Dulaang Filipino (DF) will represent the Philippines at this year’s Mont-Laurier International Theatre Festival in Québec, Canada.
DF will restage its August production of “Oedipus,” a condensed one-hour version of Sophocles’ three Theban plays, “Oedipus the King,” “Oedipus at Colonus” and “Antigone.”
Oedipus becomes king of Thebes after unknowingly killing his own father. He atones in Colonus with his daughter Antigone. When she returns to Thebes, Antigone deals with the repercussions of her brothers’ deaths.
Director Riki Benedicto is using translations by Rolando Tinio and Onofre Pagsanghan to “show the disparity of time between the three plays since their respective translations and tones are different.”
Benedicto’s staging will include stunts and fight scenes, “to help the audiences appreciate the portions where the characters narrate situations. The aim is to have the movement highlight the poetry of the language,” he says.
Benedicto is the trainer-director for Dulaang Filipino. His recent professional acting credits include Philippine Educational Theater Association’s “Arbol de Fuego,” Marie Eugenie Theater of the Assumption’s “Romeo and Juliet” and Virgin Labfest 2015’s “Macho Dancers: A Musical.”
Dulaang Filipino is the resident theater company of De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde. The college’s School of Design and Arts offers theater-related courses such as Technical Theater, Dance and Production Design.
Jason Dawis plays Oedipus, Ian Santos plays Kreon and Christine Bas plays Antigone.
Costume design is by Jay Conanan, set design by Drea Estrellado, lighting design by Benedict Alfonso and sound design by Ken Aoki.
DF’s season this school year (following a trimester calendar that begins in August) includes “Romeo and Juliet” in November and “Luna: An Aswang Romance” in July 2016.
Dulaang Filipino’s “Oedipus” plays Sept. 11 at L’Espace Théâtre Muni-Spec, 543, rue du Pont, Mont-Laurier, Québec. Contact 819-6231222 or follow at www.facebook.com/DulaangFilipino.Benilde