ORIGINAL
PERFORMANCE
WITH THE USE
OF MEDIA
QUARTER IV - ARTS
WHO’S
WHO?
Philippine
Theater Edition
WHO’S WHO?
The objective of this game is to guess the
famous theater actor or actresses in the
Philippines using their images and clues.
"Bakit hindi mo pagnakawan ang
bangkong pinagtatrabahuhan ko,
tapos gawin mo akong hostage. Pag
dinukot mo ako, sasama ako sa 'yo
ng buong puso. Ano kaya mo ba?"
— Itanong mo sa Buwan, 1988
Her Famous Line
NUMBER 1:
Jaclyn Jose
Her Theatrical Timeline
NUMBER 2:
Karylle
She’s one of the memorable
actresses to play the feminist
extremist alien, Queen Femina
Suarestella Baroux, in “ZsaZsa
Zaturnnah Ze Muzikal”. When
would she return to musical theater?
Hopefully her fans won’t have to
wait that long.
Her Background Story
NUMBER 3:
Agot Isidro
Before she became one of local cinema’s
acting gems, she was a theater stalwart
who worked with well-renowned directors
like Tony Mabesa, Behn Cervantes and
Ishmael Bernal. Her first acting exposure
before the camera in 1994 was with the
brilliant Bernal in the movie titled Divided
by 2 with Charo Santos.
Her Background Story
NUMBER 4:
Eugene Domingo
She was just 18 when she
originated the role of Kim in
“Miss Saigon,” the megamusical
about a tragic romance between a
Vietnamese girl and an American
G.I.
Her International Identity
NUMBER 5:
Lea Salonga
ORIGINAL
PERFORMANCE
WITH THE USE OF
MEDIA
Theater is the one major art form that brings
together all the other art forms— from painting
and sculpture, to installation art, to music, to
dance, to literature, even to computer arts - in
single production.
PHILIPPINE
THEATER AND
PERFORMING
GROUPS
The Philippines has a rich and thriving theater industry that
you may be interested to venture into in the future.
Production range from original plays with Philippine themes
and settings, to renowned theater classics from past
centuries, to contemporary musicals from Broadway or
London’s West End.
The following are the overview of some of
the more prominent theater and performing
groups in the country and their major
productions.
PETA and
Tanghalang
Pilipino
With the American presence in the Philippines for the first
half of the 20th century, it was inevitable that many US and
European theater forms and scripts found there way here.
Among them were the classics, such as the plays of William
Shakespeare, as well as the works of the great American
playwrights.
At the same time, local theater groups
staged original Philippine zarzuelas which
were plays performed in son, similar to the
European opera.
In the past few decades, modern theater
groups have continued to express the
distinctly Philippine interpretation of both
originally-written plays as well as
adaptations of foreign works translated
into Filipino.
At the forefront of these are the Philippine
Educational theater Association (PETA),
founded in 1967 by Cecile Guidote -
Alvarez, and Tanghalang Pilipno, the
resident theater company of the Cultural
Center of the Philippines, founded in
1987.
The productions of these groups span
the range from daring new
presentations of classical works, to
the spectacle of Philippine myths and
legends, to commentaries on current
social and political issues.
Tanghalang
PETA, 2011
Pilipino, 2004
Haring Lear
PETA, 2012
Pamana
PETA, 2013
Ibalong
Tanghalang Pilipino, 2012
Meanwhile, other Philippine theater groups are also staging original
and adapted plays and musical productions, primarily in English. Best
known among these are Repertory Philippines, Trumpets, and New
Voice Company. More recently, theater Down South has been added
to their roster. And championing the cause of the more classical form
of musical performances is the Philippine Opera Company.
Repertory
Philippines
In 1967, theater Zenaida Amador fulfilled her dream of
bringing the best of Broadway and London’s West End
to Filipino audiences. Together with actress Baby
Barredo, Amador established Repertory Philippines, a
company that only staged English-language plays and
musicals year-round but trained actors and actresses as
well. The company continues with this vision to this
day.
Zenaida “Bibot” Amador
Carmen “Baby“ Barredo
Multi awarded theater actress and singer, Lea
Salonga, in fact, began her career as a child lead
in productions of Repertory Philippines. From
there, she went on to become an international
stage superstar in the lead role of Kim in Miss
Saigon – putting the Philippines on the world
map in terms of theater talent.
Little Women
Repertory Philippines, 2010
In its 2009 season, Repertory added a Filipino
classic in English to its productions A Portrait
of the Artist as Filipino, by National Artist
Nick Joaquin. To date, it continues to offer a
mix of productions ranging from literary
classics to contemporary satires, comedies, and
musicals.
Alice in Wonderland
Repertory Philippines, 2013
The Producers
Repertory Philippines, 2013
Trumpets
the 1990s, the Philippine theater group Trumpets also
began mounting grand productions of originally-written
musicals with a slant towards good values for children
and the whole family. Among their plays have been
Joseph the Dreamer; First Name; The Lion, the Witch,
and the wardrobe; Little Mermaid; Honk; N.O.A.H.;
and The Bluebird of Happiness.
The intention of Trumpets is to provide
wholesome theater experiences for
Filipino youth while also building up the
Philippine theater-going public
The Lion, The Witch and
The Wardrobe
Trumpets, 1997
Trumpets, 2013
The Bluebird of Happiness
New Voice
Company
Also making its own distinct contribution to the
Philippine theater scene is New Voice Company,
established in 1994 by Monique Wilson — also a
Repertory Philippines’ protégée who went on to star
on the international stage. New voice has earned a
reputation for staging thought-provoking productions
on daring and deep topics.
Philippine Opera
Company
The Philippine Opera Company (POC) was
founded in 1999 by a group of dedicated
classically-trained singers, led by soprano Karla
Gutierrez as artistic directress. The POC seeks to
develop performers as well as audiences for
classical music performances, both foreign and
Filipino.
Harana
Philippine Opera Company, 2009
Master Class
Philippine Opera Company, 2010
The Mikado
Philippine Opera Company, 2013
Theater Down
South
In 2007, Theater Down South was
founded, with Philippine theater
mainstay Michael Williams as artistic
director. The vision of the company is
to widen the reach of stage production.
A Midsummer
Night’s Dream
Theater Down
South, 2007
A Funny Thing
Happened on the
Way to the Forum
Theater Down South, 2010
The Princess and
the Red Carp
Theater
Down South,
2010
TEST YOUR
KNOWLEDGE
What are the active theater groups in the
Philippines specializing in original plays
written in Filipino?
Name two performing groups that present
adaptations of foreign plays, primarily in
English.
What do you note as two of the main
objectives that Philippine Theater Groups
have in common? Explain briefly.
If you have to create a name of your own
theater group, what would it be and what are
the main objectives of your group?
CULMINATING
ACTIVITY FOR
QUARTER IV:
Staging an Original Performance
Get ready at the end of the quarter because
you will stage your own performance. Every
student should have a specific role in the
production process. Good luck!
