To listen to playwright Floy Quintos reflect on the evolution of his play “Fluid” is to attend a virtual lesson in playwriting.
The play—running July 24-26 at the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, School of Design and Arts Theater—has enjoyed a couple of well-received productions, which is quite rare for a straight play in these parts.
Quintos says he wrote the play in 2004 after not having come up with anything new in 10 years. Before that, his earlier output had dwelt on historical themes. “Fluid” then won second place in the Palanca awards that year. It was first produced in 2005 by the UP Playwrights Theater, with Alex Cortez directing. A second production followed in 2008 at Ateneo de Manila, which Quintos directed.
In “Fluid,” we see six people whose passions and choices are given free rein in very realistic but humorous ways. Amir, a talented, struggling painter, meets Mira, a wealthy and ambitious art collector who wants to jump-start his career. Jom and Alben are theater actors very much in love with each other, despite the differences in their views about fame and artistic integrity. Renata is the seemingly batty coordinator for a philharmonic orchestra who subverts the will of the overbearing events coordinator Simone at a society wedding.
The play is a wacky reflection on the foibles and difficulties of surviving in the local arts scene, that’s why “I think this play especially appeals to young people who are in the arts or in creative fields,” says Quintos.
Current realities
“‘Fluid’ is so … well, fluid, that in each of the two subsequent productions, I have rewritten whole scenes to adapt to the current realities,” he says.
“In the case of Amir and Mira, so much is happening in the world of the visual arts now. Young painters are rising so fast and the demand for their work is subject to more factors than just the quality of their output. Collectors are voracious, and so much has to do with marketing and perceptions of who is hot and who is not. I think the play reflects that in a very funny way,” says Quintos.
He also rewrote the main scene of Jom and Alben because the initial concerns of their characters (Filipino material versus Broadway imports) don’t seem as relevant today as they did 10 years ago, when the theater scene was much more ghettoized.
“Young theater actors these days have the capability to move effortlessly from Filipino productions to foreign material; that choice is not much of an issue anymore. In the case of the orchestra coordinator … well, things have not changed much. Musicians playing at society weddings are still treated as waiters adept at playing background music.
“I’d like to think that the best plays are not written but rewritten with each production,” adds Quintos. “The text of ‘Fluid’ has evolved and, hopefully, will continue to evolve if future productions are ever planned.”
Changed dynamic
The actors, too, get the chance to revisit their characters. Ana Abad Santos, who was in the first staging as Mira, reprises her role in this production, and while “her Mira at UP was cold and steely and ambitious, now she is playing opposite Kalil Almonte, who is younger, so the whole dynamic has changed between them. May cougar factor na! But trust Ana to make everything real and honest and true. Her Mira is now more feminine, more tender and vulnerable,” says Quintos.
“For JC Santos and Russel Legaspi, who play Jom and Alben, I rewrote their scene so that it would also be age-appropriate. In the original text, Jom and Alben are theater students. Here they are now professional theater actors who move from company to company. That’s a reality for most theater actors today. But Jom wants fame and Alben just wants to go on acting. JC has just come in from his stints as a performer at Hong Kong Disneyland and Universal Studios in Singapore, so we added a lot of musical elements.
“Gel Basa, who plays Simone, is a talented young comedienne whom I first worked with at the Tanghalang Ateneo production of ‘Breakaway Antigone,’ which was where I also first met Amihan Ruiz, who plays Renata. The roles of Simone and Renata were first created by stalwart actors Stella Cañete and Frances Makil-Ignacio. It is such a joy to see how these young performers are working to make the roles their own,” says Quintos.
Vibrant scene
Quintos involves himself closely in the production process because he believes “that is the only way for a playwright to develop—to get involved and see what works and what doesn’t. We can’t think of our works as sacred pieces of literature writ in stone. A play is only a text until so many other artists breathe life into it. But even as we collaborate with other artists and keep the integrity of the text, we still have to manage our vision.
“Young Filipino playwrights may find this disheartening,” he adds, “but playwrights are no more special or entitled than other artists. It is true that it’s difficult to be a theater artist in this country. But it is precisely that difficulty that makes the theater scene so vibrant.
“Filipino audiences have such a variety of choices! Aside from commercial theater, there are new companies that are trying fresher material, like Red Turnip Theater. Then there are the institutions like Dulaang UP and Peta which can always be counted on for innovative, visionary works. Please do not say that the audience will not come or will always choose more commercial work. Dulaang UP just did a repeat of ‘Ang Nawalang Kapatid,’ an adaptation of the ‘Mahabharata,’ and we were sold out for the first run and the two consecutive repeats. Put it out there, and if it is good, then the audience will come.”
Or as a line in “Fluid” puts it: “Just go in and do the work.”
“Fluid” will have performances at the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, School of Design and Arts Theater on July 24, 1 p.m./7 p.m.; July 25, 1 p.m./7 p.m.; and July 26, 1 p.m./7 p.m. Call Stephanie Ocampo 0917-9285737 for tickets.