Watch Dulaang UP's ISANG PANAGINIP NA FILI by Floy Quintos (Plus great news for ADMU students!)

As part of the Centennial Celebration of UP, Dulaang UP is proud to present
the 2^nd production for the 33^rd Theatre Season,
Floy Quintos' new musical
ISANG PANAGINIP NA FILI


with music by C.J. Javier
under the direction of Dulaang UP Founding Artistic Director Tony Mabesa and
Floy Quintos.

Imagine this scenario: Jose Rizal in Paris, finishing his second novel. He is exhausted, nervous, and (as can be gleaned from his diaries) impoverished. He rooms with Tunyung Ibañez, an Illustrado rake and never-do-well.

It is through Tunying's eyes and imagination that this version of Fili takes place. He is transformed to Simoun, the jeweler who in turn manipulates Juli, Basilio, Kabesang Tales, the Friares Irene, Salvi, and Camorra, and the Governor-General in his desire for revenge and the rescue of the ravaged Maria Clara. In the end, Tunying's transformation is completed by his exposure to Rizal's masterpiece.

Eric dela Cruz and Onyl Torres play the dissolute Tunying while Franco Laurel and Joel Molina alternate as Rizal. Also part of the production are Ces Quesada, Stella Canete, JC Santos, JM de Guzman, Mica Pineda, Greg de Leon, Meynard Penalosa, Jacques Borlata, Peter Serrano, Marili Ylagan, and Carlo Cannu with the Dulaang UP ensemble.

Cholo Gino is the choral master, Jason Quirante is the arranger, and Van Manalo is the choreographer for this production. Set design is by Tuxqs Rutaquio, lights by Luter Gumia, sound design by Brian Arda, and graphic design by Paolo Santillan. Tony Mabesa serves as the musical's artistic consultant.

Isang Panaginip na Fili runs from September 10 to 28 at the Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero Theater, 2nd Floor, Palma Hall, University of the Philippines, Diliman with 7pm shows from Wednesday to Friday, and 10am & 3pm shows on weekends.

For inquiries, please contact 0917-6206224 or 09228206224. Dulaang UP Office: 9261349, 4337840, 9818500. Website: http://www.upd.edu.ph/~dup/




GREAT NEWS FOR CURRENT ATENEO DE MANILA STUDENTS:

Like students of the University of the Philippines, you may avail of the tickets at the discounted price of P180. Please present your current validated ID when you purchase your ticket.


Pictures by photographer and graphic artist extraordinare, Jojit Lorenzo. Special thanks to Ms. Luz de Luna for the poster image and the discount for ADMU.

ENTABLADO's Tarong: Tatlong Dula ng Pagtawid

This production was so good, I saw it twice to catch some alternates. It featured three plays: Bulong-bulongan sa Sangandaan by Ramon C. Jocson, Pobreng Alindanaw by J. Dennis Teodosio, and Baclofen by Chris Martinez. As expressed by director Jethro Tenorio in his introductory spiel, it is an attempt at crossing, at transcendence that ties these three plays together.

The first play deals with transcending worker oppression and, interestingly, death. The material is a bit dated and its twist in the end is predictable, especially to those already familiar with the Manila Film Center incident of the Marcos era. Three construction workers share their discontent with their current lives and the fact that they haven’t received their salaries yet. Although their back-stories are presented extensively, more could have done with their characterization so that the audience would feel more in the big reveal in the end. In his review, award-winning author Nick Pichay says that the secret of the play is also revealed too early: “Too many hints can disappoint.” I couldn’t agree more.

Pobreng Alindanaw (NOT alindaHaw, as thoughtfully explained by one of the characters) is a laugh-out-loud threshing of concerns about appearance and status. This play, a fable set in modern times, is about two dragonflies, Chubbs and Tiny, who are unsatisfied with their lives. They attempt to transform themselves into butterflies by inhabiting an old cocoon only to encounter its old owner, the butterfly Beauty.

J. Dennis Teodosio manages to create a highly-enjoyable play that deals with age-old concerns of beauty, self-esteem, and acceptance while using fresh, witty language and contemporary references. The material can get quite heavy in the middle and I feel handling it can be a daunting task to actors with no stamina or comedic timing. It was great then, that the students that assayed the roles were up to it and delivered with tremendous energy and perfect timing.

One just watches in awe as Virlynn Ramirez and Maryanne Mornoy bring life to the dragonflies. From song and dance numbers, to witty jabs, and physical comedy, these two are out to entertain. They never seem to get tired as they flutter about and deliver punchline after punchline flawlessly. Anne Mariel Dionisio and Leinard Ramos, who alternate as Beauty, complement the quirks of the dragonflies with great tragic-comic sense. Really wonderful performances all around!

The big plus is that the side-splitting conversations and mix of low and high-brow comedy do not take from the depth and seriousness of this play at all. If anything, the lively discussion that starts it off only makes the final scene more tragic.

The last play, Chris Martinez’s Baclofen, was the most intense among the three. Now covering transcendence and meaning of gender roles and sexual orientation, this play generated the most gasps from the young audience. Being a fan of Martinez’s writing for quite some time, I was looking forward to this production the most. The material and the acting certainly exceeded my expectations.

The story revolves around the lives of three gay men. Naomi (Ariel Diccion / Jean Pierre Reniva) is the cross-dressing owner of Salon Femme Fatale. David (Sergio Gahol) is a tricycle driver shown to be Naomi’s lover. Jonathan (Kalil Almonte) is Naomi’s store assistant and abused personal servant. Unbeknownst to Naomi, David and Jonathan are actually lovers plotting against him. What ensues from the uncanny couplings is a violent exposition of love and sexual identity.

