Red Turnip Theater shakes up its third season by going minuscule

MANILA, Philippines - Red Turnip Theater has produced five plays since 2013: Closer (by Patrick Marber), Cock (by Mike Bartlett), Pulitzer Prize winner Rabbit Hole (by David Linsay-Abaire), Pulitzer Prize nominee Time Stands Still (by Donald Margulies), and 33 Variations (by Moisés Kaufman).

Now, in the middle of its third season, Red Turnip’s drive remains just as strong. The Turnips are intent on delivering plays that are focused on wonderfully written text and great ensemble acting.

For its mid-season offering they are launching a bite-sized Turnip experience, featuring an electric cast and an exciting new space — A Space_Gallery — a mid-season curveball that is sure to become this year’s pint-sized, comic surprise. Presenting Red Turnip Theater’s RT 0.5 Series.

According to Turnip actress/director Jenny Jamora: “We took a risk when we decided to do 33 Variations. It was our biggest production so far and we certainly have no regrets. With the 0.5 series, we wanted to take on, not just a different space, but an even more intimate one. It may be smaller in scale, but it’s just as challenging as any of our previous projects.”
Kicking off the series is This Is Our Youth, a play by American dramatist and Oscar-nominated screenwriter Kenneth Lonergan, a comic gem about the “Me Generation” and a witty, acerbic snapshot of that confusing place between adolescence and adulthood.

A Space_Gallery is the space of choice for the launch of the 0.5 series. A Space, located across Greenbelt 5 in Makati, serves as a hub for creators. The gallery has supported local independent artists by hosting exhibits, gigs and talks, and now Red Turnip Theater. A Space takes pride in being a place “where people can make things happen,” so the match was only fitting.

This Is Our Youth opened Off-Broadway in 1996 and featured Mark Ruffalo, Josh Hamilton and Missy Yager. Premiering in the West End in 2002, the cast included Jake Gyllenhaal, Hayden Christensen and Anna Paquin. Broadway saw its Tony-nominated revival in 2014 starring Michael Cera, Kieran Culkin and Tavi Gevinson. The play has seen a number of restagings, featuring notable film actors, many of whom were taking on their first stage rolez, including Matt Damon, Colin Hanks, Chris Klein, Casey Affleck, Freddie Prinze Jr., Summer Phoenix, Alison Lohman and Heather Burns.

The Philippine premiere features the dynamic trio of Jef Flores, Nicco Manalo and Cindy Lopez. Flores was last seen in the acclaimed Manila production of The Normal Heart. He was the lead in Repertory Philippines’ production of 4000 Miles, and was part of the vibrant ensemble of Kung Paano Ako Naging Leading Lady. Manalo was already a critical darling on stage when he won the Cinemalaya and Star Awards’ Best Supporting Actor for the film The Janitor. He was also nominated for Gawad Buhay acting awards for American Hwangap and Kleptomaniacs. Despite having a full-time editorial job at Cosmopolitan, Lopez manages to juggle a career in theater. Most of her previous work has been with Tanghalang Ateneo: Sintang Dalisay, Fireflies, Twelfth Night, and most recently Waiting for Godot.

Following his successful debut as director of Rabbit Hole for Red Turnip (garnering an Aliw Award nomination), Fabregas returns to the directing chair. “It’s a dream come true to direct a piece by Lonergan,” he says. “His work resonates with me even as the years go by. They’re time-specific but never dated, stylistically distinct but widely universal.”

This Is Our Youth shows at A Space_Gallery for a limited run this Nov. 6, 7, 8, 20, 21 and 22. Tickets are available at https://www.ticketworld.com.ph/Online/thisisouryouth, or call 891-9999. Email redturniptheater@gmail.com or visit Red Turnip Theater on Facebook for more information.

‘THIS IS OUR YOUTH’

by Kenneth Lonergan

directed by Topper Fabregas

New York City, 1982. Two college dropouts suddenly find themselves sitting on $15,000 worth of stolen cash. Their lives (and tiny Upper West Side apartment) are thrown in for a loop when a young woman enters the picture, forcing them to question their privileged existence as well as their loyalties to each other. THIS IS OUR YOUTH is a comic gem about the “Me Generation” and a witty, acerbic snapshot of that confusing place between adolescence and adulthood.