August: Osage County at Repertory Philippines

August: Osage County is Tracy Letts’ Pulitzer Prize-winning family drama, and I gave Repertory Philippines’ February 2014 production an 8 out of 10. Strong acting, a very realistic set by Miguel Faustmann and three and a half hours that never felt long. Part of the job of an actor is to watch a lot of theater, so I went to see the latest production of Repertory Philippines, the number one English theater company of the Philippines.

About the play

August: Osage County premiered at Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago and won both the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play. It follows a family coming apart at the seams in their house in Oklahoma.

An American play, and the accent question

I was glad to see it was a North American play instead of a British one, coz to be sincere I have a hard time understanding the British accent.

A British man who visited the Philippines told me that we Filipinos have a weird way of faking the British accent. He said we sound like Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins, coz actors tend to imitate the accent of those days, which differs a lot from how English people talk nowadays.

Not me tho, coz I can’t catch a British accent at all. I guess that’s why I’m normally typecast, as I hear a thousand times. Happy playing my Spanish characters in Filipino films tho. Keep them coming.

A theater full of young people

I was also happy to see the theater packed with teenage students. Very cool. That means there’s interest among young people, and there is hope for straight plays in Manila!

The play runs three and a half hours with two intermissions. And you know what? It didn’t feel too long, and I didn’t fall asleep even though I came in sleepy.

Microphones in straight plays

It still feels weird to me to watch straight plays with microphones. I wish the actors could just project their voices and fill the theater the natural, traditional way, coz the acting is different then. Theatrical delivery differs from TV acting.

I guess there aren’t enough actors in the Philippines trained to project their voices for theater. In my two and a half years working here I’ve met a lot who act with small voices, or even whisper on stage, like they do on screen. So I guess directors don’t really miss the projection.

The acting and the set

The acting was fantastic. And the stage design by Miguel Faustmann is super realistic and pleasant to see.

Some actors smoke real cigarettes on stage while others use electronic ones, which is a weird contrast. I’d propose the direction picks one way for everybody.

There was an actor I didn’t know, Richard Cunanan, who did a fantastic job. I just thought it might be a miscast, coz his character is supposed to be at least 60 and he looks 30 to 40. Probably the director’s decision not to age him, but a little weird. (If you’re curious how actors are aged for the stage, see my theater makeup guide.) And I repeat, great believable acting.

A very intense play, lots of conflict and tension. I almost cried at some moments, the actors were so concentrated and kept their characters intense almost all the time. A pool of experienced actors really.

Thankful to see Pinky Amador back on the Rep stage after 7 years of absence.

Do I recommend it?

Yes. Go watch it. You can also compare it with the film version directed by John Wells, which came out in December 2013 and earned Oscar nominations for Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts.

Rep has a special place for me. When I moved to the Philippines I lived with its founder, my Tita Baby, director Baby Barredo, and joined her theater company. If you like Rep’s comedies too, read why to watch Boeing Boeing by Repertory Philippines.

August: Osage County FAQ

Who wrote August: Osage County?

American playwright Tracy Letts. It premiered at Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago.

What awards did August: Osage County win?

The 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play.

How long is August: Osage County?

The Repertory Philippines production I saw ran about three and a half hours, with two intermissions.

Is there a movie of August: Osage County?

Yes. The 2013 film directed by John Wells stars Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts, who were both nominated for Oscars.