Contemporary Philippine Arts from the Regions

THEATER
Theater refers to an art form that involves performing carefully planned actions
and emotions in front of an audience.
SIX ELEMENTS OF THEATER
1. Performers – these are the persons who are onstage and portray the
characters in a convincing way for the audience.

2. Audience – the performers have to present in front of the audience and

connect with them. They tend to respond to the energy the audience
shows while watching the play.

3. Director – serves as an overseer to the entire production. He or she

ensures that the performers are doing their job well, including
understanding and delivering the texts. The director also ensures that the
production design works well.

4. Performance Space – This element refers to the space in which the

actors can perform. It may also refer to the space for the audience to sit
or stand.

5. Design – the design is essential in placing the overall feel of the

production. There are two aspects of design. Visual aspects include
lighting, set and costumes while nonvisual aspects primarily include
sound.

6. Text – This refers to the script. This must be present in a particular play
or production.

FORMS AND TYPES OF PHILIPPINE THEATER

A typology of Philippine Theater was developed based on another typology created
by Dr. Prospero R. Cavar, a Filipino anthropologist. In this typology, There are
four dramatic traditions based on where contemporary theater takes place: the
dulang pahiyang (rituals), the dalumbayan (People’s theater), the teatrong
pansimbahan(church-related theater), and theater as an art.
Contemporary Philippine Arts from the Regions

FOUR DRAMATIC TRADITIONS:

1. DULANG PAHIYANG – in this category, theater is not viewed as a

separate activity, but as a part of life. Rituals falls under this type, other
forms include duplo, balagtasan, bayok, and balitaw.

a. RITUALS - A ritual is describing as a way to communicate with gods

or spirits. This involves a shaman, usually a babaylan or an albularyo,
calling the spirits and being possessed by that spirit. While in that
particular state, the shaman performs a sacrifice of pours water over
the offerings.

b. DUPLO - The Duplo is described as a poetic debate, in which the

balagtasan was derived from. The balagtasan involves poems with
four lines with 12 syllables per line.

c. BAYOK - The bayok is a Maranao mimetic joust. The theme of the

joust depends on the occasion on when the joust is to be performed.
Two or more singers interpret the theme in a spontaneous song-dance-
debate. The singers, however, have to be careful in articulating verses
in order to avoid heated conflict.

d. BALITAW - The balitaw is a poetic debate between a man and a

woman. Although the term balitaw may also refer to the song and its
lyrics, or the dance, it may also refer to the entire performance itself
since it exhibits an exchange of words in a hypothetical situation. The
balitaw later evolved into drama-balitaw, which involves portraying a
particular story on stage with minimal set.

2. DALUMBAYAN – also known as the people theater, this is considered

theater in the context of social movements. Plays under this type aim to
improve current systems of government. Common among unions of
peasants, group of workers, and liberationist movements, these theatrical
forms include drama simboliko, historical plays, plays with social realism,
teatrong bayan ng manggagawa, peoples theater,
nationalist/protest/propaganda theater and street theater.
Contemporary Philippine Arts from the Regions

a. DRAMA SIMBOLIKO - This refers to allegorical nationalist drama

which began during the American regime, however, this was revived
during the Marcos regime.

b. STREET THEATER - This refers to a theater that is presented

outside the theater building and without the stage area. The political
theater is a form of street theater. However, the street theater can also
be applied in rituals and religious plays.

3. TEATRONG PANSIMBAHAN - This type of theater is concerned with

the spirituality. This is usually performed depending on the events of the
church calendar (catholic protestant). There are some forms that are
traditional or folk, such as in the case of senakulo and the komedya.

a. KOMEDYA - The komedya is a play verse that portrays the lives of

saints. However, the komedya may also depict actual events, or tales
about royalty in the kingdoms of Africa, Europe, Arabia, and Persia.

b. DAPIT - It refers to the tradition of fetching the image of the

community’s patron saint. This usually done the night before the
fiesta or even the day itself. A typical dapit involves escorting the
image from the house of the caretaker to the church, accompanied
with music played by the brass band and dance.

c. FLORES - Presented in the month of May, has three variations. It

may refer to the festival of flowers in honor of Mary mother of Jesus
(Flores de Mayo), the everyday offering of flowers to the image of the
virgin (Alay), or the closing procession on the last Sunday of May
(Flores de Maria). Another variant of Flores is sunduan, which
involves males fetching ladies and going together with the procession.
People participating in the sunduan carry beautiful arrangements of
flowers.

d. HUDAS - This refers to the burning of image of Judas Iscariot, which

is popular in Bulacan, Pampanga, and Cebu. This is usually held on
the evening of Black Saturday or in the morning of Easter Sunday.
Contemporary Philippine Arts from the Regions

e. HULING HAPUNAN - This is an actual supper enacted to

commemorate the last supper of Jesus with his disciples on the night
before His crucifixion.

