"Mahalin mo kasi yung sarili mo, dahil mahal mo, hindi dahil gusto mong patunayan na kamahal-mahal ka" - Batang Mads
Kyte Villanueva's characters and story felt real; we all had those friends who were hopelessly romantic and those who were hopelessly red flags. The story had a timely lesson for the month of love, but its message is always relevant. In stories, we are often focused on different types of conflicts, but "Abye" encourages us to view resolutions instead, and the resolution shown in this play is "Individual and Self." This resolve fits the theme of self-love in the play as Mads discovers the true covenant that she has to make to feel complete is with herself and not with Aris. "Abye" continues to remind us that we cannot give the love we do not have for ourselves. Ultimately, we witness a wedding as Mads makes her vows and says, "I do" with herself.
Without a doubt, one could feel the passion and strong emotional content in the script, and from this, something beautiful and remarkable sprouted, something similar to Mads, which will stay in our minds and hearts forever.
Talented Acting
The Aris portrayed by Ynigo Diaz and Jed Conoza captures that side of Aris that is gentle but manipulative. Their pretty boy looks and conyo accent distracts you from the fact that Aris is the amalgamation of a red flag. At the same time, Choelo Astete and Ariel Villanueva Jr. captured the school jock and campus crush vibe of Aris. They exude this assertive but gentle at core persona that Aris shows, helping the audience see how the character did love Mads at one point.
The Mads, by Maria Santiago and Nikka Singh, was the most emotionally driven. In every flirt, laugh, tear, or scream, you feel the character's passion and how attached they are to being in love with Aris. Louise Estrada and Raenndrei Cruz were the most realistic ones; they both brought into life the bubbly and sunshine personality and the hopeless romantic side of Mads, which made what happened to her character more devastating, as if we are watching our friend spiral out of control.
"Abye" is part of Artistang Artlets' Junior Literacy Program, which focuses on acting and directing; in the play, we see these in action, leaving us in awe of what they have accomplished and achieved for this production. Parpati Chelsea Derla and Oliver Claudio II, the director and assistant director, and the entire Stage Management aspect should be credited for their guidance for the performance and the whole production.
Every aspect of this production brought their best dresses and suits as they all stood out in their ways.
The Production Management aspect, led by Erah Laurice Alcaraz, showed their marketing brilliance and prowess as their promotional materials sometimes reached thousands to a million views. Showcasing the talents that Artistang Artlets has to offer to audiences outside the university. The stunning visuals they released, from posters to the wedding invitations-esque tickets and playbills, really bumped up the experience of the play. Without them, justice would not be done to the beautiful play Artistang Artlets created.
The original musical scoring and the captivating lights mastered and executed by the Technical Directing aspect enhanced the production. Their aspect was the cherry on top of this wedding cake, as they brought the theater magic into the stage. They allowed the audience to feel the right things when they mattered the most.
Last but never least, the Production Design team did an amazing job in immersing the audience, as they went all out, from the significant details of the set to the smallest details of the props, costume, and makeup. If Technical Direction was the cherry on top of the wedding cake, Production Design was the one who sold it. They brought personality and life to the characters and setting, making them feel more real and allowing us to easily step into the story of Mads.
Like Teatro Tomasino's "Kapeng Barako Club," I sincerely hope to see a rerun of "Abye." With a script written in gold ink, Artistang Artlets might have found its new "Anino sa Likod ng Buwan." Perhaps we might also see a film adaptation or a professional theater production of it soon. As we bid farewell to this production, the lessons and the experiences it allowed us to feel will remain with us. As it becomes a memory, "Abye" can expect its audience to continue to allow our past selves to remind us of this beautiful play.
