Arts Q4

Original performance
with the use of Media

Introduction
Theater is the one major art form that brings

together all the other art forms—from painting
and sculpture, to installation art, to music, to
dance, to literature, even to computer arts—in a
single production. A story is acted out on stage
(or other performance area) by actors portraying
the characters, bringing them to life and
developing the plot through dialogue and
actions, and sometimes through song and/or
dance.
Philippine Theater and Performing Groups
The Philippines has a rich and thriving theater industry that you may be
interested to venture into in the future. Productions range from original plays
with Philippine themes and settings, to renowned theater classics from past
centuries, to contemporary musicals from Broadway or London’s West End.
Below is an overview of some of the more prominent theater and performing
groups in the country and their major productions.
PETA and Tanghalang Pilipino
With the American presence in the Philippines for the first half of the 20th century, it was inevitable that
many U.S. and European theater forms and scripts found their way here. Among them were the classics, such as
the plays of William Shakespeare, as well as the works of great American playwrights. At the same time, local
theater groups staged original Philippine zarzuelas which were plays performed in song, similar to the European
opera.
In the past few decades, modern theater groups have continued to express the distinctly Philippine
interpretation of both originally-written plays as well as adaptations of foreign works translated into Filipino.
At the forefront of these are the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA), founded in 1967 by Cecile
Guidote-Alvarez, and Tanghalang Pilipino, the resident theater company of the Cultural Center of the
Philippines, founded in 1987.
Examples of PETA Productions:
Himala Pamana
Caredivas Haring Lear
Tanghalang PETA, 2013
PETA, 2011 PETA, 2012
Pilipino, 2004
William
Ibalong Tanghalang
Tanghalang
Pilipino, 2012 Noli
Pilipino, 2011
Tanghalang Pilipino, 2011
Repertory Philippines
In 1967, theater director Zenaida Amador fulfilled her dream of bringing the best of Broadway and London’s
West End to Filipino audiences. Together with actress Baby Barredo, Amador established Repertory Philippines, a
company that not only staged English-language plays and musicals year-round but trained actors and actresses as
well. The company continues with this vision to this day
Multi-awarded theater actress and singer, Lea Salonga, in fact, began her career as a child lead in productions
of Repertory Philippines. From there, she went on to become an international stage superstar in the lead role of
Kim in Miss Saigon—putting the Philippines on the world map in terms of theater talent.
Also among Repertory’s many notable achievements was the 1993 staging of the international hit musical Les
Miserables in Manila with an all-Filipino cast and production team.
In its 2009 season, Repertory added a Filipino classic in English to its productions—A Portrait of the Artist as
Filipino, by National Artist Nick Joaquin. To date, it continues to offer a mix of productions ranging from literary
classics to contemporary satires, comedies, and musicals.
Trumpets
In the 1990s, the Philippine theater group

Trumpets also began mounting grand productions of
originally-written musicals with a slant towards good
values for children and the whole family. Among their
plays have been Joseph the Dreamer; First Name; The
Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe; Little Mermaid;
Honk; N.O.A.H.; and The Bluebird of Happiness. The
intention of Trumpets is to provide wholesome
theater experiences for Filipino youth while also
building up the Philippine theater-going public.
New Voice Company
Also making its own distinct contribution to the Philippine

theater scene is New Voice Company, established in 1994 by
Monique Wilson—also a Repertory Philippines’ protégée who
went on to star on the international stage. New Voice has earned
a reputation for staging thought- provoking productions on daring
and deep topics.
Philippine Opera Company
The Philippine Opera Company (POC) was founded in 1999 by a group of dedicated classically-trained
singers, led by soprano Karla Gutierrez as artistic directress. The POC seeks to develop performers as well
as audiences for classical music performances, both foreign and Filipino.
Theater Down South
In 2007, Theater Down South was founded, with Philippine theater mainstay Michael Williams as artistic
director. The vision of the company is to widen the reach of stage productions beyond the traditional centers
within Metro Manila, and therefore develop a broader audience base.
Roles in a stage Production
Most visible on stage in a theater production are

