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40 students, 39 dead. Who lived to tell the tale?

Sipat Lawin Ensemble and the Cultural Center of the Philippines

Presents

‘Battalia Royale’

The live-action game performance starts February 21, 2012. Runs until February 23 at the CCP Promenade and Ramp, 7:30pm.

Co-Presented by Pepe and the Polygons and National University.

Watch. Your life depends on it.

Stray bits of observation:

1.  The first few scenes were rough, mostly because the play is designed to have the audience move around stations. I don’t think they were expecting that many people tonight, so they divided the audience into Groups A and B. I suppose they wanted simultaneous actions happening in each of the stations, but most of the people got a little confused, if not impatient. We could hear shots and voices in the darkness but damn, nothing was happening in our station. Later on, Groups A and B sort of just merged and formed a huge crowd around whichever station had the action. I’m sure the company will fix this little bit of a logistical problem.

2. Fun fact: a couple of years ago, UP’s English Department staged Information For Foreigners, where groups of “tourists” were herded by guides from classroom to classroom within the College of Arts building. I suppose for plays with a more, uh, interactive and mobile design, you need fierce tour guides and/or herders to lead the audience to their designated spots. Anyway.

3. Several times, I bumped into a young mother with a baby in the audience. I don’t mind exposing the kids early to art, but I would have had second thoughts bringing my kid to a show wherein kids were killing each other. I’m no psychologist, but I suspect that is even worse than the primal scene of catching one’s parents in the act. Well, fifteen years from now, I wouldn’t be surprised if that kid turned out to have a taste for violence. And all she would be able to recall is a vague distant echo of shots, screams and spurts of fake plastic-packed blood.

4. That queer girl student Cacai (sp?) I’m of two minds about this. Here’s a girl who is not afraid to use her (still muddled) sexuality to survive. Then again, a queer girl with a sense of bloodlust is probably not good for the visibility, etc etc. But the actor who played her was engaging enough. I was hoping she would take the tiara in the end. 

5. I found it odd that people cheered in the end when the winner was finally declared. I mean, the kid survived but to clap and cheer for this “success”? The crowd clapped as well when a random student was picked to beg for his life or be killed. The audience has definitely been affected by bloodlust.

But what do I know, right? 

Still, it’s a good show. Catch it if you can. You have until Thursday, during which they will have live music from the Radioactive Sago Project. Tonight it was bits of Cowboy Bebop blasted from loud speakers. 

If you do go, wear comfortable shoes as you have to move from station to station.  The play is at the CCP ramp. So if the warm weather continues, wear presko clothes that you won’t mind being splattered with fake blood. 

Thank you for your insights, recommendations and thoughts, Kilig Factory. We will certainly take note of that. ☺