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Keeping true to its goal of presenting advocacy through theater, the Philippine Educational Theater Association (Peta) launched on Tuesday its latest musical show, which tackles martial law and historical revisionism.
For the whole month of September, Peta will present “A Game of Trolls: A Martial Law Musical,” a story about Heck, a manager of a “troll center” that runs an online pro-martial law campaign. Ghosts of martial law victims haunt him from the Internet cloud, where they fear being erased as the public slowly forget their stories.
Heck’s encounters force him to reflect on his beliefs and relationship with his mother, a former martial law activist.
The musical, written by Liza Magtoto and directed by Peta artistic director Maribel Legarda, is supported by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), Bantayog ng mga Bayani Foundation, and DAKILA: Philippine Collective for Modern Heroism.
The play is Peta’s effort to make Filipinos, especially the millennials, remember a dark chapter in the country’s history.
“As artists, we in Peta remain steadfast in our mission to use the arts to reflect peoples’ stories and examine our history, so we can find meaning in chaos, make sense of our realities and have vision amidst doubt and cynicism,” Peta executive director Beng Santos-Cabangon said in a statement.
“The years that the country was under martial rule were dark years that should not be forgotten,” she added. “It is important to remember and learn from the past. Otherwise, we end up repeating the same mistakes today.”
NHCP Chairman Rene R. Escalante said “A Game of Trolls” is a way to reach out to the public to take a clear look at what really transpired during martial law.
“To better relate to the millennials, as well as to capture their imagination, the musical features the concepts of modern social and technological media,” Escalante said.
The cast of “A Game of Trolls” includes Myke Salomon, TJ Valderama, Upeng Galang-Fernandez, Gail Guanlao-Billones, Vince Lim, Gold Villar-Lim, Lemuel Silvestre, Joseph Madriaga, Kiki Baento, Gilbert Onida, John Moran, Juan Miguel Severo, Norbs Portales, Roi Calilong, Jasper Jimenez, Ada Tayao, Lea Espallardo, Icee Po, Nieves Reyes, Dan Cabrera, Jason Barcial, and Justin Castillo.
“A Game of Trolls” is showing at Peta Theater Center at No. 5 Eymard Drive, New Manila, Quezon City.
For tickets, contact Ticket World at (632) 891-9999, ticketworld.com.ph or visit www.petatheater.com for more information.
