Philippine Drama

Philippine Drama
Drama is the Greek word for play. It is something

done, not read. It is a composition in prose that tells
a story recreated by the performers on stage in front
of an audience. It has action, dialogue, props, and
costumes. It has different themes and plots. Most
dramas are true-to-life.
Elements of Drama
•Theme – it is the drama’s main focus and what its story
means. It may be directly or indirectly stated. It is the heart of
the story.
•Plot – it is drama’s most important element. It is the play’s
summary. It is the play’s overall structure.
•Characters- it is the role that the actors and actresses take on
or act.
•Language or Dialogue – it is the means of expressing the
characters’ thoughts
•Climax – it is drama’s turning point revealing intense feelings and
emotions
•Music and spectacle – drama has background music, music of speech,
and music of movement. Spectacle heightens emotions and feelings;
make-up and costumes vary depending upon the drama’s theme and
the roles the characters play.
•Scenery and Lighting – the drama scenes are suggested by the
sceneries. Appropriate lighting enhances the scenery; facial expressions,
actors’ make up, and the costumes add realism to it.
Drama during Pre-Spanish Times
Before the coming of the Spaniards, mimicry were
considered by the native Filipinos as photodramas. They
had rituals and tribal dances, all in dramatic fashion, to
celebrate events like baptism, courtship, marriage and
death.
Drama Forms of Ancient Time
Some traditional names of drama are as follows.
1. Karilyo – it is a shadow play. A cut out board is used and moved by the hands.
2. Dallat – it is similar to the balagtasan
3. Daling-daling and Dullot – the audience sings while the character performs.
4. Dung an – it is a mourning ritual of ilocanos
5. Bayok – it is the use of poetry in discussion
6. Pamanhikan – it is proposal of marriage done by the elders of couple
wherein the process and date marriage is set.
Drama during the Spanish period
The Spanish friars were aware of the power of drama, aside from
dance, as a tool for converting the natives into Christianity and a
magnet to attract people to the pueblos (town). The latter is the
foundation of Spain’s empire in the Philippines. The friars introduced
secular and religious plays which gained patronage from the
Christians living in the rural areas.
the komedya, senakulo and Zarzuela were three of the secular and
religious dramas introduced by the friars in the Philippines.
Komedya
It is performed three to fifteen hours. It is a play in verse
and is of two types- secular komedya and religious
komedya. Epic stories of love and vengeance are the themes
of the secular komedya. The lives of patron saints are the
themes of the religious komedya.
the first recorded komedya written by Vicente Puche was
staged in 1958 in Cebu. It was performed in honor of Msgr.
Pedro de Agurto, Cebu’s first bishop.
Moro-moro
It is a drama wherein the Christian-Muslim conflict is
tackled. It begins with a grand parade and followed by a
sword battle.
Senakulo
It is also known as Pasion y Muerte or Tanggal or Centurion. It is staged
during the Lenten season for eight consecutive nights of the Holy week.
The senakulo is dramatization of the life and sufferings of Christ.
The senakulo is the most outstanding and enduring of the religious
dramas in the country.
The following are the order drama forms during the Spanish period-
duplo, juego de prenda, salubong, bulaklakan, dalit, and moriones.
The duplo is a form of debate performed during a wake. The issue is about
a mischief with the accused and accuser as the main characters. This is in
verse form.
Drama During the American Period
The drama forms of the American period include the following.
1. Bodabil – this is drama with dancing and singing and with
instrumental accompaniment. The themes are social
problems and manners. There is a lively exchange of dialogue
among the characters. Examples of the bodabil are jesus
balmori’s Birds and Prey, Wilfredo Ma. Guerrero’s Women
are Extraordinary, and Julian Balmaceda’s Sa Bunganga ng
Pating.
2. Opera. It is drama with verse, and with a combination of
solo and choral singing with the accompaniment of an
orchestra.
3. Sedisyon – it is a drama of protest and nationalism
4. Zarzuela – it is a song and dance melodrama with prose
dialogue usually in three acts. It deals with the love story
between upper class members and comic love stories of
servants.
Drama during the Japanese regime
The Japanese banned all shows and dramas during the Japanese
Occupation. The bodabil was the only form of drama that the
Japanese approved. It was modified for the approval of the
Japanese Military junta. Tagalog was the medium used for the
Japanese disliked English language.
Drama in the Contemporary Period
Drama in the contemporary period had moved from the English
plays to the adaptation and translation of these to the writing of
original Filipino plays in the vernacular. Dramatic styles continue to
be discovered to suit the subject matter and the audience.
Realism and expressionism were the literacy styles of Western
schools used as medium of expression of the Filipino soul. Filipino
playwrights, directors, and actors write and stage plays that
represent Philippine realities
Realism
Western realism had two tendencies- psychological and social. This sought
to move audience through emphathy. The psychological tendency focuses
on individual problems. A Portrait of the Artist as a Filipino 1952 by Nick
Joaquin and Forsaken House (1940) by Wilfrido Ma. Guerero are examples
of plays with psychological tendency of Western realism.
Forsaken House deals with a father whose authoritarianism and tyranny
ruin his children’s lives. A Portrait of the Artist as a Filipino is about two
Filipino old maid sisters in Intramuros who were slowly being devoured by
American culture and yet clinging to Spanish values.
Social realism was depicted in Dis Korner (1977) by Rene Aguila deals with a
professional Boxer’s life who stood on his principles.
Expressionism
Expressionism present and discusses social ideas in a less direct manner
which employs symbols, mime, songs, dances, costumes, stylized sets,
props, and anything that would heighten social/ political/ economic
ideas for the audiences. It is more popular than realism.
Expressionism dominated the theater during the Marcos regime, but
realistic portrayals of poverty and aggression in media were censored.
stories with traces of the past comprise the drama of modern and
contemporary times. The themes were varied.

Philippine Drama

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Philippine Drama

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Philippine Drama

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Philippine Drama

Drama is the Greek word for play. It is something

You might also like