Editors’ Note: Co-written with Doods M. Santos and features excerpts from a stage review by Jay Salvosa.
Bikol theater has flourished for a long time as historicized by the late Dr. Maria Lilia F. Realubit in The Bicol Dramatic Tradition (UP Press 1976).
Memorable Bikol plays in recent years are Opay Tuy and Fe Versoza Ico’s musical “Handiong,” Reynaldo Jamoralin’s “Si Bulusan nan si Agingay,” Merlinda Bobis’s “Kantada ni Daragang Magayon, Mandirigma,” Sangre de Naga’s “Kapeng Barako,” “Apokalipsis” by Alcid Valencia of the Universidad de Sta. Isabel’s Teatro de Sta. Luisa, and the conscientizing plays of Sari Saysay and Sining Banwa of Albay, especially “1900,” “Titser, Titser,” and “Mga Aninipot sa Tahaw kan Salog.”
At the Ateneo de Naga, theater arts benefited from the guidance of Fr. James Reuter, SJ, and Juan “Johnny” Ragragio in the early years. The staging of Cyrano de Bergerac and the impromptu Octavio/Pororopot series in the 1970s come to mind among significant performances on campus. In the 1980s and 1990s, Emelina Regis’s Palanca-winning ecological plays such as “Dalawang Mukha ng Kagubatan” and Rudy Alano’s Bikol adaptations of Romeo and Juliet and Cyrano de ‘Queborac’ made their mark.
After a three-year hiatus, the Ateneo de Naga University’s performing arts group Teatro Aliento de Ateneo (TADA) has returned to the stage. Last June 2-3, 2023, the group successfully presented Rolin Migyuel Obina’s “Ang Pag-uulyanin ni Olivia Mendoza” at the Alingal Hall. Teatro Aliento’s founder and moderator is Ms. Elsie Albis, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Literature and Theater Head of the Creative Endeavors Council in ADNU.
Teatro Aliento showcased two one-act plays at the NHCP Museo ni Jesse Robredo in Naga City for the Hablon Festival 2023 last July 1 and 3, 2023. The production was in collaboration with the Tumatarok Theatre Company, Musika Publiko-Bicol Pop, and ADNU Creative Endeavors Council. Teatro Aliento was honoring Pride Month by staging these two R-16 plays.
The main play was the re-staging of “Ang Pag-uulyanin ni Olivia Mendoza,” an entry to the 2019 Virgin Labfest, the annual festival of new, unstaged plays by upcoming playwrights. Rolin Migyuel Obina received the top award for “Ang Pag-uulyanin ni Olivia Mendoza” at the Cinemalaya DGPI (Directors Guild of the Philippines, Inc.) Film Pitch, Cultural Center of the Philippines in 2017.
The second is “Mga Agi-agi kan Tulong Salampati,” the first play written by the budding playwright, Esmeralda Albis. She is a recent awardee of a fellowship at the 7th Amelia Lapeña Bonifacio Writers Workshop, University of the Philippines.
Director Kathrinah Amato and co-director Nicole Grutas, both students of ADNU, sought to portray the narratives and struggles lived by people at the margins, especially women and non-binaries. Bold and gritty in its comeback project, Teatro Aliento intended to arouse discourse and raise awareness on challenges relevant to the current society.
During a press briefing last June 24, Amato stated that “Ang Pag-uulyanin ni Olivia Mendoza” is an advocacy play as the story revolves around Alzheimer’s Disease awareness and issues faced by the LGBQTIA+ community. Grutas added that their goal was to debunk misconceptions and change perspectives. They described the second play, “Mga Agi-agi kan Tulong Salampati,” as centering on the collective issues faced by women in a patriarchal society.
The main play is about Olivia Mendoza, a 70-year-old woman living in a home for the aged with grumpy fellow senior citizens, along with Andres, the love of her life. Suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, her memories drift in and out. A surprise visit from Julia, Olivia’s friend from London, disrupts their quiet life and causes the return of Olivia’s memories of her past not known to Andres. Obina’s script begins with what seems to be a quiet and poignant portrayal of seniors living together in a simple home. However, the entry of Julia as a flamboyant and flashy character gives the play a comedic character. This and a plot twist catch the audience off-guard.
The Pag-uulayanin cast members were Olivia – portrayed by France Gratil and Ivonne Papa; Julia – portrayed by Joanna Santelices and June Cordova; Andres – portrayed by Earl de Torres and Jerome Cabayanan; Lika – portrayed by Antoniete Barias and Phoebe Sabaybay; Cesar – portrayed by Lester Potenciano and Rhenz Caballero. The cast sets were for the two shows each day during the performances.
The second play Salampati is set in the house of Esmeralda. She is a Bikolana psychic who struggles to live a normal life as she is possessed by the spirits of three women who seek control over her. She learns more about their past lives, but their names are not revealed. The spirits narrate the lives they led, the struggles they faced, and how their tragic deaths led to their freedom. Their stories answer the timeworn question of the featured Bicol folk song Salampati, “Ano daw an kinamundo, Ta naglayog nin harayo.”
The Salampati cast members were playwright Esmeralda Albis in the role of Esmeralda, as well as Hanna Cecilia Bongon, Christaine Mae Bael, Maria Teresa Consulta Francisco, and Elsie Albis, Esmeralda’s sister, in the roles of the spirits. Dr. Francisco (aka Dr. Tess C, noted cosplayer, dance diva, and educator), directed the choreography, and with her artful guidance, the spirits came alive. Her role was based on a real-life event. The role of Ms. Bael, her debut performance as an actress, is based on the real-life persecution of a victim of the War on Drugs. Ms. Albis, herself a director and playwright in her own right, played the role of a victim who spoke out about a serial rapist, while Ms. Bongon played the spirit who inspired playwright Esmeralda to write the play at the furious pace of five short hours.
Below are excerpts from the review by ColCha: Collectives & Characters authored by Jay Salvosa, which strikes an optimistic chord about the future of Teatro Aliento:
“What I want to point out further is the cast’s triumphant communion not just with the stage but also with the audience. Amidst the opening crackle of sound from the microphone and the uneven ebb and flow of background music, the actors proceeded with the gradual, painstaking task of pulling the audience from the other end towards the story itself. Soon we found ourselves laughing during moments of levity. We also found ourselves silent (and in tears) in moments of tender intimacies and directed discomforts. The script was already potent, but the actors made the crowd care — and this mattered.
“TADA (Teatro Aliento) has just [re]introduced and [re]invigorated theater culture on campus. Though there are the usual theater subjects required in at least two courses, TADA goes beyond the usual academic offerings. What makes the organization important is that it exists in the extra-curricular sphere. It presents a collective that is composed of members coming from various academic backgrounds, providing a mixed pool of expertise and perspectives applied to multiple disciplines — from performance to stage/costume design, to marketing. TADA is not just an academic organization; TADA is a community.
”Their production is not only timely (as June is Pride month), but also immensely needed. Theater serves as a safe space which encourages critical, visceral discussions on themes that demand dialogue, and “Ang Pag-uulyanin ni Olivia Mendoza” is a prime choice. The production has provided the campus crowd with new/re-lensed discourses on sexuality, identity, and memory. TADA was even gracious to open the floor for conversations immediately after the play.
“Kudos to Teatro Aliento de Ateneo for a successful show! Looking forward to your future productions!”
— JVDJ
Featured images from the Teatro Aliento de Ateneo Facebook page.