THE HANGOVER REPORT – Orlando Pabotoy’s lovingly recounted semi-autobiographical solo show SESAR is authentic, dreamy

Orlando Pabotoy in Ma-Yi Theater Company's production of "Sesar" at Theatre Row.

Orlando Pabotoy in Ma-Yi Theater Company’s production of “Sesar” at Theatre Row.

I recently had the opportunity to catch Orlando Pabotoy’s moving one-man show Sesar, presented by Ma-Yi Theater Company at Theatre Row. The sentimental yet clear-eyed play, written and starring Mr. Pabotoy, tells the semi-autobiographical story of a Filipino boy and how his infatuation with Shakespeare – particularly Julius Caesar – becomes the unlikely impetus for further developing a bond with his father.

Mr. Orlando’s compact, passionately-performed play, which is comprised of a number of passages recounting various points in his youth, is clearly very near and dear to the playwright’s heart, despite being a tad muddled. The play jumps across time and space with dexterity, depicting domestic life in the Philippines, Japan, and the United States (the family’s various homes over the years), despite the show’s brief running time. Additionally, the play is also partially performed in Visayan (and a touch of Fijian), one of the Philippines many dialects, injecting an element of authenticity to the tale.

Richard Feldman takes his directorial cues from Mr. Pabotoy’s dreamlike text, creating a memory-driven staging that is visually rich and moves with organic fluidity. Even though I suspect those not very familiar with the Filipino culture might get a little lost at points amidst the not insignificant references and stretches of spoken Visayan, Mr. Pabotoy’s charismatic performance (he skillfully plays a number of characters in the piece) undoubtedly grounds the play with honesty and grace.

RECOMMENDED

 

SESAR
Off-Broadway, Play
Ma-Yi Theater Company at Theatre Row
1 hour, 15 minutes (without an intermission)
Through November 1

Categories: Off-Broadway, Theater

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