Martinez expertly shows the complex diversity of the gay subculture in the dark story of these three. Anyone coming in with the traditional image of a gay man would have his views shattered with the characterization of the leads. Sabi nga ni Jethro, sinusubok masagot ang tanong na, “Ano ba ang ibig sabihin ng pagiging bakla?” In the end, it is the brutal Jonathan that is left with the question. And although he has dreams for himself and admits to not choosing the situation he is in, he cannot transcend the world’s view of him.

Almonte and Gahol give very brave and impressive performances. Even without their minute-long kissing scene (which generated incredible shrieks and winces left and right), their portrayal of the treacherous couple would be intense enough. In spite of their actions, we feel for them and the weight of their tragedy in the end.

Again, kudos to ENTABLADO for a very memorable production! Good luck on future shows! I’ll be looking forward to them eagerly.

Virgin Labfest 4- Bring them back (Virgin Labfest 3 Revisited) (Better late than never)

This has been on my computer for quite sometime, but I never edited it. Oh well, better late than never!

Although the Festival’s director or managers will probably deny that they bring back the previous year’s “best productions” as part of the annual “Revsited” set, the three plays making up this group are definitely noteworthy. Thank goodness these were shown again as I missed them in the last Labfest.


Live-Anime

Njel de Mesa’s Mga Obra Ni Maestra began the set. As said by previous reviewers, this production is anime come to life. Anime movements, expressions, and exaggerations were taken and translated well onstage. From the opening sequence with the funky theme song until the final credits, the play sustained its attempt to bring the Japanese animation style to life. Despite the faulty projector at the start, the play eventually went without a hitch. The conversations with projected characters and scenes being set in animation made this foray into “digital theater” more interesting.


The concerns of this children’s play reach out to all ages. In Mga Obra, three children superheroes have a simple dilemma: whether to continue fighting as superheroes or follow their parent’s advice against it. Watching the play may recall some choices we have made between family and friends, fulfilling our deepest desires and practicality, familial duty and personal dreams. Njel de Mesa even dedicates the piece to all artists who were ever dissuaded from pursuing their craft “dahil walang pera riyan.”

The three children playing the superheroes, Cashlyn Cuarez, Abby Gonzales, Nympha Gonzales, engage the audience with vibrancy and a true passion for their craft.


The end of innocence


Next up was Layeta P. Bucoy’s Ellas Innocentes. Dubbed by most as the best entry in the previous festival, this play grips its audience with its tricky topics and effective acting.

Disturbing premises are slowly uncovered by a seemingly light conversation between two sisters. Locked in separate rooms, but able to converse with each other, the sisters play around and recall their experiences with their nanay and their different “Titos.” What starts as conversations about toys and dresses unwittingly becomes a testimonial to abuse by the children. “Paglalaro” at the start of the play takes on a different meaning in the end as the girls writhe about on the floor recreating how their nanay and tito play around in the bedroom.

What adds to the disturbing factor of the play is that the two actresses are so believable as the troubled girls. If not for the programme picture of the actresses or their college friends in the audience, one may even feel scandalized with what the director has made these girls do. It is in the balance of maintaining innocence amidst the very adult scenes they mimic that make Ness Roque and Lovely Balili wonderful actresses in the production.

Indeed, the Bucoy-Rutaquio tandem is a powerhouse for these plays dealing with dysfunctional family dynamics. Really excited for any future collaborations between them. (Maybe there’s a third play about another set of siblings with serious issues to confront.)


Somber elegance

Yoji Sakate’s A Noh Play provided an elegant close for the night. In full contrast to Mga Obra’s youthful energy, this play was more somber, but still posed a poignant picture of art transcending suffering and even death.


Satake’s material and Jose Estrella’s direction are rich and dramatic. As interactions with spirits are central in most Noh productions, such is the case with this play as well. A group of world-weary soldiers (Bong Cabrera, Joel Garcia, and Lowell Ca Ales) encounter three sisters (Mailes Kanapi, Marj Lorico, and Cheryl Ramos,) rehearsing a play in a run-down theater. As the story unfolds, we are led to a conclusion some have said is reminiscent of the film The Others. True to the feel of a Noh play, movements are calculated but meaningful and images are simple yet graceful. The use of the entire studio theater as the run-down venue of the sisters, the dust falling off the soldiers’ clothes, the raining of cherry blossom petals in the end: all add up to a rich theatrical experience.


Bring them back

After seeing all the Labfest entries this year, I do hope that a good number of Filipino theater companies offer to restage them. There really are quite a number of gems ready for a full-scale staging in there and I would grab at the opportunity to watch them a second time around. Some of the most memorable ones for me (and for quite a number of viewers as well):

1. Ang Kalungkutan ng mga Reyna (written and directed by Floy Quintos) [won 1st prize for one act play in Filipino in the 2008 Palanca awards as of this posting]
2. Ang Bayot, ang Meranao, at ang Habal-Habal sa isang Nakakabagot na Paghihintay sa Kanto ng Lanao del Norte (written by Rogelio Braga, directed by Nick Olanka)
3. Las Mentiras de Gloria (written by Layeta Bucoy, directed by Tuxqs Rutaquio)
4. Masaganang Ekonomiya (written by Allan Lopez, directed by J. Victor Villareal)
5. Bruhahahahaha-Bruhihihihihi (adapted by Argel Tuason, direction by Mayen Estañero)


Images are from Prof. Joey Ting's site. Watch out for the 5th Virgin Labfest next year!

been there seen that 2008-5 ("?": Two by Ionesco, Summer of '42, HSM Ice Tour, Hinabing Pakpak ng Ating mga Anak, Paghaya)

“?” Two by Ionesco (Tanghalang Ateneo)

This production featured two plays by renowned absurdist Eugène Ionesco: Ang Kalbong Soprano and The Lesson. For Soprano, Exzell Macomb, Peanuts Valerio, Gelo Brillantes, Ia Solis, Reg de Vera, and Mel Pante form the cast of this riotous play about the futility of communication. The ensemble does a good job at maintaining the energy level and rapport the crazy material demands, so kudos to the actors.

