Repertory PH stages the murder mystery "The Game's Afoot"

The instant gratification that the Internet and social media provides has made the length for intrigue and questionable circumstances obsolete. Because of this, anything done in secrecy has a mystique that entices even the least curious cat.

The Philippine stage is in for a treat as Repertory Philippines is staging the murder mystery THE GAME’S AFOOT for the launch of its 79th season. Written in 2011 by Ken Ludwig, the play follows William Gillette, a Broadway star known for his masterful portrayal of Holmes. After a spectacular run of the play-within-the-play, he invites his castmates to his Connecticut castle for a weekend of revelry… until someone turns up dead. Gillette must put on his detective hat and solve the mystery before the killer strikes again.

“THE GAME’S AFOOT is a great play to start 2016,” shares director Miguel Faustmann. “It’s a wicked comedy and whodunit. In this day and age where everything is served to us on social media and the Internet, it’s nice to not know things and be part of a journey to a truth.”

Curiously, William Gillette is a real-life Broadway actor who made a name for himself in the early part of the 20th century for portraying Holmes. He wrote the play Sherlock Holmes in collaboration with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of the famed detective. Gillette has portrayed Holmes in 1,300 performances spread over thirty years, and he used his royalties to create a castle along Connecticut River, which is also the setting of THE GAME’S AFOOT.

Ludwig was inspired to write the play while watching Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap, the longest-running play in history. Prior to THE GAME’S AFOOT, he has written six shows on Broadway and another six on the West End. Throughout his career, he has won three Tony Awards nominations, two Laurence Olivier awards, and two Helen Hayes awards.

THE GAME’S AFOOT premiered in Cleveland, Ohio in 2011 to great acclaim, with The Cleveland Plain praising the “twists that cause the audience to gasp.” Similarly, the Cleveland Examiner said, “From the intriguing opening mini play within a play to the surprise last scene a split second before final curtain, THE GAME’S AFOOT gives you everything you love about great live theatre.” In 2012, the play won Best Mystery Play at the Edgar Allan Poe Awards, an award-giving body hosted by the Mystery Writers of America.

Like a good mystery, part of THE GAME’S AFOOT’s fun is the interactive aspect of watching. Besides laughing at the comedy of the farce, audiences are engaged by trying to figure out who the killer is.

“The audience plays an active role in the play,” enthuses Faustmann. “Usually, guests just passively watch theater. Here, they participate by trying to figure out who the killer is. Is it Aggie Wheeler? Or Simon Bright? Or maybe it’s William Gillette himself. It’ll drive the audience crazy trying to guess who did it!”

“Mystery is something that’s missing in Philippine entertainment,” he adds. “Yes, there are subplots in movies and teleseryes but none that revolve around mystery. We need to bring back the glamour of intrigue. Mystery evokes wonder. There’s magic in mystery.”


THE GAME’S AFOOT will be staged from January 15 to February 7, 2016 at Onstage Theater in Greenbelt 1, Makati City. Ticket prices ranges from P400 to P800. For more details regarding THE GAME’S AFOOT, call Repertory Philippines at 843-3570. Book tickets through TicketWorld at 891-9999 or visit their website at www.ticketworld.com.ph.

A Peek into the Secret Garden

Repertory Philippines opens the gates to “The Secret Garden” as its Christmas season treat for theater goers.  It tells the story of a young girl, born and raised in India, who finds herself suddenly orphaned, and goes to live with her uncle in England.  She discovers a garden, neglected for years and almost dead, and a young cousin bedridden and miserable.  With the help of a housemaid and a friendly young gardener, she brings both the garden and her cousin to life.

Becca Coates playing the role of Martha, the housekeeper; and Ashlee Factor and Albert Silos portraying the young Mary Lennox and Colin Craven, respectively. 

Director, Anton Juan’s vision was to focus on the message of the story. “I wanted to articulate that finding the secret garden was to liberate oneself from the feeling of domination,” he shares.  He wanted to make clear that Secret Garden “...is not just a musical about how love forgives, how healing is attained by finding and liberating the truth in us; but also an allegory of liberation of our free spirits.”

