EJ: Ang Pinagdaanang Buhay nina Evelio Javier at Edgar Jopson -- A Review of a Rocking Relevant Musical
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Last night, I had the privilege of watching EJ: Ang Pinagdaanang Buhay nina Evelio Javier at Edgar Jopson at the Cultural Center of the Philippines Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino (okay, okay, the CCP Little Theater). I must say, despite a few off-putting circumstances, I had an immensely grand time.
My take on the show?
Again:
I'm tempted to say "'nuff said," but let's do the play justice and relive the experience.
EJ is pretty much a retrospective of the lives of two icons of the martial law era; Evelio Javier, the late governor of Antique, and Edgar Jopson, student leader and martyr to the radical Left. In real life, these two freedom fighters never met each other, but this play seamlessly weaves their individual stories into a harmonious whole. Although on opposite sides of the ideological fence, the play gives the audience the clear picture that both Beloy and Edjop were men who served the ideals that give meaning to democracy: freedom, social justice, and service to others.
Act I, "Sa Mata ng Unos" or "In the Eye of the Storm", opens with the early years of Beloy and Edjop and what opened their eyes to the harsh social realities of the Philippines in the nineteen sixties and seventies. Growing up in Antique, Beloy watches as the poverty in Antique drives its people to work as sacadas in Negros's sugar plantations, despite the rich resources of his province. Edjop, on the other hand, learns of poverty from the stories of hunger and privation of the province their family housemaid left behind.
Both men end up studying in the Ateneo. Beloy returns home with the dream to reform the politics of Antique and thereby oppose the culture of corruption and patronage in Antique and of the country. He wins the heart of Precious Lotilla, who joins him in his crusade against the rule of corrupt, traditional politicians and the drive to uplift the people of Antique. Meanwhile, Edjop, who has joined the student movement and is sometimes disparaged by his leftist peers of being a moderate, becomes a student leader in his own right, becoming the president of the National Union of Students of the Philippines, and once daring to demand that the yet-to-be dictator Marcos sign a pledge that Marcos not seek a third term, the refusal culminating with the days of anger that was the First Quarter Storm. With his girlfriend Joy Asuncion, he travels to the People's Republic of China in the company of fellow NUSP leaders, where he learns of socialism and becomes a convert.
Act II, "Sa Landas ng Pakikibaka" or "On the Path of Struggle", continues with the imagined debates of Beloy and Edjop between the methods of achieving reform, Evelio taking the side of reformist politics and Edjop waving the banner of armed struggle and revolution. Marcos proclaims martial law; Beloy, elected as the youngest governor of Antique, struggles with the difficulty of working for his people and with the question of continuing to serve if under the wing of an oppressive regime's party; Edjop takes greater steps into radicalism and militancy, and after helping form a union in his family's business and thus earning his fathers' ire he is recruited by the Communist Party of the Philippines, becoming one of its top cadres.
The assasination of Ninoy Aquino in August of 1983 prompts Beloy to return home and join the political opposition. Edjop and his now-wife Joy continue to work with the underground; Edjop even undergoing brutal torture, as do his comrades, after being captured by the military, prior to his escape and his then joining the Davao arm of the New People's Army. Both Beloy and Edjop continue their battles with the heavy sacrifice of being away from their loved ones... a burden that becomes the last to bear before they finally pay the ultimate price in the war for their ideals.
Act III, "Ang Mag-alay Para sa Kapwa", or "To Lay Down One's Life" (I prefer to translate this to "To Serve One's Fellowmen", begins with another imagined debate where they are joined by the appearance of their colleagues of the Ateneo who have lost their lives struggling against martial law. The raid on Edjop's underground safe house is reenacted, ending with the brutal murder of Edjop; the assassination of Evelio in Antique during the counting of the votes of the February 1986 elections is portrayed as a stark parallel.
The play concludes with scenes of the present day -- the still-pervasive corruption, the uncertainty of our country's future -- and with an unspoken question to the audience: will our gratitude to Evelio and Edjop be nothing more than lip service, or will we heed the clarion call to serve as they did?
The play, penned by Ed Maranan and directed by Chris Millado, was last night topbilled by Juliene Mendoza as Evelio Javier, Jett Pangan playing Edgar Jopson, Stella Canete as Precious Javier, and Tex Ordonez portraying Joy Jopson. Nar Cabico portrayed Jun Yango, the mythical character that did multiple duty as zeitgeist, dictator Marcos, vicious military officer/ torturer, angel on watch (among other things), and the whole ensemble was supported by the able Greek chorus that was the Tanghalang Pilipino. The Dawn provided the music (if I use any more words for them, I'd be cheapening their excellent performance).
Juliene, Stella, Jett, and Tex all provided powerful performances; with Juliene and Jett's portrayals one could very well imagine the souls of Evelio and Edjop continuing their discussion on their beloved country as they watch from above, while Tex and Stella showed that the women who are beloved of activists are themselves a force to reckon with. Nar was especially with-it in his Jun Yango parody of Marcos (that scene with the IVs on a chandelier was appropriately surreal), but I must say that the scene stealer of the play was Jonathan Tadioan and his alternating portrayals of farmer, student activist, and assassin.
I've always been a fan of The Dawn's music, but watching EJ gave me a deeper appreciation of their music. The song Dreams to move the play forward, while songs like Alam Ko, Alam Niyo, Abot Kamay, Can You Tell, Living Seed, and Salamat were used in contexts I had not imagined them to have -- and were used to great and dramatic effect. As JB Leonor (quoted by Francis Reyes on the Composers' Notes of EJ's souvenir program) said, "The Dawn is a band that loves taking risks", and I'm quite happy that they went and did the music for this rock musical.
