MANILA, Philippines—On its 39th year, Dulaang UP’s lineup of plays has the work of contemporary theater living legends Tony Mabesa, Floy Quintos and Rody Vera.

It’s an exciting year that include a rerun of last season’s hit musical, a staging of one of Shakespeare’s best known plays, a play on a heroic paralytic, a popular comedy from the Restoration Period, and a devised work inspired by a highly respected French writer and activist.

Opening the season is the restaging of “Ang Nawalang Kapatid”’s benefit shows on July 4-6 and 11-13. This fierce and complex retelling of “The Mahabharata” underlines the value of family, and the importance of truth and goodness. Book and lyrics by Floy Quintos, music by Ceejay Javier, direction and choreography by Dexter M. Santos. Proceeds are for the improvement of UP Diliman’s Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero Theater and Teatro Hermogenes Ylagan.

In celebration of William Shakespeare’s 450th birth anniversary is the staging of “Measure for Measure/ Hakbang sa Hakbang”. The play raises important moral and social issues—sex, deception, and moral hypocrisy. It is staged both in English and Filipino. Alexander C. Cortez directs with Filipino adaptation by Ron Capinding. “Measure for Measure/ Hakbang sa Hakbang” runs August 20- September 7.

t0426floy-intro_feat11_1 — Floy Quintos writes “Ang Nawalang Kapatid” and “Ang Huling Lagda”

The troika which is part of the hugely successful musical “Ang Nawalang Kapatid”—Dexter M. Santos (director), Floy Quintos (playwright), and Krina Cayabyab (music director) team up once again in a play about the last days of Apolinario Mabini’s exile in Guam. “Ang Huling Lagda” explores the conditions which spurred the sublime paralytic to return to his homeland. The play runs from September 24 to October 12, 2014.

Theatre icon Tony Mabesa directs “The Country Wife/Ang Misis kong Promdi”, one of the well-known comedies from the Restoration Period which has never been staged in the Philippines. The English version is done in Period while the Filipino version has a Contemporary treatment. Play by William Wycherley and Filipino translation by Nicolas B. Pichay. “The Country Wife/Ang Misis kong Promdi” runs from November 19 to December 7, 2014.

Closing the season is Rody Vera’s “Bilanggo ng Pag-ibig”—meditations on war, terrorism and the forbidden kiss, inspired by the final opus of renowned French writer and political activist Jean Genet. The play attempts to confront the urgent issues of terrorism and rebellion through the eyes of a person regarded as degenerate and perverse during his time. “Bilanggo ng Pag-ibig” is under the direction of José Estrella, and runs from February 4 to 22, 2015.

t1012pablo-rody_feat4_1 — Rody Vera writes “Bilanggo ng Pag-Ibig”.

All plays are bound together by a common theme—regaining dignity. In these times when we tend to fall short and strip ourselves of our dignity because of our selfishness, shortsightedness, and sullenness—our innate benevolence and goodwill must overcome these weaknesses so that we could rise to rid ourselves of disorder and put things back to order. These plays urge us all to hold on to our dignity—to the goodness that lie in each of us—and transcend the frailties that hold us back in becoming the best persons we could be.

All plays are staged at the Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero Theater, 2nd floor Palma Hall, University of the Philippines Diliman. For tickets, sponsorships and showbuying inquiries, call Samanta Hannah Clarin or Camille Guevara at 9261349, 4337840, 9818500 loc. 2449 or email [email protected].