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Reyes, Jade Alec L. D-3R “Elbi Pie 15: Ruffo vs Raffles: Last December 09, 2011 I watched Elbi Pie 15 : Rufo vs Raffles in the NCAS auditorium as was required in our English 2 subject. The play was about unrequited love where the two main characters Rufo and Raffles experienced love but from different perspective; Rufo being the one who is irrevocably in love while Raffles was the heart breaker. It is amazing how people from different places delivers a synonymous story about love. The mood was set in the intermission number before the actual dialogue of Rufo and Raffles.
There were lots of showcase of talents including the dance number of wyre underground and different comedy monologues about the failed love life of different females. The real fun started when Rufo entered the stage carried by a number of men. Rufo was a homosexual teacher. He loved this guy but had his feelings rejected; so now he uses his students to get over him doing some dirty things(some to dirty for my taste). Raffles is a very smart girl who has a very committed admirer. She rejects him every time because she already loved somebody else.
The play ended with a very powerful synchronized question “Nananakit o nasasaktan? Sino ka sa kanila? Pag-isipan Mo. ” Prof. Elmer Rufo (Rufo) played his part well; so well that he may have over shadowed Raffles’s monologues. Most of the audiences are too busy watching Rufo roam the crowds for a potential prey. There was no equality in delivering their line it was Rufo who was always in the lime light; maybe it was really the nature of the character to be uptight but that has never been a crowd favorite.
Despite this unbalance; I really like the transition between their lines where after Raffles speak Rufo will start where she ended giving an illusion that these two people are telling the exact story. It complemented the theme very well. The mood was set very well by the intermission numbers especially the monologues. The design of the play was superb considering the theme. Rufo roamed the crowds and even letting a few mahjongeras laugh at the microphone. He has made the play interactive which was really a nice complement to the theme which everybody can relate to.
Up to this point I am unsure if there is really something about homosexuals that make them excel in comedy. Everybody loved him and I would also like to give a hand of applause for the guys who were picked to join Rufo in the stage. They were such great sport. But the thing that really defines this play is their script; one might say that this play has more quotable quotes than Vice Ganda’s “Unkabogable”. Also the main plot is parallel to the main plot of most of our love life, the compromise and sacrifices of people for this so called love. This nature of the script has evoked surprising reactions from the audience including myself.