“NEWLY elected mayor of Talon town in Pikit Mayor Magtanggol Liberacion was found murdered one early morning. A town folk who found the body said the Mayor was ‘Tinusok sa leeg at pinansakan ng mansanan ang bunga-nga.’
Police are at a loss on the mayor’s killers and are currently conducting further investigation. Former Mayor Vangie Palaban, Mayor Liberacion’s political adversary during the last election, said they would make sure to go after the killer and give justice to Mayor Liberacion. In the meantime, the townfolks held a special ceremony honoring the murdered mayor where he was roasted and consumed by everybody. The lechon was said to be delicious. Talon Pikit’s mayor was the first pig to be elected to office.”
If Rody Vera's play, ‘Pinatay si Mayor,’ were to actually happen in real life, a news brief of Mayor Liberacion’s death will probably read like the above.
The Xavier Stage, the resident repertory theatre company of Xavier University, staged the play at the university’s Little Theater from February 22 to 27.
“The play's premise is to facilitate voter's education, it is a political education campaign. It is the Harlequin Theatre Company of DLSU that first staged this and now together with them, for this election year, The Xavier Stage got its production permit and rights to stage it here in Cagayan de Oro, Mindanao,” said the executive artistic director for The Xavier Stage and artistic director for the production of the play, Hobart Savior.
“In Talon, Pikit, the civil society wants the government to wake up by voting for a mayor whom they think best serves their interest,” explained Savior adding that it is the “Breaking the traditions of any political clan who corrupts and deprives the rights of the member of the community.”
The town folks fed up with the corruption of their current mayor, Mayor Palaban, came up with the idea of electing a pig to the office, giving the pig a dignified and heroic sounding name, Magtanggol Liberacion. They planned for his campaign, raised the amount needed to run for office (by actually applying for sponsorship from the current mayor), went and supported him in the sorties, and came election time, actually voted for him. Unfortunately, before he can actually serve, Mayor Liberacion was murdered.
“The play is more of a satire,” said Savior, “It subtly underscores how members of a society are responsible for what or who they choose to lead the government. The play stands on how important it is to vote wisely, be watchful and mindful about what has been promised by any of the elected officials.”
The Xavier Stage, founded in 2010, would like to inspire and influence society through theatre and the performing arts. Through productions such as “Pinatay si Mayor,” the company would like to engage the students, faculty, staff, alumni and the community of Cagayan de Oro to a theatre discourse that facilitates change.
“It stems from the point where I looked for the perfect form for The Xavier Stage,” furthered Savior, “Others go to Broadway, others resort to comedy, others to ‘love’ plays, so I really felt that the form for The Xavier Stage is on social realism or social presentation. When we curated this year’s season, ano gayud siya, advocacy theater.”
“We’re doing the play since duol na ang atong elections and this play will serve as a reminder to the voters to vote wisely, said Muriel Lomadilla who played the character of Mayor Vangie Palaban, the primary villain in the play. She furthered that it is not only important to vote wisely but to also watch over the ones that they voted for, “Gi-fulfill ba nila ang ilang mga promises, ilang mga claims during the election.”
“Ginahimo namo ang play as a reminder para sa mga voters, silbi sagpa nga kini na mga butang, seryoso ni siya ug dapat seryosohon nato. Future ni sa atong country, sa next generation,” added Rosell Velez whose character, Chola, was the one who urged the people of Talon, Pikit to follow through with their plan of electing a pig as town mayor. “Para ma-remind, ma highlight sa ilaha na gakahitabo ni na mga butang.”
Rosell shared that he did not have too much difficulty internalizing the character he was portraying despite the character being a bit flamboyant.
“Sa character na si Chola, wala kayo ko naglisod ug connect sa iyaha, gamay lang na adjustment. Si Chola ug ako, naa na mi idea daan ngano ingon ani ang problem sa country,” he said, sharing that a subject that he took previously helped him understand the premise of the play better.
“Mao na gayud ni ang batasan sa mga voters sa Philippines ug mga politicians na nagapangdagan diri. Dili gayud siya actually sayop lang sa usa ka tao, sa gadagan lang or sa corrupt na politicians. Actually, system siya. Naa pod sala ang botante, naa pod pagkukulang ang government sa pag educate sa mga botante.”
He explained that despite the promises of education from politicians, these politicians really do not want their voters to be educated because once they are educated, the people will start to think for themselves, “Dili sila gusto ma educate ang mga voters para mas dali sila ma-convince.”
Aside from Lomadilla and Velez, the cast also include Carl Cyril Manere, John Andrew Begrafia, Keisha Bagares, Mary Chris Suico, Queenie Roluma, Rojiem Cuenca, Tat Soriano, Simon Pierre Salera, Noli Paglinawan, Juel Anthony Aying, Kissie Fudolin, John Christian Arroyo, Patrick Aldwin Regatuna, Kriztine Claire de Guzman, Camille Joy Magnanao, Doel Benedict Vesagas, Nicco Sanchez, Kent John Mananquil, Shawn Michael Neri, and Christian Virlin Lamique.
Funny, sarcastic, witty, and relevant especially as it is election season again in our country, the play is a musical parody, a caricature on how the political system in the Philippines works.
The audience was laughing the entire duration of the play but at the same time was getting valuable insights.
The acting and singing was quite good and the actors, mostly still in college, strove hard to be in the character. The audience can actually see their commitment to their characters, be it the dancers who did a raunchy dance routine, to the main cast and the delivery of their lines, and even up to those who weren’t really central to the play and were just in the periphery.
There were some parts, however, where there was a ‘pause’ in the momentum, the actors failing to maintain it and the desired effect or reaction in the audience was not achieved. Some lines were lost too as they were not delivered on time or were not clearly enunciated.
The saving grace was that the actors were all enthusiastic and the passion for what they were doing was felt.
Muriel Lomadilla as Mayor Palaban was a great choice, her delivery of the character on point. All in all, the production was a great staging of Vera's play and was very entertaining and enlightening. As the closing production of TXS’ 5th theatre season, titled Advocacy Theatre, Savior has delivered once again.
“I think I can expound that more and make it more relevant to the climate, our own climate. I think that’s how theater operates and functions, so that it becomes more meaningful,” Savior said.