Quezon City, Philippines - After celebrating its golden anniversary and the milestone of receiving a Magsaysay Award in 2017, the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) welcomes its 51st Theater season with another breakthrough.
From September 2018-June 2019, PETA devotes all aspects of its artistic and teaching practice to "Stage of the Nation", a creative campaign that hopes to utilize the arts and engage artists to contribute to the discourses that concern our nation.
PETA has always harnessed the power of the arts to capture the imagination, shape opinion and provoke feelings that could transform and affect change. "The arts, especially theater, can tell stories, make us understand history and our past. It can communicate and educate, bring people together, inspire and heal," shares PETA executive director, Beng Cabangon in an interview.
Given the political, economic, and social challenges that have divided the country, PETA has dedicated all its performances, programs, activities and workshops to break barriers between creed, colors, labels and stereotypes, and to move audiences to reflect, think, speak.
PETA artistic director, Maribel Legarda, known for creating plays like "Rak of Aegis" which are not only wildly entertaining but also thought provoking, believes that art can be a platform for meaningful conversations and discussions. "That is why, all our shows this year will be followed by debriefings. Some of them have also been designed to be coupled with workshops that can happen in the schools and communities," she says.
PETA's 51st theater season line-up is composed of three returning shows and one new musical that aims to tackle pressing social and political issues in typical PETA fashion. "A lot of the chosen productions will talk about the themes of truth, historical revisionism, human rights and EJK, martial law, the elections and people's participation," says Legarda.
From September 28 to October 7, PETA brings back "Ang Buhay ni Galileo" which serves as a clear and powerful interrogation of truth and power, followed by a short run and a mobile tour of "A Game of Trolls" in October, a musical piece for millennials about fake news, Martial Law, and EJK. By November, PETA presents another installment of the PETA Laboratory featuring new and original works devised by its members. It also welcomes the return of its enchanting musical for young audiences "Tagu-taguan Nasaan ang Buwan?" a play that illustrates how storytelling can enrich a child's understanding of the world. In the early half of 2019, PETA premieres a new production "Charot", a political satire about the future of our country under a new chapter.
PETA will also host special performances and events like Jon Santos' political spoof "Trumperte", Dulaang UP's Kundiman Party, Third World Theater's "Manila Improv Festival 2019", the 5th year anniversary show of Words Anonymous, the popular spoken word group, and a "Human Rights Film Festival" in March, which will surely liven up the conversations with the audiences even more.
Also part of the line-up is the reunion concert and and album launch of the band Buklod, composed of members Noel Cabangon, Rom Donngeto, and Rene Boncocan, who were known in the 80's for songs like "Tatsulok", "Kanlungan", "Pagbabagong Nagbabago", songs which were inspired by the lives, struggles, and aspirations of Filipinos.
For more information about PETA's "Stage of the Nation", contact PETA at (02) 726-6244 or email petafr@petatheater.com or petatheater@gmail.com. Follow PETA on social media: www.facebook.com/PETATHEATER, @petatheater on Twitter and Instagram.
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