In The Lesson, a colonial professor (Mikey Panopio) seeks to teach a native student (Bea Gulinao). The student begins enthusiastically, but becomes more and more unnerved as the Professor moves to new material and grows angrier at his perception of the young one’s ignorance. His maid (Mon Querubin) reminds him to watch his health and not go too far, but he ignores it. The play ends with a reversal of the savage and the educated. It paints a violent picture of the horrors that arise when one imposes one’s will on another.

Mikey Panopio’s professor is engaging, especially in his gradual transformation from reserved teacher to vicious primitive. Bea Gulinao also delivers a tremendous performance as the student. It takes great courage and effort to engage in such violent scenes and Bea pulls it off quite well. The performance of these two together was so gripping that you can feel the audience fear for her safety in the final scene of the production (which left her tied to the four corners of the theater while precariously lying spread-eagle on a rickety table). Intense!

Summer of ’42 (Blue Repertory)

This was a musical based on the 1971 coming of age film of the same title. The story follows teen friends Hermie, Oscy, and Benjie’s summer on Nantucket Island with the second world war as the backdrop.

The plot really reminds me of an odd welding of Malena and December Boys. Despite the themes and scenes expected of a coming-of-age story, though, the material still maintains to be heartwarming. With its staging in a small venue and the authentic ensemble performance, this turned out to be an intimate and enjoyable production. Even former Philippine Jesuit Provincial Fr. Danny Huang, S.J. enjoyed the show and blogged about it.

High School Musical the Ice Tour (Disney and Araneta Entertainment)

I’ve been a big fan of skating (both for sport and entertainment) since I was a kid. I’ve seen a lot of “Holiday on Ice” shows since my childhood so I thought it would be fine to see this. I’m not that big a HSM fan, so I wasn’t really expecting much when I saw this.

The show was generally enjoyable, but not as exciting as other Disney on Ice productions. Iba talaga pag may mascots on ice na magaling magskate! The plus was that there were some numbers that actually translated well and turned out better on the ice. For instance, the “Bet on Me” solo by Troy from the second movie just looked awkward with Zac Efron prancing around the golf course. The song was well-suited for the ice and turned out as a high-energy solo number that showed off the performer’s skating skills.

Most memorable were those who played Ryan, Sharpay, and Troy. The first two were especially excellent skaters and their over-the-top characters just belonged on the ice. Just as you thought Ryan’s character couldn’t be any more flamboyant, they have him spinning while donning shiny, studded ensembles. Hehe. The rest of the ensemble lacked the energy required by the production- something noticed by other viewers as well. It also didn’t help that some of the guys portraying teenage kids already had very evident bald spots, haha.

Had a minor tick with this production since the backdrop-screen that was supposed to work that night didn’t and they didn’t tell the crowd! As I knew there was something wrong (I usually research about shows I watch before seeing them), I wrote a complaint letter to the Araneta Coliseum management and they replied two weeks later with an apology. They even offered a discount to a future Disney on Ice production and free patron tickets to the Tony Hadley/Spandau Ballet show (which my mom enjoyed).

Hinabing Pakpak ng Ating mga Anak (Dulaang UP)

Gaya ng sinabi sa programa nito, ito ay mga hinabing alaala, panag-inip, at pangarap ng napabayaang kabataan. Itiuring din ito ng manunulat at director na si Dr. Anton Juan, Jr. bilang elehiya sa alaala ng batikang manunulat-pambatang si Rene Villanueva.

Walang isang pangunahing kwentong masusundan sa dulang ito, subalit ang mga imahen at ideya ay iisa sa pagpapakita ng kasalukuyang pang-aabuso at kahirapang nararanasan ng maralitang batang Pilipino. Anton Juan, with production designer Leo Abaya, dreams up great theatrical images as usual. Dexter Santos complements the imagery with beautiful, symbolic movement: sometimes violent and unsettling to drive home the point. It’s these impressive stagings that have kept me coming back to DUP productions recently.

Although the visuals were spectacular, I’d have to agree with Gibbs’s view that “not one character was vaguely human”. In the end, it is hard to feel for the children nor the narrators. Dahil din mga ideolohiya lang ang nagbubukod sa maraming maliliit na kwento, sa pagtatapos ng dula, konsepto lang din ang naiiiwan sa manonood: hindi mabuo ang karanasan at damdaming tumatagos.


Pahaya (Theater Arts Seniors)
I was a bit disappointed since I was expecting it to be the same level of production as in the previous year's Fluid. The production had three plays: Bahay-bahayan by Jacky delos Reyes, Tagay by Jo-Anne Quintos, and Isang Libong Tula para sa Dibdib ni Dulce by Layeta Bucoy.

The first play was about two sisters hiding from soldiers in the time of the Japanese occupation. It was uneventful in the first part and dragged a bit for me. What revived it towards the end were the leads' portrayals as abused women. Kind of reminded me of Ellas Innocentes at one moment, even. The finding of the gun was a dark Deus ex Machina that came at an odd time. It was as though the scene happened just so a conflict could be put in the story.

The second play dealt with friends talking about their lives over a round of drinks. Central to their conversation are the events leading to one of their own's decision to join the communists in the mountains. Of course, we predict his demise in the first few minutes of the play. The story is uneventful even with the dramatic things supposedly happening in their lives. There was simply something lacking in characterization that we fail to feel anything in the end.

Isang Libong Tula was the highlight of the production for me. Leave it to Layeta Bucoy's writing to save the day. A friend who has seen this done by UP's Dulaang Laboratoryo said that their portrayal here was more artistic, even with scenes rife with sexual tension and innuendos. (Oh, and in true Bucoy fashion, the play conjures up religious imagery and there's another incestuous scene in there as well). Nicolo Magno's portrayal of the mentally-challenged balut-vendor was especially notable.

