Cebuano theater
Encyclopedia
Cebuano theater refers to the theater arts of the Cebuano people
and those conducted in the Cebuano language
. It also refers to contemporary productions and adaptations produced in Cebu City.
in 1521 and Miguel López de Legazpi
in 1565 both occasioned the performance of religious rituals that had the basic elements of theater. In 1598, a Spanish
comedy written by the Jesuit Francisco Vicente Puche was performed in Cebu during the inauguration of a grammar school. In 1609 another Jesuit wrote a Cebuano play about the life of St. Barbara, which was performed in Bohol
.
The next two centuries are sketchy in historical records.
was performed in Cebu by members of Compania de Navarro, a visiting troupe from Manila
. The prompter of the Compania, Eduardo Lopez, stayed in Cebu and became an important personality in the local theater. Other theater personalities at this time include Sabas Veloso, Sebastian Lingatong and Balbino Abadia.
In 1894 a Spanish play entitled El Alcalde Interino was held during the feast of St. John the Baptist. Lopez, Veloso, Lingatong, Maximo Abadia, Leoncio Avila, and Simplicia Alcantara (a singer of the Compania) were included in the performers. The guest during this performance was the governor of Cebu at that time, Gen. Inocencio Junquera
. He was impressed by the performance but realized that a bigger space than the convent of Parian Church (where the play was held) was required. This led to his construction of the Teatro Junquera (see Junquera's article for more information).
Outside Cebu, Cebuano theater was liveliest in the town of Valladolid (now Carcar), where a local form of the theater, called linambay became popular. Some of the more popular linambays were Gonzalo de Cordoba, Doce Pares, and Orondates.
Vicente Sotto
In 1902, a young man named Vicente Sotto
attacked the decadent forms of linambay in his newspaper Ang Suga. He was challenged by a friend to write his own play as he was always attacking the linambay form. Sotto wrote the Cebuano "Ang Paghigugma sa Yutang Nataohan" (Love of the Native Land) as a response. The play was successful; Sotto organized the Compania de Aficionados Filipinos. Within the year, two more plays were written by Sotto: Elena
, which deals of a girl's love for an insurrecto; and Aurora, which deals with a scandal involving the priests and nuns of the Colegio de la Inmaculada Concepcion
. Realism in Cebuano theater was stretched too much however; even Sotto himself was a victim of the movement he started, when prior to his running for mayor in 1907, a play entitled "Ang Taban" (1906, by Teodulfo V. Ylaya) was released. The play dealt with a kidnap allegation involving Sotto.
, Al Evangelio, Raje Palanca and Allan Jayme Rabaya. Their original works have been staged by various schools and organizations.
One of the leading school-based theatre groups is the University of San Carlos Theatre guild, who have been successfully producing at least 2 theatre runs per year for the past two decades. Independent groups emerged such as Al Evangelio's Pasundayag Sugbo, Emmanuel Jones Mante's Young Thespians of Cebu, Daisy Baad's Out of the Box Theatre Co., Raymond Ordoño's Crystal Cavalier Productions, Jamna Gicole's Repertory for Young Professionals in Theatre, and Hendri Go's Little Boy Productions.
Currently, Cebu Theatre runs up to 20 titles per year.
Cebuano people
The Cebuano people , are a Visayan ethnic group in Cebu and form the second largest cultural-linguistic group in the Philippines.-History:...
and those conducted in the Cebuano language
Cebuano language
Cebuano, referred to by most of its speakers as Bisaya , is an Austronesian language spoken in the Philippines by about 20 million people mostly in the Central Visayas. It is the most widely spoken of the languages within the so-named Bisayan subgroup and is closely related to other Filipino...
. It also refers to contemporary productions and adaptations produced in Cebu City.
Pre-19th century
Cebu has a long tradition of the theater arts. The arrival of Ferdinand MagellanFerdinand Magellan
Ferdinand Magellan was a Portuguese explorer. He was born in Sabrosa, in northern Portugal, and served King Charles I of Spain in search of a westward route to the "Spice Islands" ....
in 1521 and Miguel López de Legazpi
Miguel López de Legazpi
Miguel López de Legazpi , also known as El Adelantado and El Viejo , was a Spanish conquistador who established one of the first European settlements in the East Indies and the Pacific Islands in 1565. He is the first Governor-General in the Philippines...
in 1565 both occasioned the performance of religious rituals that had the basic elements of theater. In 1598, a Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
comedy written by the Jesuit Francisco Vicente Puche was performed in Cebu during the inauguration of a grammar school. In 1609 another Jesuit wrote a Cebuano play about the life of St. Barbara, which was performed in Bohol
Bohol
Bohol is an island province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, consisting of Bohol Island and 75 minor surrounding islands. Its capital is Tagbilaran City. With a land area of and a coastline long, Bohol is the tenth largest island of the Philippines...
