Philippine Theater
PETA
Founded in 1967 by Cecile-Guidote Alvarez, the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) is an organization of creative and critical artist-teacher-cultural workers committed to artistic excellence and a people’s culture that fosters both personal fulfillment and social transformation. It roots its foundation in the use of theater that is distinctly Filipino as a tool for social change and development. The company has lived by this principle as it continues to evolve with the changes that have occurred within and around it. It continues to push for first-rate quality theater while never taking for granted that the art it produces and teaches always serves a greater purpose.
Founded in 1967 by Cecile-Guidote Alvarez, the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) is an organization of creative and critical artist-teacher-cultural workers committed to artistic excellence and a people’s culture that fosters both personal fulfillment and social transformation. It roots its foundation in the use of theater that is distinctly Filipino as a tool for social change and development. The company has lived by this principle as it continues to evolve with the changes that have occurred within and around it. It continues to push for first-rate quality theater while never taking for granted that the art it produces and teaches always serves a greater purpose.
Moro Moro
A type of folk drama performed in villages throughout the Philippines, usually during fiestas. Although each village's moro-moro is a little different in terms of treatment, all are full of romance and melodrama, and the highpoint is always a battle between Muslims and Christians. Local people write the script, which is in verse, and some performances include quite elaborate scenery and costumes. Music and dance are also part of the production. One of the most notable moro-moros is held in San Dionisio in Rizal Province, where the drama is performed in the church and the village square every spring, usually in April or May. |
Senakulo
The Senakulo (from the Spanish cenaculo) is a Lenten play that depicts events from the Old and New Testaments related to the life, sufferings, and death of Christ. The senakulo is traditionally performed on a proscenium-type stage with painted cloth or paper backdrops that are called telon. It takes at least eight nights - from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday- to present the play. Christ is presented traditionally as meek and masochistic, submitting lamblike to his fate in obedience to authority. |
Zarsuela
Zarzuela, also called sarswela in the Philippines, is a Spanish lyric-dramatic genre that alternates between spoken and sung scenes, the latter incorporating dances. It is believed that the name derives from a hunting lodge, the Palacio de la Zarzuela, near Madrid where, in the 17th century, this type of performance first occurred before the Spanish royal court. The zarzuela (also known as zarzuelta) is also a genre and integral part of Filipino music. It was brought during the period of Spanish colonization by the settlers and friars, and quickly spread to the natives, who adapted it to their tastes. |