Philippine Drama

De Mesa
Nueva Espana
Osorio
Sta. Ana
 Drama was first
introduced by Spanish
theater groups in the 19th
Century.

 From Spanish influence,

drama was reshaped by
Filipino playwrights to the
mood of the early
American period.
 The drama & sarsuela are the most
popular drama forms during the first 3
decades of the American rule.
 Truly Filipino
Reflects Philippine economic and social
state
 Used as a tool for revolution.
 Answered the needs of the Filipino
people.
 Different subject matters
Lirico, romantico, historico, social, etc.
 Presents an aspect of Filipino life,
culture, history, and topical issues.
 Most versatile and protean
Can be in verse, prose, or both.
Could have one, two, or three acts.
Most Famous Dramas:

1. Revolutionary Drama
Aurelio Tolentino, Juan Abad (Tanikalang
Ginto), Juan Matapang Cruz.

“Seditious”—playwrights who exposed,

attacked and exhorted filipinos to fight the
colonization of the U.S.
Playwrights were often arrested and
charged with sedition.

Uses an elaborate system of symbols,

allegories, and love stories
○ To mask anti-american messages

Staged in Manila and neighboring provinces.

2. Romantic Dramas
 Safer, inane
 Esperanza by Jose Ma. Rivera
 Prominent in the 20’s and 30’s

 Usually in 3 acts with music and dance

along with prose dialogue.

 Usually a romance about an upper class

man & a servant.

 Satiric attacks on usurers, Americanized

politicians, lazy husbands with vices.
 Paglipas ng Dilim by Precioso Palma

 Improvement from Spanish plays.

 Filipino plays not only served as a tool

for entertainment, but also as a form of
expression and reflection of Philippine
society.
 Deus-ex-machina was used.
Negative effects to the masses.
False hope.

 It merely reaffirmed the status quo.