‘Pangarap’: dreamy mixture of fashion show and drama INQUIRER.net
January 31, 2008
LOS BAÑOS, Laguna, Philippines -- The UPLB Com Arts Society and the Tau Gamma Sigma Sorority are staging Rolando Tinio’s Filipino translation of William Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
Titled “Pangarap sa Isang Gabi ng Gitnang Tag-araw,” it ran from Tuesday and will have its final show Thursday at the DL Umali Auditorium, in the University of the Philippines-Los Baños.
“Pangarap” is under the direction of UPLB-based theater professor Elmer Rufo.
The play showcases the talents of UPLB students in theater arts, fashion, and music.
The director’s modern approach transformed the play into a dreamy mixture of fashion show and drama.
Rufo, backed up by his knowledge of Strindberg’s A Dream Play and the Pirandellan concept of illusion, draws his treatment of the play “Pangarap sa Isang Gabi ng Gitnang Tag-araw,” from the realm of dream.
As in a dream, anything can happen. There is no mathematical progression of events, nor a realistic picturization of locales; human behaviors are bastardized, but each bastardization is purposively engineered.
As the audience watch the play, they see bits and pieces, but are not fragmented for they are pieced together to form an image of significant importance. To see the image, one has to look from a distance to detach himself.
The set is a rake stage with runways suitable for a fashion show. The costumes are unique creations from the brilliant ideas of Communication Arts students, making the characters look classy as they portray characters of nobility.
Angel Dayao, the music genius behind the UPLB Centennial song “Isang Daan”, provided the music for the play. Original music scores and compositions are played during the play, setting the mood for a magical and dreamy realm.
