Lea Salonga as an unnamed Filipino nurse in a scene from “Request Sa Radyo.” Image: Sandro Paredes via Request sa Radyo

The first few minutes of “Request Sa Radyo” starts with an everyday routine. A woman — bundled up in winter clothes after a busy work day — returns home and sighs. But while being exhausted after a long day is nothing new, her deadpan expression and lifeless eyes, show the difficulty of navigating isolation and the noise of one’s inner demons, amidst what appears to be a mask of solitude.

Based on Franz Xaver Kroetz’s play “Wunschkonzert (Request Program),” “Request Sa Radyo” is done in silence. In alternate portrayals, Lea Salonga and Dolly de Leon portray an unnamed overseas Filipino nurse craving personal security, amid the hardships of working abroad. Throughout her nightly routine, she finds comfort through the radio program “Request Sa Radyo” which brings a moment of normalcy into her life.

Salonga is widely known for her clear voice and magnetic presence in musicals. But in the “Request Sa Radyo,” she risks stripping off what the public knows of her. In the two-hour play, she was disheveled and expressionless, as she portrayed the soulless life of an OFW in isolation. Her background as a theater and film actress was her biggest advantage, allowing her movements and lifeless eyes to do most of the “talking” in the 400-seater arena.

While the intimate setting initially felt like a peek into the solitude of Salonga’s character, her overly tidy apartment, calculated movements, and nightly routine timed until the last second is a mask of a nurse who’s desperately trying to keep her inner demons in check so it wouldn’t explode into the surface. But her personal baggage finds its way at certain moments — such as a scene where her character cleans her apartment and organizes her dinner table, but in a “pagdadabog” way.

Lea Salonga portrays a nameless overseas Filipino nurse in “Request Sa Radyo” in an alternate lead role with Dolly de Leon. Image: Sandro Paredes via Request sa Radyo

Her inner struggles take a backseat as soon as Salonga tunes in to “Request Sa Radyo” which plays a string of OPM classics including Bamboo’s “Hallelujah,” and Ben&Ben’s “Leaves.” This moment of composure reflects the character doing her tasks with ease, such as slowly tidying up her apartment, breaking out into a silent sing-along to one of the songs, and engaging in a color-by-the-numbers hobby.

But as soon as DJ bids goodbye to her listeners, Salonga’s solitude transforms into a silent hell, with the inner demons gnawing at her character. The climax takes place as she prepares herself for bed, but struggles to fall asleep. While she — and the theater lights — switch off, she engages in an internal struggle of trying to fall asleep, much to her disappointment.

While sleepless nights are normal for some, Salonga wordlessly wrestling with ways to bring herself into the solitude she craves becomes an adrenaline rush — even desperately gazing at her color-by-the-numbers masterpiece to bring joy — until she reaches for what appears to be a bottle of sleeping pills and vodka.

Image: Sandro Paredes via Request sa Radyo

Taking on a silent play is a gamble for Salonga, as she’s remembered for her roles in musicals. But “Request Sa Radyo” shows her depth and vulnerability to let viewers into her character’s inner demons through masterfully weaving subdued movements and big expressions solely through her eyes. Finding the balance between expressive gestures and “mata mata” acting is a challenge for many actors, but she proved that her experiences as an actress and singer in multiple mediums were her biggest asset in pulling off her role.

Not a lot of people will understand Salonga’s portrayal of the character, as loneliness shown in silence is usually misunderstood — especially in an era where mental health struggles are viewed as a forced duty to speak up or an opportunity for virtue signaling. But her relaxed and adrenaline-inducing movements and soulless expressions show not only her commitment to the role but also wordless solidarity with those going through the same pain.

It’s one thing to meticulously study a role for a picture-perfect portrayal, but Salonga gives a small room to feel her character’s silent cries reflected throughout the play, highlighting her empathy.

Image: Sandro Paredes via Request sa Radyo

“Request Sa Radyo” is not for everyone. It’s a wordless play that doesn’t have the extravagance and over-the-top glamor of musicals, which can understandably turn others off. But it’s a piece that commands attention through silence, and how its realistic moments — almost to the point of making the viewers question their sanity as well — remind the viewers that struggling with loneliness manifests through stillness.

The play also shows that pain happens when you’re left alone. What is initially thought to be mere sadness can be a silent monster locked in the depths of your mind, until it turns out to be a monstrous leviathan, consuming you with no escape.

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“Request Sa Radyo” is running until October 20 at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater in Makati.jili90

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