Oliveros, Joshua November 16, 2016

2014 74128 Portrayed. Comm 3

With a dimly lit platform accompanied with eerie background music, the theatrical play
Distrito de Molo was seasoned with three unwaveringly quirky characters that offered a sight
of amity in enmity. The stage was filled with a whirlwind of varying elements. From Nanay
Mauras eccentric lullaby to the multitude of personalities that the Tres Hermanas seemed to
portray, the theatrical coliseum was alive. Through a familial atmosphere-coated screenplay, the
performance easily connected with its audience, especially to those who were literally
connected to Iloilo by heritage, like me.
Tres Hermanas de Molo was an act that revolved around the story of three unmarried
Locsin sisters that lived in a mansion in Molo, Iloilo. The deviating personas of the characters
were already well established since the start of the play. Visitacion, the eldest sister, became the
pillar of the household. This role was exemplified by her disciplined nature of which was
primarily due to them being orphans. Asuncion, the middle child, was subtly laidback yet still
showed a highbrow attitude because of her education. Salvacion, the youngest of the three, was
the carefree public high-school graduate of the bunch. She ignited the shows primary conflict,
which was all about sibling rivalry based on changing beliefs about marriage and detachment
from ancestral traditions. With these contrasting facets, each of them embodied a specific
element that greatly affected the piquancy of the story.
Visitacion, unknowingly blinded by her very own beliefs, has traversed a life of tradition
and convention. This was furthermore displayed through her cold and cruel disposition towards
her sisters. Set in the 1950s, the post-war era of the Philippines, religious influences were still
highly followed by the people. This became Visitacions foundation of instilling discipline in their
household. Some examples of her religious dictums are her steadfast belief about being
unmarried as an act of expiation and strict compliance to go to mass every Sunday. However,
Asuncion and Salvacion are disgruntled with their sisters creed and both longed for a more
compelling life. The disparity eventually led to them getting separated, a process that provided a
clear picture on how Visitacion was actually discontented of her life all along. This is where
Nanay Mauras motherly love steps into action.
As the loyal housekeeper, Nanay Maura has already been a part of the Locsin
household ever since the family was established. Her presence has always influenced how the
three sisters communicated with each other, particularly after their return from the mass, during
their meals, and if they request favors. If Visitacion filled the role of the single-most pillar in their
household, Nanay Maura was the thread that connected all of the sisters together. This was
showcased during the plays starting and ending sequences, with her singing the lullaby as the
three sisters were coming home from church and coming home from their own transgressions.
 Words with colorful complexities seem to always bewilder the minds of the masses
especially when Shakespeares creativity is at work. The inevitable effect of comedy-coated
perplexity always seems to appeal to the crowds. Add in some rambunctious laughter and
hilarious over-the-top situations, these elements of buffoonery never fail to engage the crowd
with the hysterical atmosphere. Katatawanan ng Kalituhan undoubtedly showcased its own
version of comical intricacy. Originally written by the master playwright William Shakespeare as
Comedy of Errors, the slapstick comedy was enlivened in the Filipino language with the help of
Guelan Luarca. With its intrinsically appalling plot about mistaken identities that latter led to
fortunate and unfortunate events, Luarcas translation gave it a familiar taste of Filipino sitcoms.
During the 80s and 90s, Filipino television shows always had this same form of literary
method particularly in Dolphy Quizons movies. As a matter of fact, the farcical side of this type
of comedy comes from the main elements that contribute to the plot; nonsensical violent
predispositions, receiver of the violence, and an inherently realistic issue that is thought to
blatantly affect the viewers in terms of social and mental resolve. All of these factors were
effectively manifested by the play, though one particular character intrigued me the most, and
that is Adriana, the wife of Antipholus of Ephesus.
Her scrupulous character provided a gateway for realism to enter the plot. The main
conflict of the story actually started with Adriana longing for her husbands presence during a
meal. This simple task eventually became a seed of confusion that developed all throughout the
story. As a wife, Adrianas perception towards her relationship with her husband is quite
abstruse. One part of her puzzling individuality is that even if she fully understands her
autonomy in their marriage, she still believes that her role, being a wife of Antipholus, is the only
reason of her identity. This characteristic paint of existence provides a wide coverage for her
character canvas. It suggests her unwavering connection to her husband as an extension, if not
all, of her being. This nature of Adriana was then furthermore displayed during her argument
with Luciana about the supposedly hierarchical system of marriage. She asserted that wives
should have equal freedom as their husband, while her unmarried sister, Luciana, stated that
wives should be submissive to their husbands. Adriana argued that Luciana was speaking from
the point of view of the inexperience and that after marriage she will learn understand. At the
end, she experienced a cathartic development that led to harmony in her marriage.
Adrianas character was one of the most comprehensive roles in the story. If I were in
her place, I wouldve not acted rashly about my husbands absence. I wouldve analyzed the
situation without compromising other possibilities. But that would sound cyclical, so Id rather act
like the real Adriana herself, a character that epitomized both the yin and the yang of the play.