FIFTEEN THEATER PRODUCTIONS THAT HAVE STAYED WITH ME, Part 1

After Guelan Luarca posted his list of theater productions that stuck with him, I was inspired to create my own list. As I went through my mind’s memory bank,  I realized I couldn’t limit my list to ten; as of now, it is made up of fifteen productions. In all of these, I watched as a member of the  audience. Excluded are productions where I was a member of the cast or the production staff, or later became involved in subsequent staging (that may be material for another list).

As a foreword, I wish to narrate that my first theater production was a staging of the history of the Philippines for my second-year Social Studies class (under Ms. Rosaida Macuha) . I selected and adapted scenes from the Gregorio Zaide textbook and had my classmates perform these in the classroom as part of our requirements.  AS far as I can remember, our teacher and classmates liked our show.  Much later, the all-girls Canossa Academy put up a trilogy of plays that required boys to be in the cast, and I was among those invited, along with others from  our school (the Mabini Academy) and De La Salle Lipa.  These experiences were very fulfilling, so much so that on the third day of freshman year at the University of the Philippines, I responded to an audition poster and went into the Guerrero Theater for Dulaang U.P.'s production of Ang Pabilog na Guhit ng Tisa under Tony Mabesa.  The rest, as they say, is history.

It was only after that productions that I got to watch other plays, and here are the first set of memorable productions that have stayed with me throughout the years (albeit these will undoubtedly date me).

1.      Pagsambang Bayan by Bonifacio Ilagan (U.P.Repertory Company, Wilfrido Ma.Guerrero Theater, directed by Behn Cervantes, 1977) -  Just two weeks after Ang Pabilog na Guhit ng Tisa had its last performance, this production premiered in the same venue with Orestes Ojeda playing the role of the priest.  So unlike anything that I had seen or expected , the production directly addressed the audience, forcing them to do more than watch and to participate in finding answers to the questions of the time raised in the play. 

2.      Romeo atJulieta  by William Shakespeare (Teatro Pilipino, CCP Little Theater, translated and directed by Rolando Tinio, 1978) – I believe this was the first Tinio production I ever saw, and I remember how much I marveled at the Filipino translation and admired the sets, costumes and staging, despite the noisy early-morning matinee student audience.  CCP still used to allow SRO crowds, and what made this production (with Tommy Abuel and Ella Luansing  as the star-crossed lovers) was baritone Aurelio Estanislao playing Fray Lorenzo, wading through the audience at the aisles as he receives word that Romeo did not get the letter he had sent.  Seconds later, Teddy Hilado’s lights illuminate the stage, revealing the tomb in the churchyard that had been set-up while the audience’s attention was diverted by the preceding scene. To me then, it was magical.

3.       Katipunan: Mga Anak ng Bayan by Bonifacio Ilagan (Bulwagang Gantimpla,CCP Main Gallery, directed by Tony Espejo, 1978) – The first production of Bulwagang Gantimpala, the play was memorable even more because it was performed at the CCP Main Gallery (the company’s future home beside the cafeteria wasstill being renovated), the only production I ever recall being staged there.  Because of the dynamics of the venue, the production kept audiences on their seats, what with  Joel Lamangan, Angie Ferro, Ariosto Reyes and Joey Bernal- Ang playing the four Tagapagsalaysays  attired in costumes from different eras (Joel a la Lapu-Lapu, Joey in a Barong Tagalog, Angie channeling Sisa, and Ariosto as an Ilustrado).  Tommy Abuel was Bonifacio,  Cora Alforja played Gregoria de Jesus, and Ward Luarca was Emilio Jacinto. 

photo from Ed Murillo's album of Gantimpala posters

4.      Bayan-Bayanan by Bienvenido Noriega Jr.,  (Bulwagang Gantimpala, directed by Tony Espejo, 1979) – Teatro Pilipino had premiered this play in 1975 with Rolando Tinio directing, but it was this later production that I got to see. As far as I can remember, it was also the first play I saw at the new home of Bulwagang Gantimpala.  The play’s realism was heightened by the minimalist set and the great ensemble led by Tommy Abuel, Caloy Abrera, Jay Valencia Glorioso, Doming Landicho, Ariosto Reyes Jr, Veronica Palileo, Cris Vertido, Lorli Villanueva and Susan Valdez(who, I believe, I fell in love with after watching her as Connie).  

5.      Larawan (Portrait of An Artist as Filipino) by Nick Joaquin, (PETA, Raha SulaymanTheatre, translated by Alfred Yuson and Franklin Osorio, directed by Lino Brocka, 1979) -  This was not the first play I saw at the Raha Sulayman Theater , but when Orlando Nadres (as Bitoy Camacho) began talking about Intramuros while standing on the ramparts of Fort Santiago, I knew that I was watching a production that was to stay with me for a long time.  With sets by Salvador Bernal that exploited the ruins even more, and a cast headed by Lolita Rodriguez, Charito Solis, Philip Salvador, Butz Aquino, Lorli Villanueva, Ben Rubio and Maya (Mitch) Valdez, it didn’t matter that the play had also been previously staged in the same venue in another time (with Rita Gomez, Lolita Rodriguez and Dante Rivero); this was a production that became seared in my memory.   

from the CCP Encyclopedia of Philippine Art

(to be continued)

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