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GIVEN that Red’s debut in Manila was produced and starred in by Bart Guingona in 2013, it would be easy to assume that he was also responsible for its upcoming restaging again by The Necessary Theater. But bringing back John Logan’s masterpiece was not on his mind at all. The culprit was fellow actor JC Santos.

Arguable best known for his TV and movie roles — he played the lead in ABS CBN’s Til I Met You in 2016-17, the lead in ABS-CBN’s 24/7 in 2020, and is the protagonist in TV 5’s Dirty Linen this year — theater is his love.

“Over 10 years ago, 2011, I was working in Disneyland and my friend gave me a script. It’s Red by John Logan. I read it and then I kept asking people to read it with me! I was obsessed with that material,” Mr. Santos shared.

When he heard that it was being staged in the Philippines, he was so jealous. But now, the opportunity finally presented itself and he is excited to work with Mr. Guingona whom he considers a master.

“Ito ang may sala eh (It’s this guy’s fault)!” the “master” laughed. “We were together in Dirty Linen, and I was minding my own business in the tents, lounging around, waiting for my cue then this guy comes in and says, ‘Kuya Bart, Kuya Bart! Red?’ And at first, I didn’t even think about it. But then, Dramatists Play Service popped up on my Instagram timeline showing a photograph of our production of Red. So I said, “Oh! Is this some kind of a sign?” And then I texted him and said, ‘Uy! Seryoso ka ba? (Hey! Are you serious?) Get the rights!’ He was dead serious so here we are.”

Written in 2009, Red is John Logan’s take on artist Mark Rothko’s career. He focused on that point in his life when he accepted a commission for several murals for the Four Seasons restaurant. As the artworks were completed, he came to realize that the commercial space meant only for the world’s wealthiest patrons was not the right space for his work.

The play runs for just over an hour and is an intense discourse between two characters: Rothko and his assistant, Ken. While Rothko is a historical figure, Ken is not. He is a representative character of all of the artist’s assistants through the years. The pair was first performed by Alfred Molina and Eddie Redmayne.

“After 10 years have passed, I realized that there was so much about the first time that I missed out on,” Mr. Guingona admitted. “I think that I understand Rothko much better now. And I think I can defend him better to a world that’s going to be… because, in truth, he is not a very likable man. We can accuse him of intellectual snobbery. We can accuse him of so many things, but like someone who is uncompromising, he sacrificed being likable for sticking to his principles. I think we can do better now, right?”

His Rothko was previously partnered with Joaquin Valdes’ Ken. But a new Ken is not just what will make the 2023 run different. The staging will be different too.

“This is going to be a fuller production,” explained associate director Mark Daniel Dalacat. “We’ll see much more of the world than before. It was very pared back when they first did it and I think it was appropriate for the time but for now we really wanted to bring the world alive. You get to see it. It’s a working studio on stage.”

Admittedly, this “fuller stage” is still quite modest when compared to the gigantic productions of musicals that have returned to the stage since the lockdowns have lifted. But Mr. Guingona is confident that small, quiet productions such as Red will always have a place in the Philippines’ theater landscape.

“In an age when smart-shaming is a thing, this guy actually wore his erudition like a badge of honor,” he said. “And you could hate him for it because he was exacting. And I’m thinking, ‘Oh! You know what? It’s so relevant for today. I think we should start getting attracted again to intellectual expansion rather than populism. So, the musicals, I am so happy that the scene is alive again. The musicals have their place, and the entertainments have their place, but there is theater that’s necessary. And I’m glad I have the opportunity to bring it.”

The confidence is clearly present. And more importantly, the trust. A play with only two characters talking for an hour will require complete faith in the fellow actors on stage. And this is why Mr. Santos was adamant in performing the piece with Mr. Guingona.

“Gusto ko siyang makatrabaho eh! Wala akong makitang ibang gagawa kundi siya lang (I wanted to work with him. I can’t imagine anyone doing it except him),” he declared. “Nami-miss ko yung pinapa-isip ko yung audience. Gusto ko ulit mag-disturb ng tao. Tara, isip muna tayo ulit. Lumayo muna tayo sa swipe-swipe. Manood tayo ng live (I miss making people think. I want to disturb people again. Come, let’s think again. Let’s move away from swiping. Let’s watch a live performance)! Let’s appreciate art work again.”

He added that performing on stage is helping him improve his acting. He has learned to be more vulnerable, laughingly claiming that he can now cry at the drop of a hat. He returns to television feeling refreshed, extra confident, and armed with more technique.

“Nung sabi ko na babalik ako ng theater, kailangan kong mag software update (When I said I was returning to theater, I needed a software update)!” Mr. Santos reiterated. “Kinakalawang eh! Magre-rehearse ako ulit (I’m rusty! I will rehearse again). And I love that! I love the whole rehearsal process, that we’re thinking about the script and how to make it extra natural, memorable, and papaano pa natin mapapa-isip yung audience. Lalo itong play na ito (how else we can make the audience think. Especially with this play). This is lecture! You’re listening to Mark Rothko! Papaano natin gagawing interesting sa audience (How do we make this interesting for the audience)? I love the whole challenge of it! So for me, it’s a software update.”

If there is one aspect of Rothko’s life that the two men can relate to, it is the struggle that every artist must face in the pursuit of their craft: the struggle between art and commercial viability.

For Mr. Santos, it is always a gamble when accepting projects either for commercial or artistic gain. He is very conscious that he needs to make a choice.

“This is my first producer job,” he shared. “Ako kasi, gusto kong gumawa ng play then, sige, mag-produce na ‘ko. Gagawin ko na ito. Hindi na ‘ko maghihintay ng iba na may magha-hire sa akin. Let’s do it na! (Me, I wanted to make a play so I produced it. I’m doing this. I won’t wait for someone else to hire me. Let’s do it)!”

To which Mr. Guingona agreed wholeheartedly.

“It really is a struggle. JC’s right. You really have to make a choice. So, ako, I tell them already, ‘I know you’re paying me better. I know that it’s a living. But sometimes you have to make a sacrifice because the commerce is not worth the value of your soul.’”

Red will have a will have a limited 10-show run from June 9 to 18 at the PETA Theater Center.