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Nonon Padilla returns to CCP to direct play for new black box theater

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Totel V. de Jesus

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="via Frank Rivera" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/life/10/22/20221022-via-frank-rivera.jpg"/><figcaption>Director Nonon Padilla with Sherry Lara and Frank Rivera before rehearsals of &#x27;Ang Dakilang Teatro Ng Daigdig Full Circle: Celebrating Cultural Transformations.&#x27; Photo courtesy of Frank Rivera</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA -- Twenty years after he left the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) in 2002 as founding artistic director of its resident company, Tanghalang Pilipino, Felix “Nonon” Padilla Jr. is back to direct a play.Not in any theater inside the CCP Main building but just a few hundred meters behind it, the newly-inaugurated Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez black box theater.“We are re-staging the play of Tony Perez, ‘Hoy Boyet!’ collaged with the play by Calderon de la Barca, ‘Ang Dakilang Teatro ng Daigdig,’ translated by George de Jesus, two verse plays that provoke questions about our self, our identity and our faith today. I hope to see you in November,” he announced earlier in his acceptance speech during the conferment ceremony of the Gawad CCP Para sa Sining.Supposed to be given in the middle of 2020 but due to the pandemic lockdowns that had the CCP building closed for two years, the awarding ceremony was held on September 2, 2022 at the CCP Main Theater.“Thank you, Chris Millado for inviting me back to the CCP, to direct at your new Black Box Theatre,” he added, referring to Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez, where the play will be staged for two weekends, November 4 to 6 and November 11 to 13.<figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ndh5ftlW4pM?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>He’s not directing the play for Tanghalang Pilipino but this time, the limited two-weekend run was made possible through the collaboration of CCP and the De La Salle-College of St. Benilde (CSB).A month and a half after the Gawad CCP ceremony, we asked Padilla how he was convinced to stage a play as part of the inaugural season of TIG. <ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/life/09/16/22/ccp-unboxes-new-ig-worthy-black-box-theater">READ: CCP unboxes new IG-worthy black box theater</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/life/09/25/22/tanghalang-ignacio-gimenez-is-open-but-who-is-the-man-behind-the-name">READ: Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez is open, but who is the man behind the name?</a></li></ul>“Chris Millado had previously wanted to bring my production of ‘Macbeth’ to CCP. Somehow it never happened. He couldn’t find an occasion for it, I guess. Then in 2020, they announced the recipients of the Gawad CCP. Most likely because I was included on the list, Chris invited me to direct a play of my choice, to more or less, coincide with the award ceremonies,” Padilla told ABS-CBN News.“I thought about it, and suggested to him that I wanted to re-stage ‘Dakilang Teatro ng Daigdig,’ which was a thesis production of my graduating students in (DLSU) Benilde. Yes, from the start I decided, for personal reasons, to experiment combining Tony Perez’s &#x27;Hoy, Boyet!’ with the auto sacramental,” Padilla added. After leaving TP, Padilla would occasionally direct plays for PETA and theater classes in De La Salle University-Taft and CSB. Among them were “Haring Lear,” National Artist Bienvenido Lumbera’s adaptation of “King Lear,” staged in PETA in 2012. Padilla serves as Theater Arts Program&#x27;s Senior Industry Fellow for CSB.In 2014 for CSB, he directed “Lorenzo,” a musical about the life of Filipino Saint Lorenzo Ruiz that also weaves the narrative into the fate of present-day OFWs. In 2015, he directed Mario O’ Hara’s “Ang Palasyo Ni Valentin” for a production design class in CSB, which was staged at the Black Box Theater of the School of Design and Arts. In 2017 in the same venue, he directed “Makbet” from the Filipino translation by Rolando Tinio of “Macbeth.”<div>Collage of two cultures</div>“Paul Dumol told me it was time to write my biography; to share my memories of my theater career. Suggestion dismissed instantly, of course. But I guess, the idea triggered memories about our days at the Ateneo. Tony Perez’s play, ‘Hoy, Boyet,’ was our entry to the first Dulaang Sibol Contest on our last year of high school,” Padilla told ABS-CBN News. The whole title of Perez’s play is “Hoy, Boyet, Tinatawag Ka Na; Hatinggabi Na&#x27;y Natutulog Ka Pa Pala.” In his blog, Perez recalled he wrote the play at the age of 15, when he was a senior high school student at the Ateneo de Manila University, the same alma mater of Padilla. “It was Nonon Padilla&#x27;s first directorial assignment. He was 16,” Perez said.Same year, Padilla was invited by Cecile Guidote to join her newly formed theater group, the Philippine Educational Theater Association. Padilla attended a summer workshop that Guidote (now Alvarez) conducted at the Ateneo campus, then located on Padre Faura Street in Manila. Padilla recalled “Hoy Boyet” was eventually staged at PETA’s home, the Raja Sulayman Theater in Fort Santiago, in 1969. As for the Spanish play, Padilla told ABS-CBN News: “I had long been fascinated with the Calderon play, but never directed it. So, I toyed with the idea of combining the two plays into one production, highlighting classical concerns with the modern preoccupation of a world without God. And the result is the collage