For its 37th season, Dulaang Unibersidad ng Pilipinas opens with a restaging of last season’s “Noli Me Tangere: The Opera,” a retelling of José Rizal’s novel with music composed by National Artist for Music Felipe Padilla de Leon and libretto by National Artist for Visual Arts Guillermo Tolentino.
Directed by DUP artistic director Alexander Cortez with music direction by Camille Lopez Molina, “Noli” opened July 18 and runs until Aug. 12. It serves as DUP’s tribute to Padilla de Leon’s birth centennial.
This is followed by Anton Chekhov’s “The Seagull/Ang Tagak,” Sept. 19-Oct. 7. “The play is an intimate study of unrequited love and human folly,” says Cortez.
Directed by Tony Mabesa, the play will have English performances using David Mamet’s translation and Filipino performances using National Artist for Theater Rolando Tinio’s translation.
Meanwhile, UP Playwright’s Theater, DUP’s series that stages new works by Filipino playwrights, will restage its children’s play from last season, “Umaaraw, Umuulan Kinakasal ang Tikbalang,” on Nov. 21-Dec. 9.
“This play is a reminder of the richness of our folk literature and the importance of taking care of the environment,” says Cortez.
The play is adapted by Rody Vera from Inquirer contributing writer Gilda Cordero Fernando’s children’s short story “The Magic Circle” (serialized in PDI’s Learning Section in 2009) with direction by José Estrella.
The season concludes with the world premiere of Floy Quintos’ “Collection,” a black comedy about fashion and art. To be directed by Dexter Santos, the play runs Feb. 13-Mar. 3, 2013.
Dulaang UP is under the University of the Philippines’ Department of Speech Communication and Theater Arts, which offers certificate and degree programs in Theater Arts. The group also stages its students’ thesis productions under its Dulaang Laboratoryo series throughout the year.
All productions will be staged at Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero Theater, Palma Hall, University of the Philippines, Quezon City. (Call tel. 9261349, 9818500 loc. 2449 or 4337840.)
Harlequin Theater Guild
De La Salle University’s Harlequin Theater Guild opens its 46th season in August with “DuLa Salle,” its annual festival of plays. This year’s “DuLa Salle” will feature the staging of four plays based on short stories by Genaro Gojo-Cruz in one show.
“Two of the plays portray the hardships and struggles of an employee, while the other two depict life on the streets. This production will dwell mostly on social problems existing in our country,” says HTG artistic director Romualdo “Raffy” Tejada.
In October, the group will restage last season’s “Si Tonying at ang Mahiwagang Aklat ng Kasaysayan” by José Victor Torres, a play about a young boy’s quest to fix history after it has been mixed up.
The season concludes in March 2013 with HTG’s staging of “The Sky over Dimas,” adapted by Tim Dacanay from the novel by Vicente Groyon, about Rafael Torrecarion’s return to his hometown in Negros Occidental and the “web of long-buried secrets that preserve and threaten the foundations of his family.”
Productions will be staged at venues in De La Salle University, Manila. (Call tel. 0917-8062891 or harlequintheatreguild@gmail.com.)