f. MORIONES - This is a short street play portraying the capture and

beheading of Roman Shoulder Longinus, who was involved in the
crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

g. PAGHUHUGAS NG PAA - This short ritual reenacts Christ washing

the feet of his disciples before the Last Supper. This ritual
demonstrates humility in serving others.

h. PANUNULUYAN - This is a procession that reenacts Mary and

Joseph’s search for an inn in Bethlehem. This involves using two karo
or floats, which bear the images of Mary and Joseph, and singing of
one male and one female singer accompanied by brass band.

i. PASTORES OR SHEPHERDS’ DANCE - Tis reenactment of

shepherds honoring the infant Jesus. This is typically presented before
Christmas Day. In some areas, pastors involve a group of singers
dressed as shepherds who go to every house in the area singing and
dancing to Christmas songs.

j. OSANA – This is a short reenactment of the triumphal entry of Jesus

to Jerusalem.

k. PANGANGALUWA - This refers to a tradition involving carolers

who go to each house in the community to act like souls in purgatory
and beg for alms.

l. SIETE PALABRAS - This is a reenactment of the last Three hours of

Jesus Christ in the cross. It was during this time that seven last words
were stated.

m. SINAKULO - A sinakulo is a play performed during the Holy Week.

It depicts the story of salvation, starting from the creation of the world
up to the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The traditional
sinakulo focused on the final triumph of good over evil. However, the
Contemporary Philippine Arts from the Regions

sinakulo evolved and is now depicting the struggle between sectors

and classes.

n. SALUBONG - This short reenactment focuses on the meeting of

Mary ,mother of Jesus and Jesus Christ who rose from the dead.

o. SOLEDAD - This procession, which is usually performed late in the

evening portrays Mary’s grief after burying of Jesus Christ.

p. TATLONG HARI - This reenactment of the travel of the Magi to

worship the infant Jesus in Bethlehem.

q. VIA CRUCIS - This tradition is a way of remembering the events

leading to Christ’s death and burial.

4. THEATER AS AN ART - Theater under this category is based on Western

models. Theater is viewed as a profession. Production values, including set
design, props, and lighting, are being considered seriously. Plays are being
performed in formal private buildings and school auditoriums. The culture of
ticketing also plays a role in making sure that the profession will thrive.

a. CHILDREN’S THEATER
- Refers to plays with children as actors.
- Also includes plays performed by adults for an audience
of children.
- Community-based theater

b. PUPPET THEATER
- Form of drama in which puppets portray the role of the
characters.

c. OPERA
- Refers to a form of musical theater that was introduced in
the Philippines during the late 19th century.

d. INDIGENOUS THEATER
- Types of theater that is usually seen in the forms of
rituals, mimetic customs, and dances.
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e. PLAYS WITH SPANISH INFLUENCE

- These plays include drama, komedya, sinakulo, and
sarswela.

f. THEATER WITH ANGLO-AMERICAN INFLUENCE - This

comprises of bodabil, and modern Filipino plays written in English
and Filipino.

 BODABIL -a stage presentation that consists of a range of

musical and comedy acts, skits, monologues, novelty and
acrobatic numbers, solos, and chorus lines. During the
1980s, this was used mainly as aform of political theater.
Nowadays, the bodabil is performed during town fiestas, in
film musicals and in radio.

 MODERN OR ORIGINAL PLAYS BY FILIPINOS -

During the 1990s writers continue to create theater texts
using the Filipino language. The themes of these plays still
revolve around social, economic, political, and cultural
issues in the country. Other developments in theater include
the existence of the pro-gay culture movement, and the
growing number of theater scholars. There are two types of
modern plays written by Filipinos. A representational style
involves making an illusion of reality with well-rounded
characters. An original Filipino play can also be
presentational, meaning it focuses on discussing social
issues and ideas. A presentational play can be categorized
into the following.

 Documentary style - this is performed to connect historical

persons and events to the present.

 Brechtian Theater - this is also known as theater of

instruction. Inspired by Bertolt Brecht, this play features a
social orientation and utilizes mime, dances, songs, stylized
sets and costumes, and typical characters. Themes are
usually taken from history, folklore, and other sources.
Related to the Brechtian Theater is absurd Theater, in which
Contemporary Philippine Arts from the Regions

situations are deliberately exaggerated to prove an idea and

whose characters are seen as types instead of as individuals.

 Dula-Tula - is a variant of dramatic monologue, which

involves one actor speaking while acting out his emotions
and thoughts. However, in dula-tula, other characters are
present to the only person speaking in the play. This was
first performed by UP Repertory Company during the early
1970’s.

 Traditional forms such as Sinakulo and Komedya.