ANGEL STREET
...ting, script, costumes, props, to name a few, turns “Angel Street” into a fun, exciting, slightly disturbing, and thoroughly memorable event. The characters are ingeniously portrayed. The English accent seems so natural that their native tongue is hardly evident. From the way his body is built and the way he carries himself, Sta. Ana exhibits the toughness and solidity of Mr. Manningham. The disdainful look on his eyes and the mischievous expression evident on his face indirectly reveals the villain inside him. The way he sharply looks at Bella and irrationally harass her make the audience despise Mr. Manningham and pity Bella. These feelings of sympathy and contempt the audience go through are part of the actor’s plan. This plan is to involve the audience in the play to create more tension, thus make the play more realistic. And this is made possible by Mitoy Sta. Ana’s superb acting. Being under the spell of an abuser or the hand of a tyrannical oppressor, Lorna Lopez (Mrs. Manningham) presents both a brokenness of spirit and a faint glimmer of hope. She personified the role with depth and sympathy; and though she cannot make Bella smarter, she does make her real. Richard Cunanan’s (Inspector Rough) character is embodied with exuberant humor. His comical role eases the conflict. It balances the flow of emotions inside the theatre by adding a touch of humor to the tensioned atmosphere. The costumes of the actors are masterfully done. Throughout the entire play, Bella Manningham is wearing a Victorian tea gown, a popular get up during the period. The set is richly wallpapered in shades of mocha (some in violet) complemented by dark wood antiques, old portraits, and paintings. The tea cups, hat, mirror, gaslights, even the type of pen used, accentuate the 19th century. For a fact, the costumes, furnishings, props create a world that is Victorian. They elate an atmosphere of England in the 19th century. The costumes and props make the audience sail through time and get a glimpse of a world interestingly different from the contemporary period. Rated as a whole, the play is a success. The costumes, lights, acting, script, all are subtly handled, except for the sound effects. There’s the part where Mrs. Manningham is talking about the gaslights (dims nightly) and the creepy noises on the top floor; in this scene, tension builds up. The sound effects are supposed to add more suspense to the scenario but they fail to do that. Instead of a sound which will make the audience more thrilled, an animated keyboard piece is played, which seems inappropriate for the scene. The poor handling of the sounds, though, is hardly noticeable because most of the attention is diverted towards the ingenious handling of the play as a whole. The production of Angel Street is not for those who believe that art should be as easy as popcorn. One may b...