Wazzup Pilipinas!
Tanghalang Ateneo, the longest-running theater company of the Loyola
Schools of the Ateneo de Manila University, will kick off its 41st season, "Écriture
Féminine | Sulat-Babae: The Women's Season," this August with a full-length
version of Peter Zaragoza Mayshle’s Dolorosa.
Multihyphenate Jenny Jamora (33 Variations, Every Brilliant Thing) will direct the
material, which was originally a one-act play and part of the Virgin Labfest 14 staged
readings last year.
Set in three periods of Philippine history, Dolorosa tells the story of a family whose
devotion arms the women to face the tides of historical change. During the Spanish
occupation, a wooden statue of the Mater Dolorosa, crafted by a master sculptor from
Paete, Laguna, is mysteriously lost. In the Japanese era, Pilar, the sculptor’s
granddaughter, discovers her powers of astral projection and is visited in an
apparition by the Sorrowful Mother, tasking her to search for the missing statue.
Decades later, on Good Friday, Pilar’s three daughters reunite to piece together the
rediscovered statue, while anxiously waiting for the arrival of their estranged
mother, who has spent fifteen years in America for strange reasons difficult to
understand.
Boasting a predominantly female cast, Dolorosa attempts to reconcile the relations of
family, nationalism, sexuality, and faith; exploring the definition of womanhood
amidst the changing tides of history — ever tenacious, often misconstrued.
Comedienne and film/theatre actress Bibeth Orteza plays the role of Pilar in her 70s,
who has mysteriously returned to her daughters after a fifteen year disappearance.
Ron Capinding plays the role of Mariano, a native of Paete during the Spanish
occupation, and sculptor of the Mater Dolorosa from whom the play takes its name.
Claudia Enriquez doubles as Elena, Mariano’s wife who goes on to join the growing
Filipino rebellion, and Claudia, the oldest of Pilar’s three daughters.
Rainbow Gutierrez doubles as Victoria, Pilar’s mother during the Japanese
occupation, and Alicia, the second of Pilar’s daughters.
Zoë de Ocampo doubles as Pilar, a twelve year old during the Japanese occupation,
and Juliana, the youngest of Pilar’s daughters.
AJ Umali plays Padre Galiano; Mariano’s sponsor for the crafting of the Dolorosa,
Pablo; Pilar’s father, and Tasyo; an arbularyo.
Sabrina Basilio plays Chedeng, a subversive during the Spanish occupation, and
Mitring, a market vendor during the Japanese occupation.
Dani Capinding, Francesca Dela Cruz, Kat Dizon, Kim Donato, and Shaun Ocrisma
play the five Marys, respectively representing different titles of the Holy Mother.
Tanghalang Ateneo’s Zarya Almocera, Darl Alba, Nicole Chua, and Mekaella
Mendoza complete the cast as members of the ensemble.
The artistic team is completed by production designers Ben Padero and Carlo Tabije
(Heneral Luna, Siargao), movement designer Jomelle Era (Desaparesidos), lighting
designer D Cortezano (Desaparesidos, Marisol), sound designer Arvy Dimaculangan
(Desaparesidos, Every Brilliant Thing), graphic designer Zoë de Ocampo (Alpha Kappa
Omega, Stop Kiss), photographer Jojit Lorenzo, vocal coaches Robin Aronson and
Rachael Swartz, and dramaturg and current Ateneo Creative Writing major Elise
Ofilada.
The show will go onstage at the Doreen Black Box (Areté, Ateneo de Manila
University) from August 15 to August 31, 2019, from Thursday to Saturday.
Thursday and Friday shows will be at 7:30PM, while Saturday shows will be at
2:30PM and 7:30PM.
For ticket details and other inquiries, contact Heinrich Catan at 0923 081 9919.
Connect with Tanghalang Ateneo online through the following social media
networks:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TanghalangAteneo
Twitter: www.twitter.com/TAOfficial_ Instagram:
www.instagram.com/tanghalangateneo
#DolorosaTA #TA41 #ÉcritureFéminine #TheWomensSeason
Ross is known as the Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas - An Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Professional by profession and a Social Media Evangelist by heart.
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