Anton Juan reimagines 'Macbeth'
MANILA, Philippines - In celebration of its century of excellence in language and literary scholarship, the University of the Philippines (UP) Department of English and Comparative Literature (DECL), in cooperation with the World Theatre Project, presents its centennial offering Screen: Macbeth, a unique interpretation of one of William Shakespeare’s classic plays.
Under the direction of world-renowned DECL alumnus Dr. Anton Juan, Jr., on sabbatical from University of Notre Dame du Lac, and dramaturgy by Dr. Judy Celine Ick, a professor at the DECL and the Philippines’ foremost Shakespeare scholar, the play promises an intellectually-grounded, truly Filipino version of an old stage classic that will captivate today’s multimedia-oriented audiences.
The Porter, as portrayed by Ricky Abad Screen: Macbeth merges live performance with film, and depicts the tension between the “real” self and the self as projected on and through various media. Audiences will recognize in the world of the play the intoxicating possibilities of the supernatural “screen world” as an outlet for our darkest desires and fantasies, as well as our contemporary issues of political intrigue and corruption. Through its historical allusions and visual references, the play embodies both Shakespeare’s canonical 17th-century text and our 21st-century social and political realities.
An outstanding roster of actors and theater stalwarts make up the cast: Teroy Guzman, Judy Ick, Ricky Abad, Ron Capinding, Jaime Wilson, Romnick Sarmenta, Earl Ignacio, Gigi Escalante, Frances Makil- Ignacio, Ian Lomongo, William Manzano and Mary Jane Alejo. Surprise guest actors from theater, television and film — among them Eugene Domingo — all of whom have been under the tutelage of Dr. Anton Juan, Jr., will play the Witches onscreen. The artistic team and the production team — Pat Valera (assistant direction for stage), Katte Sabate (assistant direction for film), Jethro Joaquin (sound design), Ohm David (set design), Meliton Roxas (lights design), Lhenvil Paneda (costume design), Paul Gaerlan (weapons design) — are also some of the industry’s best.
Dark reign: Screen: Macbeth runs from Feb. 28 to March 4, 7 p.m., and March 5 and 6, 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., at the Media Center Studio, College of Mass Communication, UP Diliman. Screen: Macbeth runs from Feb. 28 to March 4, 7 p.m., and March 5 and 6, 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., at the Media Center Studio, College of Mass Communication, UP Diliman. Tickets are available at the College of Arts and Letters Basement, UP Diliman. For inquiries, call Katte Sabate at 0927-7491842 or Olive Nieto at 0915-4526372.
