REVIEW: Redefining cafés and community in ‘Sari-Sali Portal Cafe’
PETA and Kyoto-based theater group BRDG’s “Sari-Sali Portal Café” ambitiously attempts to challenge and expand our understanding of cafés as communal spaces through a concept-driven theatrical experience.
While the production aimed to present fresh perspectives on Filipino and Japanese café culture, it struggles to deliver a compelling narrative that would elevate its thoughtful premise.
The devised theater piece, directed by Ian Segarra and Keiko Yamaguchi, weaves together three distinct stories centered around different interpretations of communal dining spaces. We follow Ayaka (Hitomi Nagasu), a Japanese tourist searching for an authentic sari-sari store experience in the Philippines; Mayumi (Zoe Damag), a Filipino music teacher adapting to life in Japan through a community café; and Kaloy (Julio Garcia), an activist running a pay-what-you-can karinderya serving kare-kare.
The cast interacts with the audience; Photo Credit: PETA
The production’s strength lies in its exploration of café spaces beyond their Western conception. Through audience interaction at the start, the show asks some audience members what café means to them before expanding beyond preconceptions that often bring to mind how we spend our time in Big Coffee establishments.
The bilingual presentation, featuring both Filipino and Japanese dialogue with thoughtfully deployed surtitles, reinforces the cultural exchange. Set designer Ralph Lumbres creates an effective in-the-round staging that transforms between locations. The minimalist yet stylized approach was able to distinguish between the various dining establishments – from a street vendor’s karinderya to a Japanese brick-and-mortar – through strategic use of set pieces and costume elements like carefully worn aprons and cardigans.
Hiroyuki Kozaka brings engaging energy to Yoshi, the café worker, particularly amusing audiences with his sometimes creditable delivery of Tagalog lines. In contrast, Nagasu’s portrayal of Ayaka, while serving the show’s running bit featuring her wandering through the stage murmuring directions in Japanese, was less of a presence than the other three. Garcia embodies the altruistic Kaloy convincingly, while Damag’s portrayal of Mayumi occasionally veers into an overly presentational style than trying to mold into the world of her portal café better.
L-R: Hiroyuki Kozaka and Zoe Damag; Photo Credit: PETA
Where the production falters is in its storytelling. Rather than developing fully formed narratives, it presents character sketches that seem more focused on conveying messages than telling compelling stories.
The more memorable moments aren’t the sense of found community the show seemed to be aiming for but the characters’ struggles: Ayaka’s disappointment after her long journey, Mayumi’s draining volunteer work, and Kaloy’s depleting resources – but these threads remain frustratingly underdeveloped.
While “Sari-Sali Portal Cafe” succeeds in expanding and reimagining café spaces as sites of community building, its impact is ultimately limited by its preference for concept over narrative cohesion.
Tickets: Free
Show Dates: December 6-8, 2024
Venue: PETA Theater Center
Running Time: approx. 1 hour and 30 mins (no intermission)
Company: Philippine Educational Theater Association
Creatives: Ian Segarra (director), Keiko Yamaguchi (director), J-mee Katanyag (playwright consultant), Ness Roque (dramaturg), David Esguerra (lighting designer), Ralph Lumbres (set and production designer), Toru Koda (sound designer)
Cast: Hitomi Nagasu, Hiroyuki Kozaka, Zoe Damag, Julio Garcia
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