I hope the BFA TA majors graduating this year were able to generate funds for their year-end thesis with this production. I'll certainly look forward to their year-end productions. With what the previous batch has done and left us with, though, they sure have big shoes to fill.

Tulaan sa Tren: Sining para sa lahat

If you've ridden the LRT in the past year, you would have noticed the "Berso sa Metro" advertisements of Instituto Cervantes. Posted on the train interiors are poems in Spanish with their Filipino translations.


Only this August, train-goers may have noticed that they now play tracks of famous personalities reading verses by acclaimed Filipino poets. This project, called "Tulaan sa Tren", is the brainchild of the National Book Development Board in partnership with the Lightrail Transit Authority and the Optical Media Board. Commuters can now appreciate the genius of the Filipino artist as they take the train to work or home. Hearing personalities like Romnick Sarmienta, Harlene Bautista, and Tintin Bersola read works of Jose Garcia Villa, Jose Corazon de Jesus, Rio Alma, and many more will surely lighten the load of the common commuter.

The music was carefully selected and matched by a friend of mine-- another teacher, JC Uy. (As a side note, those who know him will also recognize his voice in the acknowledgment after every track. I'm sure his Philosphy students who take the train will have a field day with this news.)

Read and listen (Image from Milflores Online)

I recall an older blog post by Exie Abola ("The beauty parlor of civilization") Here, he quotes Andrew Taylor (ArtsJournal Blogger) in saying "We need to stop making the arts so special."

Tama nga naman ang pagsabi niyang kailangang makita na ang sining ay karaniwan at bahagi ng pang-araw-araw na pamumuhay. Hindi dapat hiwalay ang paglikha at pagtangkilik dito sa ating karaniwang karanasan. Kung mananatiling nasa pedestal ang sining, hindi nito maabot at maaantig ang nakararami. Hindi rin matatanto ng nakararami na ang bawat isa ay may potensyang maging bukal ng sining.

Both posts end with another quote from John Dewey, " As long as art is the beauty parlor of civilization, neither art nor civilization is secure."

Here now are some tracks for your listening pleasure. Catch the others when you ride the LRT. :-)

Check out the post of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism about "Tulaan".

------

ANG TREN Powered by Podbean.com

Ang Tren

José Corazón de Jesús
(Pagbasa ni Romnick Sarmienta, Musika: Bahay Kubo ni Gilopez Kabayao at Init sa Magdamag ni Willy Cruz at Baby Gil)

Tila ahas na nagmula
Sa himpilang kanyang lungga,
Ang galamay at palikpik, pawang bakal, tanso, tingga,
Ang kaliskis, lapitan mo’t mga bukas na bintana!

Ang rail na lalakara’y nakabalatay sa daan,
Umaasó ang bunganga at maingay na maingay.
Sa Tutuban magmumula’t patutungo sa Dagupan!
O kung gabi’t masalubong ang mata ay nag-aapoy
Ang sibato sa malayo’y dinig mo pang sumisipol
At hila-hila ang kaniyang kabit-kabit namang bagon.

Walang pagod ang makina,
May baras na nàsa r’weda,
Sumisingaw, sumisibad, humuhuni ang pitada,
Tumetelenteng ang kanyang kampanilya sa tuwina.

“Kailan ka magbabalik?”
“Hanggang sa hapon ng Martes,”
at tinangay na ng tren, ang naglakbay na pag-ibig,
sa bentanilya’y may panyo’t may naiwang nananangis.

-----

RAIN Powered by Podbean.com

Rain
Danton Remoto
(Pagbasa ni Harlene Bautista, Musika: Cavatina ni Nicanor T. Abelardo)

This morning, it is raining
in my country.
Water slides down
the leaves
like tongue on skin.
The sound of their falling
collects
like breath on the lobes
of ears.

You are a continent away.
There, the leaves are beginning
to turn.
Soon, night will steal hours
from day,
and snow will be whirling
in drifts.

But you are here,
in the country
of my mind,
wiping away the maps
of mist
on the window pane,
lying in bed beside me,
as the pulse of the pillows and sheets –
even the very throb of rain –
begin to quicken.

-----

BIYAHERO Powered by Podbean.com

Biyahero

Teo T. Antonio
(Pagbasa ni Tintin Bersola-Babao, Musika: Dapithapon ni Eduardo Hontiveros, S.J. at Bienvenida Tabuena)

Isang pananaliksik ang paglalakbay,
isang pagkakatuto sa mga bagay-bagay
na iba sa kinagisnan o kamukha ng pinagmulan.
Mabangis ang gunita,
namamaga sa alaala, kumikirot sa malay.
Mapanganib ang maglakbay-bayan,
tila balon ng hiwagang maaaring
mabalaho sa isang iglap.

Mapalad, kung makaahon at makapalag
Sa masalimuot na pag-uusisa
at pagtataya sa isinuong na buhay.
Malupit ang sanga-sangang landas na tinatahak.
Walang simula’t walang wakas na pagbubuklat
ng sino-ano-saan-kailan-bakit.
Maaaring isang wakas ang sinisimulan,
o isang simula ang winawakasan.
Ang estranghero’y nakadamit
ng tandang pananong, hinuhubdan
ng kasagutan upang bihisan ng maraming
paulit-ulit na tanong. Isang bugtong
ang paglalakbay na sinisibat ng talinghaga.
Ang maligaw ay nagiging a2:55 PM
Ang maligaw ay nagiging asin,
ang makadukal ng kaalaman
at magpatuloy ay nagiging dagat.

-----

I TEACH MY CHILD Powered by Podbean.com

I Teach My Child
Gémino H. Adad
(Pagbasa ni Edu Manzano, Musika: Pastorale ni Manoling V. Francisco, S.J.)

