Virgin Labfest 6: SET B - Pas De Deux.

I still haven't blogged after that last one about the first Labfest set. So I'll be making up for it tonight.

I only got to watch a couple of sets during Labfest's first week, and Set B was the second one I got to catch before I had FOH duties at Legally Blonde The Musical. I was intrigued by the new tandem composed of Tuxqs and Allan Lopez, because I was used to seeing the director-playwright tandem of Tuxqs and Lallie. For this year, they switched directors, hahaha.

Caught the 3pm show of Pas De Deux with Dingdong and Grace. As usual, I wanted to sit at the very back of the bleachers, but they decided to set on the second row so I went along with them.

Allan Lopez's Higit Pa Dito was the first play, directed by Tuxqs and featured Mailes and Cris. Mailes was a mom who just moved into a new apartment, and her elder son (Cris) was helping her move in. As usual, these two were superb onstage, and their exchanges onstage were so natural. Interestingly enough, Mailes' character seemed to be pretty close to her real self, as a mom and an actress. The simple concept of moving into a new home alone brought reluctance and uncertain attachments from moving on in life. I loved how they fleshed out their characters with their lines fraught with meaning, including certain punchlines that were sprinkled here and there throughout the play.

Juliene wrote the 2nd play of the set, Collector's Item, directed by Roobak and featured George and Loy as 2 longtime friends reunited by one's birthday celebration. Loy's character looked like Spelling Bee's Will Barfee once again, ahaha. And it was refreshing to watch George play some sort of perverted macho guy, collecting women that he banged throughout the years, while Loy's character spends most of his time and money on action figures. I like how the plot evolved from simple guy banter, simple revenge from simple pranks, to how obsession and simple pranks and jokes can cross lines, push buttons and alter a friendship in more ways than one. Parang dito babagay ang quip na, "When you have friends like that, who needs enemies?"

Ed had graduated from being the festival stage manager, and moved to actually directing a Labfest play. Remi Velasco's Ondoy was the last play of the set, and the stage had a minimal set design, simulating a tin (yero) rooftop during the craziest typhoon of last year. Jojit Lorenzo and Cai Cortez play husband and very pregnant wife that were stuck on the rooftop, waiting for any means of rescue, and all the while worrying about their offspring staying in a neighbor's house, how to survive with meager supplies, and if Mercy (the wife) could give birth right then and there on the roof. Despite the fact that the couple's arguing practically the whole time got pretty old, I like the actors' consistent energy the whole time onstage. The sound of the tin roof got a little distracting, though.

I got to met Remi through Dingdong and Grace after the show, and she mentioned that one of her play's initial drafts were too dark before this final product. It was interesting, but it was a little too dark even for me, so I'm glad they settled with this version for Labfest.