Peter Quilter's Duets runs like a chamber play - small cast of 2, sparse set design, costume changes that are written almost as part of the performance - with 4 acts and 4 unrelated stories, running like vignettes of encounters.
Ms. Joy Virata is adorable as the whip-smart - and drunk! - Shelly who's about to separate from her husband Bobby (Miguel Faustmann) in the idyllic beaches of Boracay (subbing for Spain). Over vodka and a stack of skyflakes, the bickering couple discuss their impending separation and examine a marriage once filled with the frivolity of youth. Virata also essays the role of Angela who's getting cold feet minutes before she was to walk down the aisle - her third marriage! It didn't help that the elements seemed to contribute to her indecision - a coffee-smudged bridal gown, runny mascara, disheveled hair, and the pesky rains!
Though we had trouble with the age requirement of some of the roles, Joy Virata and Miguel Faustmann performed with a lot of spunk. The latter played to the crowd with his characterization of the effete Barrie with whom bestfriend Janet (Virata) is infatuated. People were talking about Barrie as we eased out of the theater, but it was his performance for the role of Bobby (the separating hubby) that we found affecting. Ms. Virata on the other hand was elegant and evocative in her parts. The duo enjoyed an easy rapport. Though there was part of me that somehow sought the gravitas of any of the vignettes presented from last year's "The Male Voice" (a brilliant play filled with real stories played out as heart-numbing monologues), we still had a pleasant time at the theater!
There are flaws in the material (a blind date that happens at the guy's apartment - while the woman is supposed to be prissy; a featherweight conversation that leaves me unconvinced how a woman can fall in love with her gay bestfriend, etc.) The blind date portion was pretty predictable without much in the way of surprises. And despite the age of the material (which premiered in the last 3 years or so), the scenarios felt a little dated.
Light weight fun, fantastic performances. You just wish it had a little more verve and offered a little more variation in way of presentation than how it was written. Nevertheless, it was money well spent! Duets is having its last weekend run at Greenbelt's OnStage - January 28-30, 2010. Google Repertory Philippines for details.
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