REQUEST SA RADYO Now Plays at the Samsung Performing Arts Theatre

Manila, Philippines--Renowned for her perfect pitch, Lea Salonga skipped lunch on tech week to entertain questions from a select media group about her new, unique project. She stars in “Request sa Radyo” (Request Concert), a play by Franz Xaver Kroetz about middle-class loneliness. A caveat: Salonga won’t utter a single word (nor sing a single note) in this 60-minute “wordless” play. 

“So, I was thinking, what a relief, a nice change where I don’t have to use my voice. But then it moved to another level of realizing I’ve been so dependent on my voice. And people are so used to associating my name with a voice,” Salonga said.

“So, it’s like, how is this? But in the course of rehearsing this and putting it on its feet. And with the audience being as close to the action as they are.  So, it’s like words don’t even have to be spoken. And I tend to, you can read subtitles on my face, anyway.”

The production is in the middle of its limited run of 20 performances. Salonga alternately shares “harnessing the power of silence” on stage with Golden Globe nominee Dolly de Leon.

The reviews are relatively mixed. “Salonga [who plays a nameless character] captured the painful solitude that many, particularly Filipino women working abroad, have endured for years. Her character and the absence of human connection becomes constant, even oppressive,” wrote Ivy Liza Mendoza, ABS-CBN News. However, some early reviews noted that the play relying on silence and minimalism might not resonate with some theatergoers.  A more dynamic pacing or an additional layer of storytelling could fix it.

Tilda Swinton in "The Maybe"

This reminded us of British actress Tilda Swinton’s silent performance of “The Maybe” at the Museum of Modern Art a little over a decade ago. There was Swinton, fully clothed, wearing a button-down sleeves shirt and a pair of colored pants, asleep on a single-size mattress, her head resting on a pillow.  She did this for several hours at random spaces at the MoMA for one week.

Quite intriguing among gallery visitors, mindboggling even to some, the almost motionless performance of the actress still sparked conversations about art’s meaning, the artist’s role, and the permeating exhibit experience.

Thus, the audience’s reception of non-traditional art, such as “Request sa Radyo” or “The Maybe,” may vary depending on whether the individual is perusing the art form on the surface or more intently.

Kroetz’s early ‘70s play’s Philippine premiere, “Request sa Radyo,” performed in the round, is a hyper-naturalistic portrait of quotidian despair and working-class anxiety [in this case, turning the spotlight on the OFW’s stereotypical plight]. It compels the audience to unleash its voyeuristic urges and lay bare the play’s subject in its most private moments, its production notes stated.

Its creative team includes Bobby Garcia, director; Tony winner Clint Ramos, scenic and Costume Designer; Elizabeth Mak, lighting designer; and Bradley Ward, sound designer.

“Request sa Radyo” is presented by Ayala Land, Bank of the Philippine Islands, John B. Echauz & Joanna Silayan-Echauz, Garcia, and Ramos, with support from AC Health, Ayala Land Premier, Alveo, Philippine Airlines, and Seda.—with additional reporting by Gilbert Kim Sancha.

Photo: Request sa Radyo, AnOther

To post a comment, you must register and login.