By Michael Rosen-Molina
Daily Bruin Staff
Dancers spun in circles, avoiding massive bamboo logs. A group
of washerwomen fell into a bickering paddle game when one of their
numbers catches the attention of a male suitor, only to have said
male break in to rescue his beloved.
Drama and wry humor were captured in theater and dance as
Samahang Pilipino celebrated its year-2000 Cultural Night Saturday
night at Royce Hall. Packed with eager spectators, the event was a
showcase of Pilipino art and heritage.
The evening began with recitations of both the Pilipino and U.S.
national anthems. The theme for the evening was “Lakas Ng
Loob”, strength from within, and the various pieces were
chosen specifically to reflect this aspect of the Pilipino
experience.
The main play followed the lives of three high school friends
and the different paths that their lives take. Carefree Damian
(John Corpus) goes to UCLA, where he finds it difficult to maintain
a passing grade-point average with his constant partying.
Serious-minded class president Jazmine (Pamela Gil) does not get
accepted and opts to attend a local community college, much to the
disappointment of her overbearing mother Belle (Jennifer Limbo).
JoAnn (Jennifer Anne Sandel) decides to take time off from school
to test the waters of the real world.
JoAnn’s mother Angie struggles with maintaining a positive
outlook when the Navy calls her sailor husband back from homeleave
on the holidays. Worse, Damian’s fun-loving Uncle Art has
taken an interest in her.
Burdened by increasing problems, the three friends begin to
quarrel. Jazmine’s harried grandmother Lola (Anna Alcantra)
works to maintain a delicate peace, as Uncle Art maneuvers to get
on the lonely Angie’s good side. But it is only when Jazmine
inadvertently insults her mother’s lumpia that everything
goes to pieces.
“Where did everyone go?” wonders Belle, entering the
room bearing a tray of lumpia, a traditional Pilipino hors
d’oeuvre.
“They left,” snaps a testy Jazmine, “They
didn’t like your lumpias.”
“That can’t be. My lumpia are the best on the west
side.” says Belle as the audience explodes in laughter.
Cultural jokes ran through the evening. An upset Shawn despairs
of passing his “Tag-ah-log” class. The audience
responds wildly as an amused Damian informs his roommate that the
name of the common Pilipino language is actually pronounced
“Tog-ah-log.”
Things seem bad, but everything eventually ends well. With the
help of Ruth, Damian is able to get his grades back up, and both
Jazmine and JoAnn consider a transfer to UCLA. Jazmine and Justin
go on a tour of the campus, where Jazmine comments on the
challenges facing Pilipinos in higher education.
Between segments of the play, the audience was treated to
performances of traditional Pilipino dances, including the
Spanish-influenced Maria Clara and the indigenous Igorot Tadok.
The Burung Talo, a Muslim dance from the southern island of
Mindanao, depicted an epic battle between the cats and the hawks.
Excited dancers bearing knives represent the cat faction, while
those waving fans represent the hawks.
Next, the Tinikling dance, the national dance of the
Philippines. demonstrated high-spirited skipping dance imitations
of the movements of the graceful tinikling bird by having dancers
jump between long bamboo poles.
Afterward, drummers beat metal gongs as men and women bounced in
a frenzied circle, performing the Torayan victory dance of the
Igorot. This dance, and other Igorot pieces, were especially
significant as they were completely untouched by western influence.
Calling upon their fabled inner strength, the Igorot were able to
resist Spanish domination and preserve their own unique cultural
heritage. In a sense, these dances represent something that is
purely Pilipino.
As a fitting end to this journey through Pilipino history, the
event finally explored modern expressions of the Pilipino spirit. A
group danced for a symbolic day, awakening as a sun image was
imposed on the back screen behind them. Eventually, as a projected
moon appeared in its place, the exhausted dancers settled down for
bed, and the satisfied audience, now a little wiser to the subtle
workings of Pilipino culture, left to do the same.