Rap as activism: Kleptomaniacs is a battle cry

MANILA, Philippines - The stink in the Senate and House of Representatives and the Napoles scandal have given rise to the rap musical Kleptomaniacs of Tanghalang Pilipino, resident drama group of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP).

It started with an incensed Nanding Josef, artistic director of Tanghalang Pilipino asking young director Tuxqs Rutaquio to come up with a play on the victims of society, the “leftovers” of Pope Francis. To make the heavy theme more appealing, Tuxqs decided it would be a rap-hip-hop-fliptop musical. And he consulted with playwright Layeta Bucoy, and researchers Rosell Pineda and Katrina Stuart Santiago.

The result is Kleptomaniacs, a self-explanatory title. It opens July 11 and will run during weekends until July 27 at the CCP’s Tanghalang Aurelio V. Tolentino (call 832-1125).

The music was inspired by rapper-songwriter Gloc-9 (Aristotle Polisco) and his band, a favorite of National Artist Bienvenido Lumbera, no less. “For Doc Bien, Gloc-9 is the contemporary youth’s equivalent of the balagtasan (poetic joust),” says Josef. “It’s the contemporary youth’s poetic expression of what they feel right now.”

The music was composed and arranged by Jose Carlos Frios and Nina Virgin, an alternative band from Los Baños, Laguna, with musical direction and co-arrangement by Jed Caballero Balsamo and fired-up choreography by Nestee Mamaril Gamilla.

“The crux of the music of Kleptomaniacs is Gloc-9,” observes Tuxqs. “Kasi the lyrics and the songs are really patterned after Gloc-9, which has that feel. And we combined hip-hop, like a contemporized balagtasan. Nagsasagutan. There’s an argument, a flip-top battle.”

Veteran performers May Bayot, Miles Kanapo and Jonathan Tadioan represent the community of elders. The youth-oriented play stars Nicco Manalo as Tabo, a simpleton; and Thea Yrastorza as Vicky, the girl whom Tabo impregnates. So, there’s a feud between two families, a la the Montagues and the Capulets in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. The first play ends with an earthquake that brings the community to its knees, amidst sound effects, hip-hop choreography and pounding rap music.

The second part is influenced by Hamlet, as in To Be or Not to Be. Tabo chooses to rise above his limitations. There is a suggestion that his baby be aborted, but he refuses that illegal option. He wants a better life for his child. There’s a Reproductive Health (RH) component, see?

And Tabo (Manalo) resolves to look for employment.

But here comes the Mayor (Brian Sy) now, distributing gifts and offering help. The implication is that you better vote for him in the next election. Tabo realizes he is being sucked into a web of corruption. Will he join the mayor or fight the system?

“Aside from the entertainment factor we really wanted Kleptomaniacs to be a battle cry for the oppressed,” declares Tuxqs. “Really screaming, shouting to the government that this is what is really happening to the leftovers.”