unSAULicited

“The poor are like animals. It’s as if they’re made of some other substance.” “Your only right is that of obedience. Nobody tells me what to do.” - Bernarda Alba Despite the savagery, such messages remain familiar and unsettling to us today. Though not as straightforward with their oppression, modern-day dictators espouse the same belief, “the poor are like animals.” The House of Bernarda Alba/Ang Tahanan ni Bernarda Alba centers on a family of three generations with Bernarda Alba as the head of the household. The piece reveals how she treats her mother, daughters, and servants as mere puppets under her command. This underscores the larger themes of tyranny and oppression found throughout the play. Although written in 1945, the characters and conflicts staged by Lorca can be traced to our present day with ease. Bernarda Alba and her conduct towards others provide audiences with a deep understanding of the abused and the abuser – all within a single household. Dulaang UP ...

For only one weekend, Arete will be staging Suzue Toshiro's IF He Doesn't See Your Face at the Doreen Black Box, Arete, Ateneo de Manila. Veteran actors Delphine Buencamino and Brian Sy play the husband and wife Yasuyo and Tatsuya. They are a curious couple whose flaws are endearing yet somewhat bizaare. The play is mostly set in the visiting area of a Japanese prison where Yasuyo visits her husband once a month. Toshiro's great writing effectively transports you into a their universe where reality seamlessly mixes with the surreal. It is definitely a play where you'd want to bring at least another person so you can debrief yourselves from the light madness you got yourself into. And we all need a bit of madness form time to time. The tone of the play is light yet it delves deep on the background of the lovers. It discusses deep rooted traumas, the complications of relationships, one's need to be acknowledged and loved, and even a discussion about a uniq...

Philippine Educational Theater Association invites theater enthusiasts, budding performers, and creatives-at-heart to take a break from the hectic schedules, traffic jams, never-ending deadlines, and the daily stress of the work week with PETA’s WORKSHOP WEEKENDS, starting this August 10! The 12 session workshop is suited for the busy lifestyles of adults and college students (ages 18 and up), and is facilitated by some of the country’s most outstanding thespians and theater practitioners. Choose from three exciting course to release your creative passions -- Theater Arts, Basic Acting, and Creative Musical Theater. Immerse yourself in a true artistic experience with THEATER ARTS! This beginners’ class teaches you the fundamental knowledge, skills and attitudes in theater acting, dramatic improv, and theater production craft. Discover the disciplines of acting in BASIC ACTING! Level up your acting skills in this workshop, and explore different acting styles and techniques...

Federico Garcia Lorca’s last play, La Casa de Bernarda Alba, directed by Alexander Cortez – translated from the original Spanish into English as The House of Bernarda Alba by Daisy Lopez, and into Filipino as Ang Tahanan ni Bernarda Alba by Cortez – is set to open Dulaang UP’s 44th season. The play centers on the events inside the house of Bernarda Alba, a domineering matriarch who imposes an eight-year mourning period on her household after her second husband’s death, in accordance with her family’s religious traditions. Bernarda has five daughters in their twenties and thirties, to whom she asserts inexorable control, forbidding them from entering any romantic relationship over the course of mourning. This period isolates the family and builds tension within the household as the daughters rival against each other on marriage, inheritance and command, reflecting religious hypocrisy and all its trappings. Morality here is but an afterthought, pushed aside by self-interest, pride...

Two women’s fate are intertwined and the path they are treading soon leads to shocking revelations with irreversible consequences in “After the Wedding” starring Julianne Moore, Michelle Williams, Billy Crudup and Abby Quinn. A poignant drama with a powerhouse, female-led cast, “After the Wedding” tells the story of Isabel (Williams) who’s running an orphanage in Calcutta, India that also faces potential suspension due to dwindling funds. Soon enough, a potential donor comes knocking at their door, philanthropist Theresa Young (Moore) who insists that Isabel travels to New York to deliver a presentation for her orphanage. Arriving in New York, Isabel finds herself uncomfortable in the presence of the orphanage’s possible benefactor. Theresa welcomes her from the glittering skyscraper where she runs her business. While Isabel thinks she'll soon be returning to her beloved orphanage after the meeting, Theresa has other plans. She insists Isabel attend Grace's wedding a...

