Lea’s subtlety, Dolly’s rawness: Two powerful takes on ‘Request sa Radyo’

October 23, 2024 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — I recently had the unique opportunity to experience back-to-back performances of “Request sa Radyo” — one featuring Lea Salonga at 6 p.m., followed by Dolly de Leon at 8 p.m. — at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater. Watching both performances in a single evening was an experience I won’t soon forget. It allowed me to appreciate the nuances and subtle differences each actor brought to the same role and narrative, making both performances feel distinct despite following the same script.

“Request sa Radyo,” directed and reimagined by Bobby Garcia, is a play that relies entirely on the performer’s ability to communicate without dialogue. It revolves around Ms. Reyes, a middle-aged OFW nurse, who is grappling with the isolation and monotony of her life in a small apartment.

Her daily routine — brushing her teeth, cleaning, cooking, smelling her armpits and even using the bathroom becomes the focus of the performance. This exploration of the mundane, the deeply personal and the isolated existence of Ms. Reyes mirrors the isolation experienced by many during the COVID-19 era, where physical and emotional distances were magnified.

While both performances told the same story, it was fascinating to see how the interpretation of the character could vary so greatly between the two actors. Lea and Dolly, both highly skilled and renowned in their own right, approached the role with differing energies, bringing their own emotional depth and unique presence to the character of Ms. Reyes.

What they shared, however, was their commitment to portraying this solitary woman with a quiet but palpable intensity, drawing the audience into the stillness and silence of her existence.

Lea’s performance leaned into a more subtle portrayal of Ms. Reyes. Known for her precision and attention to detail, her interpretation had a quiet elegance. Every movement felt calculated, as if Ms. Reyes were performing her daily tasks in a ritualistic manner, each action a means of maintaining control in a world that offered little certainty.

Her portrayal was deeply internalized, drawing the audience in through her careful, almost meditative gestures. In moments where the weight of loneliness seemed to bear down on her character, Lea allowed for small cracks in her composed exterior — a momentary slouch in her posture, a heavy sigh as she stood still, gazing out a window — offering glimpses into the emotional toll of her isolation.

Dolly, on the other hand, had a rawness and vulnerability that made Ms. Reyes feel more grounded and immediate. Where Lea’s Ms. Reyes was quietly composed, Dolly’s interpretation felt more impulsive, as if the weight of her character’s solitude threatened to overwhelm her at any moment. There was a restlessness to her movements, a sense that Ms. Reyes was constantly on the edge of breaking down but holding it together through sheer force of will.

Dolly’s portrayal highlighted the physicality of the role — each action felt more labored, every step heavier, as if the weariness of her daily existence was etched into her bones. There was an authenticity in her unfiltered emotions as though the audience was witnessing her struggle in real time.

Overall, what made the performances particularly striking was the way both actresses used their physicality to convey emotion in the absence of dialogue. The smallest gestures became laden with meaning — whether it was the way Lea methodically brushed her teeth, as if scrubbing away the frustration of her day, or how Dolly’s Ms. Reyes almost angrily scrubbed the kitchen counter, with weariness and frustration seeping into each motion.

Both actresses expertly communicated the emotional landscape of their character through these seemingly mundane tasks, transforming them into moments of introspection and quiet desperation.

This production of “Request sa Radyo,” a play by Franz Xaver Kroetz, took me back to an acting workshop I participated in during the ‘90s, led by Ana Valdes Lim. In that workshop, each student was tasked with improvising a private moment in a 10 to 15 minute scene.

The objective was simple: to explore how far we were willing to go in sharing intimate, personal moments in front of an audience. It was a liberating exercise — one that pushed us to confront the boundaries of vulnerability and exposure.

Watching Lea and Dolly embody Ms. Reyes, performing everyday actions like brushing their teeth or smelling their armpits in front of a live audience, I was reminded of that same sense of liberation.

Both actresses laid themselves bare in their performances. The intimacy of these private moments, acted out in such an exposed way, was both exhilarating and moving.

At its core, “Request sa Radyo” is a meditation on solitude and the emotional toll it takes on a person. The play strips away the noise of the outside world, leaving only the quiet, repetitive tasks of daily life — actions that, in isolation, become almost ritualistic.

The brilliance of both Lea and Dolly’s performances lies in their ability to imbue these mundane actions with such emotional depth. Through their interpretations, we are reminded of the quiet strength it takes to endure, to keep moving forward, even when life feels empty and monotonous.

In the end, both performances were powerful in their own right. Lea and Dolly may have brought different shades to Ms. Reyes but what they shared was a fearlessness in their approach to the role.

They both embraced the vulnerability required to perform such intimate moments on stage, and in doing so, they transformed the everyday into something extraordinary.

Bravo to these incredible actresses for their bravery, and for reminding us that even in silence, there is profound storytelling.

(Special thanks to Girlie Rodis for inviting me to watch Lea’s 6 p.m. show and Chris Mohani for Dolly’s 8 p.m. performance.)