The Dresser by REP Philippines: A Story of Passion and Devotion to One’s Craft
The theater is a venue of spectacle where stories are told through a live performance. But what people don’t see are the inner workings and secrets that happen behind the scenes of a theater production– and Repertory Philippines’ The Dresser aims to show that.
Staged at the Onstage Theater, Greenbelt 1, The Dresser takes the audience to theater’s backstage in a dramatic tale of passion and dedication despite the hardships in life.
Madge (Tami Monsod), Sir (Teroy Guzman), Her Ladyship (Missy Maramara) and Norman (Audie Gemora) debate over Sir’s condition
Opened last May 3, 2019, The Dresser is the REP directorial debut of Loy Arcenas who is known for directing the movie-musical, Ang Larawan, which won Best Picture at the 43rd Metro Manila Film Festival. The play also marks Teroy Guzman and Missy Maramara’s first production with Repertory Philippines.
The Dresser is the third play in REP PH’s 2019 season and follows Sir (played by Teroy Guzman), a thespian and Norman (played by Audie Gemora), his loyal dresser. The play is set during the Blitz, a German bombing campaign against the British that happened in 1940 and 1941, as Sir’s theater company stages a production of King Lear.
The company, upon seeing Sir arrive at the theater in a delusional state, moves to cancel the show but Norman thinks otherwise and does all he can to make sure that the show goes on, much to the company’s dismay. An air-raid commences as the play begins and Sir steps onstage as Lear while the company watches in hopes that they can see the show through.
Her Ladyship and Sir discuss the theater and their own lives
The production sheds light to whether hardships and heartbreaks are worth the pursuit of passion. For one, it might seem that Sir takes his passion for theater to the extreme – to the point that it was his own passion that might have caused his death. But it also begs the questions, what is life without passion and what is passion without dedication?
Madge and Sir in an emotional exchange as they talk about fond memories and Sir’s legacy
The Dresser takes audiences on a journey in which they can relate to most of the characters, even that of Geoffrey (played by Jaime Del Mundo) and Oxenby (played by Jeremy Domingo), two actors of Sir’s company who play small yet very insightful roles in the play’s story. Geoffrey, for example, plays the role of the Fool in King Lear and in the show’s aftermath, he discusses with Sir about the possibility of being given bigger roles in the future – it’s a reflection to one’s life where we all aim and want to be a part of the bigger picture. The cast, led by theater veterans Teroy Guzman and Audie Gemora, gives life to the characters in a way that’s almost relatable to the audience.
The second part of the set made to mimic that of the wings of the stage
The way that the characters are brought to life make them appear more human and more understandable. Their struggles as a character are some of the reasons why they are relatable. Much like Thornton and Oxenby, the other characters such as Her Ladyship (played by Missy Maramara) also has her fair share of struggles, especially since she is Sir’s life partner. Madge (played by Tami Monsod), the company’s theater manager can be seen as a stern character yet tender in a way that she only wants what is best for Sir and the rest of the company. Irene (played by Justine Narciso), a new actress in the company, aspires to make it big – much like all of us.
Also read: Witness REP PH’s The Dresser Opening this May 10
Norman stays by Sir’s side as his most loyal dresser
The amazing set of The Dresser brings a theater’s backstage to life as it gives audiences a view of what an actor’s dressing room and the behind-the-scenes of an actual play production would look like. It gives a glimpse of the process on how the backstage works amidst the running of a production and effectively shows audiences that life in the theater is not at all easy.
Sir’s dressing room, the main setting of The Dresser
The Dresser’s story inspires us to not only pursue our craft but to also look at the hardships and consider the people close to us – those who will be most affected by our pursual. It’s definitely a play that you wouldn’t want to miss out on!
You can still catch Repertory Philippines’ The Dresser until May 26, 2019, at the Onstage Theater, Greenbelt 1.
For more information, you may visit Repertory Philippines’ official website or their Official Facebook page. For tickets and reservations, you may call Ticketworld at 02-891-9999 or visit their Official website – you may also contact REP PH at 02-451-1474 for tickets.
Written by Feliz Grace Bueno