I teach my child
To survive.
I begin with our words,
The simple words first
And last.
They are hardest to learn.
Words like home,
Or friend, or to forgive.
These words are relations.
They are difficult to bear;
Their fruits are unseen.
Or words that promise
Or dream.
Words like honor, or certainty,
Or cheer.
Rarest of sound,
Their roots run deep;
These are words that aspire,
They cast no shade.
These are not words
To speak.
These are the words
Of which we consist,
Indefinite,
Without other ground.

II

My child
Is without syllables
To utter him,
Captive yet to his origin
In silence.
By every word
To rule his space,
He is released;
He is shaped by his speech.
Every act, too,
Is first without words,
There’s no rehearsal
To adjust your deed
From direction of its words.
The words are given,
But there’s no script.
Their play is hidden,
We are their stage.
These are the words
That offer to our care
Both sky and earth,
The same words
That may elude our acts.
If we speak them
But cannot meet their sound,
They strand us still
In our void,
Blank like the child
With the uphill silence
Of his words’ climb.
And so,
I teach my child
To survive.
I begin with our words,
The simple words first
And last.




Listahan ng mga tula (Mula sa filipinowriter.com)

• I Teach My Child, Gemino H. Abad (English)
• Inday Diutay, Allain Russ Dimzon (Filipino)
• Ang Langgam, Amado V. Hernandez (Filipino)
• Yin-Yang, Yan Din!, Benilda Santos (Filipino)
• Voyagers on Recto, Bienvenido Lumbera (English)
• Sunlight on Broken Stones, Cirilo F. Bautista (English)
• Dear City, Conchitina Cruz (English)
• Rain, Danton Remoto (English)
• Another Invitation to the Pope to Visit Tondo, Emmanuel Torres (English)
• Manila, Federico Licsi Espino, Jr. (English)
• Lumang Simbahan, Florentino Collantes (Filipino)
• Still Between Two Cities, Isabelita Orlina Reyes (English)
• Halina, Jesus Manuel Santiago (Filipino)
• Train Ride, Jim Pascual Agustin (English
• Ang Tren, Jose Corazon de Jesus (Filipino)
• Manggagawa, Jose Corazon de Jesus (Filipino)
• Awit sa Ilog Pateros, Jose F. Lacaba (Filipino)
• Mga Kagila-gilalas na Pakikipagsapalaran ni Juan dela Cruz, Jose F. Lacaba (Filipino)
• To A Lady Going to Antipolo, Jose Garcia Villa (English)
• Beside the Pasig: A Zarzuela in One Act, Jose Rizal (English)
• Ale-aleng Namamayong, Julian Cruz Balmaseda (Filipino)
• Wala na Ang Babaeng Halaman sa Ortigas, Lady An G. Sia (Filipino)
• Unang Sulyap sa Taong 1967, Lamberto Antonio (Filipino)
• Origami, Marjorie Evasco (English)
• Quiapo, Marra PL Lanot (English)
• City Without Sidewalks, Marra PL Lanot (English)
• Wisdom of Travelers, Merlie M. Alunan (English)
• 27, Nerisa del Carmen Guevara (English)
• Yours, Et Cetera, Paolo Manalo (English)
• Kay Sarap Magbasa, Rene O. Villanueva (Filipino)
• The Krag-and-Bayonet Phase, Ricardo de Ungria (English)
• Ang Ilog, Rio Alma (Filipino)
• Indulanin sa Isang Sakatero, Rogelio Mangahas (Filipino)
• Biyahero, Teo Antonio (Filipino)
• Paglalakbay, Teo Antonio (Filipino)
• Pavilion 3, Vim Nadera (Filipino)
• Pasintabi, Vim Nadera (Filipino)
• Shadow and Pedestrian, Vincenz Serrano (English)

Thanks to JC for the tracks. Sa kanya rin galing ang teksto ng mga tulang nasa itaas.

Weeds (TV show) and Spring Awakening link

The DVD has been with me for quite some time, but it was only recently when I started watchng this series. After two episodes, I was hooked. This is a really funny and clever show!

Mary Louise Parker (remember her from Angels in America?) stars as Nancy Botwin, a single mom of two who deals marijuana to make ends meet in the suburbs of Agrestic.

Mary Louise Parker as a single mom dealing in the suburbs

Flashback: A video of her as Harper in the Mike Nichols version of Angels in America

Season 1 trailer


Weeds promo

I was looking for information about the show online when I saw a "Spring Awakening" tag in one of the sites so I checked it out. Interestingly, Hunter Parrish, who plays the elder son Silas in the series, is taking over the role of Melchior Gabor in Spring Awakening starting Monday, Aug.18.

There's an article and a good rehearsal clip from Broadway.com:

Shrek the Musical

The new Shrek Musical, based on the beloved Dreamworks animated film, opened in Seattle for its preview run last Friday. Samplers have been on The Singing Stage for quite some time, but it was only recently that I got to listen to them. Thanks for calling my attention to this again, Martin.

For the past four days, I've been listening to these tracks repeatedly. Really enjoyable tunes! Most will probably roll their eyes and say, "there goes another film they're making into a musical..." Before you pass judgment, though, listen to these tracks. Even though we don't encounter tremendous new works from Flaherty and Ahrens, Sondheim, or Webber nowadays, there are some productions that still catch our attention. Sana lang hindi na mauwi sa puro film-to-stage adaptation at magkaroon muli ng bagong konsepto na magiging classic balang araw.


"Big bright beautiful world" is the opening number that explains how Shrek (Bryan D'arcy James) began to live alone in the swamp.

"I could get used to this" is by Donkey (Chester Gregory II) when he crashes Shrek's pad for the first time.

"I know it's today" is princess Fiona's song as she waits for her prince. It starts out with the little Fiona and ends up with a full-grown princess played by the amazing Sutton Foster.

"The Wall" is Shrek's response to how everyone receives his heroism.

