An Interesting Play, With A Twist
By Gabrielle Andres
God of Carnage was definitely an interesting play with a rather simple story. Anette and Alan’s son Benjamin had injured Veronica and Michael’s son Henry by hitting him on the face with a stick in a playground brawl. Their parents met to settle the issue once and for all, but not without their own agendas: Veronica insists that Benjamin be held responsible for her son’s injury while Anette insists that her son had a reason for what he did and should be excused.
Although they tried to be civil at first, eventually each of them revealed problems that they have been carrying around unsaid. The play delved into issues of marital relationships and how keeping all of one’s feelings under wraps would eventually cause it to explode all at once when triggered, for example, when Anette drunkenly revealed her frustration at her husband’s lack of interest in anything other than work and when Veronica expressed her exasperation with her ‘Neanderthal’ of a husband. Eventually the conversation moved away from their children’s issues and instead focused on their own.
Something that I really liked in this play was the diversity of the characters. All of the characters had distinct personalities that contributed to the entire flow of the play- the sarcastic Michael, the workaholic Alan, Anette the frustrated wife and the idealistic Veronica.
The actors were also something to take note of. This is a play that depended a lot on how the lines were delivered, and the actors performed spectacularly. One actor I had found extremely exceptional was Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo, who shone in her role as Anette. She carried the subdued character well and surprised me with how realistically she portrayed a drunk. Adrian Pang, as well, was wonderful as Michael, with his sarcastic quips that left the audience in stitches (as well as his defensive statements whenever someone brought up the hamster he set free).
Overall, it was a play that, I think, lived up to the hype. It was hilarious, it was well-acted out and it was thought-provoking. I, for one, am glad to have seen this play. Not only was it a chance to see my idol Lea Salonga live, I also managed to get something out of it: There is always more to the story than meets the eye.
Oh, and before I go, I must warn those of you planning to watch: watch out for flying vomit.
