Ang romansang ipinagbabawal, ang romansang hindi mapipigilan ng dalawang pusong nagkakaisa - Ang Sintang Dalisay ni Julieta at Romeo, kanilang kinanta.
Tanghalang Ateneo opens its 33rd Season this July withSintang Dalisay,a dramatic piece forged from theawit, Ang Sintang Dalisay ni Julieta at Romeo, written in 1901 by G D. Roke and from Rolando Tinio’s translation of William Shakespeare’sRomeo and Juliet.
The adaptation is set in Sampurna, an imaginary Muslim community, with the Mustafas and the Kalimuddins as two prominent families mired in an age-old hatred for each other. Caught in this family strife are Rashiddin and Jamila, two lovers, secretly married, who are forced to separate from each other after Rashiddin kills a member of the Kalimuddin clan to avenge the death of his cousin. A demand for justice, Rashiddin’s exile to Dapitan, a clandestine tryst, a missing letter and a plot that goes awry culminate in the death of the lovers and the reconciliation of the two families smothered in grief and regret.
Kalil Almonte plays Rashiddin while Tasha Tañada essays the role of Jamila. Zennon Gosalvez and Vannah Pacis perform as their understudies. The rest of the ensemble, doubling as chorus members and characters in the play include Ariel Diccion, Cindy Lopez, Brian Sy, Charles Yee, Joenel Garcia and Exzell Macomb.
Igal, the traditional dance of the Sama people, will serve as the production’s movement motif, taught to the cast by master teachers from Tabawan, South Ubian, Tawi-Tawi province. An ensemble of musicians from Kulintangang Ateneo and the University of the Philippines’ Kontemporaryong Gamelan Pilipino (Kontra-GaPi), will accompany the dance and the action of the play.
Ricardo Abad, who shaped the performance text together with Guelan Luarca, directs the production. Matthew Santamaria draws the dance and movement patterns from the lessons imparted by Tabawan experts Calsum Telso, Abdul Said K. Hailaya, Nur Perong, and Dalino Kamamih. Pedro Abraham Jr. does the music and sound design, Meliton Roxas, Jr. handles lights design, Mike Parker works on graphic design, while National Artist Salvador F. Bernal does the honors for Production Design.
Tanghalang Ateneo never fails to amaze me, their passion and painstaking effort to learn an almost dying form of martial art and to say and enunciate such beautiful Tagalog on stage, to put life in their 33rd season’s straight play, Sintang Dalisay. Truly, it was a pleasure to see so much beauty and tribute to our native Filipino culture. It is refreshing to watch Sintang Dalisay as they put so much intricate details with every action, expression and words. Kudos, Ricardo Abad and Guelan Luarca, this year’s cast from Tanghalang Ateneo served your creative juices well.
We all know the Romeo and Juliet story by Shakespeare - The star-crossed lovers and their forbidden love due to their families' irreconcilable differences. Sintang Dalisay is an adaptation and tribute from this obre but, the difference from the original regards quite a few factors. Number 1: the culture - Instead of a western set-up, the story is taken place in the far east thus, the language and the costumes are very different. Number 2: The movements - As I was watching the play, the first thing that’ll stand out is how the characters move. They move as if dancing but not entirely. It’s that kind of style wherein the audience would feel more engross towards the story. It’s a risk approach to a straight play but, Tanghalang Ateneo pulled it off quite well. The communication of the body towards the audience is pretty clear. Lastly, number 3: The sounds - It wasn’t simple to find the perfect musical score for this kind of play because, you’ll need something authentic to support the difference in the take of culture. The sounds are incredible, truly native to the Filipino heritage. The gongs and the chimes made an aura tying up the entire performance. Kulintangang Ateneo and University of The Philippines’ Kontemporaryong Gamelan Pilipino (Kontra-GaPi) was a really good team of musicians, perfect for this kind of performance.
In this scene right here, the movements I was talking about earlier are very much evident in the interaction between the characters. This is the scene taken from Romeo and Juliet’s costume ball in the house of Capulet.
Rashiddin and Jamila - Romeo and Juliet
Let me just say, this was my favorite photo that I took from that night. Look at all their faces, hands and feet - disciplined actors and actresses.
Sintang Dalisay is an inspiring and effective play to the young and old generations of the Filipinos. It serves as a national standard and respect to the preservation of our culture, the Filipino culture.
All photos were taken by me and will not be used by anyone unless stated by my permission, thanks
P.S.: Sorry, I had to put the disclaimer. It destroyed the essence of that final paragraph. :(