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Here are some links to articles about the production.

Shrek the Musical Homepage
USA Today: Shrek role turns stage actor into an ogre
The News Tribune: From Seattle to Broadway- The Journey for Shrek the Musical
The Seattle Times The Arts- Shrek reaches a new stage

Some images from the last link

Download the SHREK audio files from Rapidshare.

Watch TANGHALANG ATENEO'S OTELO

I'll probably catch the Aug.20 preview and see it a second time to catch the alternates. (Great actors and actresses in the list!) A former student of mine in TA's sending the cast dates, so if you want to catch them all as well, let me know.

---

TANGHALANG ATENEO STAGES SHAKESPEARE’S

OTHELLO

Music may soothe a savage beast, but in Tanghalang Ateneo’s production of Shakespeare’s Othello: Ang Moro ng Venecia, rendered in Filipino by Rogelio Sicat and Luna Sicat-Cleto, music will incite a savage beast and devastate people’s lives. The play runs from August 20 to September 6 at the Rizal Mini-Theater , Loyola Schools , Ateneo de Manila University.

Tanghalang Ateneo’s second of three 30^th season productions, Othello features a guitar-toting Iago who, like a wicked Pied Piper, uses his music to help lure and lead his enemies to destruction. By the play’s end, Iago rakes in five victims, but his prize catch is the mighty Othello, a foreign military general whom Iago despises for bypassing him as lieutenant; for marrying Desdemona, a fellow Venetian; and in his mind at least, for having a torrid affair with his wife. His plot: to make Othello believe that Desdemona sleeps around with a young lieutenant. Othello eventually succumbs to Iago’s insinuations, grows raving mad, strangles Desedmona to death, and then kills himself. Iago’s destruction of the Other is complete: the mighty warrior has fallen.

Theater stalwarts Nonie Buencamino and Teroy Guzman alternate as Othello, the Moor caught between the angel of a Desdemona, alternately played by Irma Adlawan and Missy Maramara, and the devil of an Iago, played by Ron Capinding and Rody Vera. Supporting them are the talents of Neil Ryan Sese and Randy Villarama who portray Cassio, the handsome lieutenant; Rachel Quong as Emilia; Exzell Macomb and Jaru Hermano as Roderigo, Joseph dela Cruz as Brabantio/Ludovico; Regina de Vera and Lara Agay as Bianca; Glen Mas and John Aguas as the Duke.

Ricky Abad, who once played Iago in a World Theater Project production of this Shakespeare classic, directs the play assisted by B.J. Crisostomo. National Artist Salvador Bernal designs the set and costumes, Jonjon Villaruel oversees the lights design, Reamur David carries out the sound design, while Ruben Reyes executes several variations of a Shakespearean song as the play’s musical theme.

Iago’s destruction of the Other echoes the violence spawned today by religious and ethnic strife. Othello reminds modern audiences that those who seek out to destroy others only destroy themselves. The play is a plea for tolerance, acceptance, and the embracing of difference.

Othello runs at the Rizal Mini Theatre in the Ateneo de Manila University starting from 21st - 23rd and the 27th - 30th of August, and the 4th and 6th of September, at 7 in the evening. There will be Saturday matinee shows on the 23rd and 30th of August, at 2 in the afternoon. This production is made possible by Intermatrix Document Solutions, The Perfect White Shirt, Casa Ilongga and Clickthecity. com and Dutchboy Paints. For ticket inquiries and reservations, please contact Jeselyn Jagong at 0916-521-5154.

Beware the green-eyed monster.

Watch TANGHALANG PILIPINO's GOLDEN CHILD!

I have yet to gather my thoughts regarding this production. (Kasama na ng pag-edit sa sinulat ko tungkol sa mga pagkatagal-tagal ko nang napanood, haha). Still, I'd like to promote this since I really had a good time watching it last Sunday. Great writing from David Henry Hwang and the ensemble and production design were excellent as well. Really intrigued on how it'll turn out in Filipino.

Oh, and it's billed as a "family drama," but don't let that lead you into thinking this is a sappy melodrama. Like what most who have seen it say: it's no "Mano Po" at all. The text is really engaging. It's very witty with lots of funny moments-- another great Hwang creation. Don't miss it!


From TP:

GOLDEN CHILD

by DAVID HENRY HWANG

Opening August 8, 2008 ▫ 8:00 P.M.

Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino (CCP Little Theater)

Art Acuña ▫ Irma Adlawan Marasigan ▫ Liesl Batucan ▫ Tina Chilip ▫ Tess Jamias ▫ Leo Rialp

Directed by LOY ARCENAS

GOLDEN CHILD is about Eng Tien Bin, a businessman who has spent years doing business in the Philippines, and his return to China in the early 20^th Century. Having been exposed to Christianity and western ways, he sets about unbinding his traditional Chinese household. His efforts lead to a game of one-upmanship among his three wives, leading to unintended consequences.

Golden Child in Filipino (Translation by Dennis Marasigan)
8PM Shows on Aug. 22, 23, 29, 30
3PM Shows on Aug. 23, 24, 30, 31

The final show is said to be in English again. Not sure, though if it's going to be the Aug.31 show or there'll be an additional show on the 1st week of September.

Some reviews:

Philippine Entertainment Portal: "TP's Golden Child resonates with Chinoy culture"
Prof. Joey Ting's Review: "The Cinematic Impulse in TP's Golden Child"

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince- Rescheduled, Bellatrix pics

Sad news taken from mugglenet.com.

