Anatomy of Corruption, and: Ilustrado (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: Anatomy of Corruption, and: Ilustrado Catherine Diamond Anatomy of Corruption. By Malou Jacob. Tanghalang Pilipino, Cultural Center of the Philippines, Manila. 24 January 1998. Ilustrado. By Paul Dumol. Tanghalang Pilipino, Cultural Center of the Philippines, Manila. 6 February 1998. Click for larger view View full resolution Cely (Irma Adlawan, center) and other members of the cast in Tanghalang Pilipino of Manila’s production of Malou Jacob’s Anatomy of Corruption, directed by Dennis Marasigan. Photo uncredited. Click for larger view View full resolution George de Jesus III, Ony de Leon, Irma Adlawam, (as Cely, center), Len Ag Santos, and Lambert de Jesus in Tanghalang Pilipino of Manila’s production of Malou Jacob’s Anatomy of Corruption, directed by Dennis Marasigan. Photo uncredited. In 1998, the Republic of the Philippines celebrated the centennial of its Declaration of Independence. Tanghalang Pilipino, the resident company in the Cultural Center of the Philippines, contributes two perspectives on Philippine independence and its contemporary democracy. Concomitant to the centennial, Artistic Director Nonon Padilla has also framed his company’s eleventh season around the theme of “the individual and today’s Philippine society.” Anatomy of Corruption, a satirical comedy, reveals not only the pervasiveness of corruption in modern Philippine institutions, but explores the ways in which it steals into the fabric of social life of even the most morally rigorous individuals. Ilustrado, a biographical musical about José Rizal, the designated father of Philippine revolution, is the final play in a trilogy featuring Rizal’s two influential novels, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. Tanghalang’s two offerings not only present the dilemmas of the individual resisting pressures of society, but also the ambiguous position of the Filipino hero at both ends of the twentieth century. Not only do the texts focus on the isolation of individual activists, but the staging of both productions heightens their sense of alienation. Both productions convey serious messages, yet they employ a variety of popular techniques—slapstick, comic stereotypes, and popular music—to reach their audiences. Both perhaps also suffer from their protagonists’ lack of humor and aloofness from the other characters, which inadvertently distances them from audience sympathies, as well. In Anatomy, we see Cely, engagingly played by one of Manila’s foremost actresses, Irma Adlawan, on her first day as an attorney in the Family Court, which handles cases of adoption, divorce, and child support. In a bright red suit, contrasting with the dim gray of the bureaucratic office, she navigates her way around the small stage crowded with the occupants of seven desks. She is given all the cases that come to the office, while her superiors play cards and her subordinates eat, flirt, and purchase unnecessary goods from the vendors who magically appear every payday. The three pairs of petitioners with their accompanying lawyers, all played by the same four [End Page 531] actors, arrive each time through the audience via a front ramp. Their hysterical over-the-top performances supply most of the play’s humor. Ony de Leon and Len Ag Santos as the various combatant couples carry on their ludicrous arguments, as Cely tries to be the voice of reason, such as when presiding over their separation and dividing their fruit stand—fruit by fruit. Gary Lim, a popular comic actor, brings down the house every time he enters as either the Moslem or the gay vendor, exploiting stereotypes with comic disingenuousness. Ethnic humor is still viable on the Philippine stage, as evinced by Julius Comia playing a pompous pipe-smoking Chinese who comes to the court to adopt a Filipino surname. The crisis occurs when Cely refuses a kickback, saying she did nothing but what she was supposed to do at her job. This throws the office members into consternation, since it means they will not get their cut. With the tacit consent of the senior attorney, they hide files, rendering Cely impotent. The climax comes when a satisfied petitioner leaves an envelope on her desk. Cely tries, though fails, to return the money, and absentmindedly sticks it in her purse. Noticing the gesture, the boss accuses her of being as corrupt as the rest. Despite her protests that she intends to...