EU theater festival goes ‘Live’ on its third edition

European Member States to present various classic and contemporary pieces

Photo collage from THEPHILBIZNEWS/MAS

The first ever European theater festival in the country will go hybrid with a mix of virtual and physical performances and to brandish classic and contemporary pieces from various European Member States,

The European Union Delegation to the Philippines, together with EU Member States, its cultural institutes and partner Universities proudly opens Teatro Europa, the Third Edition, on 23 July at the Rizal Park Open-Air Auditorium. The  Irish play, “Philadelphia, Here I come!” by Brian Friel is the featured opening performance by Teatro de Letran of Colegio de San Juan de Letran. Friel’s play is a tragicomedy that centres around Gareth O’Donnell’s move to Philadelphia (US). The comic story is transposed to several circumstances in the Philippines. 

This theatre festival brings out the best talents from the Filipino youth as they get immersed with the European culture. 

The EU Delegation is proud that this event continues to promote cultural exchange as the European Union celebrates the European International Year of the Youth this 2022. 

Virtual and physical performances will run from 23 July to 20 August where audiences will witness universities’ interpretation of carefully-curated pieces with re-runs from August 22 to September 5, 2022. 

This year, eight performances will be performed on-site while 10 will be staged online and 7 performances live streamed in the official Facebook Page of Teatro Europa @TeatroEuropaPH.    

With 18 universities nationwide (11 from Luzon, 3 from Visayas and 4 from Mindanao), Teatro Europa is bringing across the country the finest talents who are bringing to life never-before staged theatre plays. 

This year, the following theater groups with their performances pieces include:  

1. Colegio de San Juan de Letran’s Teatro de Letran – Philadelphia, Here I Come by Brian Friel of Ireland adapted to Piladelpiya, Hirrr ay Kammm!
2. Colegio San Augustin’s Kanlaon Theater Guild – The Elegance of the Molecule by Petr Zelenka of the Czech Republic
3. Meridian International Business Arts and Technology (MINT) College’s MINTeatro – La Mandragola (The Mandrake) by Niccolò Machiavelli of Italy
4. Mapúa University’s Mapúa Tekno Teatro – Antigone in Molenbeek by Stefan Hertmans of Belgium
5. Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan’s The Xavier Stage – A Matter of Husbands by Ferenc Molnar of Hungary adapted to Give me back my Husband!
6. Saint Louis University’s Tanghalang SLU – Fuente Ovejuna by Lope de Vega of Spain
7. Mindanao State University – General Santos’ Basic Institute for Dramatic Arts – The Madman and the Nun by Stanislaw Ignacy Witkiewicz of Poland adapted to Straitjacketed
8. Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Valenzuela’s PLV BACSTAGE- A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen of Denmark
9. Jose Rizal Memorial State University – Dapitan Campus’s Teyatro Dasuliman – Miss Julie by August Strindberg of Sweden
10. Rizal Technological University’s RTU Dulaang Rizalia- Lysistrata by Aristophanes of Greece
11. Jose Rizal University’s Teatro Rizal – The Fourposter by Jan de Hartog of The Netherlands
12. Asian Institute of Maritime Studies’ Layag Collective – The Bus by Stanislav Stratiev of Bulgaria
13. Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Marikina’s Batlaya Theater Guild – The Master by Hermann Bahr of Austria
14. Arellano University’s Teatro Arellano – The Evangelists by Alina Mungiu-Pippidi of Romania
15. University of the East’s UE Drama Company – Cutting a Cake by Christoffer Mellgren of Finland
16. La Salle University’s Teatro Guindegan – Auto da Alma (The Soul’s Journey) by Gil Vicente of Portugal adapted to Padayon
17. University of San Augustin – Iloilo’s USA Little Theater – Rosemarie the Cow by Andri Beyeler of Germany adapted to Baka-Baka
18. University of St. La Salle – Bacolod’s USLS Maskara Theatre Ensemble – Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett of France re-imagined into Godo

The EU Delegation to the Philippines is glad to have these universities on board as collaborators  and  it is grateful to venue partner,  the National Parks Development Committee  which is the venue for the official launch of  Teatro Europa2022. 

The EU Delegation   is grateful to Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Valenzuela, Saint Louis University in Baguio, Rizal Technological University, Jose Rizal University, both in Mandaluyong, MINT College in Taguig, University of San Agustin in Iloilo and University of St. Lasalle in Bacolod, for welcoming  Teatro Europa in their respective campuses.