Repertory Philippines stages 'Next Fall'
MANILA, Philippines - After producing more than 900 plays and musicals through 74 seasons, Repertory Philippines ushers in its 45th year with its first production titled Next Fall.
Written by playwright Geoffrey Nauffts, Next Fall is an exploration of faith in a modern gay relationship involving Luke and Adam. So what happens when a Christian gives an atheist the Heimlich? The play chronicles the five-year relationship of the gay couple as they wrestle with their respective demons. Timely and compelling, the play “places the Proposition 8 controversy in a human context by exploring what it means to ‘believe’ in this day and age, and what it might cost us not to. ”
Next Fall takes a witty and provocative look at faith, commitment, unconditional love and what goes beyond a typical love story.
The play takes place between 2000 and 2005 in New York City. The present narrative takes place in a hospital waiting room where Adam, Brandon, Holly and Luke’s parents have gathered after he is hit by a runaway cab. Interspersed with these chronological scenes are flashback scenes showing how Luke and Adam met, fell in love and constructed a life together with the final flashback occurring the day before Luke’s accident.
The powerhouse cast will feature noted theater thespian Bart Guingona as Adam, a committed cynic, atheist and hypochondriac. As an actor he has essayed roles as varied as Oedipus, Hamlet, Mitch Albom (Tuesdays with Morrie) and Charlie Brown. As a director, he is known for his eclectic selection of material: everything from the classics (Shakespeare) to the contemporary (Rabe’s Hurlyburly).
David Bianco will play the role of Luke, Adam’s boyfriend, a born-again Christian and aspiring actor. David hails from Michigan and this is his first foray in the local theatre scene.
Liesl Batucan will essay the role of Holly, Adam’s fag hag best friend and owner of the candle shop where both Adam and Luke work. Liesl has appeared in Sweeney Todd (for which she won the Philstage Gawad Buhay Award for Best Female Featured Actress in a Musical), A Portrait of the Artist as Filipino (which won for her the Aliw Award for Best Stage Actress), I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, Company, Romeo and Juliet and many others.
Niccolo Manahan plays Brandon, Luke’s friend, a property manager. Like Luke he is both gay and a born-again Christian. Niccolo’s theatre credits include Hamlet, Love’s Labours’ Lost, Fiddler on the Roof, I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, Man of La Mancha, The Taming of the Shrew, among others.
Juno Henares plays Arlene, Luke’s mother, a former wild child who has since settled in to middle-aged eccentricity. Juno recently appeared in Moose Murders, Romeo and Bernadette, and Jack and the Beanstalk.
Miguel Faustmann shall play the role of Butch, Luke’s father and Arlene’s ex-husband, a deeply religious man. Some of Miguel’s theater credits include Equus, The Sound of Music, Fiddler on the Roof, The Merchant of Venice, Les Miserables, Man of La Mancha, The Woman in Black, Visiting Mr. Green, and Tuesdays with Morrie.
Veteran actor/director Audie Gemora will direct the play. This is Audie’s third directorial job for Repertory Philippines (the first two were The Fantastiks and Equus). He was seen recently in The Sound of Music, Man of La Mancha, A Christmas Carol and Sweeney Todd where he won as Best Lead Actor in a Musical for the Philstage Gawad Buhay Awards.
Co-presented by the City of Makati, Enderun Colleges and Bellaroca Island Resort and Spa Next Fall runs from Jan. 13 to Feb. 5 with shows on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and matinee shows on Saturdays and Sundays at 3:30 p.m. All performances are at Onstage, Greenbelt 1, Makati City.
The artistic and creative team of Next Fall is led by Baby Barredo (artistic director), Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo (associate artistic director), John Batalla (lighting designer) and Denis Lagdameo (set designer).
The production staff is composed of Gidget Tolentino (production manager), Ayam Barredo (company manager), Dingdong Rosales (stage manager), Pol Roxas (sound technician), Pablito Salvador (lighting technician) and Adul Lasin (set execution and scenic artist).
For tickets, inquiries and other information, call Repertory Philippines at 571-6926 or 571-4941 or e-mail info@repertory.ph. Tickets are also available thru Ticketworld at 891-9999 or www.ticketworld.com.ph.
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