale of being sent to a neighboring country in hopes to make her brother a man, and falling recklessly in love with a man named Ibrahim—the gentle happiness of their forbidden rendezvous, and sinking ever so slowly into the madness this love had conjured.
Her story takes a dark turn as she recalls the more graphic details of the terrors that came with the territory of being a karayuki-san, being forced into her first sexual experience,
and the unforgiving manner by which she was ripped apart from her only love.
Melanie reciprocates with her own story: how she was forced into the hitchhike ride, the dream of becoming a woman—in every sense of the word, intimate parts and all. And like every other effeminate gay before him, the dream of someday leaving the reserved and traditional Philippines in search for somewhere more accepting of their sensibilities.
At the exchange, the two grew fond of each other, finding comfort in each other’s company, and developed a kind of friendship that involved reciprocated reassurance and an understanding ear.
As the journey draws to a close, the two part ways to draw the next chapter of their stories, but not without bearing a mark, borne out of their short, but poignant encounter.
Paul Jake Paule follows his success in Happiness is a Pearl, with this unearthed masterpiece by Rody Vera. Melanie, alternately played by Aldy Cadupay, Ai Hose Ki, and Xosh Ardio is as charming and ambitious as she is determined and bullheaded. A character that will surely capture the attention (as well as the hearts of the resilient dreamers—maybe even bring life to the dreams of the jaded and the cynical.
Fatima Cadiz and Dea Formacil alternately play the role of Jo or Karayuki-san, a girl that was forced into womanhood, the product of trauma and the evils of greed and lust. Despite being thrown into a life she had come to loathe, she finds a silver lining with her first and only love, Ibrahim (alternately played by Clifford Gonzales, Ar Ar Ramilo, and BJ Ocampo).
Manu Gallardo and Jun Nayra shall alternately play the role of Captain, the man turned to the beast by the bounds of lust and isolation—the character to contend with Melanie.
Granted the honor of conversing with the Artistic Director, Roeder Camañag himself, I was briefed about the concept, the limitations, and the ambition of the play and consequently, the company itself. Artist Playground aims to breed a new generation of actors, to train those that aspire to enter the stage.
With such heavy material, there’s bound to be a few drawbacks. I wasn’t able to ride with the characters’ emotional transitions until the play approached its latter, more provocative portion of the play. But I don’t doubt things will move forward from here.
The play is a feast for the eyes, as much as it is a goldmine of provocation—rousing sensibilities and thought. The lights, sounds, set, and costumes come together to transport its audience (as well as its actors) to the land of quiet magic, unadulterated passions, and all the vengeance of new love and heartache.
Catch “Fly Me To The Moon” on its final weekend run at Artist Playground, Arts Above Q.C. For tickets, call Ticketworld at 8919999
Artist Playground
09759193179 (c/o Kimberly Claire Somoza)
www.artistplayground.ph
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