Phil Theater Arts
In many forms, theater was and still an effective medium to promote social awareness, as a means of entertainment and a liberal way to express one’s opinion. Most places in the Philippines have their own town fiestas flaunted with festivities and shows. During holy week, people stage the cenaculo- a theatrical presentation of the passion of Christ, and the moro-moro or comedia that relates to Christian and Muslim conflict. Some towns perform zarzuela, a Philippine version of Spanish light operetta, others present their poetic debate called duplo and karagatans. Another theatre form, the carillo, a shadow drama is usually shown after harvest. Cavite has Sanghiyang, Batangas has Subli and Laguna presents their Turumba and Pasyon. These traditional plays exemplify the union of folk religion and Catholicism.
On the first Sunday of January, Marinduque present its Three Kings’ Pageant and during the Lenten season, the same town performs its famous Moriones Festival. In the streets of Baliwag, Bulacan and Kawit, Cavite, Panunuluyan is staged on Christmas eve- a re-enactment of Mary and Joseph’s struggling search for shelter for the birth of Christ. http://www.camperspoint.com/spip.php?article249 Philippines Dula: Musing on
Philippine Theater and Drama

“Scene 1, Act 1. Lights focus on center stage. Enter actor from corner left of the stage.”
People involved in theater arts know this as typical stage lingo. Whether you are talking about Shakespeare, Shaw or the modern impromptus popular on the world’s stages today, plays or dramas have had a long and enduring history in the world of Art and Literature. Defined as a form of literature wherein a group of actors exchange dialogues in a sets or scenes, the earliest recorded play was performed way back in 2000 B.C. in ancient Egypt. Thousands of years later, the play has evolved, with each culture having its own traditions and interpretations. But what is Philippine Dula? What makes a Filipino play different from say, Shakespearean performances and other plays staged worldwide? Dulaang Pilipino: The Different Types of Filipino Plays It is said that Philippine Theater and Drama only started upon the arrival of the Americans after the revolution. Whether this is true or not, we can leave it to the experts to argue it out. The main point is to find out just what makes a play uniquely Filipino. But before we come to an understanding of “Dulaang Pilipino” or Filipino Theater Drama, we must first take a look at the basic types of Filipino plays. There are three general categories: * Mga Katutubong Dula (Ethnic Plays)

The Filipino Ethnic Plays or “Katutubong Dula” are plays based on old Filipino folklore and old traditions. They show the country’s indigenous culture and traditions. The play, Pamanhikan (Courtship), for example, focuses on the courtship rituals in the pre-colonial times. * Mga Dula sa Panahon ng Kastila (Plays from the Spanish Era)

Plays from the Spanish era have a decided influence from the colonizers. A lot of them revolve around Catholic festivities like Senakulo (Passion of the Christ), Pinetencia (Penitence) and Flores de Mayo (May Procession). Some also portray the strain between the Catholics and the Muslims, like the play Moro-Moro (The Moors). * Dula sa Panahon ng Amerikano (Plays from the American Era)

Finally, the American era ushered in the “sarsuwela” or plays with singing and dancing. The sarsuwelas in this era were mostly used as subversive propaganda and had themes about patriotism and revolution.

The most famous of these sarsuwelas are those made by Severino Reyes, also known as “Ama ng Dulang Pilipino” or “Father of Philippine Drama”. His most popular works are: Walang Sugat (Not Wounded, 1902), Paglipas ng Dilim (After the Darkness, 1920) and Bungangang Pating (At the Mercy of the Sharks, 1921).

