Weighed But Found Wanting

NOW PEFORMING AT THE PALASYO: The seasoned cast of PETA’s Ang Palasyo ni Valentin.

Below is my review of PETA’s Ang Palasyo ni Valentin. Should you care to watch, the show’s remaining playdates will be on October 13 to 16 at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. at the PETA Theater Center, located at #5 Sunny Side Drive, Barangay Kristong Hari, Quezon City (behind the QC Sports Club and beside St. Joseph’s College). Tickets are priced at P300.00. For inquiries, call 725-6244 or 721-8604.

Title: Ang Palasyo ni Valentin. Playwright: Mario O’Hara. Director: Soxie Topacio. Composer: Minda Azarcon. Cast: Nonie Buencamino, Cynthia Culig-Guico, She Maala, Gigette Reyes, Chinggoy Alonso, Cesar Xerez-Burgos, Cris Anthony Gonzales, Jude Edgar Balsamo, Vincent de Jesus, CJ Javier, Jeffrey Hernandez, Ronaldo Noel Quesada, Simon Tan, Ronald Tomas, Janneke Agustin, Abigail Billones, Frances Billano, Marie Gold Villar, Ernesto Cloma, Jess Evardone, Edwin dela Torre, Chester Nolledo.

EVER SINCE actor-auteur Mario O’Hara’s Ang Palasyo ni Valentin won first prize in the Sarsuwela category at the Centennial Literary Prize back in 1998, the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) wasted no time in trying to bring the romantic drama to the stage. It seemed lo­gi­cal, since O’Hara had worked with the company in several of its past productions. But persistent problems, financial and otherwise, forced PETA to shelve the project for several years.

But the play’s odyssey from page to stage ended when PETA finally pushed through with it and premiered it last September 16. Not only that, it premiered at the brand-new (albeit nearly-com­plete) PETA Theater Center in Quezon City. Truly, Ang Palasyo ni Valentin marked a number of firsts on several levels, for both the company and its artists. It also marked the first time a PETA production left me wanting more—but unfortunately, not in a good or positive way.

In the play, Nonie Buencamino plays the title character, the old manager/projectionist of a dila­pidated theater in Intramuros named the Palacio. The play opens on his birthday (which coincidentally falls on the day World War II started), and he celebrates it with his assistant, Toto (Cris Anthony Gonzales). As they do so, he begins remembering his bittersweet past.

It turns out that Valentin used to be a zarzuela pianist for the tyrannical Don Alfonso (Chinggoy Alonso/Cesar Xerez-Burgos), a Spanish director in the last years of Spanish rule. Valentin fell in love with the beautiful Diding (Cynthia Culig-Guico/She Maala), his former piano instructor’s (Edwin dela Torre) daughter whom the director was grooming to replace the faded Carlota (Gi­gette Reyes) and be the next zarzuela star. Their relationship developed, despite their jealous and enraged maestro’s efforts. But Diding never told Valentin that she loved him; he knew that she did, but he wanted to hear it from her. And he waited for that moment, even after she got pregnant. Even after Don Alfonso had him imprisoned. Even after he fought in the Philippine Revolution. Even after he fought the Americans and consequently jailed anew.

As material, Ang Palasyo ni Valentin brims with richness and color, with vigor and passion; with clear-cut characters one may recognize, may relate to on one level or another. Blessed with such sterling qualities, one might arguably expect the production to soar, to raise the audience’s emotions and make them fly. But that ultimately did not happen. The production’s puzzling failure, at least on opening night, is very regrettable, considering the fine talent involved.

PETA’s top director, Soxie Topacio, directs Ang Palasyo ni Valentin and one might be tempted to blame him for the production’s failure. I wouldn’t go that far, since he’s usually a reliable director with a good track record for helming productions with commendable results. Still, his direction here was unimaginative and uninspired, despite the effort he had clearly shown.

Unfortunately, Topacio is not the only one who fared terribly. There’s also production designer Boni Juan and costume designer Ogie Juliano; their work here miserably failed to even capture the sense of grandeur the play requires. The puny chandelier dropping a la Phantom of the Opera, the historically suspect sleeveless gowns—these, and more, reinforced my suspicions that PETA simply lacked the budget to fully meet the play’s demands. Still, that should not excuse the results. And speaking of excuses, Maribel Legarda’s feeble choreography doesn’t have any.

Then there’s composer Minda Azarcon. I understand that O’Hara refused to greenlight Ang Palasyo ni Valentin without her, making her a very crucial part of the production. She turned out to be a dear friend of his, and one may admire his insistence to involve her. Sadly, this admiration doesn’t extend to her work here. Her music may be faithful to the period, but it did not impress: no true emotional connection felt, no easy recall at all. It simply did not work.

And if that’s not enough, the cast faltered as a whole. Topacio may consider Buencamino, a fine actor, his Valentin personified; but after watching him on opening night, I have to disagree. The play opened with Buencamino looking too young for an old theater manager/projectionist, and when the play shifted back in time—back to his youth—he looked too old, particularly when he seemed to act like an old man in scenes where he shouldn’t be. It’s a truly jarring performance, matched only by that of Xerez-Burgos. He may look the part of Don Alfonso, but he just puffed and wheezed his way through the role, attempting to project Iberian arrogance and pride. How he failed. And as for Gonzales, his Toto is all right, but he really has nothing to do.

Interestingly, the women fared better than the men. In fact, they provided the production’s only bright spots. There’s the lovely Culig-Guico, who remains to be a radiant presence with a luminous voice. Unlike Buencamino, she has this ageless quality that arguably makes her the perfect Diding. And there’s also Reyes, and what is admirable about her performance is that she man­aged to convey Carlota’s emotional neediness underneath her made-up exterior.

Ang Palasyo ni Valentin is ultimately a noble failure. Much as I want to like the production, it has too many flaws, too many things done haphazardly. Much as I like to think otherwise, it seems to signal just how much PETA has gone—has fallen—since its peak in the 70s and 80s. But with its new Theater Center, one hopes for a real and complete rebound soon. Too bad the same can’t be said for Ang Palasyo ni Valentin, now already weighed but found wanting. (Copyright © 2005 by A.I.D.)