of two cultures, Spanish and Filipino.”For some young audience members who may not be familiar with De La Barca’s play from the 17th century, Padilla explained: “The Calderon play is a morality play, about the creation of the world and man’s chosen role in the world (play). It cleverly uses the metaphor of the theater as the framework of the drama, a philosophical framework that has fascinated German and French directors for many centuries.”He added, “It is a Renaissance motif used by many European playwrights. Even Shakespeare uses the image in &#x27;Macbeth,&#x27; when the defeated King summarizes his life thus:‘Life&#x27;s but a walking shadow, a poor player, ‘That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, ‘And then is heard no more. It is a tale told by an idiot, ‘full of sound and fury, ‘Signifying nothing.’”The text of De La Barca’s play was translated from English. “I asked George to translate from the English version, since he does not speak Spanish. I told him to adhere close to ‘komedya’ syntax,” Padilla told ABS-CBN News.<div>Rivera, Lara playing lead roles</div>The play has an ensemble of actors from CSB with two veterans, Frank Rivera and Sherry Lara, doing the lead roles. As of posting, Padilla said Rivera’s character is simply called Author and Lara plays Kagandahan (Beauty). Rivera and Padilla were contemporaries in the early years of PETA. Rivera joined the group in 1969, a year after Padilla became a member. “Of my contemporaries in PETA, I have always been in awe of Nonon Padilla. He&#x27;s an original. He looks at things differently adding depth to what&#x27;s obvious making them beyond complex and yet more graspable,” Rivera told ABS-CBN News. “I&#x27;m lucky to have worked with him in his various stages as director from PETA and the CCP Tanghalang Pilipino to St. Benilde. And the experience is always refreshing and challenging,” he added.Rivera joined PETA in 1969 for the production of &quot;Doña Clara (The Visit)” by Friedrich Durrenmatt. He wasn’t part of “Hoy Boyet” when PETA re-staged it at Fort Santiago. He clarified he’s never played a role in any “Hoy Boyet” staging, including the current iteration because it’s not the original play per se. “Nonon just incorporated ‘Hoy Boyet’ with ‘El Gran Teatro Del Mundo,’ because it&#x27;s a perfect fit,” Rivera told ABS-CBN News. For those perplexed what the play is all about, Rivera explained: “Tony Perez&#x27;s ‘Hoy Boyet&quot; is not like any play or story with a beginning, middle, and end. It is so non-linear one has to grasp intently the monologues of the three characters to make heads and tails of what it is all about. It is a dirge to youth — and an ode to life.”“It is bidding goodbye and saying hello. Basta maganda siya, ang pagkakasulat at pagkakabalangkas sa mga monologo. Parang mahabang tula na napakaraming images at metaphors. Poignant,” he added.Rivera waxed poetic: “Sinulat ni Tony Perez when he was young. Parang matinding patalastas na ibinabalitang, ‘hoy, abangan nyo ito’. Nagbabadya nang bumagsak ang bagyo at pagbagsak — sari-saring obra ang babaha na palaging may mga bahagharing pinakinang ang kulay para mahipo natin kung ano ang nasa ating daigdig na hindi pa natin nakikita at naiisip.” Lara told ABS-CBN News she had the privilege of working with Padilla for years, or even decades. She was a pioneering member of The Actor’s Company of Tanghalang Pilipino when Padilla was asked to form the theater group way back in 1987. She acted for TP even after Padilla left the company in 2002. Their collaboration continued when Padilla conducted classes and directed plays for CSB.“This latest play is my fifth play in St. Benilde. Working with director Nonon Padilla requires much from his actors. He allows you the freedom to discover the character one plays, to delve deep into his psyche and enjoy yourself while learning every day,” Lara said. “He is an inspiration always!” she added. Among the ensemble actors, there are Karl Caminade playing Hari, Jannah Baniasa as Daigdig, KC Coldenhoff as Mayaman, Kyle Confessor as Pulubi, Jap Peñaranda as Manggagawa and Sara Garcia as Hinahon. Current TP artistic director and PETA contemporary Fernando “Nanding” Josef wishes all the best for Padilla and his new play at the CCP. Josef told ABS-CBN News: &quot;Nonon Padilla, founder of Tanghalang Pilipino, directing a play at CCP&#x27;s Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez, is great news! Nonon&#x27;s brilliance as a theater artist must be seen, experienced and appreciated by all generations.&quot; Recently retired CCP vice-president and artistic director Millado has all the support for Padilla’s return at the CCP neighborhood. Millado also directed “Anak Datu,” the play that baptized the CCP New Black Box Theatre. Padilla’s “Ang Dakilang Teatro Ng Daigdig Full Circle” immediately follows as the second production. Millado told ABS-CBN News: “Nonon’s work as a director has always been ‘out of the box’. He was top of mind when I was curating the theater shows for the new black box that aims to present brave works and brave ideas to brave audiences.”Nonon Padilla’s “Ang Dakilang Teatro Ng Daigdig Full Circle: Celebrating Cultural Transformations” based on Pedro Calderon de la Barca’s ‘El Gran Teatro Del Mundo’ and Tony Perez’s “Hoy, Boyet” runs on November 4 to 6 and 11 to 13, at the CCP Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez (Black Box Theatre).<div>Related video:</div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2303864" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

Twenty years after he left the CCP in 2002 as founding artistic director of its resident company, Tanghalang Pilipino, Nonon Padilla is back to direct a play.