Umaaraw, Umuulan Kinakasal ang Tikbalang by DUP

Gilda Cordero-Fernando is one of my favorite authors of all time. If I chance upon her  featured article on Philippine Daily Inquirer or book at UP PRESS, I always make sure I won't miss reading it.  When I learned that DUP is staging a play adapted from one of her works, I immediately marked my calendar to watch this play entitled "Umaaraw, Umuulan Kinakasal ang Tikbalang" showing from Nov. 23 to Dec. 11.

Good news for U.P. Students:  

Buy a ticket in advance at DUP Office (Palma Hall 136) and show your U.P. ID 
you will pay only  P150 
but if you buy a ticket at the gate it will cost P250.

PLAYDATES First Week November 23, 2011 / Wednesday November 24, 2011 / Thursday November 25, 2011 / Friday November 26, 2011 / Saturday November 27, 2011 / Sunday Second Week November 30, 2011 / Wednesday December 1, 2011 / Thursday December 2, 2011 / Friday December 3, 2011 / Saturday December 4, 2011 / Sunday Third Week December 7, 2011 / Wednesday December 8, 2011 / Thursday December 9, 2011 / Friday December 10, 2011 / Saturday December 11, 2011 / Sunday

2:00 PM 2:00 PM 2:00 PM 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM 2:00 PM 2:00 PM 2:00 PM 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM 2:00 PM 2:00 PM 2:00 PM 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM  For ticket inquiries, contact Cherry Bong Edralin 0917-7500107 or the DUP Office 9261349.

For its mid-season production, Dulaang UP stages "Umaaraw, Umuulan Kinakasal ang Tikbalang," a children’s play adapted from Gilda Cordero-Fernando's children’s short story "The Magic Circle," written by Rody Vera and directed by José Estrella. 

The play runs November 23-December 11, 2011 at the Teatro Hermogenes Ylagan (THY), Faculty Center, University of the Philippines, Diliman.

The story chronicles the adventures of a young boy named Jepoy Baybayin and his pet dog Galis as they go on a magical journey bursting with fantastic characters and strange happenings. 

Jepoy and Galis are invited to a wedding underneath a balete tree, in the middle of a dark forest. No exact wedding date. They only have to wait for a sign: when it rains while the sun is shining, that's the time to go and witness the vows of the tikbalang couple. Jepoy and Galis meet the Tatlong Maria: Makiling, Sinukuan and Cacao of the mountains, the enormous Doña Geronima with her clean and shiny plates, the Spanish-speaking dwarf maitre d' Pacqui, talking pythons and frogs, tiyanak debutantes, ballroom dancing aswangs, the four musicians of San Roque and a woeful kapre named Kap. 

Yet this wondrous banquet is not just frolic and festivity. It is also an urgent plea to the only human guest, Jepoy, no matter how young and poor he is, to tell his world to change things before it's too late.

 

"Umaaraw, Umuulan Kinakasal ang Tikbalang" is a gentle reminder for children of all ages of the responsibility to care for our environment. It also serves to refresh our memory on the richness of our folk literature with its repertoire of fascinating stories and characters that are rendered nearly forgotten by American popular culture.

Award-winning sculptor Leeroy New’s designs the sculptural costume pieces, while another multi-awarded artist, Don Salubayba, lends his talent through unique shadow puppetry that adds yet another exciting dimension to the show. Complementing these are Lex Marcos’ set and lights and Tj Ramos’ sound design.