The Return of Floy's Quintosian Women: 'Miranda & Yolanda' Runs in April

In the hallowed but messy intersection of Philippine politics and high society, there is a specific kind of woman who thrives. She is polished, poised, and terrifying. They are the "Quintosian women." This April, Encore Theater is bringing two of these formidable figures back to the stage in Miranda & Yolanda, a twin bill of Evening at the Opera and Ang Kalungkutan ng mga Reyna by the late playwright Floy Quintos. The production is named after the main characters from the two Palanca 1st Prize-winning one-act plays.

Miranda & Yolanda opens on April 11 to at the Power Mac Center Spotlight Blackbox Theater, Ayala Malls Circuit, Makati City.

"If [Floy] were still alive, he would have already come up with a new piece to address the Filipinos' sentiments over the most recent & current national events. I chose these two plays mainly because both are exposés of the dynamics of people in power. Both plays are tragicomedies - a genre that features the bitter and sweet, light and dark duality of human relations," notes Encore Theater's CEO Stella Cañete-Mendoza, who leads the company with her husband Juliene Mendoza. Both are long-time theater practitioners.

Evening at the Opera was first staged at the Cultural Center of the Philippines for Virgin Labfest in 2011. It pulls back the velvet curtain on the night of a major cultural event. As Miranda Beloto prepares for an opera she has meticulously organized, an intense confrontation with her domineering mother and her husband, Governor Bingo Beloto, exposes the rot beneath a powerful dynasty’s polished façade.

Ang Kalungkutan ng mga Reyna, on the other hand, premiered in 2008, also for the Virgin Labfest. This piece takes us inside the presidential palace on the morning after the declaration of Martial Law. President Yolanda Cadiz summons her personal hairstylist, Marcel De Alba, for more than just a trim. Through their exchange, we witness the psychological shift and the profound isolation brought about by absolute power.

"These two one-act plays are timeless. Still resonant. Still relevant. For playwrights, the idea of one’s works being timeless may be romantic. I wonder, though, how Floy would feel about these plays still being relevant after almost two decades. The issues tackled in both plays remain the same," adds Cañete-Mendoza.

The production stars a powerhouse cast featuring Ana Abad Santos, Frances Makil-Ignacio, and Joshua Cabiladas in Evening at the Opera, and Shamaine Centenera-Buencamino, Topper Fabregas, and Jules dela Paz in Ang Kalungkutan ng mga Reyna. Santos, Makil-Ignacio, and Centenera-Buencamino are reprising their roles.

"We also have three 'surprise' cast members who will be doing cameos," says Cañete-Mendoza.

The twin-bill production is directed by Dexter Santos. He is joined by Mitoy Sta. Ana (Production Design), John Batalla (Lighting Designer), Steven Tansiongco (Graphic and Video Designer), Arvy Dimaculangan (Music and Sound Designer), Mikko Angeles (Assistant Director), Marvin Olaes (Dramaturg and Publicity Manager), Davidson Oliveros (Dramaturg and Publicity Manager), and Meliton Roxas, Jr. (Technical Director). Krina Cayabyab is also joining the team to provide music arrangements, with Miranda & Yolanda her comeback production after further education abroad.

"We sincerely hope that beyond entertainment, we also give our audiences an avenue for discourse and reflection about ourselves, as individuals, and as part of society," says Cañete-Mendoza about the theatrical productions of Encore Theater. "I hope Miranda & Yolanda serves as a reminder that we have a choice on who we entrust and give power to."

Miranda & Yolanda runs from April 11 to May 3, every Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., at the Power Mac Center Spotlight Blackbox Theater, Ayala Malls Circuit, Makati City. Tickets are available through Ticket2Me, with prices rangin from P1,200 to P2,500.

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