Stage productions take months to prepare with numerous songs to rehearse, choreography to be learned, scenes to perfect, a slew of costumes to be made, and elaborate sets to be built.  For a period piece like The Secret Garden, the artistic staff had to do a lot of research on the context of the story and the details that would be needed to translate that era for a modern audience.

Archibald Craven played  by Robbie Guevara reaches out to his son Colin; acted out by Daniel Drilon.

“Since the story is set in 1906 in Yorkshire, England, designing the costumes for The Secret Garden required period research,” shares costume designer Bonsai Cielo. But despite having an overview of historical information to create costumes from that time period, Bonsai said “An understanding of each of the characters and our director’s vision for the play was also required. Not to mention, we had to ensure they all blended well together and still look striking individually.”

Set designer Ohm David said this about his stage design. “As a designer, I had to read the play over and over while listening to the music. I read the play aloud and tried to involve myself as much as possible in the situations of the play.” While doing this, the designer imagined the elaborate environment of each scene. From there, he started to draw. But with the limitations of a modest stage, he had to veer away from the obvious interpretations of the story’s surroundings and instead used elements that would encourage the audience’s imaginations to visualize the entire scenarios. “For me, it is more important to highlight what the play is trying to say beneath” —a takeaway he derived from Director Juan, who is at the head of the entire production.

Mary Lennox (Ashlee Factor,) stands in the background, as Archibald Craven (Lorenz Martinez,) is recalling memories of his late wife, Lily (Myramae Meneses.)

Daniel Drilon, one of the young actors playing Colin Craven, the bedridden boy, says “For the all Filipino cast, the added challenge was learning the diction of The Secret Garden’s period and location. We all had to learn a British accent which is kind of difficult.  But we all got a hang of it after two months of practice.”  The young leading cast had the support of the entire production team led by Director Juan who helped them absorb their roles.  Besides Daniel, the other children who play the lead roles of Mary, the orphan girl, and Collin her cousin, are played by Ashlee Factor, Ginger Karganilla, Albert Silos and Noel Comia.

“The music is invigorating, the sets are a departure from the traditional, and it is a moving story of love,” shares Anton. Above all, the play’s message is one that will move the hearts of those who witness it. “I hope this musical will remind us to hold what’s most essential and important; and that’s what is inside of us. Lest we forget, come to my garden.”

The Secret Garden will be staged from November 20 to December 20, 2015 at Onstage Theater in Greenbelt 1, Paseo de Roxas. For more details on performance dates and times and ticket prices, call Repertory Philippines at 843-­3570.  For more information about the play, log on to repertoryphilippines.ph or the Repertory Philippines Facebook page. Tickets may also be purchased through TicketWorld at 891­9999 or visit their website at w ww.ticketworld.com.ph.

Repertory Philippines presents the sexy comedy "Run For Your Wife"

As part of its 2015 lineup, Repertory Philippines launches RUN FOR YOUR WIFE, a sexy comedy written by Ray Cooney. Since its launch in 1983 at London’s West End, it had a successful nine year run in the UK. After that, the show has been staged most notably in New York, Paris, Stockholm, and Manila.

RUN FOR YOUR WIFE trails John Smith, a taxi driver in London who has two wives: one in Streatham and another in Wimbledon. After he gets mugged and winds up in the hospital, the police department from each district calls Mrs. Smith: Mary Smith and Barbara Smith.

The show has been praised for its hilarious storyline, complex choreography, and impeccable timing. The Daily Telegraph called it a triumph, while the New York Post promised “virtually continuous laughter.”

Repertory’s production of RUN FOR YOUR WIFE is the third time the company has staged the show, the first in 1986, and the second in 2001. Miguel Faustmann, the taxi driver in the first two runs, returns as the director of this exciting play.

“Even if it’s an old play, it’s such a funny and well-written play,” said Faustmann. “Let’s just have a good time laughing because it’s better to laugh than to feel angry or sad. Humor, as they say, is the best medicine, right?” 

Besides the biting wit of the script, one of the fun things to take note of for RUN FOR YOUR WIFE is the intricate blocking and choreography for the actors. The play relies on missed connections, or a precise schedule of entrances and exits, with one stage sharing the two homes of both wives.

