Philippine Theatrical Performance

Prepared by: MARK JEROME B. TORRES

CPAR Teacher
 Before the Spanish period, the early forms of the Philippine drama

were the duplo and the karagatan.

 *Duplo – was a poetical debate held by trained

men and women in the ninth night, the last
night of the mourning period for the dead.
 Bellacos – male participants, they are the
heads of the games.
 *Karagatan – was also a poetical debate like
the duplo, but its participants were amateurs.
 >> Both were held in the homes.
 >>Theme: was all about a ring that fell into the
sea.
 1598- The first recorded drama was
staged in Cebu.
 >> It was a Comedia written by Vicente
Puche and was perfomed in honor of
Msgr. Pedro de Agurto, Cebu’s first
bishop.
 1609- Eleven year after, another stage
play portraying The Life of Santa Barbara
was staged in Bicol.
 Three kinds of plays:
 1. Cenakulo – It was a very heavy drama
shown in relation to the life sacrifices and
death of Jesus Christ. It is like a passion play
presented and celebrated during the month of
March or April depending the exact date of the
Holy week
 Two kinds of presentations:
 The Ablada (oral)
 Kantada (song)
 *Several versions of Cenakulo: The
Tagalog, Iluko, Kapampangan, Bikol and
Bisayan Version.
 *The Cenakulo is divided into several
parts, one part for each night of the Holy
Week. Each performance lasts from
3-4hours. In Malibay, Pasay for instance,
the entire Cenakulo cycle starts with the
creation and ends with resurrection
Cenakulo
 2. Moro-moro – It is a cloak and dagger play
depicting the was between the Christians and
the Muslims with the Christians always on the
winning side.
 Fr. Jeronimo Perez – wrote the first moro-
moro and was staged in Manila in 1637, to
commemorate Governor General Consuera’s
victory over the Muslims of Mindanao.
 >> it becomes the favorite play of the people,
especially during the town fiestas.
Moro-moro
 3. Zarzuela – it is a melodrama with
songs and dances that have a three
in one act play. It is intended to make
the mass feeling towards love, fear,
grief, sorrow or any emotional
reactions sublime.
 >it sometimes shows the political and
social conditions of our country.
 >the musical part of the zarzuela has
given much opportunity for creativity
and appreciation of the audience until
the revolt in Cavite in the year 1872.
 >it is played by 20-25 professional
zarzuela artists (actors, actresses and
extras)
 >the Zarzuela is a musical comedy.
Zarzuela
 Junto Al Pasig (beside the Pasig) – A
zarzuela written by Jose Rizal and it was
staged at the Ateneo de Manila on
December 8, 1880 on the occasion of the
celebration of the Feast Day of the
Immaculate Conception (Patron saint
of the College)
 >Zarzuelas was nationalistic in theme and
plot.

 Popular Zarzuelas among masses:
 Pagibig sa Lupang Tinubuan ( Love for Native
Land) by Pascual Poblete
 Tanikalang Ginto (Gold Chain) by Juan Abad
 Malaya (Free) by Tomas Remigio
 Kahapon, Ngayon at at Bukas (Yesterday, Today
and Tomorrow) by Aurelio Tolentino
 Walang Sugat (Not wounded) by Severino Reyes
 Poblete and Tolentino: two of the most
nationalistic zarzuela writers were put in jail.
 1905-1930: The Golden Age of the Zarzuela in
the Philippines. ( Fernandez, D. 1978)
 Organization of the Zarzuela Foundation of the
Philippines – by Ms. Imelda R. Marcos and
Mr. Teodoro F. Valencia. The Rationale of this
“foundation” is “hopefully to create a mass base
of support for the zarzuelas all over the
country.”
 > The foundation successfully revived one of the
pre-war zarzuela favorites, Walang Sugat
1902 by Severino Reyes in 1977.
 Street Dramas:
 Moriones – the Morion Festival is a
Lenten ritual that is colorful as it is
unique. It is celebrated every Holy week
in Marinduque.
 Morion – means mask or visor which is
the top part of the Medieval Roman
armor covering the face. It is this mask
carved from dapdap wood that is the
Focal point of the Moriones celebration.
Moriones Mask Festival
 Pugutan ceremony – is the climax of the
Morion festival held at noon of Easter Sunday. It
is held on the dried river bed outside Boac.
 Longinus – who at the time of Pilate drove his
spear into the side of Jesus Christ as he hung
from the cross.
 -When Christ resurrected, He was the
first one to proclaim his Divinity.
 >>Men participate in this ritual and go about
the streets of Marinduque as Morions.
 >> They perform this as an act of Penance of
thanksgiving for some favor granted in the past.
 Ati-atihan
 Ati-atihan – is a pagan ritual, which
has become an annual affair that the
natives look forward to with great
expectation.
 It is the most extravagant fiesta in the
Philippines celebrated in Kalibo, Aklan every 3rd
Sunday of January in honor of the Infant Jesus.
 Ati-atihan derived its name from Atis, the
aboriginal Negritos of the area in the Visayas.
 “Hala Bira! Hala Bira!” This resonant cry
fills the air as the people of Kalibo gyrate
through the streets in a hypnotized mass
of dancing and shaking. Feet stomping,
hands clapping, bongos beating and ears
ringing all sound out the rhythmic beat of
the Ati-atihan.
The festival was later dedicated
to the Santo Niño because of
the victories won by the
Spaniards in Kalibo against the
Muslim attacks when they were
forced to abandon Mindanao.
 The people of Aklan celebrate the ati-atihan
dressed in outlandish costumes and get-ups.
This native mardi-gras finds the participants
dressed in improvised attires of feathers,
coconut shells and palm fronds, as they imitate
in their own way the garish tribal costumes of
the Atis. The merrymaker throw their inhibitions
to the wind as they prance about in gay
abandon for 3 consecutive nights.
The Modern Philippine Drama
-The modern Philippine drama/stage play was
rejuvenated upon the establishment of the
Repertory Philippines in June of 1967 which
was founded by Zeneida “Bibot” Amador and
Baby Barredo.
 Repertory Philippines
- In its 30years of existence it has become the
country’s leading theater company, keeping abreast of
new materials and demanding outstanding performance
from its extraordinary talents.