'Balagtasin' unlocks hearts across the generations

Imagine the great Francisco Baltazar - arguably one of the greatest poets in Philippine history - embark on a roller-coaster time travel to the future in search of his missing Celia.

With the absence of any lightning-speed vehicle let alone a time machine during his lifetime, imagine Baltazar finding an ally in a mystical river called "Beata" that magically sucks him in and propels him more than 1,000 years into the future.

Picture all these and you get "Balagtasin" - a one and half-hour play that features budding young thespians (aged between 13 and 21 from around Pandacan in Manila) in a rather interesting take on an alternate version of Philippine history.

"Balagtasin," a play on the words "Balagtas" - Baltazar's famous nom de plume - and "bagtasin" or to traverse, traces the journey of the 19th-century literary figure to the year 3012 in a place called "Pandacahan."

Desperate to bring his one true love back to his arms, Balagtas convinces Tony - a young twenty-something padlock vendor - into finding Celia. Bea, a pig-tailed young girl from the year 2011 and another "chance passenger" of the River Beata - joins in the search. (Ilog Beata is the river mentioned in Balagtas' masterpiece, Florante at Laura)
 

Francisco Balagtas (second from right) travels forward in time - to the year 3012 - in search of his missing 'Celia' with newfound friends Tony and Bea (first and second from left). Teatro Balagtas

What the three do not know is that Celia - who also got sucked up by the river into the same period - is aimlessly wandering around Pandacahan and is about to fall into the hands of the enemies.

Enter the story's three nasty yet ravishing antagonists -- the sparkling and perky "Oila Queens" made up of the domineering Starlet, the feisty Pearly Shell, and the humorously dim-witted Petra.

Breaking the mold of the traditional "dark" enemies, the Oila Queens are clad in shimmering white dresses decked in feathers and beads. They charm their way into the hearts of the people of Pandacahan before literally capturing them (the hearts, that is) with the use of padlocks, putting the people virtually under their control.

Together, the three dashing villainesses recruit the innocent Celia to lure Tony - the elusive and last person in the populace still with a "free" heart - into the dark side.

Meanwhile the three protagonists -- Tony, Bea, and Balagtas -- enlist the help of Tony's grandmother, the story's quintessential voice of reason, into making the poet (during a delightful "human chatroom" scene) realize that only true and undying love could reunite him with Celia.

In one poignant scene after reflecting on the grandmother's advice, Balagtas, in true "Balagtasan" fashion, breaks into a heartfelt poem.

"Patuloy ang mga agos ay dadaloy kung kaluluwa'y may konsensya at buhay. Hindi kailanman ito ay mananaghoy sa ilog, sa tubig ng Beatang makulay," intones Balagtas, before dashing off to Celia's rescue.

Bea reveals herself to Tony as the spirit of the River Beata and tells him that she intends to retrieve the very same poem that Balagtas just delivered for Celia, bring it back with her, and use it to cure the dying River Beata of 2011.

Near the end, Balagtas finally finds Celia and bargains for her freedom in exchange for turning Tony over to the Oila Queens. At the last minute, however, Balagtas returns to rescue Tony and Bea and together, fight off the evil queens, whose hearts ended up the ones getting padlocked.

The cast of 'Balagtasin' during the play's curtain call. Teatro Balagtas

On one hand, the multi-layered storyline of the play-musical explores the rich and engaging possibilities of weaving elements from the past with inventions from the future, enhanced by music played by a live band while maximizing an intimate and humble stage to recreate the scenes.

But on the other hand - and probably more importantly - the play offers a socially-relevant portrayal of present times.

Balagtasin's playwrights - Jessie Villabrille (who is also the director) and Sixto Carlos - admit that the play was a social criticism of the current problems that continue to hound Pandacan.

There's the continuous negligence of residents in the area worsened by the operations at the controversial oil depot in the area. The dying Ilog Beata is a reflection of the polluted waterways in Pandacan, while the evil "Oila Queens" were an obvious allusion to the three oil giants.

Balagtasin - with its playful yet heartfelt storytelling, complex yet seamless plot lines, imaginative direction, relevant references, and promising actors - succeeds in weaving stories that span three generations.

Most of all, the play manages to "unlock" the hearts of all audiences, regardless of the generation in which they belong, to the reality that to this very day, the struggle to overcome the ills of society continues to persist. - YA, GMA News

_________________

'Balagtasin' was staged by Teatro Balagtas in cooperation with the Philippine Educational Theater Association and the Samahang Sining at Kultura ng Pilipinas at the Casa Nazareth inside the Sto. Niño de Pandacan Parish Church on May 27, 28, 30 and June 18. The theatre group is planning more performances before the year ends.