Kuwentong Musmos Books Goes to Mindanao

Yesterday, I joined a webinar led by Mr. Al Santos on the wonder and usefulness of picture books. The context being that Room to Read and the five publishers that worked together in rolling out the 20 Kuwentong Musmos books have successfully partenred with Tanghalang Pilipino and the Department of Education in bringing copies of the books to the Bangsa Moro Region. The webinar was attended by DepEd teachers and school leaders. 

I posted on Instagram the link to the audio drama versions of the Kuwentong Musmos books. The ebook versions can be read online or streamed via literacycloud.org. But of course, getting a print copy will really help the book industry at this time of the pandemic.

Tingnan ang post na ito sa Instagram

Isang post na ibinahagi ni Zarah Gagatiga (@zarah815)

Kuwentong Musmos Book Project Magiging Radio/Podcast Audio-Drama

 

Kaninang umaga, inulan ang puso ko ng saya!

Umattend ako ng consultation at workshop kasama ang mga kaibigang manunulat na bahagi ng Kuwentong Musmos Project ng Room to Read. Isa itong reunion. Marami kaming na-miss at na-miss namin ang lahat!

Bohol Bee Farm.

Kakaibang flavors ng ice cream. Edible flowers.

Paglalakad sa beach sa umaga para abangan ang pagsikat ng araw. Babalik sa dalampasigan sa hapon para sa paglubog nito. May hawak na isang tasa ng kape at kasama ang isang kaibigan sa industriya at magkukuwentuhan tungkol sa... wala lang.

Ang mga workshops sa big group at small group ay nami-miss ko rin. Salamat sa teknolohiya, nakapag-usap kami kahit saglit lang sa Zoom.

Kasama sa pulong ang mga actor-writers ng Tanghalang Pilipino (TP). May mga nakilala akong bagong kaibigan sa larangan ng sining. Fangirling moment, sa totoo lang! Napapanood ko lang sila noon sa CCP at sa online channels ng TP. Ngayon, kasama na sila sa pagpapanday ng mga kuwentong pambata. Sila ang magsusulat ng radio adaptation ng aming mga kuwento. Exciting!

Nakakatuwa ang palitan ng mga kuro-kuro ng mga authors at actor-writers. Nakakatuwa na maging bahagi ng proseso ng mga actor-writers. Para kaming nagwoworkshop.

Layon ng proyekto na mas marami pang bata at pamilya, paaralan at komunidad sa Pilipinas at sa ibang bansa ang maka-experience ng aming mga katha at likha. Isa itong biyaya. Sa panahon ng pandemya, may pagkakataon tayong lumikha. Isa itong paraan ng paghilom at may pag-asa tayong makakamit.

Maraming salamat kay Sir

Al Santos

, sa bumubuo ng Kuwentong Musmos Project, sa Tanghalang Pilipino at CCP. Mas mabibigyan pa ng pagkakataon na marining ang boses ni Tere!

Where is the Bata in Batang Mujahideen?

February is love month and arts month. That is why, the hubby and I found ourselves at the Cultural Center of the Philippines yesterday for the premiere of Batang Mujahideen. Super thanks to Teacher Ana Bacudio for making this Saturdate possible. 

Here now are my thoughts on the play.

It was my first time to watch experimental theatre. It was a new experience for me and I liked it. Batang Mujahideen is a play by Malou Jacob and Guelan Valera-Luarca directs and added text to the ten year old script. 

Tanghalang Pilipino’s staging of Batang Mujahideen brings in the new format of storytelling and fuses it with the old. It begins with a ritual and an oral telling of a Yakan folk story and moves on to a narrative of the lives of the characters like a documentary. There is mimicry and play through the use of puppets instead of real children. This, however, diffused the emotional weight of the issue on child soldiers. What could have been a compelling story of a child warrior became a cognitive and intellectual piece challenging the audience to ponder on the history of religious wars between Muslims and Christians. 

Overall, I admire and recognise the art and the well thought out production of Batang Mujahideen. Kudos to Tanghalang Pilipino for bravely and courageously portraying the lives of Filipinos caught in the continuing conflict in Mindanao particularly the Indigenous Peoples, Christians and Muslims alike. 

Lam-ang for Millennials and the Gen Z

With Lance Reblando who plays Taraok, Lam-ang's pet rooster.

The hubby and I watched Lam-ang an Ethno Epic Musical produced by Tanghalang Pilipino the other night at the CCP. It’s an early Christmas treat we allotted ourselves before plunging in into the busyness of family reunions and meet ups. Overall, it was a satisfying show and a brave retelling of one of the oldest epics in the Philippines.  

Lam-ang has its strengths and weaknesses (which includes the narrative, sadly) yet, the core cast is amazing. Just when music and dialog become chaotic, especially in Act 1, Tex Ordoñez-De Leon as Baglan brings everyone back to the musical’s core. Reminding the audience why Lam-ang is worth rooting for. And here is where JC Santos succeeds. I went out the Little Theatre wishing there was an Act 3. 

Nonetheless, Lam-ang remains to be a brave retelling of an epic that is worth revisiting. Offering many points for reflection on shared values and the lack of it these days, on leadership and the loss of moral courage. I think this is the purpose of theater especially in this day and age when reading literature takes on a new meaning. It challenges us to seek ways to revitalize culture and to continuously examine identity in the performance of art  be it in the old and or the new. 

I hope #TPLamang gets an extended run. For the sake of our youth, CCP and Tanghalang Pilipino, please consider a rerun!