He is also known for sarsuwelas about love like Anak ng Dagat (Child of the Sea, 1921) and Dalagang Bukid (Country Maiden, 1919).
Puso ng Dulaan: The Heart of Philippine Drama
As the three different kinds of plays suggest, the Philippine Dula largely speaks about the dreams and the hopes of Filipinos. It shows the evolution of a nation, as well as its culture, beliefs and traditions. It shows the victories and the plights of a country and a people.
Dulaang Pilipino Ngayon: Philippine Drama Today
Compared with other countries, Philippine theater or drama is still very young. Though the Philippines has churned out quite a number of excellent playwrights through the centuries from Francisco Balagtas to Nick Joaquin, it’s safe to say that Philippine Drama is still in the experimentation stage.
A lot of playwrights have come taken to mixing a lot of the elements of the different types of plays into one-of-a-kind performances.
A good example of this is a play staged by Dulaang UP a couple of years ago, Orosman at Zafira. Originally written in the 1850’s by Francisco Balagtas, one of the best poets and playwrights in the history of Philippine Literature, this komedya or comedy tells the story of strife enveloping three kingdoms in the south and the madness of young love in the midst of war.
Dulaang UP did a pretty good job in taking a text from the 1850’s and transforming it into something the generation today can appreciate. A musical, ethnic music was given a twist by adding drums and electric guitars. The dialogue, though in formal Filipino, was lyrical, intense and cut straight through the heart.
The lights and costumes, of course, also contributed to making the whole play amazing. They were able to mix ethnic costumes with modern twists (one of the lead males sported a mohawk).
Orosman and Zafira is a good example of modern Philippine Dula because it weaves together elements that are uniquely Filipino (language, ethnic culture, history, etc.) without alienating the greater majority of those who just want to see a play not for intellectual pursuits but just to have a good time.
Plus, it puts back the name of Francisco Balagtas on the lips of a generation in danger of forgetting about it.
In a nutshell, Philippine Theater or Drama, is about bringing to life the dreams, hope, triumphs and travails of a nation still trying to make sense of its past and find its identity. In fact, search for identity and displacement are popular themes in modern plays today.
Much like Zafira who falls in love with the enemy of her people, Philippine Theater and Drama is all about voicing out the modern Filipino’s need to try to find a compromise between all the conflicting things that makes a Filipino uniquely Filipino.Philippine Dula is all about Filipino life, about being katutubo, kastila, amerikano, rebelde (rebel) and – ultimately Filipino. http://www.philippinesdula.com/ The Philippine theater or what they call Philippines Dula, is not only a mere form of performing arts. In fact, plays in the Philippines, especially the native ones, are usually shrouded in emotions such as joy, sadness, fear, nostalgia and many others. This form of art is considered very special for its power to represent reality and at the same time, send out a message to its viewers. It is an art form that help the people exercise their freedom of expression.
From the beginning, Filipino Drama has been marked with the dreams, hopes and aspirations of its authors or creators. It has symbolized the culture, beliefs and practices of the Filipino nation and its heroes, as well as other important key figures. Although the dula has been affected by tons of foreign influences, playwrights in the country have made a way of making sure that it remains Filipino by placing element unique to their way of life.
Although Philippine drama tends to be heavy and full of symbols, it is also filled with humor, refreshing scripts, colorful sets and props, as well as characters with different personalities. Even with the deep meaning, it has always been entertaining to its watchers. It has not faltered in spite of the existence of the ever popular Philippine cinema. It has continued to exist with its own unique personality, appealing to many people.
Theater in the Philippines is truly something to behold. Both Filipinos and foreigners will truly enjoy the artistic culture of the country by taking the time to witness a Philippines dula. http://ezinearticles.com/?Philippines-Dula---What-is-the-Deal-With-Philippine-Theater?&id=3915285 Philippine Theatre Arts
Theatre comes from a Greek word “theatron” and it is a branch of performing arts that deals with acting, singing and dancing on stage to present a story dramatically. In the Philippines, many talents are first exposed in the field of theatre arts. In fact, theatre arts have long been existing as a part of the Filipino tradition and serve effectively as a medium of social awareness and entertainment. It is also a means of liberal and artful way of expressing opinions and talents.
As part of the Philippine tradition, many festivals and occasions are celebrated in the country where theatre arts are in use. For instance, during Holy Week, ‘Cenaculo’ takes place as an on-stage performance that re-enacts the passion of Christ. Another is the Moro-Moro which expresses the conflict between Christians and Muslims in the country. In other towns, a famous theatre form called “carillo”, which is usually a drama play, is shown after the harvest season. ‘Zarzuela’ is another famous theatre performance, a local version of Spanish operetta. In many other places or occasions, variety of traditional plays that express the Filipino love for arts are shown even up to this very day.
Today, the theatre industry is one of the factors that brings the country into the world’s spotlight. Many famous theatrical productions are played and commended in other countries while they open doors to Filipino talents for world class performances.
Performing artists involve in theatre arts usually have inner talents or potential capability to act, sing and dance on stage and provide entertainment to a wide number of audiences. Some are amateurs while others are professionals and together with them are stage managers, musical directors, stage crews, who all create ideally entertaining productions.
The Crafts
Stage performance is a craft. Like any other craft, it is something that can be nurtured, improved and enhanced from time to time. Like what has been mentioned earlier, theatre arts involve acting, singing and dancing in portraying different story or play characters. These are the crafts that must be given emphasis in every performance. The quality of the performance strongly depends on how the artists execute their crafts in all the scenes. http://www.dvdmoviecopysoftware.info/philippine-theatre-arts/ Philippine Performing Arts

The native dances, songs, and instrumental music of the Philippines are lighthearted and invite participation.

The most popular Philippine folk dance, the tinikling- which suggests the quick, bright movements of ricebirds- seems to be a purely native expression.Many other Philippine folk dances now taught in Philippine public schools, however blend native materials with Spanish, Malayan, English, French, German, and American elements. Many of the best jazz and pop musicians of Southeast Asia are Filipinos.

Early spanish writers noted the Filipino love of music and dancing. Philippine folk songs in rich variety, some of which still survive, accimpanied virtually every activity, and spontaneous dancing might continue for days. Song and dance show a variety of regional differences but can be classified into three principal groups: those of the lowland rice planters, those of the Moslems, and those of te mountain dwellers.