Half-Blood Prince delayed until July 17th, 2009

Warner Brothers has just announced that Half-Blood Prince will be delayed. The film will instead be released on July 17th, 2009. From the press release:

In making the announcement, Mr. Horn stated, “Our reasons for shifting ‘Half-Blood Prince’ to summer are twofold: we know the summer season is an ideal window for a family tent pole release, as proven by the success of our last Harry Potter film, which is the second-highest grossing film in the franchise, behind only the first installment. Additionally, like every other studio, we are still feeling the repercussions of the writers’ strike, which impacted the readiness of scripts for other films—changing the competitive landscape for 2009 and offering new windows of opportunity that we wanted to take advantage of. We agreed the best strategy was to move ‘Half-Blood Prince’ to July, where it perfectly fills the gap for a major tent pole release for mid-summer.”

Read the full release:

Press Release:
BURBANK, CA, August 14, 2008 – Warner Bros. Pictures today announced that it has moved back the release date of “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” to Summer 2009. The sixth installment of the blockbuster Harry Potter franchise will now open day-and-date domestically and in the major international markets on July 17, 2009. The announcement was made by Alan Horn, President and Chief Operating Officer, Warner Bros.

In making the announcement, Mr. Horn stated, “Our reasons for shifting ‘Half-Blood Prince’ to summer are twofold: we know the summer season is an ideal window for a family tent pole release, as proven by the success of our last Harry Potter film, which is the second-highest grossing film in the franchise, behind only the first installment. Additionally, like every other studio, we are still feeling the repercussions of the writers’ strike, which impacted the readiness of scripts for other films—changing the competitive landscape for 2009 and offering new windows of opportunity that we wanted to take advantage of. We agreed the best strategy was to move ‘Half-Blood Prince’ to July, where it perfectly fills the gap for a major tent pole release for mid-summer.”

Jeff Robinov, President of Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, confirmed, “The release date change does not alter the production schedule for this or future Harry Potter films. Post-production on ‘Half-Blood Prince’ was completed on time, and the studio’s release plans for the two-part ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’ will not be affected by this change. We know Harry Potter fans are eagerly anticipating seeing the final chapters unfold onscreen. In fact, the good news for them is that the gap will now be shortened between ‘Half-Blood Prince’ and the first part of ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.’”

Commenting on the release date change for “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” David Heyman, the producer of all the Harry Potter films, offered, “When Jeff Robinov explained the rationale behind moving the release date of ‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’ to July 2009, it was immediately apparent that this offered us the potential to reach the widest possible audience. I am extremely proud of this latest film and of the work of David Yates and our incomparable cast; I believe we have developed and pushed the series further still. We are all looking forward to sharing it with Harry Potter fans around the world, even if we have to wait just a bit longer.”

David Yates, the director of both “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” and “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” and who will also helm “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” added, “It has been a joy to work on ‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.’ Dan, Rupert and Emma and all our returning young cast continue to blossom, and our new cast members bring fresh color and life to Hogwarts. Even as we put the finishing touches on this latest film, we are already beginning preparations on the final two films—we start filming in February—and I am excited to bring this remarkable series to the exciting and moving conclusion its loyal fans deserve.”

In “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” Voldemort is tightening his grip on both the Muggle and wizarding worlds and Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it once was. Harry suspects that dangers may even lie within the castle, but Dumbledore is more intent upon preparing him for the final battle that he knows is fast approaching. Meanwhile, the students are under attack from a very different adversary as teenage hormones rage across the ramparts. Love is in the air, but tragedy lies ahead and Hogwarts may never be the same again.

Warner Bros. Pictures presents a Heyday Films production, “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.” David Yates, who directed last year’s summer blockbuster “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” returns to direct “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.” David Heyman and David Barron are the producers, with Lionel Wigram serving as executive producer. Steve Kloves wrote the screenplay, based on the book by J.K. Rowling.

Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson are reprising their roles as young wizards Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. The film also stars Jim Broadbent, Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Warwick Davis, Michael Gambon, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, Timothy Spall, David Thewlis and Julie Walters. The cast also features David Bradley, Jessie Cave, Frank Dillane, Tom Felton, Matthew Lewis, Evanna Lynch, Helen McCrory, Natalia Tena, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, and Bonnie Wright.

“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” will be released by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

NEW PICTURES (From Mugglenet)

Battle!


Wild witch


Severus Snape, Narcissa Malfoy, and Bellatrix Lestrange: The Unbreakable Vow

Para kay Lorenz sa ika-40 na araw.

Mula sa Sonnets to Orpheus ni Ranier Maria Rilke

XIX Ester Teil

Wandelt sich rasch auch die Welt
wie Wolkengestalten,
alles Vollendete fällt
heim zum Uralten.

Über dem Wandel und Gang,
weiter und freier,
währt noch dein Vor-Gesang,
Gott mit der Leier.

Nicht sind die Leiden erkannt,
nicht ist die Liebe gelernt,
und was im Tod uns entfernt,

ist nicht entschleiert.
Einzig das Lied überm Land
heiligt und feiert.



XIX Part One (tr. Steven Mitchell)

Though the world keeps changing its form as fast as a cloud, still what is accomplished falls home to the Primeval. Over the change and the passing, larger and freer, soars your eternal song, god with the lyre. Never has grief been possesed, never has love been learned, and what removes us in death is not revealed. Only the song through the land hallows and heals.

XIX Unang Bahagi

Kahit kay bilis ng pagbabago ng mundong
tilang nagmamadaling ulap,
lahat ng ganap ay umuuwi
sa Sinauna.

Higit sa pagbabago at pangungulila,
malayo at malayang
nagpapatuloy ang pag-awit mo,
diyos ng lira.

Kailanma'y kalungkuta'y di naangkin,
Kailanma'y pag-ibig ay di natutunan,
ni ang naghihiwalay sa atin sa Kamatayan,

ay 'di pa natutuklasan
Tanging awitin sa ibabaw ng kalupaan
Sa buhay nati'y bumabasbas at lumunlunas

Sa mga hindi pa nabasa ito, I'm reposting Lorenz's first essay in our college English class. Our professor, DM Reyes, chose this essay to be workshopped by the class. Lorenz read it and we were speechless afterwards. There wasn't a single thing we wanted to change- it was perfect. His papers never got workshopped since then. (There were more of us lesser beings to attend to. Haha.)

