Stage is the Perfect Medium for 'Anino sa Likod ng Buwan'
Stage is the Perfect Medium for 'Anino sa Likod ng Buwan'
Feature art by Abigail Manaluz
It was Saturday. Jun Robles Lana’s 2015 film Anino sa Likod ng Buwan had been on my watchlist for years. When I was told we were given a chance to watch the preview performance of its stage adaptation, I finally decided to watch the film in preparation.
Lana’s film is a well-paced, tightly-shot masterpiece. It only follows three characters and involves lengthy dialogues that reveal their intentions and nature (bravo to Lana’s impeccable script). Watching the film with the knowledge of the play finally being staged this year, I kept agreeing with that decision: maybe theater is the perfect place for Anino sa Likod ng Buwan. In fact, Lana originally wrote this as a stage play in 1993.
The story of Anino sa Likod ng Buwan takes place in one setting, in a hut located somewhere in Marag Valley in Apayao, where we are immediately introduced to our three principal characters: Emma and Nardo, a wedded couple, and Joel, a soldier. The town they call home is caught in the crossfire between the military and the rebels. Fear and tension throughout town arises as some soldiers are reportedly being slain by rebels. The play entails a playful and erotic game of lies and deception, full of twists and turns that reveal the characters’ true intentions and motivations. The climax is a gut punch to both the characters and the audience yet still ends on a high, devastating note.
Watching the stage version hours after watching the film was definitely an experience. Typically when it comes to adaptations, we are quick to compare and give our strong opinions on what doesn’t work and why it shouldn’t have happened. This is not the case for Anino sa Likod ng Buwan. Director Tuxqs Rutaquio was very much mindful of the limitations of theater compared to film. His approach was more psychological, and his direction of the play was pretty much outstanding. The way he approached Emma and Joel’s intimate scene in the middle was much more theatrical and erotic, without making it seem awkward for both the actors and the audience viewing these scenes.
I can’t give a legitimate comment on its production design because we were told that the performance we will witness that night in Doreen Blackbox Theater was only a barebones version of the production. During the talkback, the team revealed that they were planning to build a big tree in the PETA Theater Center, where the production will be staged later in March. Though I have to admit, it didn’t feel empty because the cast really gave their absolute best, and the set seemed to be almost complete (with the exception of the aforementioned tree). In his theatrical debut, Martin del Rosario seems to have embraced the medium, bringing something menacing yet charismatic with his character Joel. His playful use of his voice made his lines more impactful. Under Rutaquio’s direction, Del Rosario transforms on stage like you’ve never seen him before.
The decision to downplay Nardo’s masculinity to draw comparison to Joel’s here as opposed to the film is probably a choice that might bother some people who watched the film first. In the movie, Adrian Alandy and Anthony Falcon seemed to be on the same level of masculinity in terms of toughness, dominance, and machismo. Nevertheless, it still worked in the context of the story. Ross Pelingen approached Nardo in a more laid-back and friendly manner. He never seemed threatening to Joel, unlike Falcon’s version of Nardo. Joel pities him, but he sure is confident that he can attack him in one blow. This impression Joel has on Nardo works because as soon as the story progresses and we learn more about the characters, Pelingen’s character becomes more dangerous than what he appears to be.
At the core of the story is Emma, played by Elora Españo. Españo embodies Emma with an air of mysticism at the start of the play and slowly reveals herself to the audience as we progress into the story. She exhibits Emma’s tough and vulnerable qualities with complexity and depth. The struggles of Emma as a woman is something the audience can empathize with — the frustration to do something right and to take extreme risks doing so, and the inevitable defeat women experience under a patriarchal system. Emma is all of us: vulnerable to love and passionate when we act upon it.
The story of Anino sa Likod ng Buwan is more timely than ever, given our country’s current political climate. Kudos to The Idea First Company, the production company behind Jun Lana’s films, for mounting this production on the film’s 10th anniversary. It is aching to be reminded that a play written in 1993 still resonates to this day. Though we need stories like this retold in any medium it can be presented that reflect on the devastating reality some can’t see for the horrors lurking under the shadow of the night.
SINEGANG.ph is an official media partner of Anino Sa Likod ng Buwan.
