“Der Kaufmann” is Tanghalang Pilipino’s
third offering for their 27th theater season, after the children’s
musical “Sandosenang
Sapatos” and the epic musical “Ibalong”.
“Der Kaufmann” is an adaptation of “The Merchant of Venice” by William
Shakespeare based on the Tagalog translation “Ang Negosyante ng Venecia” by
National Artist Rolando Tinio and set in a Nazi concentration camp during World
War II.
Shakespeare’s “Merchant of Venice” is
mind-blowing in itself; but to have it translated in Tagalog? When I shared this
experience to my friends, they were incredulous: How can one translate the famous speeches in
the play, like Shylock’s “Hath not a Jew eyes?” (Act 3, Scene 1) and Portia’s
“The quality of mercy” (Act 3, Scene 5)? Furthermore, “Merchant” deals with
themes of anti-Semitism and homophobia, and ends with legalistic maneuvering in
a courtroom. Shakespeare’s play itself is tough going already, but “Der
Kaufmann” dares to add the additional layers of rendering it in Tagalog and setting it in a Nazi concentration
camp.
In preparing to watch and to review this
play, I read a lot—perhaps the most that I had to do with any of the plays I’ve
reviewed so far. I downloaded Shakespeare’s original play (courtesy of
ManyBooks.Net and downloadable here) and read books on Judaism, anti-Semitism,
and the Holocaust (HaShoah in
Hebrew). My references are listed below at the end of the review.
I watched the play (once more ticket courtesy
of my former student Lhorvie Ann—bless her heart!) last October 5. In this play
she plays Jessica, the daughter of the Jewish moneylender, Shylock. Since the
play had been running since September 27, I had to resist the temptation of
reading other online reviews and perusing TP’s Facebook group page. (Lhorvie
insisted that I watch this showing because last week it was her alternate
playing the role.) It had been worth the wait.
Summary
The play is a “play within a play” where
the Jews were forced by the Nazis to stage Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of
Venice". (For a summary of the story, see the version of this review in Instructional Minutes.) Culminating with
the reunion of Antonio and Portia, the Jews, together with the homosexuals and
the Gypsies, were gassed to death.
After the curtain call, it was announced
that they will be an open forum to answer any questions that the audience may
have. The director and playwright, Rody Vera, and dramaturge Giselle Garcia
also joined the cast. I was seated on the upper balcony but Regina saw me when
I raised my hand. I commended that cast and crew for a job well done and
extended my hand in the Birkat Kohanim (Priestly
Blessing) gesture and gave them a form of a Jewish blessing: “Live long and
prosper!”
I taught Trixie how to make the Birkat Kohanim gesture.
Technical
Notes: Stage, Lights, Sounds
The play was staged at the Bulwagang Huseng
Batute, the “studio theater”. The stage is arranged in an inverted “V” shape.
There is an upper level which where scenes in Belmont were usually played. The
lower level is composed of sliding frames with “cyclone wire” which represents
cages. There is a square open area at the center where most of the action
happens. In the middle of the play, during the wedding or Portia and Bassiano,
Bassiano and his friends were revealed to be Nazis. They strapped the Nazi
insignia on their left arms. To complete the effect, the red banner emblazoned
with that hateful symbol, the swastika,
was hoisted up from the sides. Portia and the rest give the one-armed Nazi salute. (It has been
said that Hitler got the idea from Mussolini.) The transformation has been
completed: The set is now a concentration camp.
Huseng Batute is a smallish venue so the
cast did not need to use microphones. Also, only recorded music was used. There
was only one musical number: a comical piece by Launcelot announcing his intend
to depart from his Jewish master.
The set gave me the creeps.
The sounds are the work of TJ Ramos and the lights were by John
Batalla (who
also did “Sandosenang Sapatos” and “Ibalong”) .
Acting
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| (Photo courtesy of Tanghalang Pilipino) |
Regina de Vera gave an excellent
performance as the wealthy heiress of Belmont. Previously she played the sweet
older sister in “Sandosenang Sapatos” (albeit a static character). But in
“Kaufmann” Regina was perfect in her haughty, upturned-nosed portrayal of Portia.
One by one she deprecated her suitors, but melted like wax at the sight of
Bassanio. She was also able to portray Portia’s alter-ego, the doctor of law,
as a legal eagle, trapping Shylock in a web of legal technicalities. Overall, Regina
gave a strong performance portraying a strong woman. There is no question
“Kaufmann” is Regina’s play. Kudos, Miss
de Vera!
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| (Photo courtesy of Tanghalang Pilipino) |
The play guest-stars comedian par excellance Mr. Lou Veloso, who
played Gobo, the bumbling father of Launcelot, Shylock’s friend Tubal, and the Duke
of Venice. As he was presiding over the trial of Antonio, high upon the upper
level and dressed in a Nazi uniform, Lou Veloso looked every inch the Füehrer. Great work,
sir!
