MANILA, Philippines—A seagull is shot and everything unravels.

Dulaang UP’s second offering for its 37th Season, “The Seagull (Ang Tagak),” is a compelling discourse about art, life, and love presented through intricate characters and situations in what is widely considered to be the greatest work of master dramatist Anton Chekhov.

Konstantin Treplev, a young writer, premieres a play he has written. It features the girl he is in love with, Nina Zarechnaya, a beautiful and wealthy neighbor. After seeing her son’s play, Irina Arkadina dismisses it as a failure, and calls Kontantin’s attempt foolish, impractical, and pretentious. Meanwhile, Nina is drawn to Irina’s lover, the successful novelist Boris Trigorin. Konstantin soon gets in the middle of his constant disagreements with his mother, despair in his artistic ideas, and his love drifting away from him.

In the middle of these romantic and artistic conflicts are more elaborately developed characters, a staple of Chekhov’s works. This comedy in four acts effectively discusses themes that remain relevant in this day and age.

“The Seagull (Ang Tagak)” is directed by the venerable Tony Mabesa, and will be staged both in English (translation by Tom Stoppard) and Filipino (translation by Rolando Tinio). The production stars theater luminaries like Ana Abad Santos, Frances Makil-Ignacio, Ces Quesada, Leo Rialp, Menggie Cobarrubias, Jeremy Domingo, Alfonso Deza, Stella Cañete Balucas and promising actors Carlo Tarobal, Zafrullah Masahud, Karen Gaerlan, and Nadine Samonte

“The Seagull (Ang Tagak)” runs September 19 – October 7, 2012 at the Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero Theater, Palma Hall, University of the Philippines Diliman. For sponsorship and ticket inquiries, please contact the Dulaang UP Office at 926-1349, 981-8500 local 2449 or 433-7840 and look for Camille Guevarra or Samanta Clarin.