Dulaang UP opens 45th season, honors Tony Mabesa

Dulaang Unibersidad ng Pilipinas rises again after weathering two years of the Covid-19 pandemic. With the event "Pagtutuloy/Pagtutulay: Parangal kay Antonio O. Mabesa, Pambansang Alagad ng Sining para sa Teatro at Paglulunsad ng 45th Theatre Season ng Dulaang UP" on 15 October, DUP ushered in the reopening of its doors to the public and honored its founding artistic director, National Artist for theatre, Antonio O. "Tony" Mabesa. It also presented two new works for its 45th theatre season.

The theme of the new season, "Balikwas: Tanaw. Tugon. Tindig,'' articulates the aim to preserve the wealth of knowledge carried on by the Dulaang UP community, and to be an agile response to the current conditions of theater practice and the Filipino society in the "next" normal.

Mabesa's legacy

Mabesa established DUP in 1976. Through his leadership and inspiration, DUP established a reputation for innovation and excellence in theatre while offering a training ground for young talent via the mentorship of the veterans. DUP has also served as a venue for staging published and new works making it an evident source of new talent for local and international theater, cinema, television, advertising, and other creative industries.

In "Pagtutuloy/Pagtutulay," DUP traced the legacy of Mabesa from the personal accounts of his colleagues, students, and friends in the local theatre community. Among them were renowned names in the field of theater, film and television: Edna Mae Landicho, Monino Duque, Josefina Estrella, Anton Juan, Jr., Shamaine Buencamino, Dennis Marasigan, Karen Gaerlan, Amihan Bonifacio
-Ramolete, Frances Makil-Ignacio, Eric Pineda, Banaue Miclat-Janssen, Ross Pesigan, and Adriana Agcaoili, to name a few.

Part of remembering Mabesa was an interpretation of his biographical essay, "Life in the Theater," which added an intimate layer of commemorating his presence and contribution to professional theater and the Theater Arts Program of the University of the Philippines Diliman.

Memorializing Mabesa would not be complete without a poignant testimony from one of his closest friends and colleagues in the industry, award-winning film and TV director Joel Lamangan. Lastly, a rendition of a song from Joi Barrios' Gabriela: Isang Oratorio, directed by Mabesa himself in 2006 complemented a longing yet hopeful tone of honoring Dulaang UP's beloved father.

DUP's lineage

Since its founding year, DUP has been a vehicle for articulating perspectives and assertions through the vision of its artistic directors. For more than four decades, DUP thrived under the artistic directorship of catalysts of change and innovation in the theater and performance scene such as Mabesa, Behn Cervantes, Anton Juan Jr., Jose Estrella, Alexander Cortez, Amiel Leonardia, Ogie Juliano, Edna Mae Landicho, Amihan Bonifacio-Ramolete, Dexter M. Santos, and Banaue Miclat-Janssen.

As Dulaang UP opens its doors after two years of hiatus, it also opens its pathway beyond the stage and onto the challenges of hybrid and new forms of performances, while making sure to stand for its core values through its new artistic director, Issa Manalo Lopez.

Under the new artistic directorship, DUP strives to hold onto its reputation and address issues worth-taking.

New productions

Two productions are lined up for the 45th theater season — The Reconciliation Dinner, a new one-act play by Floy Quintos, directed by Dexter Santos, which was staged from 18 to 20 November; and Kung Paano Nanalo sa Karera si Rosang Taba, with original story by Dean Alfar, stage adaptation by Maynard Manansala and Rody Vera, directed by José Estrella, to be staged by March 2023.