I opened up a new section in the forums for translations of articles and interviews. There’s already one posted for an Oricon interview of Mika Nakashima for her new single. So go check it out! And don’t hesitate to add some!
Just thought I’d mention that I’ve switched the main Tokyograph site from a summarized RSS feed to a full-text feed. I’ve been meaning to do it for a while, but there were some issues with parsing internal code that made the feeds spit out a jumbled mess. But I’ve temporarily patched that up with an inefficient fix - I’m still planning to optimize that later on, but that shouldn’t affect you readers much.
In any case, go ahead and enjoy the new feed! If you still haven’t found it, here’s the link: Tokyograph newsfeed
Sorry about the lack of news updates on the main site yesterday. It was Valentine’s Day, so of course I had better things to do, right? Like help my cousin’s family move into their new house! Yeah, so now I’m really sore and tired… but I still managed to post some late news before I went to sleep exhausted yesterday.
I hope everyone else got to enjoy their Valentine’s Day in a more relaxing way!
Anyway, it looks like Tokyograph is starting to spread a bit! I discovered some links on other sites, and I also found out that someone created a syndicated LiveJournal account for us! In the past few days, we’ve basically tripled in terms of RSS subscribers - FeedBurner reported a jump from about 10 to about 30 (still small, but you have to start somewhere). So keep spreading the love, and I’ll keep doing my best to bring you the news!
I just watched a stage adaptation of Jessica Hagedorn’s Dogeaters (it’s currently running at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City until February 11). I haven’t yet read the book, though I’ve been meaning to for a few years. And now, after seeing it performed, I’m more interested in reading it, though it’ll have to wait until my brother finishes with the book.
This was my first time at the Kirk Douglas Theatre. It’s a small venue, seating just a little over 300. There was no definite “stage” - most of the action takes place in a central area on the floor, but the setup also makes use of stairs leading up to a high elevated platform. There are also a few “stageside seats” surrounding the central area which put you almost in the middle of the action.
Despite the size of the theatre, the space of the venue was very effectively used. Staging was very well done with minimal props.
I have to admit that the story can be pretty hard to follow, especially at first, due to the multiple story threads that eventually become interwoven. I imagine it would be much easier for someone familiar with the book. But still, as long as you pay attention, the pieces of the story becomes much clearer by the end. And even without fully understanding every detail, you can still enjoy it for what it is - an examination of Philippine culture.
To fully appreciate the setting, one has to be familiar with the cultural context (I know I missed out on some of it, but I asked my parents to help fill in some of the gaps in my understanding). The story is set mostly in Manila in the year of 1982, during the Marcos regime. This was a chaotic time in the Philippines, coming out of a long period of martial law and still in the midst of revolution. Some characters in the story are based loosely on key people and events of the time.
Pop culture references run throughout the play. The first half, in particular, is rife with subtle and not-so-subtle jabs at Filipino culture. Most significantly, the form of a radio soap opera is used as a narrative technique, framing the real life drama of the Philippines as if it were just like fiction. But the true tragedy is that it really is an apt comparison - the Philippines is a soap opera in so many ways, from common culture to politics and media. And we’re not talking about the individual drama that everyone faces in life; the society itself suffers from a certain level of dysfunction.
It really reminded me of the problems facing the Philippines. Given all my work with Tokyograph these days, I’ve become rather removed from the issues, but I still recognize that they’re out there and that something needs to be done.
I found the cast, on the whole, to be very capable. My favorites were Ramon de Ocampo’s intense performance as the strung-out Joey Sands and Ivan Davila as the super-flamboyant “Perlita.”
Overall, I recommend the play to anyone interested in the Philippines, or who has familiarity with the culture. I felt that the production itself was very well executed, even if the story wasn’t perfectly cohesive. (From what I’ve heard, though, Hagedorn’s novel isn’t exactly easy to translate to the stage.)
Finally, a little caution for the easily offended: there’s plenty of swearing and some sexual content (no nudity at least).