SInce his first essay was about writing and memory, this post is dedicated to remembering him.

---

Jose Lorenzo A. Tan


8 July 2002

A Waste

For some people, it’s their fabulous jewels or their Manolo Blahniks; for others, it’s the collection of robot figurines that they hand-painted themselves; for others still, it’s the family photo albums. Everyone has that “most prized possession” that can’t be traded for anything.

My most prized possession is my journal.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve also been known to plunge myself into the baser pleasures of secular humanism: my money and smut come in second and third. However, these things are dispensable items that I can replace easily in the event that they burn away or get stolen. In contrast, how can I retrieve five years’ worth of my life?

My journal is more than just a repository of excellent prose that recalls the scent of dead flowers; it is the archive of my very soul. (But then I suppose every person’s journal is that person --- unless that journal is of the perverted type which contains false accounts intended as a psychological palliative for autosuggestion, but these are rare cases).

Having eulogized my journal, I have put the reader in a better position to understand the horror of what happened recently.

A few nights ago, the computer hanged suddenly on my sister. Not only did it stop responding; it also started to generate a mechanical sound from inside the CPU. It was the sound of a ticking time bomb.

In light of the strange circumstances, Papa decided to bring the CPU over to the computer store to have it checked. Hearing him announce his plans during lunch that day made me think immediately of my journal, which I write on the computer. Would I have to save it on a diskette, I asked, worried that it would be erased in the shop. Papa said I didn’t have to, since the technicians would probable save the files themselves.

The bad news is that I believed him.

When Papa returned home more than two hours later, I rushed down the stairs to finally start writing. Quite anxious for my fix, I hooked up the wires myself, turned on the machine, and looked for my files.

You guessed correctly (thanks to my foreshadowing clues). They were not there. Not being the edgy type, I postponed my glass-shattering shriek and half-calmly asked Papa whether the good men at the store had saved the files.

There is no need to recount his reply, but I will because I'm partly masochistic: No, he said. The technicians replaced the entire hard drive, saving nothing.

Although I found that afternoon that I had lost, fortunately, just one entry, May 24, 2002 (I had backed up the rest a few days before), I still felt deeply bereaved, as if someone I loved just died. Losing body parts, according to Vogue, can be very traumatic for people, but especially for women who lose their breasts in mastectomies. Well, I felt like I had just had my breasts sliced off when I heard that May 24, 2002 was gone forever. I felt ill and considering my inclination to nausea, I was surprised that I didn't throw up.

May 24, 2002, was a page long. I was in labor for at least two hours with her, writing until around midnight last Friday.

Other people mourn their pets but I have only my journal. Its entries are my hamsters, goldfish, dogs. When one of them suddenly ceases to exist, I weep just as bitterly. In many ways, my loss is deeper, since I have lost nothing external like a domesticated organism, but part of my self. Attending my own funeral, burying my breast: that's how it feels.

These are histrionics, to be sure, but the drama is only slightly exaggerated. I wasted my time on this entry. Antoine de Saint-Exupery would say I tamed it. Of course I have no illusions about the quality of that work - it would never win the Pulitzer or the Palanca. However, it could have made the "Young Blood" column and without a doubt, the Inquirer's terrible "2BU" section, which every non-dullard teenager should spurn!

All these reasons fall under the same heading: waste. "Waste," Rhett Butler said in Gone with the Wind, "makes me mad." Or something like that. This is exactly what my Journal is supposed to be prophylactic against - forgetting, which to my mind, is one of the most horrible forms of waste.

Harry Potter-Tales of Beedle the Bard to be released in December

Finally, another Potter-related book release before the comprehensive encyclopedia.


News from www.mugglenet.com and the official Scholastic Website:

The Tales of Beedle the Bard, a Wizarding classic, first came to Muggle readers’ attention in the book known as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Now, thanks to Hermione Granger’s new translation from the ancient runes, we present this stunning edition with an introduction, notes, and illustrations by J. K. Rowling, and extensive commentary by Albus Dumbledore. Never before have Muggles been privy to these richly imaginative tales: “The Wizard and the Hopping Pot,” “The Fountain of Fair Fortune,” “The Warlock’s Hairy Heart,” “Babbitty Rabbitty and Her Cackling Stump,” and of course, “The Tale of the Three Brothers.” But not only are they the equal of fairy tales we now know and love, reading them gives new insight into the world of Harry Potter.

The stories are accompanied by delightful pen-and-ink illustrations by Ms. Rowling herself, featuring a still-life frontispiece for each one. Professor Dumbledore’s commentary—apparently written some eighteen months before his death—reveals not just his vast knowledge of Wizarding lore, but also more of his personal qualities: his sense of humor, his courage, his pride in his abilities, and his hard-won wisdom. Names familiar from the Harry Potter novels sprinkle the pages, including Aberforth Dumbledore, Lucius Malfoy and his forebears, and Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington (or “Nearly Headless Nick”), as well as other professors at Hogwarts and the past owners of the Elder Wand. Dumbledore tells us of incidents unique to the Wizarding world, like hilariously troubled theatrical productions at Hogwarts or the dangers of having a “hairy heart.” But he also reveals aspects of the Wizarding world that his Muggle readers might find all too familiar, like censorship, intolerance, and questions about the deepest mysteries in life.

Altogether, this is an essential addition to our store of knowledge about the world and the magic that J. K. Rowling has created, and a book every true Harry Potter fan will want to have for their shelves.

This purchase also represents another very important form of giving: From every sale of this book, Scholastic will give its net proceeds to The Children’s High Level Group, a charity cofounded in 2005 by J. K. Rowling and Emma Nicholson MEP to make life better for vulnerable children.