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Monday 12 May 2008


Philippine Educational Theater Association
41st Theater Season

In the midst of the globalization, global warming, poverty, the bombardment of information technology and media, what do we artists have to address as the primary target of our work? The major role of any art or media is to “influence” tastes, habits and possibly even points of views. The speed by which information is spread and the level of influence that it engenders challenges us to sharpen our messages to contribute not only to an awareness of our current social conditions but also to promote critical thinking among our audiences (no matter what age, gender and social status they belong to) through performances that are engaging and which make use of language and forms familiar to them; performances that both entertain and educate.

Our 41st Theater Season recognizes the role of the writer in crafting these performances and shaping the messages that will be sent to those at the receiving end of these messages - the audience. It will thus feature the Writer and his work. It will involve works of major Filipino writers as adapted by contemporary writers to reflect our current conditions. And in the same tradition, it will showcase works by European writers to allow both our artists and audiences to expand their perspective by allowing the works of these masters to mirror our own realities.

NOLI AT FILI 2000 (DOS MIL). Our first season offering begins with Rizal and his two influential works: Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. Nic Tiongson, respected academic and Philippine Culture expert adapts these two books into one contemporary play set in a small town in the Quezon province. In this adaptation, the small town politics and social mores become the backdrop of Rizal’s novels. The question of where change really emanates will be explored as we see how after a hundred years later Rizal’s novel resonates in contemporary Philippine Culture.

Performances: July 18-20, 25-27, August 1-3, 8-10, 15-17, 22-24, 2008 (10:00 am and 3:00 pm)

TOSCA. Our adaptation of Tosca as a collaboration with Black Tent Theater of Japan and the Practice Theater of Singapore. Our three companies collaborate to explore Puccini’s Opera in three approaches. PETA sets its interpretation during the Japanese occupation and Tosca becomes the battle ground of Japanese Imperialism, patriotic love and selfish greed. Three interpretations intersect at certain points and create a tapestry of interpolations on the Puccini’s Opera.



Performances: August 29-30, 2008 (2:30 pm and 7:30 pm)







The Prince with the long nose and the portraits of their ancestors, a scene from “Mga Kwento ni Lola Basyang”








MGA KUWENTO NI LOLA BASYANG & BATANG RIZAL (The Stories of Lola Basyang and Young Rizal). A back to back of presentation of our Children’s Theater productions, written by Christine Bellen. Lola Basyang will feature three of Severino Reyes’ folktales, our version of Hans Christian Andersen or the Grimm Brothers. The stories will tackle the mythical journeys into self discovery and value formation. Batang Rizal will revisit the notions of heroism and love of country from the point of view of a child. The path of young Pepe (Rizal) crosses with a contemporary boy named Pepito. Together they traverse time and history to unravel the child’s understanding of what is truly heroic and selfless.

Performances: September 19-21, 26-28, October 3-5, 10-12, 2008








Pepe holds on to Doña Lolay from “Batang Rizal”






SAAN BA TAYO IHAHATID NG DISYEMBRE? (Where Will December Lead Us?) is the third of Tony Perez’s trilogy on friendship love and compassion. Oktubre, Noong Tayo’y Nagmamahalan Pa (October, When We Were Still in Love) and Nobyembre, Noong Akala Ko’y Mahal Kita (November, When I Thought I Still Love You) were previously produced by the Cultural Center of the Philippines in the 1990s. Disyembre (December) brings the trilogy to its closure and at the same time, a full circle to its beginning. The play is about the unbreakable love and bonding between best friends and among family members, despite complications of betrayal, jealousy and anger. Here we gaze into a personal and micro lens that focus on the psychological dimensions of a traditional Filipino family in the midst of their histories and intertwined relationships.

Performances: November 14-16, 21-23, 28-30, December 5-7, 2008

ADAPTING THE EUROPEAN MASTERS. The season ends with a pseudo festival that will showcase an end to a ten month project that will take at least forty of our artist be they writers, directors and actors into the study of European playwrights like Ibsen, Chekov and Strindberg. The study begins with the analysis of the text as written during its time. Specific scenes will be chosen to be mounted in a Laboratory production. The final phase will see our young playwrights adapting these classics into contemporary Filipino adaptations using various approaches and styles.

Performances: February 6-8, 13-15, 20-22, 27-28, March 1, 6-8, 13-15, 2009

We hope you will join us in another year of wondrous theater experience.


Maribel Legarda*
Artistic Director
PETA

*******

*Ma. Isabel A. Legarda or “Maribel” as she is usually called is the Artistic Director of the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA). She is one of the country’s pioneers in the use of multi-media in theater, producing plays that feature cutting-edge visuals and highly entertaining fares for audiences. As a PETA Artist-Teacher, she has been involved in over 80 productions as an actress, dancer, director and choreographer and has conducted numerous workshops locally and internationally. She has also directed a number of plays which have been hailed by audience and critics both for its aesthetics and content.

PETA SEA Group
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