Cover Teatro Tayo’s ‘Titus Tan’ (Photo: Courtesy of Dynamics Publication)
Teatro Tayo’s ‘Titus Tan’ (Photo: Courtesy of Dynamics Publication)
1 / 1
From December 4 to 6, practitioners and academicians in the fields of literature, theatre arts, and more gathered at “the heart of the Philippines” to tackle the emerging “shoreline” of Shakespearean theatre in Asia
“Shakespeare for me is really the lingua franca for the East and West, for different Asian communities to communicate,” said Beatrice Lei, founding chair of the Asia Shakespeare Association (ASA), whose work in Taiwan and the United States garnered critical acclaim for opening doors to non-native English speakers to understand and appreciate the theatre of Shakespeare.
For the sixth edition of its conference and festival, ASA explores the theme of “Shoreline Shakespeare”, acknowledging the shared appreciation and re-contextualisation of global cultures—linked by bodies of water—towards the revered works of William Shakespeare.
Read more: Tanghalang Ateneo’s ‘Sintang Dalisay’: A theatrical display of love above all else
Above Poster of the Asia Shakespeare Association’s 6th conference and festival held in Iloilo
Poster of the Asia Shakespeare Association’s 6th conference and festival held in Iloilo
1 / 1
Inaugurated in Taipei in 2014, ASA’s conferences included keynote speeches, panel sessions, seminars, live performances, film screenings, and exhibitions, among other events. Thanks to founding member and vice-chair Judy Ick, professor and chair of the Department of English and Comparative Literature at the University of the Philippines Diliman, there has been significant involvement from Filipino theatre practitioners and scholars consistently since the 2014 conference—and even prior.
“I read Shakespeare and memorised it in English, understood and even started performing in English, and grew up watching people in tights and ruff collars performing it [here] in the tropics,” recalled Ick, mentioning Repertory Philippines’ faithful Shakespearean productions. “Even if National Artist Rolando Tinio translated them into Filipino, his costumes were still very traditional.” Yet, in encountering Asian Shakespeare, Ick’s understanding of the art intrinsic to this continent’s cultures widened and deepened.
“It felt like a liberation from my colonial mindset,” Ick remarked, her eyes in wonder while recalling the works made by esteemed directors like Anton Juan and the late Ricardo Abad that would use contemporary issues and events as backdrops to their adaptations or infuse Southeast Asian imageries and cultural elements in carving the spectacle of their works.
Above ‘Screen Macbeth’ staged in 2011 at the University of the Philippines Diliman and restaged a year later in Taiwan (Photo: Pat Valera)
‘Screen Macbeth’ staged in 2011 at the University of the Philippines Diliman and restaged a year later in Taiwan (Photo: Pat Valera)
1 / 1
One example of this was Screen Macbeth, a powerful showcase of theatricality made by Juan in 2011, in which Ick portrayed Lady Macbeth opposite Teroy Guzman in the titular role. The Media Center Studio inside the College of Mass Communication building in UP Diliman was covered in screens and white fabrics, the witches spoke in local Philippine languages, high-heeled shoes and boots fell from the ceiling to hint at the conjugal dictatorship, and water showered over Ick to “out” the “damned spot”.
This nerve-wracking and intriguing adaptation bewildered Lei when they mounted it a year later at the National University of Taiwan for the International Conference on Shakespeare and the Other Media.
Above Beatrice Lei, founding chair of the Asia Shakespeare Association during the curtain call of ‘Titus Tan’ (Photo: Courtesy of Dynamics Publication)
Above Judy Ick, vice chair of the Asia Shakespeare Association during the curtain call of ‘Titus Tan’ (Photo: Courtesy of Dynamics Publication)
Beatrice Lei, founding chair of the Asia Shakespeare Association during the curtain call of ‘Titus Tan’ (Photo: Courtesy of Dynamics Publication)
1 / 2
The bond between the three Shakespearean theatre practitioners later brought to fruition the ASA conferences and festivals, Juan co-directing RD3RD (based on Richard III with Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs as its context) with Abad in 2018, and now Titus Tan (based on Titus Andronicus) with co-directors Ryan Puljanan and Jemuel Garcia.
Both Puljanan and Garcia are professors at West Visayas State University (WVSU) and have been supervising Teatro Tayo, an interdisciplinary cultural group at WVSU. For this production, Puljanan also served as choreographer and portrayed the titular role, while Garcia helped in the playwriting and dramaturgy.
This innovative production by Teatro Tayo, coinciding with the ASA’s 6th conference and festival in Iloilo, reimagined Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus through the lens of Philippine socio-political realities. Inspired by Iloilo’s political narratives, Philippine historical events, and Layeta Bucoy’s Tinarantadong Asintado (The Mad Sharpshooter), the adaptation relocated Shakespeare’s most violent work to a modern context, tackling themes such as death squads, elections, POGO (Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators), and authoritarian regimes.
Above Teatro Tayo’s ‘Titus Tan’ (Photo: Courtesy of Dynamics Publication)
Teatro Tayo’s ‘Titus Tan’ (Photo: Courtesy of Dynamics Publication)
1 / 1
Juan helped Teatro Tayo’s production team and cast transform Titus Andronicus into a story that encapsulates local socio-political issues in Iloilo and resonates on the national level. In addition, the production design inspired by the Bauhaus style adhered to sustainable development goals by utilising recycled materials. This advocacy for sustainability was reflected throughout the conference as it also tackled eco-criticism towards Shakespeare’s works.
