A Filipino Flare for Drama

Filed in archive A World Away on August 1, 2007

Yesterday, I made note of the Cinemanila film festival. While this is a major event on the Philippines' arts calendar, there is always some sort of performance to be found in the Manila area. Take Repertory Philippines, for example. The theater group has been putting on shows for nearly four decades. The group performs exclusively English language material, which, this season, includes Shakespeare's Love's Labour Lost and the stage version of Cinderella. Tanghalang Pilipino provides a more authentic experience, producing and performing Filipino language plays and musicals, while New Voice Company produces more modern plays in English.

The theater scene in The Philippines might seem westernized in comparison to other Asian nations, but the products are quite polished, and have a unique flare.