ARTS BOOK - Original Performance with the Use of Media

• Productions range from original plays with Philippine themes and settings, to renowned theater classics from past centuries, to contemporary musicals from Broadway or London West End.
• With the American presence in the Philippines for the first half of the 20th century, it was inevitable that many U.S. and European theater forms and scripts found their way here. Among them were classics, such as the plays of William Shakespeare, as well as the works of great American playwrights.
• At the same time, local theater groups staged original Philippine zarzuelas which were plays performed in song, similar to the European opera.
• What is PETA?


  Philippine Educational Theater Association
• Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) was founded in the year?

  1967
• Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) is founded in 1967 by?

  Cecile Guidote-Alvarez
• It is the resident theater Company of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, founded in 1987.

  Tanghalang Pilipino
• Works of Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA)

  1. Caredivas (2011)
  2. Haring Lear (2012)
  3. Pamana (2013)
• Works of Tanghalang Pilipino

  1. Himala (2004)
  2. Noli (2011)
  3. William (2011)
  4. Ibalong (2012)
• Meanwhile, other Philippine theater groups are also staging original and adapted plays and musical productions, primarily in English.
• Primarily in english theater groups

  1. Repertory Philippines
  2. Trumpets
  3. New Voice Company
  4. Theater Down South ( recently added to their roster)
• In 1967, theater director Zenaida Amador fulfilled her dream of bringing the best of Broadway and London’s West End to Filipino audiences.
• Together with actress Baby Barredo, Amador established Repertory Philippines, a company that not only staged English-language plays and musicals year-round but trained actors and actresses as well. The company continues with this vision to this day.
• Multi-awarded theater actress and singer, Lea Salonga, in fact, began her career as a child lead in productions of Repertory Philippines. From there, she went on to become an international stage superstar in the lead role of Kim in Miss Saigon—putting the Philippines on the world map in terms of theater talent.
• Also among Repertory’s many notable achievements was the 1993 staging of the international hit musical Les Miserables in Manila with an all-Filipino cast and production team.
• Repertory Philippines’ founder, Zenaida Amador, with Les Miserables composer Claude Michel Schonberg
• In its 2009 season, Repertory added a Filipino classic in English to its productions—A Portrait of the Artist as Filipino, by National Artist Nick Joaquin. To date, it continues to offer a mix of productions ranging from literary classics to contemporary satires, comedies, and musicals.
• Works of Repertory Phillippines

  1. A Portrait of the Artist as Filipino (2009)
  2. Little Women (2010)
  3. The Producers (2013)
  4. Alice in Wonderland (2013)
• In the 1990s, the Philippine theater group Trumpets also began mounting grand productions of originally-written musicals with a slant towards good values for children and the whole family.
• Works of Trumpets

  1. Joseph The Dreamer
  2. First Name
  3. The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe (1997)
  4. Little Mermaid
  5. Honk
  6. N.O.A.H. (2009)
  7. The Bluebird of Happiness (2013)
• Also making its own distinct contribution to the Philippine theater scene is New Voice Company, established in 1994 by Monique Wilson which is also a Repertory Philippines’ protégée who went on to star on the international stage. New Voice has earned a reputation for staging thought provoking productions on daring and deep topics.
• Works of New Voice Company

  1. Aspects of Love (2006)
  2. The Male Voice (2009)
  3. My Name is Rachel Corrie (2010)
• The Philippine Opera Company (POC) was founded in 1999 by a group of dedicated classically-trained singers, led by soprano Karla Gutierrez as artistic directress. The POC seeks to develop performers as well as audiences for classical music performances, both foreign and Filipino.
• Works of Philippine Opera Company (POC)

  1. Harana (2009)
  2. Master Class (2010)
  3. The Mikado (2013)
• In 2007, Theater Down South was founded, with Philippine theater mainstay Michael Williams as artistic director. The vision of the company is to widen the reach of stage productions beyond the traditional centers within Metro Manila, and therefore develop a broader audience base.
• Works of Theater Down South

  1. A Midsummer Night's Dream (2007)
  2. The Red Carp (2009)
  3. A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (2010)
• Producer

  In a professional stage production, this is the person who takes the play from a mere concept to an actual finished presentation. He or she chooses all the team members and assigns them their functions, and oversees the casting of the actors and actresses for the different roles. He or she also decides on major logistical matters like when and where the play will be staged, the production schedule, and in most cases either finances all the production costs or else sources the funds needed.
• Director


  The overall artistic coordinator of the entire production. Like a conductor of an orchestra, he or she has a vision of the desired total effect and impact of the performance.
• Director's role


  1. Ensures each one in the production "hits all the right notes" to create a cohesive, seamless performance that will engage the audience

  2. Instructs and guides the actors as to the delivery of their lines of dialogue

  3. Instructs and guides the actors as to their positions and movements on stage (called "blocking")

  4. Instructs and guides the actors as to the thoughts or feelings they are to convey through tone of voice, facial expression, and gestures

  5. Coordinates closely with the set, lighting, sound, costume/makeup designers, and the choreographer (if the play involves dance) to create the envisioned total effect
• Playwright

  The writer of a script intended for stage performance
• Playwright's role


  • Develops the initial concept or plot, which may be original or based on an existing story or play
  • Writes the script containing the exact lines of dialogue, notes on tone of voice, facial expression, and movement or blocking
  • Provides a clear description of the set, props, and lighting to be used in each scene
• 
  

  Director may collaborate with the playwright on making some script adjustments in the course of the rehearsals to better achieve the desired effect
• Set Designer


  The person responsible for the concept and creation of the physical stage setup
• Set Designer


  • Builds the set (or sets) that will simulate the world that the play's characters are supposed to live in
  • Ensures the set will enable the actors to move about easily and naturally to make their roles believable
  • Ensures the set will truly provide the ambiance on stage that the director and the playwright intend
• Set design


  • Realistic and filled with authentic details
  • Minimalist, merely suggesting the setting with a few pieces of furniture or props and a simple backdrop
• Lighting Designer


  Coordinates closely with the set designer to create the mood of each scene, highlight dramatic moments, signal character entrances, focus attention, and provide darkness for set and prop changes
• Lighting design


  1. Use colored lights or filters

  2. Use special effects like gradual dimming/brightening, speckled effect, flickering lights

  3. Plan all lighting and add detailed notes on the script for the lighting crew to follow during rehearsals and performance
• Lighting is critical in creating the mood of each scene in the play, highlighting a dramatic moment, signalling the entrance of a character, focusing attention on a specific spot on stage, or even providing the blanket of darkness for set and prop changes
• Costume Designer


  The person responsible for designing the costumes that actors and actresses wear to look believable in their roles
• The actors and actresses must look believable in their roles, and much of this is owed to the costume designer