16 UP FORUM Volume 13 No. 6 November-December 2012
Los Baños mounted its own under Tony Mabesa and Leo Rimando.
Nationalist fervor That busy theatrical calendar went on from the 50’s to the 60’s. In the 70’s, during The First Quarter Storm, the activists staged plays like "Barrikada," "Ang Paglilitis Ni Mang Serapio" and nationalistic plays that damned Imperialism, Feudalism and Bureaucrat Capitalism. The nationalist fervor became so strong that even Repertory Philippines staged a Bertolt Brecht play with Imee Marcos playing the daughter of Mother Courage. Soon, UP plays were openly against militarism when Martial Law was declared on September 21, 1972. Youth organizations like KM (Kabataang Makabayan) and SDK (Samahan ng Demokratikong Kabataan) set up their own cultural chapters like Sinag-Bayan and Gintong Silahis that performed against national ills in Plaza Miranda, rallies and strike areas. They helped popularize the Isms activists were against and propagated Serve the People. It was in such rallies that Willie Nepomuceno honed his talent at mimicking the likes of Marcos and the Metrocom. These activist productions were performed in Philippine languages to ensure they communicated to the masses who watched the “life-changing” performances in very noisy public areas like markets and streets as well as unruly demonstrations. Thus, the dialogue was often rendered in a choral manner, repetitive and very fiery in nature to win over the masses to radical and revolutionary causes. The UP Repertory Company was founded in 1974 to combat the censorship that was in place during Martial Law. The UP Rep sought help from both religious chapels. For example, it rehearsed in the
Protestant chapel and performed in the Catholic chapel. The students did these for "Kahapon, Ngayon at Bukas" as well as "Pagsambang Bayan." In other venues, it staged plays like "Sigaw Ng Bayan" and "Estados Unidos bersus Juan Matapang Cruz" to standing room (SRO) only crowds. The UP Rep performed before student audiences. But it also attracted the ‘outside’ audience unhappy with oppressive military censorship that restrained exchange of ideas and criticism against the Marcos government. Of course, there were A scene from the play "St. Louis Loves Dem Filipinos," written by Floy Quintos regular arrests of both faculty and students of UP. They were hauled to military camps Maureen Tiongco was one of the first tion of Martial Law, the organizers of the like Aguinaldo, Crame, Bagong Diwa in Filipinas on Broadway when she appeared Festival did not include two UP plays in Bicutan as well as Bonifacio. with the international cast of the 1957 their official list of plays but some internaThe UP Repertory Company director"Flower Drum Song" production directed tional delegates came to see a production founder was arrested four times together by Gene Kelly. of "Barikada" and told the others about with three of his members. While incarYears later, she returned to direct a local the production. cerated in Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan version of Flower Drum Song to raise Two buses of delegates came to cheer he staged Aurelio Tolentino’s anti-colonial funds for the Cultural Center of the Philipthe red flag-waving activists of Gintong play classic "Kahapon, Ngayon at Bukas" pines. Silahis, the cultural arm of the Samahang with Nelia Sancho, Satur Ocampo, Pepe Yes, UP has a splendid tradition of Demokratikong Kabataan. They also came Luneta and Edicio de la Torre as some of Theater. But Freddie is gone. Severino to enjoy the Sigma Delta production of the cast members. is gone as well. Daisy is retired. Lino is "The Short Short Life of Citizen Juan" by Even the military personnel were gone. Bernie, too. Amelia Lapeña Bonifacio on another night. impressed with the production and told However, their dramatic legacy lives A splendid tradition the director ”Kung sa bagay...” after the on as Dulaang UP continues to make the Student actors had turned professionproduction. campus a bastion of great Theatre in the als. Eugene Domingo,Mengie CobarUP students supported outright chalPhilippines. rubias, Ces Quesada, Kata Inocencio, lenges against the Martial Law regime. --------------Tony Mabesa and Jon Santos are among Red flags as well as the singing of "Bayan The author is retired professor of the most prominent. Lyon, Lisa and Leila Ko" was a typical ending of a UP stage Theater Arts and theatre actor/director. Florentino as well as Lani Sumalinog are production. He is also First Vice-President of the performing abroad. They all display the When a World Festival of Theatre was UP Alumni Association. Email him at fine training they received from UP. held in the Philippines before the declarabehn_cervantes@yahoo.com. Photo from http://www.ovcrd.upd.edu.ph/researchlines/2010/05/20/hello-world-2/
