Teatro Tomasino, the official theater guild of the university, staged “Marissa” at the Audio Visual room at the Tan Yan Kee Student Center on April 28.
The story centers on graduate student Mario Tan (Patrick Maullon and Sean Velarde), who interviews the eccentric, reclusive playwright Corazon Roja (Heart Sierra and Heaven Nicole) for his thesis.
The play intercuts between exaggerated recollections of Roja’s most famous plays and the increasing sexual and dramatic tension between the student and the playwright.
Penned by award-winning author Isagani Cruz and directed by Angel Ocampo, a fourth-year literature student, the two-act play examines the power of storytelling to explore social ills. In particular, how playwrights exposed corruption and were unjustly imprisoned during Martial Law.
The play wittingly sidesteps a traditional narrative and instead leans into the absurdities and idiosyncrasies of playwriting.
The play also subverts audience expectations of sex comedies and erotic plays, touching on tired tropes that culminate in a comedically self-aware ending.
Though it ultimately achieves its goal as a compelling piece of metafiction, one might wonder whether the play’s comedic tone can undermine the more serious undercurrent of real artists being mistreated during times of political turmoil.
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of “Marissa” is how the audience is both a passive observer and active participant in the story, asking a timeless question about what role the viewer plays in creating the art they consume.
Through vibrant performances and a wry, comedic edge, “Marissa” is a raunchy, smartly satisfying play that not only subverts audience expectations but actively builds on them.
Teatro Tomasino’s staging of “Marissa” ran from April 28 to May 2. John Kobe S. Balod