Are you in for a new romantic comedy play about two lonely souls who embark on an unlikely relationship filled with surprising discoveries and the healing power of love? Twin Bill Theater Company is all set to open its third season with the Asian premiere of DANCING LESSONS, a 95-minute charming new two-character play by Mark St. Germain beginning August 16 at the Power Mac Center Spotlight, Level 2 Circuit Lane, Circuit Makati. Noted playwright Mark St. Germain is known for real-life figures in his fact-inspired plays namely: Camping With Henry and Tom (about Henry Ford and Thomas Edison), Freud’s Last Session (which also featured C.S. Lewis as a character), Becoming Dr. Ruth and Scott & Hem in the Garden of Allah (featuring novelists Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald). For DANCING LESSONS, Mark has written about two fictional characters in a heartfelt production that is moving, comic and sweet. DANCING LESSONS centers on Ever Montgomery, a science professor and Senga Qu...

Be Our Guest Theatricals, in partnership with BGC Arts Center and Erehwon Center for the Arts, brings you the Fundraising Show of Eljay Castro Deldoc’s “13TH OF SEPTEMBER” A reimagination of Lanie Robertson's "The Insanity of Mary Girard", directed by Riki Benedicto. The play is the Philippines’ official entry to the 9th Festival International de Théâtre de Mont-Laurier in Quebec, Canada which will be held from September 5 -11, 2019. Only 25 companies from over 20 countries are selected to join and present their plays during the said biennial theater festival. The Philippines is the only country from Southeast Asia who was selected to join the festival since its launch in 2003. Any play can, practically, be “based on true story” but “The Insanity of Mary Girard” is one of the few that took real-life events into a haunting and highly theatrical piece. Mary Girard (1758–1815) was committed to an asylum in 1790 where her husband declared her legally insane. During he...

It took sixteen years, sixteen sweet years, for Stop Kiss to be restaged and the wait is definitely worth it! I entered Power Mac Center Spotlight with a curious look. I had to walk through a short, dark, sort of tunnel that reminded me of the start of an escape room and at the end of it were seats and a very pink stage that demanded my attention. I’ve seen previous stages made by Ed Lacson Jr. (Constellations is my favorite!) and I would have to say that this was on a league of its own! It was minimal yet it was well thought of, even a bit entrancing. There’s no escape by the time I got on my seat. I knew even then that it would be a great experience! A few minutes in the theater and I thought I was ready. But right when it started, I took it back. All throughout the show, my attention was fully on the stage. As always, Teresa Barrozo’s sound design is perfect in enhancing the production. Genius is also present in Tata Tuviera’s costume design especially in the multiple lightni...

After announcing the return of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s record-breaking 2015 Olivier award nominated musical Cats to Manila, producers have just revealed the full cast for the Manila season. CATS plays for a strictly limited season at The Theatre at Solaire beginning 6th November 2019. World-renowned theatre star and the Philippines’ very own Joanna Ampil reprises her role as Grizabella. Joanna Ampil has performed in several West End musicals, including Miss Saigon, Jesus Christ Superstar and Avenue Q, and she played the role of Fantine in Les Misérables in London. Joining her in the cast are Luke Fraser Yates, George Hinson, Gavin Eden, Kirsty Ingram, Elizabeth Futter, Sally Frith, Erica-Jayne Alden, Amy Whittle, Ellie Young, Holly Willock, Danielle Cato, Gabrielle Coca, Cian Hughes, Rhys Batten, Thomas Inge, Mukeni Nel, Lloyd Davies, Abigail Dever, Alexandra Wright, Elly Shaw, Liam Buckland, Lee Nicholson, and Brian O’Muiri. Resident director is Dane Quixall. Based on T. S. Eli...