Request sa Radyo With Lea Salonga and Dolly de Leon 'Unpacks a Lot in 70 Minutes'
Request sa Radyo is all set to premiere at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater on October 10 for a limited 20-show run. It's the local staging of Franz Xaver Kroetz's Wunschkonzert (trans. Request Program) (1971), a wordless play that delves into the solitude of a woman going through her evening routine—including listening to her favorite radio program—at her apartment. It stars Filipino acting legends Tony and Lawrence Olivier-Award-winning Lea Salonga and FAMAS Award-winning and Golden Globe and BAFTA nominee Dolly de Leon in alternating performances.
What to Expect from Request sa Radyo
"This show unpacks a lot in 70 minutes. We see the struggles of loneliness and isolation that our OFW workers go through. We see human struggle, which is what great theatre has always shown us. We also get to see the theatrical form used in a very unique way," Director Bobby Garcia said in a statement. Garcia, who founded Atlantis Productions/ Atlantis Theatrical Group of Companies in 1999, has directed over 50 plays and musicals in Asia and Canada.
"Like all shows I direct, the approach has always been to work with the actors and the creatives to tell the story as authentically as possible. My goal is to understand what an audience connects with and to unearth that. Theatre is about the performers and the audience having a dialogue. And my approach has always been to ensure that the audience is included in that conversation," he continued.
While Request sa Radyo is a 70-minute wordless play, complicated feelings and human struggles are more than palpable throughout the show.
"It was very unique to prepare for this show cause it’s not text-based. It was all about discovering the tasks the character sets out to do for the evening and working with each actor to make it all feel organic. The play’s author said, ‘Great human struggles are played out in silence and in the inability to express oneself.’ We wanted to make sure we honored that," Garcia added.
He added that Salonga and De Leon, who come from different backgrounds in theater and movie, are "each giving extremely rich and layered performances." They may be performing the same piece, but their approach makes it feel as if there are "two completely different shows."
Creative Director Clint Ramos, who won the Tony Award for Best Costume Design in a Play for Eclipse (2016), will also be transforming the 1,500-seater Samsung Arts Theater into a 400-seater venue. He described it to be a hybrid of theater and performance art. Request sa Radyo is Ramos’ first work in his home country in over a decade.
Request sa Radyo runs from October 10 to 20 at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater, Circuit Makati. Salonga and de Leon will have 10 performances each. Tickets are available through Ticketworld.