Theater veteran Jamie Wilson plays John Smith, a physically demanding role that would literally see him running across the stage throughout the entire show, with only two exits.

“My challenge here is to get everything so linear. I should be confused as John Smith but not as Jamie Wilson,” he shared. “I’m literally running the whole time, answering phone calls, lying, and fabricating stories. I have to keep my secret from coming out. It’s exhausting but fun.” 

He is joined by Goldie Soon, who plays the motherly wife Mary, and Mikkie Bradshaw, who plays the bombshell wife, Barbara. Rounding out the cast are Jeremy Domingo as John’s best friend Stanley Gardner, Steven Conde as the flamboyantly gay neighbor Bobby Franklin, James Stacey as the suspicious Detective Sergeant Troughton, Paul Holme as the easygoing Detective Sergeant Porterhouse, and Mara Javier as the inquisitive journalist.

The humor is distinctly British, but the cast and director believe that the premise of having two wives is a universal concept.

“It’s not accepted here but it’s done,” Wilson shared. “Remember the humor in it, not the taboo. RUN FOR YOUR WIFE shows the humor of this ridiculous situation. You could put the same situation, take all the humor out of it and be a heavy drama like a typical Filipino teleserye. But nobody has shown the humor in it. And this is what it’s showing.” 

RUN FOR YOUR WIFE will be staged from April 10 to May 3, 2015 at the Onstage Theater in Greenbelt 1, Makati City. Ticket prices ranges from P400 to P600. For more details regarding RUN FOR YOUR WIFE, call Repertory Philippines at        843-3570. You can also book tickets through TicketWorld at 891-9999 or visit their website at www.ticketworld.com.ph.

Rep Phils to stage ‘Scrooge’ musical this Christmas

Miguel Faustmann

This Christmas, Repertory Philippines is reviving a classic to remind everyone of the true holiday spirit. Scrooge: A Family Musical will inspire viewers from November 21 to December 14 at the Onstage, Greenbelt 1 in Makati City, capping off Repertory’s 2014 calendar.

“I feel that in this generation, the spirit of Christmas is disappearing. It has become commercialized when we should be celebrating the birth of Christ. The spirit of Christmas, the spirit of giving, loving, and generosity are all embodied in Scrooge more than any other script,” said director Baby Barredo, also Repertory Philippines’ co-founder and artistic director.

The timeless tale A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is a staple in the theater scene during the Yuletide season, endearing families with the same message of sharing and forgiveness. Repertory Philippines has brought the story to stage for three times—all box office hits using different adaptations of the story. The fourth staging takes a cue from the book, music, and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse.

The story follows the miserly life of banker Ebenezer Scrooge and his journey towards realizing the true spirit of Christmas through three ghosts: that of his past, present, and future. “Some people relate to the work-earn money thinking Scrooge has. In past productions, people approached us backstage, saying how guilty they felt. The story is an eye-opener. It’s the perfect Christmas show,” said Miguel Faustmann, who is playing the title role.

Faustmann expressed a mix of excitement and nervousness for his part. “My parents used to take me to Scrooge plays as a kid, and I dreamt of playing the role. Now I finally get to do it,” he said. In the past stagings, Faustmann has essayed the roles of Jacob Marley, Scrooge’s deceased business partner, and Fezziwig, Scrooge’s jolly old boss. Alternating for the main character and also in his debut rendition of Scrooge is Chinggoy Alonzo.

With a nostalgic ensemble of 19th century London scenery and music, enlivened by a talented local cast, Scrooge is poised to bring out the holiday cheers out of every spectator — even the grumpiest one crying out, "Bah, humbug!




About Scrooge
Based on the book, music, and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse, Scrooge: A Family Musical will be staged by Repertory Philippines from November 21 to December 14 at Onstage Theater, 2nd Floor of Greenbelt 1, Paseo de Roxas cor. Legazpi Street, Makati City. Directed by Baby Barredo, the story brings life to timeless classic A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.


For tickets or inquiries, visit www.repertoryphilippines.com or call Ticketworld at 891.9999. Check out Repertory Philippines on Facebook for updates. #RepPhilsScrooge