The two plays are “Our Lady of Arlegui” written by Chris Martinez and “Si Maria Isabella at ang Guryon ng mga Tala” poetically written by Eljay Castro Deldoc

The play of Our Lady of Arlegui was performed at KNCHS AVR (October 6-7 2018)

This play is about a muslim lady named Anisah with a age of 39, selling pirated Cd’s or DVD’s at Arlegui street in Quiapo Manila and a Christian man named Rhett, a 23 years old film geek.

Several literatures illuminating the conflicts and biases between Christians and Muslims have already been written, and Chris Martinez’s “Our Lady of Arlegui” provides a hilarious addition. The one-act Filipino play depicts the short but very memorable encounter between Rhett, a young Christian film geek, and Anisah, a 39 yrs old Muslim vendor of DVDs in Quiapo’s Arlegui Street. Rhett is looking for the classic film, “400 Blows” when an Optical Media Board raid ensues, which highlights the culture of “staged” hiding and creates a rationale for conversation.

Though attempting to debunk the prejudices between Muslims and Christians, the play cannot help positioning itself to the perspective of a Christian writer writing for a Christian audience. The exploration of the topic is so light that the play spends itself in discussing just two points, first, Muslims’ taboo of eating pork, and second, their preference to have multiple partners. While Anisah justifies the existence of these beliefs, she however is not given a voice that conversely highlights Muslims’ biases against Christians, making the discourse almost one-sided, and leaning to “let-us-be kind-and-understand-them” syndrome.

Quiapo’s Dibidi culture to the never ending war between the two religions, locally and globally by interweaving various literary tools and elements. Arlegui Street, a Christian-baptized placed, is a Muslim territory, something that strongly recalls the historical bloody wars of the Crusades, and the Hispanic tradition of Moro-Moro. In closing the play with Anisah and Rhett starting a meaningful friendship and strong suki-relationship.

Chris Martinez’s “Our Lady of Arlegui” points out that mutual religious biases can be negotiated and reconciled in exchange of the common goal to rebel against “legitimate” capitalist establishments that limit the flow of knowledge and cultural exchange.

Apat sa Taglamig Production of Koronadal City was brave and confident enough to perform the 2015 critically-acclaimed original Filipino play – Si Maria Isabella at ang Guryon ng mga Tala poetically written by Eljay Castro Deldoc, one of the most renowned plays in this 2015’s Virgin Labfest,

“Si Maria Isabella at Ang Guryon ng Mga Tala” is a love story and an unflinching journey spanning 60 years in search of materials to build a giant kite. The decades of pilgrimage eventually become a testament and an offering to the cathedral of ardent love, even if unrequited.

For a long time, people believe that theater is a dying art form, as they think that it is just about cheesy things like singing and dancing or just the plain old boring acts, but there is so much more to theater than those.

Theater has been around for thousands of years and is consider as one of the most remarkable art of life, as it releases ones inner most desires, feelings, and emotions, where it will take us on a journey of imagination. It combines different people into one solid group in which they work together harmoniously to portray a certain idea, concept, or piece of art.

Theater is not just an art, but it has also had a lot of benefits in different aspects like in physical, emotional and social.

Being a part of a theater group and have the opportunity to perform in theater productions or help behind the scenes will surely help you to engage with the creative side of the brain. As it has been proven through research that theater improves the aesthetic development and visual thinking of a person.

Aside from being creative, it will also help you to boost your confidence, improve your communication skills, physical fitness because in performing, even the most passive performances, requires an intensive movement over time. You will also develop empathy because understanding the characters, roles, and the subtext of plays and musicals allow the actors to relate better to different situations, backgrounds, and cultures. Also, meeting other people where you can interact and mingle with and build a new friendship.

The art of theater is one of the most empowering factors in one’s life. Not only, that it teaches us about the real essence of life, it has also had a lot of positive influences or benefits that you will get if you belong to a theater group.

Apat sa Taglamig Productions Inc. is a community based theater in City of Koronadal, South Cotabato. It produces various stage plays written by local artist and it is also adapting stage plays written by known playwrights of Virgin Lab Fest. This theater group is well-known for their straight theater and intimate theater production which means they are fond of producing stage plays which depicts reality or realism and they are just performing within a small area. It is just a group within the City of Koronadal, founded by KNCHS Batch-98 section silver headed by Mr. Jim C. Raborar.

According to him, drama is just their past time during high school days, he’s alway been the leader when it comes to acting in classroom presentations. After graduating in college, their section decided to pursue their passion, they created a theatre group named after their section not until year 2006, they produced 4 awarded plays  during December that’s why the group is now called Apat sa Taglamig inshort, AST.

As time goes by AST welcomed people in other sections of batch 98 and it is now Mr. Florenz Tugas is the president with his board of directors, Abegail Garcia, Gary Jamison, Joanne Rosaire, Nona San juan, Annaliz Cabrido which is also the Production Manager and Jim Raborar the Artistic Director.

Apat sa Taglamig is now in their 15th theatrical season, which means they will be celebrating their 15th anniversary. Apat sa Taglamig produce 3 productions every season, first, is during in the month of August to October and that’s what they call season opener. Second, is during the month of December, they call it December production the most important and the highlight of season. Lastly, the celebration of National Arts Month during February. It was a Virgin lab fest inspired production because its a festival of playwrights in which local writers are given the chance to send their output and might be chosen as one of the play during this event.

Apat sa Taglamig also wanted to spread education through arts. They have always been invited in schools to speak and share knowledge about theatre within South Cotabato. Auditions and typecasting is present in the group and also the members are all aspiring actor, director, light and sound director, stage manager, etc. and they are just students before and now they are professionals, they grow and pursue their talents because of their passion.