‘M. Butterflly’ beguiles Cebu audience

CEBU, Philippines — When I was in college, our World Literature instructor divided us into small groups of no more than ten members, each tasked to perform a play. We decided to perform “M. Butterfly” for the project, but thank God we didn’t. Because it’s one thing to do a play, it’s another thing to do a play even with just your classmates as audience.

Having known that David Henry Hwang’s award-winning play was coming to town, I wondered, was Cebu ready for it? When I learned that this was going to be a national tour, I wondered, was the country ready for “M. Butterfly” at all? But then again, no one was ever ready for “M. Butterfly” when it came out in 1988. So with a society that’s always in danger of forgetting, this tale of deception and seduction might never lose its novelty. Not when its themes of sexism and racism run thick in the world today.

Brought by Tony and Grammy award-winner Jhett Tolentino and FRONTROW Entertainment, this staging of “M. Butterfly” is a ballsy move not only because its audience is still somehow in denial of racism and sexism, but because “M. Butterfly” has always been essentially complex and layered – from its characters, to the message, even its music.

Written by Hwang and based on Giacomo Puccini’s opera “Madame Butterfly” (often referenced in the play), “M. Butterfly” centers in on René Gallimard, a member of the French embassy in China described as a mild-mannered man who considers himself to be poor with women. He meets and falls in love with Chinese opera star Song Liling, whom he considers the embodiment of perfection. But their affair slowly unfolds into a tale of deception and seduction involving the plight of several nations.

Throughout most of the play, we see Gallimard narrating the story, speaking to the audience directly as he tells it from his point of view – the white man who revels in the feeling of a “delicate” woman in his arms (or so he thinks).

While the storytelling isn’t exactly linear, it is Gallimard’s voice, wants, and intentions that pulls us through the acts. Then, in a blink of an eye, the scenery changes, as if the story has taken on a different turn. Another voice is heard, and it takes the lead, perhaps towards the same destination, but through another perspective altogether, almost as if this new voice has hijacked the playwright to tell another story. It’s like turbulence: you always expect it might happen as with most flights, but you still end up a bit frazzled when it does arrive.

It’s important to know that the deceit of “M. Butterfly” started from the very beginning. Which is why it becomes a bit of a shock for most who have given their sympathy to Gallimard right off the bat. By the time you’ve only just started to make sense of whatever the heck was going on, the final act ends, the lights are back on, perhaps you’re on your feet, giving the production a round of applause, and another one and another.

The cast move across the spaces in tune with each other, an ensemble performance through and through. It would be safe to say that the characters were equal, each with their own task and purpose.

RS Francisco, who has been playing the role of Song Liling for about three decades now (winning the 2018 Aliw Award for Best Actor) had to let go of the character to give it a new spin. Olivier Borten’s Gallimard bounces from insecure to manipulative, Lee O’Brian’s Mac goes from giving inane suggestions to revealing subconscious desires left in denial, Mayen Estañero’s Comrade Chin is mocking and yet loyal to a cause, Jenine Desiderio’s Helga goes from careless and naïve into feeling and thoughtful, Norm McLeod’s role of superior goes from praising into degrading, and Maya Encila transforms from submissive Pin-Up Girl into an outspoken woman who fears no man. Not to mention the kurogos-- Pheith Iena Ballug, Ullyses Basa, Sasa Cabalquinto, Franco Ferrer and John Paul Ortonero-- who apart from changing the scenes seamlessly are also part of the deception. And then there’s Jasmin Salvo’s riveting, faultless opera singing.

In a Q&A session following the press preview at the Centerstage of SM Seaside City Cebu last Wednesday, the cast explained how much thought they put into their characters, reading each word and each line, questioning what the playwright or what the character meant when they said this and that.

What makes it more remarkable is that beyond the kimonos and makeup, beyond the opera singing and nudity, “M. Butterfly” spits out many truths about oppression, colonialism, sexism, uproar, gender and virtues. These topics are said bluntly, with purpose. These truths ironically come out of the mouths of unreliable narrators. And it works. As they say in the play, the mouth says one thing, and the eyes another. Even the lighting is part of the act, the shadows well placed, as if to mirror the characters’ secrets.

Apart from putting on a good show, producer Jhett Tolentino admits that art can be used to portray political standpoints. They did not only want to put on a show by making sure they deliver and put on only the best, they also wanted a message that would shock, maybe confuse, and stir viewers.

Despite the risk of having all sorts of audiences, Tolentino and Francisco through FRONTROW Entertainment chose “M. Butterfly,” making sure it flutters throughout the country because they want to push for audience development with a classic story that still couldn’t find a way to die. As Francisco puts it, location should not dictate one’s artistic comprehension.

Francisco says “M. Butterfly” was his dream play as an actor. But as a producer, it was a logistical and financial nightmare. They will be donating their proceeds to charities and institutions like Iloilo Prima Galaw, Philippine National Red Cross Iloilo Chapter, The Children of Cebu Foundation, Siliman University Culture and Arts Council and the Arts Council of Cebu Foundation.

Francisco says has learned to be selfless, especially after baring it all figuratively and quite literally.

As for the weight and depth of “M. Butterfly,” O’Brian says that despite performing for viewers who might not agree with the play’s theme, it was their job to present it either way. After the initial shock, he’s certain that after a day or two, one will find themselves pondering and learning from “M. Butterfly” well after their experience inside the theatre.

“All you guys have an interpretation. Give it a couple of days and you might recall something, you might eventually remember a certain line. If we don’t talk about these issues, it gets left in denial when we might as well just face it,” says O’Brian says, adding that there is always a duality in things.

The show is also aimed at millennials. As Desiderio says, theatre has to appeal to what interests the current generation, more than popular singers and actors. It doesn’t matter if the audiences changes, what matters is they are able to translate and appeal to their audience’s intellect and emotions. 

Francisco presses that “M. Butterfly” will always be ahead of its time, so whether or not it gets crazy, ridiculous, far-fetched or unbelievable, there will always be aspects of it that reflect reality. It’s up to the audience to pick out what resonates to them.

While there is always still room for improvement as the cast and crew find more ways to deliver and outdo their last performances, the “M. Butterfly” we saw, which also doubled as their first technical dress rehearsal, was indeed a great show.

It’s not every day a production of this calibre finds its way to local theatres, not every day that truths this hard-hitting lands on eager ears. And so, “M. Butterfly” is a show the Cebu of the here and now has never seen before, save for those who were there to witness the last staging in here 27 years ago.

So yes, “M. Butterfly” with its award-winning cast and crew is an “M. Butterfly” done right. If it wasn’t, it wouldn’t be beguiling, it wouldn’t even have won the 2018 Aliw Award for Best Play. It’s important for places that are still building the foundations of their theatre scene to witness plays that are done right, because they can only go better from there.

Opening Thursday at the SM Seaside City Cebu Centerstage, “M. Butterfly” will have more shows today until tomorrow (watch out for Aira Igarta’s Song Liling portrayal). The tour will then proceed to Davao, Manila and then Baguio, leaving the mystery and deceit of “M. Butterfly” in its wake.