Trendy, revolutionary

Since I first got hold of a Jasper Fforde novel, I noticed a growing trend in fiction. I don't know what it's called but you'd see fiction sections in bookstores growing volumes of works that retell classic stories, redevelop/reuse milieus, even fictionalize private lives of historic icons. (Fforde has a series about a detective, who jumps into stories of classics to go after anomalies like erring characters bent on changing narratives.)

I had this in my thoughts when I first browsed the Virgin Labfest 6 festival program and read on Floy Quintos' Suor Clara, the continuing story of Maria Clara, twenty plus years after she exited Noli Me Tangere. Initially, I saw myself attending six days of VLF6 as a journey towards watching Suor Clara. And this "journey" was fulfilled yesterday, on the fourth run of Set C or Pecado Mortal, VLF6's closing set.

What a fitting journey's end it was. It could be rather amusing as well, having my full course of VLF6 delightfully end with a "mortal sin". But I shouldn't be surprised; after all, it's an opus penned and directed by no less than a Floy Quintos, wonderfully performed by Frances Makil-Ignacio. I should probably add this to my "bragging rights," that I have attended college, shared learning space with such theater greatness as Ms. Makil-Ignacio. (Iskulmeyt ko ya'an!)

Fanciful and trendy as Suor Clara was, I however think the more important insight is that this work is revolutionary. When I was younger (so much younger than today), my elder sister would share some chismis about Maria Clara, Crisostomo Ibarra, Padre Salvi - sub-texts in Rizal's Noli bordering on the sensational fit for tabloids. Looking back, I realized the chismis took on the male point of view, either Ibarra's or Salvi's. Suor Clara is a wholly modern take on the story: it advanced down stage the woman's perspective that has illuminating brightness, a balance in gender discourse, and not some negative ridden femme fatale stereotype. It is modern but it does not alienate itself from its milieu; it's the 1896 Revolution after all.

All at once, the play's narrative brought back and synthesized some important concepts I've learned such as freedom in the context of closed settings as I remembered from mass communication Professor Varona's discussion on Schindler's List back in college. And also of female sexuality in the Scriptures, specifically Sr. Helen Graham's lectures in HAIN's Religion, Gender and Sexuality program (which also included the text of Songs of Songs). I've made a mental note on incorporating Suor Clara for any future lecture I'd have on Gender and Sexuality. Come to think of it, I think I'd rather look at my lecture notes now and take in all these wonderful ideas I've learned from VLF6, Suor Clara most definitely the centerpiece.

Last night, Eon and I were reflecting on this unusual devotion we have made for VLF6. We agreed, if we are ever to sum up VLF6's extraordinary significance, it would be about three women: Bing, Brandy and Suor Clara.

P.S. Set C or Pecado Mortal of Virgin Labfest 6 also included Sa Package Counter (Isa Borlaza) and Matyag (U.Z. Eliserio, Maynard Manansala and Chuckberry Pascual).