Harlequin Theater Guild (De La Salle University-Manila) opens its 47th season with “DuLa Salle,” its annual festival of plays.
This year’s installment will feature short stories written by members of De La Salle University’s Writer’s Guild, focusing on “lives of the ordinary workers in the university, paying tribute to the nameless faces and the unsung stories of campus heroes.”
“DuLa Salle” runs Aug. 8-10 at William Shaw Little Theater.
In November, the group restages “The Sky Over Dimas,” adapted by Tim Dacanay from the Manila Critics Circle National Book Award-winning novel by Vicente Groyon.
The story of Rafael Torrecarion’s return to Hacidena Dimas and his encounter with the “web of long-buried secrets that preserve and threaten the foundations of his family” had its world premiere earlier this year in HTG’s previous season, directed by HTG artistic director Raffy Tejada.
HTG will conclude its season in March 2014 with “Birdcage,” a Filipino translation by Nonon Carandang of Jean Poiret’s “La Cage aux Folles.” Both “The Sky Over Dimas” and “Birdcage” will be staged in the school’s Teresa Yuchengco Auditorium.
Contact Harlequin Theater Guild at 5244611 loc. 702 and 737; e-mail [email protected].
Protest theater
Ateneo Enterteyment para sa Tao, Bayan, Lansangan at Diyos (Entablado) opened its 31st season, dubbed “Personalan Na!,” in May with Chris Millado’s “Buwan at Baril” to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Benigno Aquino Jr.’s assassination (which falls on Aug. 21).
Directed by AE artistic director Jethro Tenorio, the play tackled life during the Marcos dictatorship through eight different characters from various classes and regions. The play was also staged partly as homage to Entablado’s roots, in that the play traces the beginnings of the country’s protest and street theater.
Come August, the group will stage Dennis Marasigan’s “Ang Buhay ay Pelikula,” to be directed by Tenorio, about a film producer who has to choose between film aesthetics and practicality.
In November, Jesus Ignacio directs “Filemon Mamon,” adapted from Christine Bellen’s children’s book. Filemon loves to act and eat. He auditions for a role but is deemed too fat for it. Audiences will see how Filemon deals with the situation in a positive manner.
The season concludes in January 2014 with Malou Jacob’s “Juan Tamban,” to be directed by Ron Capinding. Inspired by newspaper reports of a boy who ate cockroaches and lizards, the play delves into how a masteral student attempts to study Juan Tamban’s strange diet as part of her academic requirements.
Contact Ateneo Entablado at 0915-9479061; e-mail [email protected].
