MANILA—Tanghalang Pilipino (TP) brings back the critically acclaimed “Ang Pag-uusig,” the Filipino adaptation of Arthur Miller’s classic “The Crucible” by director Dennis Marasigan using the translation of Jerry Respeto.
“This is an entirely new production since we will have actors who came from the new batch of scholars of the TP Actors Company and we’ll be staging using a new set in a new venue,” said Marasigan, who also does the lighting design.
With the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP)’ Main Building undergoing major renovations for the next three years, “Ang Pag-uusig” will be staged at the recently opened Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez (TIG), or the new CCP Black Box Theater, from February 17 to March 12.
Though set in the puritanical period in North America in the 17th century, Miller wrote “The Crucible” in the 1950s as an allegory of the US government’s massive “red-tagging” known historically as the McCarthy communist witch hunt.
TP’s “Ang Pag-uusig” remains loyal to Miller’s story about the witch hunt in Salem, Massachusetts, which happened from February 1692 to May 1963 that caused the lives of 20 innocent people. Still, the production resonated with audiences with its allusions to similar events in the Philippines’ socio-political landscape, like references to the past administration’s bloody drug war that involved extrajudicial killings.
It was initially staged in 2017 at Tanghalang Huseng Batute (THB) in the CCP’s main building for TP’s 31st Season. Due to popular demand and after taking home six major awards from the 10th Gawad Buhay, including Outstanding Play for TP, Outstanding Stage Direction for Marasigan, and Outstanding Translation/Adaptation for Respeto, it had another sold-out re-run in 2018.
From the original cast members are four senior TP actors. They are Marco Viaña, Jonathan Tadioan, Lhorvie Nuevo and Antonette Go. Viaña won a Gawad Buhay’s Outstanding Male Featured Performance or the equivalent of Best Supporting Actor for his role as Reverend Paris in 2017. In 2018, he played the alternate John Proctor, the role he reprises in this third staging.
Tadioan played the arrogant Judge Danforth in 2017 and was the alternate Reverend Paris in 2018. He reprises Danforth in the current iteration. Nuevo played Marry Warren in 2017, alternating with Abigail Williams in 2018. This time, she plays Elizabeth Proctor. Go reprises her 2017 and 2018 role as Abigail Williams. In 2018, Go was also an alternate for Betty Paris.
Ten of the new TP Actor’s company scholars who we first saw in last year’s “Anak Datu” and earned praises from critics and audiences alike return to tackle new roles in “Ang Pag-uusig”.
They are Aggy Mago as Mary Warren, Arjhay Babon as Giles Corey, Earle Figuracion as Reverend Samuel Parris, Mark Lorenz as Reverend John Hale, Edrick Alcontado as Ezekiel Cheever, Vince Macapobre as Thomas Putnam, Heart Puyong as Mrs. Ann Putnam, Judie Dimayuga as Tituba, Mitzi Comia as Mercy Lewis, Sarah Monay as Betty Parris, and guest artists Monique Nellas-Bagadiong as Rebecca Nurse, Daniel Gregorio as Judge Hathorne, and Francesca Dela Cruz as Sussana Walcot.
Besides Marasigan and Respeto, “Ang Pag-uusig’s” artistic team is composed of set designer Ohm David, sound designer TJ Ramos, and costume designer Daniel Gregorio reviving and supplementing the original work of the late James Reyes.
February also being the Love Month, there’s no greater than love for country, and “Ang Pag-uusig” is the perfect date for admirers of homegrown sensible stage plays.
While THB can accommodate 200 people in the pre-pandemic setup, TIG has a 250-plus capacity, depending on the seating arrangement, thus giving more audience members a chance to watch this modern classic.
For tickets, reservations and show-buying inquiries, email tanghalangpilipinomarketing@gmail.com, call 09479709618 or 09276035913 or go to www.ticket2me.net