A couple of Saturdays ago I was invited to take good long hard look on that world-famous Filipino trait of resilience. Is it really such a good thing? Are we really deserving to be commended by making the best out of what we’re dealt with or are we just basking in unwarranted attention for being too lazy to find lasting solutions to our problems?

Those are questions that seem to be too heavy to be asked by such a ridiculously titled play, Rak of Aegis which boasts of crafting a truly Pinoy story out of the throat shredding songs from the OPM rock band of the same name. The title is a clever play on words on the original Broadway musical that shot American Idol failure Constantine Maroulis into stardom, although the similarities pretty much end with the use of Rock music to propel the plot.

The story opens in fictional Baranggay Venizia which is meant to represent every other baranggay in the country because it is dealing with the after-effects of a severe typhoon-caused flooding: disease, destroyed properties, loss of jobs because no business can be sustained in flood-infested streets, among others. Enter our heroine, Aileen (Aicelle Santos, alternated by Joan Bugcat) who is struggling to meet the new American Dream of uploading a hit song on Youtube, hoping to be discovered by Ellen or Oprah and being provided tons of money so she can provide a better life for her mother housewife Aling Mercy (Kakai Bautista, alternated by Neomi Gonzales) and struggling shoe maker Mang Kiel (Robert Sena, alternated by Juliene Mendoza).

Aileen hopes to augment their meager family income because the flood has ruined her father’s livelihood which also happens to be their Baranggay Captain Mary Jane (Isay Alvarez-Sena, alternated by Kalila Aguilos)’s family business. The shoe industry is already struggling to compete with cheap imported plastic knock-offs but the business is at the risk of folding because of the damage brought upon by the flood. Mary Jane’s son and Aileen’s suitor Kenny (Poppert Bernadas, alternated by Myke Salomon) is willing to help Aileen to fulfil her dream but can only provide so much help as he has issues of his own to sort out with his mother. Enter Tolits (Jerald Napoloes, alternated by Pepe Herrera), a pedicab driver turned flood boatman who has a very big thing for Aileen and is very much willing to go as far as he needs to make her dreams come true.

The story is made all the more colorful by the resident gay guy Jewel (Phi Palmos, alternated by Ron Alfonso) and by the mysterious benefactor Fernan (Juliene Mendoza, alternated by Nor Domingo) who is adamant in claiming that he only means the best by providing relief goods to Baranggay Venizia. By some stroke of freak luck, Aileen’s video does manage to go viral, but only because her singing was set against the backdrop of the flood. Very quickly the Baranggay Captain and the others organize a concert, along with a shit load of gimmicks that will be unique and novel in that it will be set in the flooded streets. Aileen is ecstatic as the money she will receive from this event will help her parents immensely, especially now that her mother has contracted Leptospirosis but her father Mang Kiel is less than happy that her daughter and their town is embracing the very flood that has caused them so much misery.

It is as this point of the play that asks the audience to think: on one hand, Aileen, Barangay Captain Mary Jane and the others are indeed only making the best out of their situation, but on the other hand, Mang Kiel is also correct when he says that it is better to find a solution to remove the flood permanently because then and only then can they truly climb out of the metaphorical dirty water.

Rak of Aegis is unique in that although it is tackling a very big social issue, it is also set against fun, upbeat ridiculous music. Personally I think it is genius to let the characters sing the lyrics of a song about broken hearts to be about the flood and poverty although the delivery may have been a little bit off the mark. I got the chance to chat with Robbie Guevara (Croker from Rep Phil’s Wait Until Dark a few hours before I saw the play and he admits that it may be best to be unfamiliar with the Aegis songs if you’re to watch this show; because the lyrics are often taken out of context, sometimes the delivery can come off as humorous rather than dramatic, which sort of ruins the build up (or at least the audience who are familiar with the songs end up laughing at the preposterous set ups, which effectively kills the drama).

Performance-wise I was blown away. It was my first time to watch a PETA production and silly ol’ me thought that it was going to be like watching an amateur production of some sorts. Aicelle Santos stood out for me because dude, she hit those high notes very easily and she has that likeable factor that even though the role was basically pa-sweet, you don’t hate her. The Sena couple were incredibly good; they played off of each other with chemistry that can only be harnessed by being together for years although if I had to nitpick, I think the whole back story between Mary Jane and Mang Kiel could’ve been removed from the final draft. It would’ve shaved at least half an hour from the play’s three hours and also I feel that it was only just a nod to the fact that the actors playing the characters are married. Phi Palmos was also a stand out, with his spot-on delivery of Jewel’s jokes and good Lowrd, his whistle register can rival Mariah Carrey’s. Jerald Napoles probably was the biggest hit, though, with his easy delivery of corny pick-up lines that somehow make them work. There’s an earnestness to how he played Tolits that even though his whole look was physically skeevy (with that beard!), I still did root for him at the end.

The stage also was a huge surprise for me; Mio Infante really did give us a flood-infested town, complete with trash-filled water. It’s probably the weirdest stage I’ve seen and it’s amazing that choreographer Gio Gahol was able to incorporate dance sequences and a couple of acrobatic stunts.

All in all Rak of Aegis was a fantastic way to spend the Saturday afternoon and it’s a pity that the theatre isn’t located in a more accessible place. I think that the country could use more of these types of plays because as loath as I am to admit it, the Noli Me Tangere’s and the Ibong Adarna’s aren’t quite as relevant as before. This play seriously needs a wider audience.

Maybe this play can be turned into a movie? I’d pay to see that.

*Photos are courtesy of Nelva and the offixcial Rak of Aegis playbook.