There is a profound sense of genius in pairing Floy Quintos’ one-act plays, Evening at the Opera and Ang Kalungkutan ng mga Reyna, as a twin bill at this point in time. Played one after the other, director Dexter M. Santos reflects upon the insight that Quintos has on our political landscape: how class, social status, image and branding are all integral in our political landscape and, at the center of this, are women either struggling with power or at its periphery, supporting it, allowing it to shine.
The play opens with Evening at the Opera, where Miranda Beloto (Ana Abad Santos) is preparing to go out to watch an opera at the capitol. She engages in a dialogue with the spirit of her late mother (Frances Makil-Ignacio). Through their conversation, we can tell Miranda and her mother are “old rich” they are class, unapologetic elitists who come from a political dynasty and look down on Bingo’s humble origins and masa appeal of Miranda’s husband, Governor Bingo Beloto (Joshua Cabiladas).
When Bingo finally takes the stage, Cabiladas and Santos have created a composite of popular politicos who hail from “humble origins” and amplify their tough guy machismo imagery. The moment Cabiladas enters and speaks his first line in a very brusque, heavily accented Filipino, the audience erupts in laughter. They get the satirical representation.
But Miranda is not entertaining any of his games – or his excuses for being late. What begins as a petty domestic argument quickly escalates into a battle for control and an exercise of power.
Both Miranda and Bingo are far from being victims of the corrupt system into which they were born into, they are its most active participants. And it’s so fitting that the one to watch the proceedings is one who has already passed and is witnessing posthumously the effect of that corruption on her child.
Evening at the Opera is funny and scary in equal measure. While the trio on stage creates a great spectacle of emotion, it is Ana Abad Santos who truly anchors the piece together, servings as the focal point of the other two characters. She’s spinning a figurative web, luring in her prey who is physically stronger and more prone to violence. Abad Santos dances through shifts in language, physical proximity, silence, and sudden raised voices to prove that she has more than just skin in the game. In this political charade of a marriage, she isn’t just Bingo’s equal; she is Bingo’s match in terms of political cleverness and sheer force of will.
Following the intermission, the hilarious Ang Kalungkutan ng mga Reyna shifts the focus to Yolanda and Marcel. Marcel de Alba (Topper Fabregas) is a hairdresser who has been called to the presidential palace for a private meeting with President Yolanda Cadiz (Shamaine Centenera-Buencamino), who has just declared Martial Law just hours prior. Yolanda has a radical dream: transforming the Philippine political system into a constitutional monarchy with herself as its Queen. To achieve this, she needs Marcel, a man of refined taste who has styled on the hair of princes and princesses from across the globe, to remake her into the image of the perfect Filipina royal.
The dialogue between Yolanda and Marcel explores and tackles the landscape of the Filipino people’s obsession with hierarchy, royalty, and celebrity. It alludes to our history of subjugation and our need for symbolic leadership. Throughout this exploration of Filipino social structure and political branding, And Kalungkutan ng mga Reyna, in the hands of Dexter M. Santos is unabashedly gay and utterly mines it for all its comedic gold. Buencamino and Fabregas share incredible chemistry, working out the dynamics of a powerful woman at the cusp of change, filled with power, who finds a kindred spirit with an artist who understands and can execute her vision; who is also afraid of being executed as he stands.
Together, these two plays are unafraid to tear down and speak plainly about what we need to address when we talk about politics in the Philippines. It illustrates – from the vantage point of those in power, the twin bill illustrates how class, wealth, and sophistication is used to establish authority and position hierarchies within our social system. These figures are not just players; they are complicit and they use our illiteracy against the majority who can be easily swayed by such displays. It would be so painful and cruel if it were not so true and so funny in its execution. Miranda & Yolanda is a brilliant piece of work that showcases incredible Filipino theatrical talent at its best while highlighting the singular genius of Floy Quintos, a voice we lost far too soon.
My Rating: 4 Stars
Miranda & Yolanda is a sharp-witted, devastatingly accurate mirror held up to Philippine society. It is a masterclass in satire that honors the legacy of Floy Quintos while proving that his words remain as urgent as ever. Catch this limited run by Encore Theater, it is a rare opportunity to see power stripped bare and dressed up all at once. Get tickets here.