Too bad “Kaufmann” was not a musical so we
were not regaled with the rich baritone of Jonathan “Tad” Tadionan (the father in
“Sandosena” and Aswang in “Ibalong”), but he ably played the role of Shylock,
complete with a grimace on his face and a limp in his gait. Tad is a good actor
but infinitely better as a singer.
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| (Photo courtesy of Tanghalang Pilipino) |
One of the surprises of the play is that
Shylock is played not by one but three
actors. Miss Raquel Pareño displayed great acting cred by portraying Shylock
the mother. Her scenes were especially memorable: the “Hath not the Jew eyes?”
speech and the scene where she was schizophrenically distressed over Jessica’s
elopement while rejoicing over the loss of Antonio’s ships. Another memorable
scene is when she rushed over to the fallen Shylock the father during the trial
and delivered some of Shylock’s lines.
I also found it too bad that my favorite
child stage actress, Trixie Esteban, only had a few lines in the play. (“Pahinga nga po ako ngayon eh,” she chirped
as we talked after the play.) She played Shylock the daughter, who delivered
the final lines assigned to Shylock in the play. While we were not treated to
her sweet singing voice, her clear, innocent voice seems to hang in the air as
she delivered her lament.
The comedic foils were also very effective
in the play (“Merchant” is a comedy, after all): Kristofer Kliatchko as the
Prince of Morocco, Aldo Vencilao as Launcelot and the Prince of Aragon.
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| Antonio and Bassanio. (Photo courtesy of Tanghalang Pilipino) |
Hands down the most controversial roles
went to Marco Viaña as Antonio and Ricardo Magno as Bassanio, friends and
lovers in the play.
Theological
Reflections
Anti-Semitism. Anti-Semitism
is hatred towards the Jewish people (who descended from Shem, son of Noah). The Jews here were not depicted as
“Christ-killers” but as usurious moneylenders. The Catholic Church used to
forbid its members from engaging in moneylending. But the Jews follow
Deuteronomy 28:20-21:
Thou shalt not lend upon interest to thy brother: interest of money, interest of victuals [food], interest of any thing that is lent upon interest. Unto a foreigner thou mayest lend upon interest; but unto thy brother thou shalt not lend upon interest; that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all that thou puttest thy hand unto, in the land whither thou goest in to possess it. (Jewish Publication Society, 1917)
--which means Jews may lend money without
interest to fellow Jews (“thy brother”) but may charge interest to non-Jews,
i.e., “foreigners”. Hence that there is a conspiracy theory that Jews are
“international bankers” and that they control the international banks, the
press, etc.
In my observation, Jews are perceived in
this country either as fairies or Christ-killers. A lot of Filipinos thought
that Jews only existed in the Bible. A lot of people I talked to were surprised
when I told them that there is actually a Jewish synagogue in Makati. (A
Jewish doctor I talked to related a story of a nun who told him, “I’ve never
met a Jew before!” He then pointed to Jesus on a Cross and said, “He’s
Jewish.”)
But the more sinister perception is that
Filipinos (and a lot of other misinformed people) think that the Jews are
Christ-killers. One member from one of my former church assignments described
the ugly features of “Jews” who are whipping Jesus in a tableau that Catholics
parade around during Holy Week. I would like to point out that while Jesus was
indeed condemned by Jewish religious leaders (the Sanhedrin), the execution was
authorized by a Roman governor and
carried out by Roman soldiers! If one asks who is guilty of killing Jesus,
both Jews and Gentiles (non-Jews) are guilty! But it doesn’t matter: Jesus died
for the forgiven of everyone’s sins, Jew or Gentile (Romans 1:16)!
Let me highlight a little-known chapter in Philippine history. In the story, Shylock is forced to convert
to Christianity. For centuries European Jews had been forced to convert to Christianity
but they still secretly observed Jewish religious customs. One little-known
part of Philippine history is that these so-called nuevos cristianos (‘New Christians’) or Marranos (secret Jews) fled here to the Philippines to be able to escape
persecution from in Spain and to be able to practice their religion freely. In
World War II, President Manuel L. Quezon granted sanctuary to the Jews escaping
the Holocaust in Europe. After the War, most of these Jews immigrated to the US
or made aliyah to Israel. The
remaining Jews compose the Jewish community in the Philippines. Most of us Filipinos are unaware that the
Philippines was responsible for saving the lives about 1,200 Jews from the
horrors of the Holocaust!
Homosexuality and homophobia. One of the questions posed by the audience is the homosexual
relationship of Antonio and Bassanio (“My Husband’s Lover,” as many in the
audience commented, referring to a local television program where a husband has
an affair with another man.) According to the all-knowing Wikipedia, the
homosexual angle between Antonio and Bassanio has been long a topic of
scholarly debate. The play also pointed out that the Nazis not only committed
genocide against the Jews but they also mass murdered homosexuals.