Much native art changed under Spanish influence. The chief instrumental musical group of the lowlands, for example, became the rondalla, a band using plucked-string instruments. The events leading to the cricifixion of Christ were dramatized in the cenaculo. The tibag enacts St. Helena's search for the cross. The Spanish occupation also led to te development of the oldest extant Philippine folk dramas, the moro-moro, which were based on conflicts between the Christians and the Moslems.
In the second half of the 19th century, Filipino writers and composers began adapting the Spanish zarzuela. Flexible in form and much like musical comedy, the zarzuela was a vehicle for pure entertainment, social satire, and political protest. The zarzuela remains popular today as a kind of operetta and is employed, along with the moro-moro, as the traditional entertainment of rural festivals. The plots and characters of modern Philippine films, most of them in Tagalog, reflect the zarzuela heritage.

In the larger cities, the Philippine performing arts are strongly influenced by the West. The Cultural Center of the Philippines, in Manila, offers symphonies, operas, ballets, and plays. Most of these works originate in others countries while Filipino composers, musicians, and playwrights tend to pattern their efforts on contemporary western models.

Attempts to combine Philippine themes with Western techniques have been made by such troupes as the Bayanihan Dance Comapany, whose repertoire consists of theatricalized versions of folk dance.

http://www.colorfulphilippines.com/philippine_performing_arts.html

Performing Arts in the Philippines
The Cultural Center of the Philippines is considered to be the premiere place for performing arts. It has local and international world-class guest artists.
The kundiman folk music is a popular music form that is unique to the Philippine islands. It is music that is a combination of both words and music. Also popular with Filipinos is folk dancing. There are many variations of dances, both ceremonial and traditional, that are performed for many different occasions.
There are several types of dance in the Philippines, those with Muslim or Spanish influences as well as those from the lowlands and mountains.
With over a million Muslim Filipinos residing mainly on the island of Mindanao, there are several dances that are heavily influenced by Islam. A popular dance, the langka-baluang is one that is performed by male dancers as an angry monkey. One of the oldest Filipino dances, the singkil is a noble and difficult dance that is based upon a legend of the Maranao people of Mindanao. This legend, written during the 14th century, retells the plight of a princess in the middle of a forest. While she is in there the forest fairies or diwatas start an earthquake, and only by avoiding trees, along with her slave, is she finally able to be saved by a prince. Even now, royal princesses in the Sulu Archipelago are required to learn this dance. Another ritual is one in which an entire village participates, the pag-ipat. When a family member is ill, the belief is that an ancestral spirit (tinunungan) has caused the disease and needs to be appeased. Depending on the severity of the illness and the financial status of the family, this ritual can last from a day to several days. A folk healer performs the ritual while having possession of the spirit.
The Spanish influence in the Philippines brought about many dances that use a Maria Clara dress (a character in Noli Me Tangere) and an embroidered long-sleeve short made from pineapple fibers for their costumes. The Filipinos adapted these Spanish dances by using bamboo castanets and Asian fans. Carinosa, which means loveable or affectionate, is a dance that is known all through the Philippines. The dancers "flirt" using a handkerchief or fan, by playing hide and seek with them. Part of a wedding ritual, the sabalan lulay, is a dance that begins with a man dancing around a woman (his partner) until she consents to dance with him.
The mountainous areas of the Philippines (Northern Luzon - Central Cordillera region) are home to numerous tribes that have many rituals and dances that are an integral part of their life. Dance is a part of many daily functions from celebrating good weather to fending off bad luck. The Apayao Courtship Dance, from the northernmost mountain region, is performed by having a couple swing their arms in the air to similate a flying bird while the woman wears a ceremonial blanket draped around her. The man moves in a way similar to that of a strutting cock who preens himself. The Kalinga (one of the mountain tribes) have a bloody tradition that is revered, headhunting. Kayaw, takes place when a peace pact (budong) between villages is broken. The village who was affronted is allowed to attack the other and take as many heads as possible for trophies. A successful bird hunt is supposed to take place when they listen to a mysterious bird, Idao.
Possibly the most popular and best known dances are those from the Philippine lowlands. A place of extreme beauty and love of life and simplicity, the lowlands have a passion for music. A spirited dance from Bayambang is the Binasuan, which is basically a balancing act. The dancers skillfully handle glasses are partially filled with rice wine and usually perform at birthdays and weddings. Maglalatik, a simulated-war dance, is a four part dance which starts out with mock-fighting and ends with reconciliation. Initially a depiction of a fight between the Christians and Moros, it is also performed as a mark of respect for San Isidro de Labrador, the patron saint of farmers.
Some well-known musicians in the Philippines include Rodolfo Cornejo, composer and conductor; Antonino Buenaventura, conductor; and Antonio J. Molina, conductor and composer. http://www.asianinfo.org/asianinfo/philippines/performing_arts.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Filipino_dramatists_and_playwrights