Tanghalang Pilipino Opens its 28th Season Dubbed as DIS/EASE

Tanghalang Pilipino formally opens its 28th season dubbed as DIS/EASE. This theme tackles the instability of the human personality that eventually leads to ramifications such as illnesses, psychological and social imperfections, and tragedies.

The various productions presented in the upcoming season are not here to dishearten anyone but TP’s aim is to stay true to the company’s objectives to use artistic modes to reflect life’s complex human and social realities.

Just like most of their plays it reflects human pathos and sufferings but also leaves the audience with great virtues and wisdom hidden in the stories presented. Corrective values surface in opportune times within the play to heal and restore the vitality of the land as well the individual spirit and soul of those who came to watch their show.

For this season, the said theatre season reflects on the uncomfortable scenarios that is plaguing our society, thus the title DIS / EASE. The concept for this season sprung from the idea of Noli Me Tangere – or “Touch Me Not, ” - Cancer of the Society.Each play represents a social diseases that no matter how deadly and corrupting they are, we seemed to not mind them or are so immune or at ease with their existence in the society and are not aware that it is slowly enveloping.

To talk about more about the upcoming season is Tanghalang Pilipino’s Artistic Director Tata Nanding Josef who was generous enough to give us some insights regarding the different productions of DIS/ EASE.

“KLEPTOMANIACS is a sung-through musical about our current social condition,” Tata Nanding shared. “This play is inspired by the Napoles scandal and it talks about a country’s search for a NEW HERO, someone with integrity. “ Tata Nanding further emphasizes that “young people today are looking for models in the society from the highest position in the land to every leader of the nation.”

KLEPTOMANIACS

Playwright: LATETA BUCOY, Direction: TUXQS RUTAQUIO

A rap-through musical by (awards) Layeta Bucoy, direction by (awards) Tuxqs Rutaquio, featuring a popular master rapper and the Actors Company. This original Filipino musical is inspired by the Napoles scandal. This will highlight the struggle of a group of young Filipino student leaders to check and police their own ranks against their own early inclination and natural lust for power and the strong temptation toward materialism, corruption and dishonesty. A reality search for the future President, senators and congressmen of our country, hopefully, all of a different breed from all those in our midst right now.

PLAYDATES: JULY 11, 12, 13 – 18, 19, 20 – 25, 26, 27

VENUE: TANGHALANG AURELIO TOLENTINO, CULTURAL CENTER OF THE PHILIPPINES

TICKETS: REGULAR: Php 800; STUDENT: Php 400. 20% Discount on the regular price for senior citizens, government employees, military employees and PWD’s (Please present valid ID)

The famous play by Arthur Miller is a strong story about “human values of doing commerce, where everyone is a commodity,” Tata Nanding said. ”In the play there is no humanity. Dito pagmatanda ka na useless, you are practically put aside.” According to him, in PAHIMAKAS NG ISANG AHENTE (Death of a Salesman) “Nawawala ang real essence ng human existence. The characters here focuses on materialism and what can be bought.”

PAHIMAKAS NG ISANG AHENTE (Death of a Salesman)

Playwright: ARTHUR MILLER, Translation: ROLANDO TINIO, Director: CHRIS MILLADO

This play addresses loss of identity, an obsession to keep clinging to the old glorious days gone by, a man’s inability to accept change within himself. He is tired of the bigger new world that he is living in now. It underscores denial, contradiction and order vs. disorder.

PLAYDATES: AUSGUST 15, 16, 17 – 22, 23, 24 – SEPTEMBER 5, 6, 7

VENUE: TANGHALANG HUSENG BATUTE, CULTURAL CENTER OF THE PHILIPPINES

TICKETS: REGULAR: Php600; STUDENT: Php300. 20% Discount on the regular price for senior citizens, government employees, military employees and PWD’s (Please present valid ID)

In YUN NA NGA! KUNG YUN KA! (COSI E SE VI PARE), Tata Nanding explained that this fits the Season’s theme as it is a story “about 2 families who refuse to accept the reality of life. There’s a lot of pretense by putting up a social facade and very much disillusioned by their false pride. The play is a comedy farce about individuals who does not have a sense of honesty.”