The issue on homosexuality is currently a
hot issue of debate even within religious circles. I don’t wish to write at
length on this topic now. Suffice it to say that I wholeheartedly subscribe to
the official position
of my denomination, The United Methodist Church as stated in the Social Principles:
Homosexual persons no less than heterosexual persons are individuals of sacred worth. All persons need the ministry and guidance of the church in their struggles for human fulfillment, as well as the spiritual and emotional care of a fellowship that enables reconciling relationships with God, with others, and with self. The United Methodist Church does not condone the practice of homosexuality and considers this practice incompatible with Christian teaching. We affirm that God's grace is available to all, and we will seek to live together in Christian community. We implore families and churches not to reject or condemn lesbian and gay members and friends. We commit ourselves to be in ministry for and with all persons.
As people of “sacred worth” “no less than
heterosexual people”, homophobia has no place in the Church. However, the
Church is currently against the ordination of “self-avowed” homosexuals and
forbids its pastors to conduct same-sex marriages and the use of our churches
for such ceremonies. I do not see the end of the homosexuality debate anywhere
in sight. Suffice it for me to say for now that I believe that the Bible
condemns homosexuality as a sin; and that such people, just like all of us
common sinners, need the ministry of the Church. Jesus died on the Cross for
them as much as he died for us “ordinary” sinners.
Excursus: Feminism. Perhaps
what is not much discussed is the portrayal of Portia as a powerful woman. She
is shown as a woman in charge; even if the choice for her husband is left to a
game of chance. When the news of Antonio’s trouble reached Belmont, it was
Portia who give Antonio the money—double of the amount owed—to Bassanio. Then,
disguised as a man, she managed to outmaneuver Shylock in an example of
courtroom cunning—the sort of judicial jujitsu that would make any defense
lawyer proud. I have always wondered: How did Portia become so well versed in
law?
For me, the play would have ended at the
trial of Antonio where Shylock was defeated. I’m wondering
why it had to end with the Portia tricking her husband. Bassanio, grateful for
the help of the doctor of law but Portia instead asks for his ring. Likewise,
Nerissa, disguised as the doctor of law’s secretary, asks for his husband
Gratiano’s ring. In Belmont, Portia and Nerissa confronted their husbands for
losing their rings and accuse them of lying and infidelity, only to reveal that
the rings were in their possession all along. Is it just female nature to put men to the test? (If you have any insights on this, please drop a comment below!)
Personal
Notes
After the play, we had a “meet and greet” and
picture-taking with the cast in the cramped lobby just outside Batute. I wanted
to have my picture taken with Regina de Vera and Mr. Lou Veloso, but alas, too
much competition for me. Even my student Lhorvie had her share of attention for
a “daring” scene as Jessica. (I could not bring myself to write about it!)
Lhorvie Ann, I (wearing an amice-tallit) and Trixie.
Trixie had already gone back in but Lhorvie
went to fetch her for me. I presented her a gift: since she was playing the
role of a little Jewish girl I gave her mezuzah,
a Jewish scroll case. “Totoo po iyan?” she
said, eyes wide in amazement. Of course, I told her; and showed her the one I
was wearing on a chain. I showed her the symbols on the mezuzah: the Star of David
(which she was wearing on her chest), the letter shin and the tablets of the Ten Commandments. I also asked if it’s ok to pray for her so
Lhorvie, Trixie, and I prayed right there at the lobby.
R E F E R E N C E S
“Der Kaufmann” (playbill). (2013). Philippines: Tanghalang Pilipino/Cultural Center of the
Philippines.
Einstein S. J. & Kukoff, L. (1983). Introduction to Judaism: A
course outline. New York: United American Hebrew
Congregations. An excellent textbook on Judaism; includes the topics of
anti-Semitism, the Holocaust, and Yom
HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Harlow, J. (ed.) (1989). Siddur
Sim Shalom. New York: The Rabbinical Assembly, The United Synagogue of
Conservative Judaism. A Jewish prayer book “for Shabbat, festivals, and
weekdays”; includes readings for Yom
HaShoah from accounts of Holocaust victims.
Michener, J. A. (1965). The source.
New York: Fawcett Crest. A fictional novel on the history of the Jewish
people through “the wonders of archeology” (Einstein & Kukoff, 1983). I
perused the section on the same time period “Merchant” is set, where the Jews
were shown as unscrupulous moneylenders and ultimately as international bankers.
Shakespeare, William. “The Merchant of Venice” (Craig, Oxford
edition) (e-book). Illinois: Project Gutenberg. (Downloaded from
ManyBooks.Net).
Wouk, H. (1978). War and remembrance.
New York: Pocket Books. A grand World War II novel, it depicts life in the
concentration camps and the systematic execution of the Jews. Made into a television miniseries.
---------. (2000). The will to
live on: This is our heritage.. New York: HarperCollins. A non-fiction
book, from the author of the novel War
and Remembrance; it is an update on of the non-fictional This is our God.
