BISAYA
ENGLISH: PROSE AND POEMS EVERY DAY
ROTSEN
ETOLLE: World class
By
JC Nigado
ROTSEN’S
impersonation act stands on its own, holding a candle
to
anything of the same sort or other anywhere in the world. Is it unique?
Not
exactly, but precisely is the point in picking it out in an
array
of similar club acts: It speaks fluently without words.
Rotsen raises the bar of lipsynch
and impersonation. His impressions
onstage
employ not just imitation to details but also pantomime, deftly expressing in
gestures the absence of speak. The effect is riotous and resounding,
attentive
watchers want more. His repertoire is intelligent entertainment and never boring,
it’s
almost a challenge every time. Rotsen roars and soars in angular, jazzy beats,
hinting
at the Chaplinesque and the early days.
Best suited for intimate audiences because of
its performance-art ambience,
Rotsen’s
act, ironically, could also appeal to the masses, if shown on TV, maybe,
but
not among large crowds, and live. The throng will drown his genius and
brilliant
nuances, simply because his is a “silent act.” His loud moves
and
other body language notwithstanding, Rotsen’s comic genius is specified in the
tradition
of, well, almost, Marcel Marceau and Buster Keaton, minus the plus-song
vocals,
any old time. Is there an “original” mimic bearing torch?
Rotsen’s basically a comedy bar number
sans the risqué features. It’s
seductive,
yes, but not in the usual “seducing” way. In his best element, Rotsen
could
change theater as we know it.
Remember the name, Rotsen Etolle:
Like many comics, he gives the impression that
he
is made of serious, sterner stuff, few poets could capture him in words.
Wednesday, 17 August 2016
After meditation, 5:47 a.m.
Tagurabong
City, Philippines
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