(May I just say that their use of Dreams was an inspired choice -- what song would be more appropriate in a play about two idealists?)
The set design and lighting by Sawsawan Experiments and Jonjon Villareal was excellent; given that in my personal estimation the set of Les Miserables is the best of all stage designs, the set of EJ took nothing away from the force of the story and to its credit it gave the perfect feel to the play, with images from a projector fading in and out behind the band giving fuel for both poignance and rage. More to the point, despite the propensity of some of the audience to act like uneducated boors, the CCP Little Theater was the perfect venue for this play, the intimacy of the venue giving the in-your-face feel that made the story even more personal.
All in all, EJ: Ang Pinagdaanang Buhay nina Evelio Javier at Edgar Jopson is a must-see, for the theater buffs, the rocker, and the activist in all of us. Go see it while it's still playing. On my part, I'm going to pray to the theater gods that EJ makes the transition to video (just as I wish Tulad ng Dati would make the transition to stage).
I know it's unbecoming of one who respects theater rules, but I wish I had photos of the play to share with my readership (yes, of course, cameras are banned in the CCP). To make up for it, let me just instead give you the remaining schedules:
EJ: Ang Pinagdaanang Buhay nina Evelio Javier at Edgar Jopson
Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino (CCP Little Theater)
March 7, 2008, 8:00 PM
March 8, 2008, 3:00 PM/ 8:00 PM
March 9, 2008, 3:00 PM/ 8:00 PM
Tickets at 600 pesos, free seating
For fun pictures, visit Francis Reyes' take on the show on his blog post of the rehearsals.
I should renew my CCP membership, cripes. I'm so glad to return to the cultural circuit after a long, long exile away.
Update (by special request sent by email) -- memorable scenes from EJ (scene titles and interpretations by the jester-in-exile), in random order:
- Nasaan Ka: one of the burdens that one who has decided to serve something greater than oneself could very well be the sacrifice of leaving one's family... and they who have left behind may just feel a sense of loss and loneliness that cannot be assuaged by knowing their loved ones are in the pursuit of an ideal. Edjop and Evelio's kids just might have felt this way, and they were portrayed to have done.
- Iisang Bangka Tayo: the song speaks for itself, as did the scene where the song was most certainly appropriate -- that in the end, idealists of every political leaning have nothing but Utopia for their country and their people in mind, and as such are united by this dream, as Edjop and Evelio are portrayed to find themselves agreeing on despite the divergent paths they each pursue. (Of course, I would not call the terrorist New People's Army as kapatid; I have and will continue to feel the need to spit when I hear of them.)
- Sa Palasyo ng Buhay na Bangkay: the chandelier of IVs attached to Marcos (as portrayed by Jun Yango) was the first thing that drew the jester-in-exile's attention. The next was the court of the dictator, filled with corrupt generals, fools, shills and other hangers-on. The slogans of Marcos' New Society put the finishing touch to the deliciously ironic portrayal of they who were in power then (and even, perhaps, of those who are in power now).
- Si Precious at si Evelio (o, Pag-ibig at Ideyalismo): at first, it seemed rather strange that Evelio and Precious would be talking at some place where they would have to walk on benches laid end to end, and then it hit the jester-in-exile: the couple-to-be were walking by a rice field, doing the balancing act on the banks of a paddy. The jester-in-exile then was struck by how utterly romantic the scene was (not that the geek is a romantic nor would know anything about romance, of course).
- Edjop at ang mga Bioman: although probably of value as comic relief to a lot of folks in the audience, the scene of Edjop, Joy, and the NUSP leaders in China is to my mind a tongue-in-cheek portrayal of what the Communist Party of the People's Republic by and large wanted their people to be limited to: actuations of mindless automatons (which the zealots worshipping the True Way of Mao pretty much were), brought to mind by the contrast of the uniform Mao jackets with the campy Bioman poses.
Just a thought -- the Jesuits of Ateneo teach their students to aspire to be "a man for others" (well, women too, I would think); the Maroon profs supposedly teach UP students about being "Iskolar ng Bayan". I wonder if the majority of those who leave their halls after graduation truly live up to these ideals?
(Hmph. I wouldn't know, really. Mike Arroyo is an Atenean, while GMA earned her doctorate in the UP College of Economics. I suppose a school can only do so much.)
A final word on EJ.
The story may be of events of the previous score, but if one takes a hard look at our society today, the likes of the idealists of the cut of Evelio and Edjop (okay, maybe an Edjop not of the terrorist left but a committed student activist nonetheless) are sorely needed in this day and age. The names and faces have changed, but the evil that we all must oppose remains in power.
I think that retired CJ Artemio Panganiban puts it best:
In the meantime, what should the citizens do? I say, rage on! Rage for truth! Press on with the demos. Make them more massive. Intensify the media blitz. Sharpen the Senate investigations. Hasten the Supreme Court decision that, I believe, would unshackle Romulo Neri. Fill our churches during masses for truth and justice. Pray with our bishops, priests and nuns until "communal action" shall lead us to a new type of people power that would liberate us from corruption and restore integrity.
Surely, when the people started protesting the Marcos dictatorship, few could have anticipated that those heady days would eventually lead to a peaceful change in the presidency, a triumph of truth and a victory for democracy. Umabot tayo noon, aabot din tayo ngayon!
Well, CJ, you know you can count on me to be there when the call comes.
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