OTHER than Peter Solis Nery’s “Tic Tac Toe”, I dare you to name a funnier Palanca award-winning millennial Ilonggo play in English that gets a yearly performance.
Nothing comes to mind?
That’s what I thought.
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Okay, let’s simplify the challenge:
What about naming a funnier award-winning (it doesn’t have to be a Palanca) millennial Ilonggo play in English that gets a yearly staging?
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Okay, remove the “award-winning”’ qualifier:
What is a funnier millennial Ilonggo play in English that gets a yearly performance?
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Now, further remove the “play in English” qualifier:
What is a funnier millennial Ilonggo play, in any language, that gets a yearly production?
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Further remove the “millennial” qualifier:
What is the funnier Ilonggo play in memory that gets a yearly staging?
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This is getting tricky, but let’s go there:
What is the funnier play that gets an annual presentation in Iloilo?
That becomes Iloilo’s resident funny play?
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So, finally, we can ask:
What is Iloilo’s funniest play, if not Peter Solis Nery’s Tic Tac Toe?
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That Tic Tac Toe is a 21stcentury play (written in 2012, awarded the Palanca first prize gold in 2016) is important because the millennial sensibilities, and humor, have changed in the literary history of Philippine plays.
That it is in English is also important because what English plays by Ilonggo playwrights really enjoy a staging in Iloilo other than those done in universities under the watchful eyes of literature and drama teachers?
And I’m talking here about a production, with a commercial run, by private groups like the Iloilo Prima Galaw founded by Romie John Delariarte.
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That Tic Tac Toe is funny is important because people like funny, but what is served to most of us by literature people are mostly “serious” stuff.
Which is not to say that Peter Solis Nery’s Tic Tac Toe is short on message.
But it is a message that millennials easily embrace.
It is a rebel play with a cause.
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Too bad that the productions to date don’t dare with full nudities.
But we will get there.
In a few more years, if we continue to produce this play year in, and year out, the audience themselves will demand that the nudities will be put in the productions as the script originally required.
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Earlier this month, Iloilo Prima Galaw brought their Tic Tac Toe production to the 7thKuris Theatre Festival in Bacolod.
The play was performed at the New Government Center on Feb. 19.
(Incidentally, Peter Solis Nery was represented at the 2019 Kuris Festival via his “Panay Dreamgays”, another comedy play, directed by Alex delos Santos.)
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Romie John’s Iloilo Prima Galaw has another Tic Tac Toe run in Iloilo City this week.
The play is part of the Commedia dell’Arte one-acts program at the CAP Auditorium, Feb. 27 and 28, 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. shows.
The Playwright’s Night in Peter Solis Nery’s honor will be on the 28th.
Along with the cast, the playwright will provide a talk back session after the play.
Or, if I feel like it, I might even give a preshow talk.
So buy your tickets early: 0977-107-0970, 0917-775-5155. (500tinaga@gmail.com/PN)
