MANILA, Philippines - De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) is staging multi-genre performances and installations on the Purgatorio in celebration of the 750th birth anniversary of the great Italian poet Dante Alighieri at the college’s School of Design and Arts on Nov. 13, from 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.
The event, Purgatory: Love Gone Wrong/Love Redeemed, explores and grapples with the excesses of love and its eventual righteous temperance through movement, music, theater and cosplay pageantry. It is part of a series of events undertaken in collaboration with the Societa Dante Alighieri Manila, which aims to promote Italian language and culture in the country.
The production’s lead creator Associate Dean Sunita Mukhi says Dante’s trilogy of narrative poems known as the Divine Comedy, of which Purgatorio is the second, is considered pivotal in world literature and a masterpiece of writing in the Italian language.
Highlights of the afternoon include a cosplay parade to be participated in by faculty and students along Leon Guinto and Pablo Ocampo Sts. led by Dean Joey Yupangco in the role of Dante, a cappella chants and musical instrumentation by the Coro San Benildo, and a movement piece by the deaf and hearing dancers of the School of Deaf Education and Applied Studies.
The performances end with a medieval merienda at the cafeteria at 5 p.m. where the School of Hotel, Restaurant and Institution Management (SHRIM) will serve organic pizza and pasta.
The journey through purgatory will see a variety of performances on the different floors of the School of Design and Arts’ building as the seven deadly sins are interpreted through installations and performances from the degree programs of Theater, Dance, Music, Design Foundation, Production Design, Multimedia and Fashion.
De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde president Br. Dennis Magbanua FSC will play Beatrice, who serves as one of Dante’s guides in purgatory.
DLS-CSB welcomes and encourages the public to participate in the event.
For information about Purgatorio, call Annel Pabitu at 0917-570-2955, or e-mail media@benilde.edu.ph.