.
The next two centuries are sketchy in historical records.
Late 19th century
In 1880 a Spanish zarzuelaZarzuela
Zarzuela is a Spanish lyric-dramatic genre that alternates between spoken and sung scenes, the latter incorporating operatic and popular song, as well as dance...
was performed in Cebu by members of Compania de Navarro, a visiting troupe from Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
. The prompter of the Compania, Eduardo Lopez, stayed in Cebu and became an important personality in the local theater. Other theater personalities at this time include Sabas Veloso, Sebastian Lingatong and Balbino Abadia.
In 1894 a Spanish play entitled El Alcalde Interino was held during the feast of St. John the Baptist. Lopez, Veloso, Lingatong, Maximo Abadia, Leoncio Avila, and Simplicia Alcantara (a singer of the Compania) were included in the performers. The guest during this performance was the governor of Cebu at that time, Gen. Inocencio Junquera
Inocencio Junquera
Gen. Inocencio Junquera was a civil and political governor of Cebu, Philippines, from 1893-95. He left a legacy to Cebuano culture by establishing the Teatro Junquera, the most important theater of Cebu in the late 19th and early 20th centuries....
. He was impressed by the performance but realized that a bigger space than the convent of Parian Church (where the play was held) was required. This led to his construction of the Teatro Junquera (see Junquera's article for more information).
Outside Cebu, Cebuano theater was liveliest in the town of Valladolid (now Carcar), where a local form of the theater, called linambay became popular. Some of the more popular linambays were Gonzalo de Cordoba, Doce Pares, and Orondates.
Vicente SottoVicente SottoVicente Yap Sotto was a Filipino politician and former Senator of the Philippines. Senator Vicente Yap Sotto was the main author of the Press Freedom Law -Personal life:...
's heyday: realistic Cebuano plays
In 1902, a young man named Vicente SottoVicente Sotto
Vicente Yap Sotto was a Filipino politician and former Senator of the Philippines. Senator Vicente Yap Sotto was the main author of the Press Freedom Law -Personal life:...
attacked the decadent forms of linambay in his newspaper Ang Suga. He was challenged by a friend to write his own play as he was always attacking the linambay form. Sotto wrote the Cebuano "Ang Paghigugma sa Yutang Nataohan" (Love of the Native Land) as a response. The play was successful; Sotto organized the Compania de Aficionados Filipinos. Within the year, two more plays were written by Sotto: Elena
Elena (play)
Elena is a Cebuano play in three acts written by Vicente Sotto. It was first performed at the Teatro Junquera on May 18, 1902. The play established Sotto's reputation as a playwright....
, which deals of a girl's love for an insurrecto; and Aurora, which deals with a scandal involving the priests and nuns of the Colegio de la Inmaculada Concepcion
Colegio de la Inmaculada Concepcion
Colegio de la Inmaculada Concepción, better known as CIC, is in Cebu City, Philippines. It is a private Catholic school for boys and girls that began in 1880, making it the first in the Philippines....
. Realism in Cebuano theater was stretched too much however; even Sotto himself was a victim of the movement he started, when prior to his running for mayor in 1907, a play entitled "Ang Taban" (1906, by Teodulfo V. Ylaya) was released. The play dealt with a kidnap allegation involving Sotto.
Contemporary Theater
Contemporary theater in Cebu ranged from street theatre, balak-dula, expressionistic theater, and musical theater. The Cebuano's love for music brought on the staging of several Broadway plays performed by Cebuano talents leaving original Cebuano plays in the background. Several efforts from various organizations including the Arts Council of Cebu and LUDABI were made to bring back the love and respect for stage plays in Cebuano written by local artists. A good number of modern playwrights and directors emerged through the years to include Daisy Ba-adDaisy Ba-ad
DAISY B. BA-AD, is a playwright, stage director, composer, motivational speaker and life coach based in Cebu City, Philippines. She is a Masscom graduate of St. Theresa's College, Cebu City given a special award for Outstanding Performance in Theater Arts. She is known to be at the forefront of...
, Al Evangelio, Raje Palanca and Allan Jayme Rabaya. Their original works have been staged by various schools and organizations.
One of the leading school-based theatre groups is the University of San Carlos Theatre guild, who have been successfully producing at least 2 theatre runs per year for the past two decades. Independent groups emerged such as Al Evangelio's Pasundayag Sugbo, Emmanuel Jones Mante's Young Thespians of Cebu, Daisy Baad's Out of the Box Theatre Co., Raymond Ordoño's Crystal Cavalier Productions, Jamna Gicole's Repertory for Young Professionals in Theatre, and Hendri Go's Little Boy Productions.
Currently, Cebu Theatre runs up to 20 titles per year.