The interrelatedness of life’s fibers—visceral, cerebral, spiritual and metaphysical—in the entire human mechanisms are best exemplified in Lou Veloso, Jr.’s recent stage offering, Manila Mobile Theater’s “Martir sa Golgota,” a passion play in music presented at various points in Metro Manila and Pagsanjan, Laguna this Lent.
“Martir sa Golgota” summarizes Veloso’s outlook in the gamut of his existence and others as well.
In the play penned by him and other creative minds at the former Tanghalang Sta. Ana, a decades-long community-based theater in one of the populous districts of Manila, Sta. Ana, Philippine socio-political life is reflected on the cultural crescendo of daily grind in the community, grassroots, urban poor, city bourgeois, the lower, middle and the upper classes.
It is a religious fare, alright, but the inter-textual contents of the musicale, translated in the vernacular as “senakulo” or “cenaculo” and other variations, are very loud.
It is even made palpable and vicarious by infusing stark social realities in the contemporary times such as indifference, apathy, misunderstanding, widening gap between rich and poor, discrimination, poverty, gender marginalization and other inequities presented in songs and dances as part of a front act of sort.
What is memorable is the interpretation of the popular music “Upuan” sang and rapped by famous but scarcely promoted independently Gloc 9 to crystallize the relationship between the rebellious music of the black and the dissenters and the relevance of the mix of the modern art and the traditional, Spanish influenced stage.
Another outstanding novelty in the spectacle is the presence of spoofed presidential candidates like Esplanada for Joseph Estrada, Jamba for Jamby Madrigal, Millar for Manny Villar, Albino for Noynoy Aquino and other monikers expressing their political platforms to the delight of the audience.
What really brings the house down is the appearance of a janitor as character to answer and speak about his plans when elected as president of the country.
The usual story of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the main course of “Martir sa Golgota” with able performances of the ensemble and the lead stars like Jojo Regerio as Jesus Christ and Bodgie Pascua as John the Baptist.
This year, character actor Archie Adamos joins the cast as one of the aides of the emperor and other supports like Bong Gloria and Tony Vidal lend credence to the opposition to the messianic intentions of the protagonist.
Its ending has a different way of looking at a passion play when Jesus Christ delivers His foods for thoughts about good governance and the call for unity among Filipinos to achieve the elusive peace and prosperity.
According to stage, television and film actor Lou Veloso, Jr., he wants to remind the Filipino people, especially those who have watched, are watching and would watch the play to renew our attitude.
Corruption, cheating, lying and other misdemeanors, major and minor, seem to be commonplace among Filipinos, observes Veloso, and a pursuit of clean and honest election is being considered and dreamt about to upset those misdeeds but there’s more to them than meets the eye, he added.
“Hindi basta binigyan ng pabahay, halimbawa, ng ipinangako ng isang kandidato, gano’n lang ‘yon. O kaya ay nabigyan ng health benfits ang isang mamamayan o botante, kailangang baguhin na rin natin an gating attitude. Wag na tayong maging cynical and I think, mag-i-snowball ‘yan sa lahat ng bahagi ng lipunan,” Lou hopelessly hopes.
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