Tanghalang Pilipino revolts with love in its 38th season
Tanghalang Pilipino revolts with love in its 38th season
At the center of revolt is love. Tanghalang Pilipino (TP) launches its 38th season with ‘Revolt,’ adapting three captivating literary pieces into theater plays. The current theme continues the action word of the previous season, “UNFILTER!”, featuring three musicals—Anak Datu, Sandosenang Sapatos, and Pingkian: Isang Musikal. In a way, revolt is the appropriate response when you are constantly filtered, censored, or edited; you may either turn away with disgust or rebel with vigorous dissent.
But revolting can only go so far without love at its core—whether it be love for our country, the arts, or the theater—and TP promised to show all of that and more for its 38th year. In fact, they’ve already started through its depiction of the word “revolt” in its publicity materials, with an inverted and capitalized ‘L’ and the letters evol colored differently, showing us that love should always be the heart of what you are fighting for.
TP will begin its 38th season with the restaging of “Balete,” based on National Artist F. Sionil José’s historical novel, “Tree,” and Rody Vera’s 2002 stage adaptation. Known as the 2nd installment of José’s The Rosales Saga, Tree follows the story of a man revisiting both his hometown and his past. The restaging of Balete finds a middle ground in José’s novel and Vera’s adaptation, restoring the voice of the original text while also acknowledging its earliest adaptation.
Balete will feature the current TP Actors Company alongside one of its earliest members, Nonie Buencamino. The show is set to start next month on Friday the 13th and will continue to run on Fridays and weekends until October 6th.
It’s not only the action word that is continuing from the previous season, as “Sandosenang Sapatos” will be having a stage rerun in the 2nd installment of TP’s 38th season. Based on Palanca Awardee Dr. Luis Gatmaitan’s short story, the children’s musical tells the story of wheelchair user Susie in fulfilling her father’s dream of a ballerina daughter. The universal message of love—whether it be from your parents, sibling, or for your dreams and aspirations—along with its excellent musical composition and storyline are the main reasons why the stage rerun of Sandosenang Sapatos is needed.
And for those who missed the shows last year, some of the cast will be returning, including the two Susies. Sandosenang Sapatos is set to start on November 15th and will continue to run on Fridays and weekends until December 8th.
TP’s 38th season will conclude with the theater adaptation of Mike De Leon’s psychological horror, “Kisapmata.” Based on National Artist Nick Joaquin’s reportage of the 1961 Zapote Street massacre, “The House on Zapote Street” explores the darkness hidden behind an idyllic Filipino family.
The theater adaptation of Kisapmata will be directed by playwright Guelan Varela-Luarca, who is still experimenting with a screenplay by studying Joaquin’s report, De Leon’s film, and the notes from theater workshops. The combination of the two source materials can be instantly noticeable in such instance as the stage names used, as the first name may be retrieved from the film and the last name from the report, and vice versa.
The show is only running on Fridays and weekends in March 2025, starting on the 7th until the 30th.
While the advent of streaming services has become the norm for media consumption, we should not forget the power of theater plays and live performances. A shared experience with like-minded individuals will never be the same as watching it alone in your room. And this experience is kept and transformed even as you leave the theatre. While price and accessibility remain constant barriers to entry in the world of theater and the arts, let’s continue to support making theater alive for many years to come.
You may purchase your tickets to individual shows or purchase a season pass to all three shows down below:
Balete: LINK
Sandosenang Sapatos: LINK
Kisapmata: LINK
Season Pass: LINK