THE UP TRADITION OF THEATRE... continued from page 15
UP Theater Timeline
By Amy Bonifacio-Romolete
1930: The UP Dramatic Club was born with Jean Garrott Edades as one of the 1st directors; it was a campus theater group based at UP Manila and later in Diliman. 1947-1966: The UP Dramatic Club was revitalized under Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero. 1951: The LA/AS Lecture Hall was inaugurated with a production of John von Druten’s "I Remember Mama" by the UP Dramatic Club. 1961: "Walking Canes and Fans" by Amelia LapeñaBonifacio, directed by Benjamin Cervantes, was staged. 1962-1981: The UP Mobile Theatre, the country’s first theatre-on-wheels, was founded by Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero. Other Guerrero plays performed: "Wanted a Chaperone," "Half An Hour in a Convent," "Three Rats," and many more. 1974: The UP Repertory Company, a student theater organization, was founded by Behn Cervantes. The UP Rep produced plays directed by Behn Cervantes: "Moses, Moses" (Rogelio Sicat); "Pagbibinyag sa Apoy at Dugo/Walking Canes and Fans" (Amelia Lapeña-Bonifacio); "Dapithapon" (Domingo Landicho); "Pagsambang Bayan" (Bonifacio Ilagan); and "Miss Dulce Extranjera o ang Paghahanap kay Miss B" (Sir Anril Tiatco) directed by La Verne Lacap. It also staged "Dula-tula" (play-poem) street plays: "Iskolar ng Bayan," "Ang Kagila-gilalas na Pakikipagsapalaran ni Juan dela Cruz," "Juan Obrero," and "Ped Xing." 1972: The first book on Philippine Theatre was published: The Seditious Tagalog Playwrights:
Early American Occupation by Amelia LapeñaBonifacio. 1976: Dulaang UP was founded by Tony Mabesa as the theatre and production arm of the Department of Speech Communication and Theatre Arts. It produced translations/adaptations: "Pagkahabahaba Man ng Prusisyon sa Simbahan din ang Tuloy" (Lilia Antonio)/"Much Ado About Nothing" (William Shakespeare) direction Tony Mabesa; "Pabilog na Guhit ng Tisa" (Leopoldo Cancio)/"Caucasian Chalk Circle" (Bertolt Brecht) dir. Tony Mabesa; "M Butterfly" (David Henry Hwang) dir. Tony Mabesa; "Largo Desolato" (Vaclav Havel/Ramon Jocson, trans.) dir. Jose Estrella; "The Imaginary Invalid" (Moliere)/"Hakang Kathang May Sakit" (Rebecca Anonuevo) dir. Amiel Leonardia. It also staged important Filipino works: "Close-up" (Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero) dir. Tony Mabesa; "In Dis Corner" (Reuel Aguila) dir. Anton Juan; "Taong Grasa" (Anton Juan, Jr.) dir. Anton Juan, Jr.; "Fili" (Floy Quintos) dir. Tony Mabesa; "…And St. Louis Loves Dem Filipinos" (Floy Quintos) dir. Tony Mabesa; "Ang Paglilitis/The Trial" (Adrian Cristobal) dir. Alexander Cortez; "The Merry Wives of Manila" (Severino Montano) dir. Ogie Juliano; "Orosman at Zafira" (Francisco Baltazar) dir. Dexter Santos; "Atang The Musical" (Floy Quintos) dir. Alexander Cortez; "Noli Me Tangere: The Opera" (Felipe Padilla de Leon & Guillermo Tolentino) dir. Alexander Cortez; "Forsaken House" (Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero) dir. Tony Mabesa. Sept. 16, 1976: Opening of the AS Lecture at the Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero Theater with the production of Amelia Lapeña-Bonifacio’s "Ang Bundok," a modern sarsuwela directed by Behn Cervantes.
1977: The Teatrong Mulat ng Pilipinas was founded by Amelia Lapeña-Bonifacio as a children’s theatre and puppetry troupe. It staged the following plays written and directed by Amelia Lapeña-Bonifacio: "Abadeja: Ang Ating Sinderela"; "Ang Manok at ang Lawin"; "Ang Pagong at ang Tsonggo"; "Ang Paghuhukom"; "Papet Pasyon"; "Si Bertong Bulag at si Pedrong Pilay"; "Si Suan, si Suan"; "Sisa"; "Dalawang Bayani" and "Sita and Rama: Papet Ramayana" (dir. Amihan Bonifacio-Ramolete) 1986: The UP Playwright’s Theater was founded by Tony Mabesa. As the theatre and production arm of the Department of Speech Communication and Theatre Arts that featured new works by Filipino playwrights. Plays: "Death in the Form of a Rose" (Anton Juan) dir. Anton Juan; "Sepang Loca" (Amelia Lapeña-Bonifacio)/ "Dead Stars" (Paz Marquez Benitez) dir. Anton Juan; "Fake" (Floy Quintos) dir. Tony Mabesa; "Umaaraw, Umuulan Kinakasal ang Tikbalang" (Rody Vera/Gilda Cordero-Fernando’s "The Magic Circle") dir. Jose Estrella 1988: The Sining Pangkabataan of Dulaang UP was founded by Antoinette Bass-Hernandez and Edna May Landicho as the children’s theatre arm of the Department of Speech Communication and Theatre Arts. It produced: "Tagisan"; "Tikbalang", plays written and directed by Edna May Landicho such as "Damit ng Emperador," "Bisperas ng Pasko," "Engkantado," "Kukuti-kutitap." 2008: The Komedya Fiesta (Organized by the UP College of Arts & Letters) was held in UP. 2009: The Sarsuwela Festival (Organized by the UP College of Arts & Letters) was held in UP.