“Advocacy is almost teleological in Shakespeare,” said Juan, renowned for his works in theatre and film, a stalwart professor in the Philippines, Greece, and the United States, among others, and twice knighted by the French Republic for his contributions to culture and the arts. “His works based on particular histories continue to repeat. If he foreshot to the future, I’m sure he would have written about our histories had he been living in this country,” he continued.
For Juan, Shakespearean theatre is centred on the truths revealed about history and its characters, which leads to the pursuit of social justice.
Above The cast of Teatro Tayo’s ‘Titus Tan’ (Photo: Courtesy of Teatro Tayo)
The cast of Teatro Tayo’s ‘Titus Tan’ (Photo: Courtesy of Teatro Tayo)
1 / 1
With cultural mediations occurring in dynamic borders, this year’s edition of the ASA conference and festival strived to bring out the limitless possibilities of making Shakespeare’s works palatable to the contemporary audience.
“A shoreline is a dynamic border, being created, erased, and reshaped by the eternal dance of tide and time,” ASA’s 6th Conference in Iloilo explained in its primer. “It separates yet connects ecosystems, identities, and civilisations. Shorelines set boundaries but also open gateways to different experiences and perspectives. The shoreline serves as a focal point for exploration, transition, and adaptation.”
Besides the wealth of Shakespearean adaptations in the Philippines—including Abad’s renowned Sintang Dalisay, which weaves Southeast Asian cultural references—Lei and Ick also pointed out several Shakespearean works infused with Chinese opera and Japanese theatre. These adaptations of Shakespeare attract younger generations, one of the main objectives of the ASA conferences.
Above Promotional poster of Teatro Tayo’s ‘Titus Tan’ based on William Shakespeare’s ‘Titus Andronicus’
Promotional poster of Teatro Tayo’s ‘Titus Tan’ based on William Shakespeare’s ‘Titus Andronicus’
1 / 1
The process behind such adaptations is tedious, as Garcia shared while preparing for Titus Tan.
“More than anything, it really helps to contextualise Shakespeare’s works first and understand how it came about before we contextualise it on how it’s happening in contemporary society,” said Garcia. “Then, the students would have more interest when they see the relation after comparing Shakespeare’s work with what’s happening around them. They get to engage more with the work, understand their character better, and their relation to each other.”
Garcia asserted that understanding the complexities of humanity through Shakespeare’s works deepened members of Teatro Tayo’s theatre practice. Now, they can better introspect themselves and present how the actor’s body works in the space versus their personal traumas.
Above The cast of ‘Titus Tan’ with co-directors Anton Juan (centre), Jemuel Garcia (left), and Ryan Puljanan (right) (Photo: Courtesy of Teatro Tayo)
The cast of ‘Titus Tan’ with co-directors Anton Juan (centre), Jemuel Garcia (left), and Ryan Puljanan (right) (Photo: Courtesy of Teatro Tayo)
1 / 1
“For me, the purpose of doing Shakespeare is to say what we mean—a political message, revival of traditional theatre, aesthetic experimentations, and more. Otherwise, if we just put on the tights and do original pronunciations, then Shakespeare is dead,” Lei said.
“Shakespeare is a way to break out of that echo chamber and communicate with the rest of the world. It’s a great field to work in because you’re not confined to just words on a page. We're talking about a 400-plus-year history of adaptation in so many different forms, to work for different times and different cultures,” agreed Ick.
With this year’s edition happening in Iloilo, the message of Shakespearean theatre’s transcendence underscores and magnifies the association’s objective.
“More and more, I’m fighting to remove the term ‘fringe’ and ‘regional’ in the demography of theatre,” said Juan. “All theatre that speaks to the world and addresses truth to power is national, global, and central to our lives! Away with termite terms like ‘mainstream’, ‘national theatre’ et al. What defines theatre is its position and voice to the world and our nation... in these crucial times of greed, corruption, extra-judicial killings, poverty, power, war, and destruction.”
NOW READ
Philippine Ballet Theatre reimagines the romantic myth of the Sarimanok
World Theatre Day 2023: Anton Juan and his undying passion for theatre
About
Before assuming the Art and Culture Editor position, Franz has always had a penchant for visual and performing arts. He is passionate about exploring and writing about the local cultural scene and rediscovering the country’s storied past and rich heritage. Besides working on this luxury lifestyle magazine, Franz is an avid book reader, local traveller, museum-goer, chorister, and community theatre playwright.
Work
Franz earned a degree in Journalism from the University of Santo Tomas. He writes about local visual and performing artists and their craft; drinks wines, liquors, and spirits and talks about the creativity of their respective winemakers and master blenders; tries to learn more about business and investments; respects the tradition and artistry that go behind the making of watches and jewellery; and appreciates the genius of architecture and creative design.
As head of Tatler Philippines’ pool of writers, he helps them bring impactful and socially relevant stories to light.
For any leads, you may reach him through @franzsorillaiv on Instagram or franz@tatlerphilippines.com via email.
