New and original stage play ‘DickTalk’ bares all about maleness and masculinity—but did it satisfy?

The series of monologues kicked off with a familiar coming-of-age story. Jun-jun is a young boy amid his sexual awakening. We witness how he traverses adolescence’s awkward phases as any other teenager—from the dreaded sit-down talks with his parents to the first time he felt something physical for a girl at school. Aceron’s energetic portrayal of the character was so believable I assumed for a minute that he is, in fact, an underaged actor (he’s not). Coupled with his laudable comedic timing, all the awkwardness of growing up was transformed into a light-hearted tale of self-discovery.

See also: Here’s how Andrea Gunawan is crushing sexual health taboos in Indonesia

DickTalk’s effort for inclusivity shines in the stories of Rob and Cecile. Nodalo portrayed Rob, a trans man undergoing gender-affirming surgery, while Morales played a ‘metrosexual’ guy in the character of Cecile. Making jokes about a subject as delicate as gender transition can slightly get offensive, but the histrionics made me laugh with Rob, not at him–thanks to the writers and Adamos’ acting abilities.

Speaking of delicate subjects, here’s one: an effeminate straight man. I am hesitant to use the term ‘metrosexual’ because I would like to believe that society has progressed from merely equating one’s sexual identity to one’s expression. And this is the point of Cecile’s monologue. It was easy to misconstrue this bit as ‘internalised homophobia’, but the playwriting made it very clear that Cecile is not afraid to be gay—it’s just that he isn’t. This is where the scriptwriters’ expertise came full throttle. The nonlinear storytelling built the tension enough for me to stay enthralled, broken with one or two quips to make the audience laugh. I kept wanting more until the heart-wrenching but equally satisfying ending. Morales’ refreshing portrayal was one of the highlights of the whole play.

See also: Why laws in Asia need to catch up with the LGBTQ movement

And we come to the more serious part. Adamos is a theatre veteran, and his portrayal of Doods, a retired teacher saving his marriage, is nonetheless convincing. However, the script fell short of giving the character a redemption arc after he admitted to committing adultery. Sure, he stayed with his wife in the end, but it was not enough to make me root for their marriage, as Doods did not show enough remorse for the situation. His whole bit of using a metaphor of food to compare women inadequately painted a picture of his frustration with erectile dysfunction. It was, for me, reductive at best. 

Cuenca did the most in his sophomore theatre performance as Peter, with the intense shouting, the tearless crying, and hints going the full Monty. Peter is a professional escort trying to escape the shadows of his parents, who were bold stars during Philippine cinema's 'pene' era. His monologue touched on issues too complex to work onstage. It gave us a look into the unknown lives of sex workers–driving the point that beyond the sexy bodies are human beings with other lived experiences not centred on sex. The ambitious project, sadly, bit more than it could chew, which is quite a shame as Cuenca dared to bare it all onstage (literally and figuratively).

See also: Meet Bowie Lam, an advocate for Hong Kong's sex workers

The five characters returned to the stage to share their triumph over their individual problems. In a play full of monologues, excessive telling takes out the mysticism of the art, leaving us with a piece that is more of an expository essay.

DickTalk's strength is in the nuances. Vicencio and Garcia's humorous approach kept the crowd stuck to their seats, and there was no boring bit. And the actors did the script justice to the best of their abilities. Add to that the amazing set design and props that elevated the viewing experience. Noble's vision was on full display.

However, I felt some characters and plotlines were more fleshed out than others. Ultimately, as this is inspired by the iconic "Vagina Monologues", the context in which the play came to be has changed. Sexual profanity is not as shocking anymore, and I am just not sure that a monologue is the best treatment to truly analyse and problematise the issues of heterosexual men.

In conclusion, DickTalk has more ups than downs. Admittedly, there were many firsts in this play, namely V-Roll Media Ventures' first production and the debut performances of Aceron and Nodalo. With this play, they're off to a promising start. The fact that they even dared to take on a project as onerous as this is already a feat on its own.

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