the actors and actresses playing their roles. However,
behind the scenes is an entire team whose work
begins months in advance of the actual performance.
It is they who support the actors and enable them to
truly bring the play to life. While the members of this
team may vary depending on how complex or simple
the production is, below are the basic roles that most
plays require:
Producer
- In a professional stage production, this is the person who takes the play from a mere concept to an actual
finished presentation. He or she chooses all the team members and assigns them their functions, and
oversees the casting of the actors and actresses for the different roles.
Director
- The director is the overall artistic coordinator of the entire production. Like a conductor of an orchestra, he or
she has a vision of the desired total effect and impact of the performance.
Playwright
- For a script intended for stage performance, the writer of the script is more specifically called a playwright.
The initial concept or plot may be original, and then developed into a play script. Or it may be based on an
existing story or another play which the playwright will then adapt to present in a new way.
Set designer
- The concept and creation of the physical stage setup is the task of the set designer. He or she builds the set
(or sets) that will simulate the world that the play’s characters are supposed to live in.
Lighting designer
- Coordinating closely with the set designer is the lighting designer. Lighting is critical in creating the mood of each
scene in the play, highlighting a dramatic moment, signalling the entrance of a character, focusing attention on a
specific spot on stage, or even providing the blanket of darkness for set and prop changes.
Costume designer
- The actors and actresses must look believable in their roles, and much of this is owed to the costume designer. He
or she studies the general setting (time and place) that the play is meant to take place in, as well as each
character in the script.
Sound designer
- Similar to the lighting designer, the sound designer serves a vital role in creating and enhancing the atmosphere
of the performance. Sound, in this case, includes music both on stage and as background, which the sound
designer may need to source to suit the general time and place of the play, as well as particular scenes.
Note: In large scale productions where live musicians or even a full orchestra are involved, a separate musical
director is responsible for coordinating the play’s music.
Production manager
- Coordinating all the complex behind-the-scenes details of staging a play is the production manager. He or she is
tasked with overseeing the crews for the sets and props, the sound and music, the lighting, and the costumes.
Technical director
- The technical director shadows the play’s director throughout the entire production process.
Choreographer
- In cases where a play involves dance in certain scenes, a choreographer is included in the production team. He or
she not only plans out all the dance steps to suit the music, but also rehearses the actors until they are able to
perform the dance skillfully—while remaining “in character” on stage.
Makeup designer
- As the costume designer deliberates on the characters’ main attire, the makeup designer is brought in to plan the
hairstyles and makeup to complement the costumes.
Elements of Art as Applied to an Original Performance
1. Sound and Music- incorporating sound recording and editing techniques

available using applications for desktops or laptop computers, tablets, and
android phones.
2. Gesture, Movement, and Dance- incorporating appropriate dance styles and

techniques.
3. Costume, mask, makeup, and accessories- incorporating art techniques such as

painting, paper mache, assemblage, simple sculpture and industrial design.
4. Spectacle- creating a striking, even awe-inspiring effect on stage through the

use of lighting, sound, music, costumes, dance, and special effects.
Principle of Art
1. Rhythm and Movement
Movement a way which gives the illusion or suggestion of movement.
2. Balance- Balance is concerned with the visual distribution or weight of the elements in a work of
art.
3. Emphasis- is a way of using elements to stress a certain area in an artwork
4. Harmony, Unity, and Variety
Harmony is a bit vague compared to some of the other principles. Generally speaking, it
refers to how well all the visual elements work together in a work of art.
Unity refers to some kind of connection between all the visual elements in a work of art.
Variety refers to the use of differing qualities or instances of the visual elements.
5. Proportion- Proportion concerns the relationship between the sizes of different parts in an
artwork.

Arts Q4

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Arts Q4

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Copyright:

Available Formats

Original performance

with the use of Media

Theater is the one major art form that brings

In the 1990s, the Philippine theater group

Also making its own distinct contribution to the Philippine

Most visible on stage in a theater production are

1. Sound and Music- incorporating sound recording and editing techniques

2. Gesture, Movement, and Dance- incorporating appropriate dance styles and

3. Costume, mask, makeup, and accessories- incorporating art techniques such as

4. Spectacle- creating a striking, even awe-inspiring effect on stage through the

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