PLAY

Thanks to Maruja ( fellow Artistang Artlets alumni and blogger) for letting me snatch stills of the play in his blog. As if he can do anything about it if he refused. hehe.

This is the play that i wrote. Memorandum of Agreement. It's true that when you write something you really have to put yourself into it. I had the gall to inculcate my own college life and scandals, my friends' jobs, the name of a friend's boyfriend, places i go to, books that i read, my Frenchy's food culture, my very own personal but very altered experiences, advise i got from a gay teacher and tv stations i worked for. You see, i can't completely own what i wrote. And this is my first baby of which i myself dissected.

Its the story of Arlene, Park, Cromwell and Chiqui. Arlene has it all and likes to get it all. Cromwell is Arlene's bestfriend. Chiqui is fleed by her husband and is impotent. Park has a public 6-year relationship with Arlene  and a 10 year relationship with Cromwell in secret. The group comes in on a birthday party reunion hosted by the housewifely humored Chiqui. All of them are from a debating team in college and are now in their early 30's. Our playwright-teacher, Rody Vera, said that the best age for people to tackle conflicts and personal issues are in their 30's. Hmmm... bakit kaya?

This is the scene of opening conflicts-- ala Pandora's box. Arlene (the one in red played by Fritz ) announces that she's going to New York and she is pregnant. Much to the jealousy enveloping Chiqui and the dismay of Park and Cromwell reading the mag. Chiqui played by my AA batch mate Diana Cotia, is a character slightly zapped from Bree Van de Kamp of Deperate Housewives, my Moodrahbel and my Tita living abroad. Crowmell is played by Paulie Mora--- a bit zapped from the person playing itself wahaha! Park is played by Julz Casalan a straight opposite of what is Julz in person.

This is the plastikan scene. Before this toast, Cromwell and Park confronted each other in a seemingly Nora Aunor confronts Christopher de Leon way. What happens now that Arlene is pregnant? What happens to them? Cromwell uses emotional blackmail and relationship genetics to make Park and the audience understand what he's going through. Of course Arlene and Chiqui is out to see the baby room that Chiqui made out of her frustration. They go back to the sala again while Park and Cromwell evades each other. Arlene offers a toast to her achievements-- a New York life with Park and their baby.

PARK AND CROMWELL confrontation excerpt:

PARK: Hindi ko sinasadya… Croms…

CROMWELL: Sinamahan ko yung Tatay ko noon sa Cubao. Matapos umalis yung nanay ko at sumama sa ibang lalake, nagkita sila. Sa Cubao. Malapit dun sa Fiesta Carnival. Nakita ko siya at tinuro ko sa tatay ko. Buntis yung nanay ko, tuwang tuwa pa ako may bago na akong kapatid. Nagtinginan lang yung Nanay at Tatay ko, tapos ang sabi ni Papa “Congrats” Umalis na kami. Sabi ko, Tay, bakit yun lang ang nasabi mo? Sabi niya maiintindihan ko rin balang araw kung bakit yun lang ang dapat sabihin sa mga taong nakasakit sayo.

PARK: Ako ba ang pinatatamaan mo?

CROMWELL: Ito na ata yung balang araw na sinasabi niya.

PARK: Iba naman ang sitwasyon ng Tatay mo sa iyo.

CROMWELL: Ang sakit sakit pala ng ginawa ng Nanay ko sa Tatay ko.

Arlene finds out about Park and Cromwell. She's pregnant, she's drunk and her boyfriend of 6 years is gay! What a life! 

Arlene's hysteria excerpt:

Iinom ulit si Arlene

CHIQUI: Tama na yan. Buntis ka!

ARLENE: My God! I built my world around you. Nagpla-plano pa akong manirahan tayo sa New York. Magtayo ng pamilya. Bumili ng aso at patakbuhin sa backyard natin habang nagpri-prito tayo ng hamburgers. Tapos dadalaw sa atin Si Bob at Chiqui, pati si Cromwell. Tignan mo, kasama ko pa yang baklang yan sa mga pangarap natin. All for what? Ano bang ginawa kong mali? Lord, bakit ako pa?

Iinom ulit si Arlene

Park's bare it all moment that slaps Arlene:

ARLENE: (palambing) Park, Honey, look at me. You’re lying. Everytime na nagse-sex tayo alam ko satisfied ka. I know that. Pumipikit ka pa nga eh.

PARK: Arlene, hindi…

CHIQUI: (sisingit) Arlene and Park, you are not going to discuss your sexlife in front of me ok.. Tinuluan niyo na nga yung sofa ko…

ARLENE: (sabat) Wag ka ngang pa-virgin dyan… If I know atat na atat kang pabuntis kay Bob kaya’t ang aga-aga mong mag-asawa… Tutal nagkakalabasan na rin naman tayo ng baho dito…

PARK: (erupt) Hindi! Hindi ka masarap. Alam mo ba pagka-sex kita, utos ka ng utos. Para akong nasa opisina’t may hahabuling deadline... Bakit ako pumipikit? Ha! Kasi ayoko makita ang mukha mo. Kasi may ini-imagine akong iba.. Hindi mo ba naisip yon?

Park found out that Arlene knew of his homosexuality even before. Arlene wanted to change Park's "problem ". Park was more convinced of his love to Cromwell. Arlene, in a fit of devastation, decided to abort her baby.   Chiqui convinced Arlene not to after her own personal monologue of being baog and keeping it from her perfect housewife life and not appreciating somebody who has done everything but still left wanting.Arlene decides to give the baby to Arlene. Park is in stupor over that decision. Then Chiqui tries to draft a Memorandum of Agreement for everybody's sake and especially for the baby. Everybody agrees to the MOA and everything is settled. Park and Cromwell staying together. Chiqui having her own baby. Arlene accepting everything.

Chiqui's breakdown on cheese and redwine:

PARK: You mean to say baog ka. Bakit pa kayo nagpagawa ng baby room?

CHIQUI: Eh, bakit ba? Masama ba ang mangarap magka-baby. Pwede namang magkaroon ng baby room na walang baby ah. Bakit kayo? Naiinom niyo naman yang wine na walang cheese. Hanapan kayo ng hanapan ng keso. Hindi niyo naman kelangan. Nainom niyo rin. Kung maghahanap pa rin kayo ng keso dito sa pamamahay ko, sumama na kayo kay Bob diyan sa Palawan. Pare-pareho kayo. Huwag na kayo bumalik. Iwan niyo na lang ako dito. Hindi marunong mag-appreciate ng alak na walang keso. Lecheng keso yan. Galit ako sa France na may tatlongdaang klase ng keso. Galit ako sa kalabaw. Galit ako sa gatas. Galit ako sa lahat ng Keso. At walang alak na nanganganak ng keso.

CROMWELL: Pasensya na… hindi ko alam… hindi namin alam… I’m so sorry…

CHIQUI: hindi ko maintindihan… lahat naman ginawa ko para sa kanya… tumigil ako sa trabaho… pati pag-yoyosi ko… nag-aral pa ako sa cooking school… nagka-galit galit kami ng kapatid ko dahil sa kanya… wala nang natira sa akin para lang mapaligaya siya… pero naghanap siya ng keso… wala akong keso…

Now that one is me on stage. With Barbie as my demented paralytic daughter and Bombi Plata as the person who helped me with problems of burying my husband. Bombi turns out to be a ghost pala in the end.