One more time: Red Turnip re-stages 'Cock' on October 3 to 5

What happens when a gay man with a long-time partner takes a break from the relationship and meets the girl of his dreams?

What happens when we realize that — in life — we always, always have a choice? Will we see it as a blessing or a curse?

Mike Bartlett's "Cock" revolves around these questions, stripped of all props and distraction, and focuses on the main characters: John, M, W, and M's dad.

We caught up with Jenny Jamora, theater actress and one of the five founders of Red Turnip, the theater company that staged "Cock" last March and that is re-staging it this weekend, October 3 to 5, at Whitespace Manila. Jenny reprises her role as M and answers our questions candidly.

If you have seen "Cock" before or if you have not seen it ever, why should you go watch it this time? Read on for Jenny's answers:

Hi, Jenny! We heard from Toots [Tolentino] that you guys are currently rehearsing for Red Turnip’s re-staging of “Cock.” How are the rehearsals so far?
Really interesting. You’d think they’d just be like pick-up rehearsals — they’re not. There is an element of muscle memory of the physicality of moving and speaking. But we made sure to first go back to the text — to sit down and read again as if it were the first time. The results are really interesting. It’s like another light bulb’s been switched on and there’s a more settled but richer view of the text.

Why did you decide to re-stage it?
When the first run finished, we heard a lot of people express regret over missing it. Plus, we were really encouraged by the overwhelmingly positive response we got last March. We thought it would be great for those who missed it to get to see it, and for those who’d watched only from one side to see it from another (since there are at least four angles to watch from).

Why are you re-staging it for three days only? Why not a longer engagement?
We have five shows within three days (October 3, 4 and 5). We did all the math and we found that to be the ideal rerun length.

How has 2014 been for Red Turnip?
Fantastic. We closed the First Season with the first run of “Cock” in March to April. Then we opened the Second Season with “Rabbit Hole,” a play by David Lindsay-Abaire, in August. With “Rabbit Hole,” we were able to show the versatility of the company. Audiences got just as emotionally invested as in “Closer” and “Cock,” but this time, the focus was on family. We were also so proud to add Topper Fabregas to the list of directors to watch out for.

What can theater lovers look forward to from Red Turnip in 2015?
“Time Stands Still,” by Donald Margulies, rounds out the Second Season in February. Rem Zamora directs that. It’s our Valentine offering since it’s a love story. It’s about the compromises we all make in love, in work, and particular to this play, war. It touches on the ethical issues about the world we live in, the intricacies of love and friendship, and the emotional perils of professional success.

The Third Season debuts in mid-2015. We’re very excited for everyone to experience yet another side to Red Turnip, with another shift in tone and style. We’re pushing ourselves into unchartered territory even for us, with material that deals with going beyond the conventions of time and space. Nevertheless, it will all tie in to the core of what Red Turnip is about: the pleasurable catharsis of moving stories, all wrapped up in the Red Turnip experience — the varied use of space, the interaction with the artists, and all that with a drink in hand.

Please give us a brief history of Red Turnip, and tell us how things have progressed for the group since your inception and launch.
Red Turnip was three years in the making before it launched in July 2013. At its core is five friends — myself, Ana Abad Santos, Topper Fabregas, Cris Villonco and Rem Zamora. We happened to find ourselves wanting the same thing at the same time: to bring back the “straight play” — the play without music — in a theater scene that was increasingly being dominated by musicals.

We wanted to bring focus back to the spectacle of well-acted, well-written, character-driven scenes, to give audiences an option to the spectacle of production numbers and large sets. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. We love musicals, we all grew up in theater doing musicals. But we also love the vulnerability of text without music, and we love that the actor takes on a larger responsibility in the interpretation of that, since there is no music to fall back on.

We debuted with “Closer” (by Patrick Marber) in October 2013 in Whitespace — which isn’t usually used as a theatrical space. From then on, we’ve established ourselves as a different kind of theatrical experience. We bring the audience up close to the action in the play. We allow drinks into the theater — something very important to us.

We want to engage our audiences as much as possible. We want them to have a great time. After the show, we make sure we (the Turnips) and the actors hang out with whoever wants to chat about the material, or have a drink with us.

Why should people come watch “Cock”? For those who haven’t seen it? For those who have already seen it?
Simply put, it’s a great time. Mike Bartlett wrote such a well-written and fun play about a truly intriguing subject matter — sexual identity. And, of course, what it all boils down to love. The execution is really interesting, too: it’s four characters in a sabungan. No props or sets or miming to lean on. Just the text and chemistry and interaction between us.

And Rem really ties in the whole concept with our relationships. The fact that it’s like a cockfight, or that the scenes are like rounds in a boxing match, is not a gimmick. He made sure we’re always truthful. Plus, everyone in the theater becomes a community — everyone is seeing how everyone else is reacting, some audience members can’t help but react audibly, then others play off that. It’s all part of the experience.

Our audiences in the first run got so engaged — everyone identified with one or more of the four characters. Someone came up to me and said she wanted to punch my character — but in a good way. I’ve had guys come up to me and say they identified with my character! Come watch “Cock,” and you will have a great time. We promise!

For those who’ve already seen it, come again! It’s apparent in rehearsals now that some things we didn’t see the first time are surfacing. There are line readings that are different now. There are interpretations that are richer. If you only watched it once, come and sit in another section. We’re fully in the round so you can watch at least four times and see something new and different each time.

What lessons can be learned from “Cock”? What are the key takeaways?
I’d encourage everyone to watch and take what they want from it. For me, you love who you love — no need to apologize for it, and you take the consequences, too. And for the bystanders, keep an open mind.

Red Turnip's "Cock" stars Topper Fabregas, Niccolo Manahan, Audie Gemora and Jenny Jamora. Rem Zamora directs. John Batalla is technical director and lighting designer. Denis Lagdameo is set designer. Gold Soon is stage manager. Mariko Yasuda is production manager. Music is by Jethro Joaquin.

Dates of performances are: Oct 3 - 9pm, Oct 4 - 4pm and 8pm, and Oct 5 - 4pm and 8pm. Whitespace Manila is in Pasong Tamo Extension (aka Chino Roces Avenue Extension), Makati City. Tickets are available in the Red Turnip website and at Ticketworld.