Theater is the best-kept secret of the Philippine entertainment industry and if there ever was a keeper of the keys, it would have to be Repertory Philippines.
“Repertory Philippines began as a dream by Zeneida Amador,” shares Carmen “Baby” Barredo, the company’s co-founder and current Artistic Director. “She wanted to make theatergoing a social habit and to give opportunities for actors to showcase their talents.”
“It’s funny when you think about our beginning because when we did our first show “Miss Julie”, we only had seven members in the audience. And only three were paying customers,” she adds, laughing.
But the company soldiered on, staging the Broadway comedy Luv in the same year. In 1967 alone, Repertory also staged Sophocles’ Antigone, Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, and Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, cementing Repertory’s reputation as the country’s leading English-language drama company. Today, Repertory is the Philippines’ premier producer of thought-provoking and entertaining shows, with over 400 straight plays and musicals under its belt.
It has staged spectacular productions of My Fair Lady, You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, The Sound of Music, The King and I, Annie, Pippin, West Side Story, Sweeney Todd, Evita, Grease, Les Miserables, Jesus Christ Superstar, Wizard of Oz, Fame and many more.
Repertory has also discovered and trained notable actors like Lea Salonga, Monique Wilson, Pinky Amador, Cocoy Laurel, Subas Herrero, and Leo Martinez (who is also a co-founder).
“What fuels us to continue despite the many challenges is passion,” says Barredo. “Because of our longevity, we have witnessed the increasing interest of the public towards theater.”
And for its 79th season, Repertory is sustaining the public’s interest in theater by producing a mix of comedy, drama, and musicals for young children.
From January 15 to February 7, Repertory is staging Ken Ludwig’s THE GAME’S AFOOT, which follows William Gillette, a Broadway star known for his portrayal of detective Sherlock Holmes, both in the play and in real life. He invites his castmates to his Connecticut castle for a weekend, where someone ends up dead. Gillette must channel his inner Holmes to track the killer and stop the next death.
This will be followed by ALMOST, MAINE, Repertory’s Valentine’s offering from February 19 to March 13. The play is set in the little town of Almost, where the residents fall in and out of love in unusual ways. The New York Times has described it as a “higher-concept and more clever version of Hollywood [love stories]” with a “beautiful structure.”
For the summer, Repertory is staging STEPPING OUT – THE MUSICAL from April 1 to 24, Richard Harris’s Broadway comedy about former chorus girl Mavis who teaches a dance class while dealing with the drama cooking up in the studio. STEPPING OUT – THE MUSICAL was awarded Best Comedy at the London Evening Standard Theatre Awards, organized by notable British critics and editors.
As part of Repertory’s commitment to providing avenues for children to enjoy theater, the company is staging HANSEL AND GRETEL, the Brothers Grimm classic about siblings that eat a witch’s candy house, from August 13 to December 15.
Running simultaneously with HANSEL AND GRETEL is A LITTLE PRINCESS, based on the the children’s novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett of the same name. It tells the story of Princess Sarah, who suffers at the hands of Miss Minchin at a boarding school in London. Things turn for the worse when her father dies and she becomes a pauper. A LITTLE PRINCESS will run from November 18 to December 18.
Amador’s hope that theatergoing will become a social habit is slowly coming to fruition. As more Filipinos are coming to see plays, companies are meeting the demand with inventive, classic, and compelling pieces. For this, audiences and companies have Repertory to thank. The secret is out: when you want real entertainment, you go to the theater.
For more details, inquiries on ticket or show buying, call Repertory Philippines at 843-3570 or visit the website at www.repertoryphilippines.ph.
