ORIGINAL

PERFORMANCE
WITH THE USE OF
MEDIA
Introduction
Theater is the one major art form that brings together all the other art
forms from painting Theater and sculpture. to installation art, to music.
to dance, to literature, even to computer arts in a single production A
story is acted out on stage for other performance area) by actors
portraying the characters, bringing them to life and developing the plot
through dialogue and actions, and sometimes through song and/or
dance. Contributing to the vivid theater experience are the stage sets
and props, the lighting, the background music and sound effects, the
costumes and accessories. In recent decades, computer generated visual
effects and mechanized sets have been incorporated as well. All of these
components draw from the various art forms and call upon the artistic
skills and techniques that you have been exposed to over the last three
quarters. In this fourth quarter, you will get to experience the complex
and exciting process of mounting an original performance together with
your classmates combining most, if not all, of these skills and
techniques.
Philippine Theater and
Performing Groups
The Philippines has a rich and thriving theater
industry that you may be interested to venture
into the future. Productions ranges from
original plays with Philippine themes and
settings, to renowed theater classics from past
centuries, to contemporary musicals from
Broadway or London’s West End. Below is an
overview of some of the more prominent
theater and performing groups in the country
and their major productions.
 PETA and
Tanghalang
With the American presence in the Philippines for the first

Pilipino
half of the 20th century, it was inevitable that many U.S. and
European theater forms and scripts found their way here.
Among them were the classics, such as the play of William
Shakespeare as well as the works of the great American
playwrights. At the same time, local theater groups staged
original Philippine zarzuelas which were plays performed in
song, similar to the European opera. In the past few
decades, modern theater groups have continued to express
the distinctly Philippine interpretation of both originally
written plays as well as adaptions of foreign works translates
into Filipino. At the forefont of these are the PHILIPPINE
EDUCATIONAL THEATER ASSOCIATION (PETA, FOUNDED IN
1967 BY CECILE GUIDOTE - ALVAREZ, and TANGHALANG
Caredivas HIMALA
Haring Lear Pamana
PETA, Tanghalang
PETA, 2012 PETA, 2013
2011 Pilipino 2004

The productions of these groups span the range from

daring new presentations of classical works, to the
spectacle of Philippine myths and legends, to
commentaries on current social and political issues
 Ibalong William
Noli Tanghalang
Tanghalang Tanghalang
Pilipino, 2011
Pilipino, 2012 Pilipino, 2011

Meanwhile, other Philippine theater groups are also staging

original and adapted plays and musical productions, primarly in
English. Best known among these are Repertory Philippines,
Trumpets, and New Voice Company. More recently, Theater Down
South has been performances is the Philippine Opera Company.
 Theatrical Forms

A. Tragedy It is a dramatic play portraying the struggle of a strong-willed protagonist against

fate, as predestined by mysterious, divine, social, or psychological forces, culminating in
disaster and usually caused by a flaw in the protagonist’s character.

B. Comedy It is a dramatic play of light and humorous character, typically with a cheerful and
happy ending.

C. Drama It is a play that is “for real”. The characters represent realistic and everyday people.

D. Melodrama It is a dramatic composition characterized by extravagant theatricality and

the dominance of plot and physical action over characterization.
The Elements of Art as Applied to an Original
Performance
1. Sound and Music. These two elements set for the audience different moods and emotions. Through the
use of different sounds, they provide different effects to the play that heighten the emotions of the characters and
the audience. The sound effects also make the play more realistic and exciting. The use of sound and music in a
play entails the incorporation of sound recording and editing techniques using applications for computers, tablets
and Android phones.

2. Gesture, Movement, and Dance. These are bodily movements or actions that usually express
emotions, character, and narrative actions with accompanying sound or music. Every single gesture, movement
or dance step conveys a meaning or message.

3. Costume, Mask, Makeup, and Accessories. These comprise the visual effects, of which the main
function is to enhance visibility and aesthetic value. They help make the character appear realistic according to
the role he/she portrays.

4. Spectacle. This is something exhibited for view as something unusual, notable, or entertaining, especially
an eye-catching or dramatic public display which may be regarded as impressive and breathtaking and on stage
if visual, lighting, sound, music, costumes, dance, and special effects are properly manifested in a play
 Examples of
Philippine Plays

• Sarswela It is a type of melodrama in three acts where pieces are both

spoken and sung. Aside from being a significant part of the Philippine
history, it was also employed as a tool to fight against colonization.

• Epic Poetry Dating back to the pre-colonial period and commonly presented
during festivals and gatherings, it is considered by scholars to be the highest
point of Filipino folk literature. The usual topics are romance and adventure.

• Duplo It is a poetic debate presented through song and dance originating

from indigenous courtship customs. In this type of play, poets use proverbs
and riddles to present their suit to the woman of their choice.

• Moro Moro It is one of the most popular types of theater that and depicts the
conflicts between the Moros and the Christians. Themes like love, and
vengeance, and religion predominate.
 Examples of
Philippine Plays

• Senakulo It is also known as Passion play. This dramatization of the

life and death of Jesus Christ has been a part of the lives of the
Catholics and is celebrated during Holy Week.

• Traditional Folkdance It is one of the oldest forms of theater and

thus an important part of our heritage today. These are dances that
reflect the lives of the people in a certain place or region and
describe their culture and origin.

• Bodabil It is Vaudeville of American origin that became uniquely

Filipino with the localization of the name, Bodabil. It is a variety
show consisting of musical numbers and comedic and dramatic
skits with songs and dances. It was popularized by Filipino artists
LESSON 2: Elements of Art as
Applied to an Original
Performance

In the previous lesson, you have learned about theatrical forms

and elements as well as theatrical plays in the country. This field of
theater arts has contributed much to the continuous growth and
development of performing arts. There are different elements that
served as seasonings to add more taste to each theatrical
performance. These elements give more life and excitement to all
theatrical performances. As you go through this lesson, you will be
enlightened as to how these elements contribute to the overall
impact of every theatrical performance.
 These elements of
Art Process art are
indispensable
factors that aff ect
the overall impact
of a play. Aside
from these
elements, there are
also principles of
arts that an artist
needs to consider in
order to come up
with a captivating
play that is worth
watching.
Principles of Art as Applied to an
Original Performance
1. Rhythm, Movement. This principle guides the directors and other production staff of the play
on the proper use of music and movement. These elements should contribute in setting the mood
and tone of the play and the scenes.

2. Balance. This principle guides the director on how to achieve the proper balance and
composition in terms of stage blockings, props, backdrops, costume and set design/set pieces.
This will also guide the production staff in setting the right perspective of the play.

3. Emphasis. This principle guides the director on which part of the play should be emphasized
This will help in communicating to the audience the theme of the play.

4. Harmony, Unity and Variety. These principles guide the director on how to put the elements
of arts like set design, costumes, spectacle, etc. in harmony. These elements should complement
each other and also have variation to create a spectacular visual impact on the play.

5. Proportion. This principle guides the director as to how to make the play more realistic or
stylized through proper use of space, height, width and sizes of the elements or materials to be
THANK
YOU!