YUN NA NGA! KUNG YUN KA! (COSI E SE VI PARE)

Playwright: LUIGI PIRANDELLO, Filipino Translation: JERRY RESPETO, Direction: FLOY QUINTOS

An expressionistic parable that explores the relativity of truth, the vanity and necessity of illusions. This will be an ensemble work that will underscore our tendencies to live lives far beyond our real lives, farthest from our real, true selves and worth. This will be directed by (Award) Floy Quintos.

PLAYDATES: SEPTEMBER 26, 27, 28 – OCTOBER 3, 4, 5 – 10, 11, 12 – 17, 18, 19

VENUE: TANGHALANG HUSENG BATUTE, CULTURAL CENTER OF THE PHILIPPINES

TICKETS: REGULAR: Php 600; STUDENT: Php300. 20% Discount on the regular price for senior citizens, government employees, military employees and PWD’s (Please present valid ID)

At the time I interviewed Tata Nanding the play that was in the line-up was “OF MICE AND MEN.” Somehow it didn’t pushed through. However, it is welcoming to know that they have a Sarsuwela in the list.

The sarsuwela, also known as the drama simbolico, was a traditional theater genre that dominated the Philippine theater scene for over one hundred years. It was first introduced by Dario Cespedes, a Spanish producer and owner of asarsuwela troupe in the 19th century. Its storyline was commonly based on domestic issues that often exemplified a strong sense of Filipino nationalism and anguish against the country’s foreign imperialists. (From my old Broadwayworld article - Tanghalang Pilipino’s WALANG SUGAT Opens Tonight, 8/16)

It is seldom for a legitimate theatre company to produce one of the earliest theatrical forms like a Sarsuwela in their productions. And this is not just any Sarsuwela, it’s BALANGIGA.

Looking at the month where this will be shown it is just a smart guess that this would be an inspirational production as BALANGIGA is in Samar and it was affected during the Typhoon Yolanda. It is a story about actually one of the bravest and smartest incidents of Philippine History that happened during the Philippine American War.

BALANGIGA (Sarswela)

Playwright: RODY VERA, Director: GARDY LABAD

A Filipino musical (sarswela) on the Balangiga massacre which happened during the Philippine American war in 1901 where 48 members of the US 9th infantry were killed by Samar townspeople.

PLAYDATES: NOVEMBER 28, 29, 30 – DECEMBER 5, 6, 7 – 12, 13, 14

VENUE: TANGHALANG AURELIO TOLENTINO, CULTURAL CENTER OF THE PHILIPPINES

TICKETS: REGULAR: Php800; STUDENT: Php400. 20% Discount on the regular price for senior citizens, government employees, military employees and PWD’s (Please present valid ID)

LARO SA PANAGINIP (Dangerous Liaisons) is based from 18th-century French novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos and was transformed into a historical drama entitled Les Liaisons Dangereuses by Christopher Hampton with Glenn Close, John Malkovich, Michelle Pfeiffer, Keanu Reeves and Uma Thurman. But for the new generation, we’ve got “Cruel Intentions,” a modern take of this story starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, Reese Witherspoon, and Selma Blair. Still whatever version you may have the story, play and movies revolve around greed.

“People have this tendency to sometimes want everything for themselves to suit their needs and wants,” Tata Nanding pointed out. “Some of them would refuse to accept that other people also have their own needs. They have this mindset that ‘I will not allow you to be happy without satisfying myself first’.”

Thus, people’s greed has its own ramifications and if this Personal disease isn’t corrected from within. (My personal note and NOT Tata Nanding: well you saw what happened to the Pork Barrel Scam – personally, a lot of people suffered from a few people’s greed)

LARO SA PANAGINIP (Dangerous Liaisons)

Playwright: PIERRE CHODERIOS, Adaptation: ELMER GATCHALIAN, Director: TUXQS RUTAQUIO

A most engaging dissection of one woman’s obsession to possess everything she desires to satisfy her limitless osycho-physical needs. She uses the weaker characters for the lust; some succumb to her wiles, but other more virtuous souls succeed in suppressing her venomous vice.

PLAYDATES: February 20-22, 27, March 1, 6-8, 2015

VENUE: TANGHALANG AURELIO TOLENTINO, CULTURAL CENTER OF THE PHILIPPINES

TICKETS: REGULAR: Php800; STUDENT: Php400. 20% Discount on the regular price for senior citizens, government employees, military employees and PWD’s (Please present valid ID)

FOR TICKET INQUIRIES: CHERRY BONG EDRALIN 0917-750-0107 / 0918-959-3949 / Email: cherry_edralin888@yahoo.com.