Philippine Theatre Takes On A Whole New Level: Assumption Iloilo Play Festival 2015

Yes, that’s right, everyone! Here in the Philippines, theatre hits a step higher. From lights to costumes to dramatic expressions, stars in the Filipino youth have never shined brighter! And you might have guessed it already, but YES! They are young, shining hopefuls for the stage!

For the next two weeks, on December 3-4 and 9-10 of 2015, come over to Assumption Iloilo, where simplicity is beauty, yet stars shine at their brightest!

You might have heard of the CCP in Manila, or the Philippine High School of the Arts, but have you ever heard of Assumption Iloilo?

Assumption Iloilo is where theatre is world class at a young age. Located in General Luna St., Iloilo City, Philippines, it is one of the oldest and finest schools in the city, and one of its yearly highlights is the Play Festival. It is held inside the great St. Anne’s Hall, which has stood for over seventy years, and still gives spectacular entertainment, whether the show is for students or parents or outsiders. If the outside of the St. Anne’s Hall is already magnificent, the inside is where the real magic begins.

Now, the yearly Play Festivals of Assumption Iloilo. Every year, each section prepares two plays: one in English, and one in Filipino. Each year level is themed differently, and here in Assumption Iloilo, we stage something new every year. Yes, you will not see any repetitions for four years, unless you count our yearly productions of FLORANTE AT LAURA (Grade 8), NOLI ME TANGERE (Grade 9), and EL FILIBUSTERISMO. Other than that, every year has fresh new plays. We may only repeat some plays every four years, but even that is rare in occurrence.

So, every year, there are twenty-four new plays to be excited about. Awesome!

Three sections per year level (twelve, all in all) vie each year for the award of ‘Best Play’. Every section in every grade level sacrifices their blood, sweat, tears, and personal drama in order to create a masterpiece on stage. Learners learn how to manage lights, sounds, curtains. Learners make the playbills and posters. Learners get to direct, and of course, their acting talents are reinforced.

Not to mention, they are only 12-16 years old, more or less, and by fourth year/Grade 10, they become masters of lights, sounds, design, and acting. You don’t usually see these every day, so come on over sometime?

For ENGLISH PLAYS this year, first years get to stage plays based on Philippine Literature. Second years, on the other hand, will stage plays based on Asian Literature. Third years will stage Shakespearean plays (and intriguing ones, at that). Finally, fourth years will stage musicals!

For FILIPINO PLAYS this year, first years will stage the epic “Ibong Adarna” in three parts. Second years will stage “Florante At Laura” and plays based on Asian movies. Third years will stage Jose Rizal’s “Noli Me Tangere” and stories of the Spanish Revolution. Fourth years will stage “El Filibusterismo,” and other Filipino classics.

So, when is it? Well, it's going to be this coming week on 

Here are some of the plays to be staged by the Assumption Learners:

GRADE 9 FILIPINO Plays

Baler (9 - St. Peter)

Supremo (9 - St. John)

Noli Me Tangere (9 - St. Paul)

GRADE 9 ENGLISH Plays

Titus Andronicus (9 - St. John)

Pericles, Prince Of Tyre (9 - St. Peter)

Romeo And Juliet (9 - St. Paul)

Also featuring: Miracle In Cell No. 7, Ibong Adarna (In THREE parts!), Florante At Laura, El Filibusterismo, West Side Story, Mang Serapio, Footloose, Rock Of Ages, The Story Of Princess Hase, Rhodopis, and El Presidente!

So, let's get to watching some good theatre, shall we? Remember the dates! DECEMBER 3-4 for Grade 7 and Grade 8 plays, AND 9-10 for Grade 9 and Grade 10 plays!