Kool Ka Lang: Theater of the absurd - STAR BYTES by Butch Francisco

If you know some of the works of Eugene Ionesco (The Bald Soprano) and Samuel Beckett (Waiting for Godot), then you must be familiar with the theater of the absurd.

The theater of the absurd has been defined as "a form of drama that emphasizes the absurdity of human existence by employing disjointed, repetitious and meaningless dialogues, purposeless and confusing situations and plots that lack realistic or logical development."

Why am I talking about the theater of the absurd? Don’t freak out now – and please, don’t call this absurd – but I’m writing about the GMA-7 comedy series Kool Ka Lang and I can’t help but see some elements in this sitcom that may be likened to the theater of the absurd.

Literature professors would perhaps be horrified by the comparison and probably bonk me on the head with their hardbound books for saying this, but some episodes of Kool Ka Lang are presented in the tradition of the theater of the absurd. And perhaps, the creative people behind this program are not even aware of that.

No, this is not a backhanded compliment to this comedy series. Actually, I enjoy watching this sitcom. Most of the situations it presents are funny, crazy, irreverent (but without being offensive) and, yes, absurd. Absurd in a very delightful way.

The show’s absurdities are often evident in its countless parodies of Hollywood blockbuster films. Most of the time, you are very well aware of the fact that what you are watching are really senseless scenarios. But you lap up every scene anyway because of the ludicrousness of it all.

Last Tuesday’s Kool Ka Lang episode was rather special because it marked the return of one of its lead characters, Joey Marquez (who had to take a leave of absence when he ran – and won – for the third time as Mayor of Parañaque). As an added ingredient, the show also invited Vic Vargas and reunited him with former real-life flame, Gloria Diaz, who plays the carinderia owner, Aling Nadia, in the series.

Joey Marquez, Vic Vargas and Gloria Diaz actually form a love triangle in this hilarious episode. In one sequence, there is even a flashback that shows them as kids – in playsuits and all. All three are wonderful here because they throw away their inhibitions and act out – in the most relaxed manner – their respective parts.

I’m not surprised that Gloria does very well in this episode. Gloria – in my book – is the most underrated local comedienne both on television and in the movies. It is, in fact, my dream to see her win an acting award for TV comedy. (She has already won an acting trophy though – as Best Supporting Actress in the 1999 Metro Manila Film Festival for playing the part of Teodora Alonso in the movie Rizal).

Joey Marquez, of course, is really a comedian. But I have to say that he is even better here in Kool Ka Lang than when he was still in the now-defunct sitcom Palibhasa Lalake.

Guest star Vic Vargas, the original macho in Philippine cinema, sometimes is left behind in this fast-paced comedy, but – to his credit – he somehow manages to catch up even with the more seasoned Marquez (in terms of comedy, that is). Maybe it’s not yet too late for him to make a career shift at this point and move to comedy. (Vargas has actually done a lot of comedies in the past – like Tarzan vs. Tansan with Dolphy – but he’d always play the straight part.)

The other cast members of Kool Ka Lang also contribute a lot to make this sitcom deliriously funny. The choice of casting is, in fact, already funny in itself. They have, for instance, a giant like Benjie Paras interacting with a midget named Dagul. Kool Ka Lang is really a menagerie of crazy characters thrown in one show. And each one of these characters excel in their respective parts: the lead star Raymart Santiago, Dennis Padilla, LJ Moreno, Maureen Larrazabal, Onyok Velasco and Long Mejia who amazingly always delivers his punchlines in a clear and crisp manner.

Of course, we also have to credit to the show’s creative staff that cooks up all these insanely funny situations in the show.

But I guess it’s really a team that makes Kool Ka Lang a hilarious and kool, rather, cool comedy show.