Friday, March 15, 2024

CCP National Theatre Live screens Shakespeare's tragedy Othello


William Shakespeare is a major figure in the world of theater, yet his works are not regularly staged by local companies. There is the occasional Filipino adaptation of his works usually mounted by a University based theater group but they are few and far in between.

To remedy that, the CCP's National Theatre Live's presents a screening of Othello happening on March 26, 2024, 5:30 PM at the Greenbelt 3 Cinemas.

This production of Othello was filmed live from the Lyttleton stage of the National Theatre, is directed by Clint Dyer, and stars Giles Terera (Hamilton), Rosy McEwen (The Alienist), Paul Hilton (The Inheritance), and Tanya Franks (Chewing Gum).

More information about CCP National Theatre Live's Othello can be found at the reprinted press release below.

OTHELLO BRINGS HIS TRAGEDY TO PHILIPPINE SCREENS

Shakespeare’s most compelling and enduring tragedy, Othello, comes to Philippine cinema through the CCP’s National Theater Live on March 26, 2024, 5:30pm, at Greenbelt 3 Cinema 1.

A tragedy in five acts by English national poet William Shakespeare, Othello conveys the tragic romance between Desdemona and Othello. She is a bright, headstrong daughter of a senator, elevated by her status but stifled by its expectations. He is a refugee of slavery, having risen to the top of a white world, who finds that love across racial lines has a cost. Wed in secret, Desdemona and Othello crave a new life together.

The plot thickens when heroic black general Othello appoints Cassio as his chief lieutenant. Jealous of Othello’s success and envious of Cassio, Iago plots the general’s downfall by falsely implicating Desdemona and Cassio are engaged in a love affair. With the unwitting aid of Emilia, Iago’s wife, the disgruntled man carries out his devious plan.


Amidst the oppressive social barriers and meddling external forces, Othello and Desdemona find their future is not theirs to decide.

In this version of National Theater Live production, the classic tale of boundary-defying love comes alive through the stellar performance from actors Giles Terera (Hamilton), Rosy McEwen (The Alienist), Paul Hilton (The Inheritance), and Tanya Franks (Chewing Gum).

Filmed live on the Lyttleton stage of the National Theatre, the NTL staging was directed by Clint Dyer, deputy artistic director of the National Theatre. He was the first African American director to helm Othello in a prestigious UK theatre. Dyer then directed other acclaimed productions such as the “Death of England” series.

The new CCP film program aims to make the best of British theater accessible to Filipino cinema audiences at an affordable ticket price. For its pilot season, the CCP National Theatre Live features the Philippine premiere of nine world-class stage plays, produced by the UK’s National Theatre and filmed live in high definition from its London stages and other venues. First launched in June 2009, the National Theater Live is a groundbreaking project that offers unparalleled experience for theater lovers, magnified by the big screen. Each event also features behind-the-scenes interviews with the cast and creative teams, for better appreciation of international theater among theater enthusiasts, playwrights, artists, and the broader public.


Tickets to the screening are priced at Php 250 (regular), and Php 150 (students). Discounts are given to senior citizens for non-Makati residents and PWDs upon presentation of valid IDs. All senior citizens with Makati resident IDs shall be allowed free entry as mandated by local government regulations. Tickets are available at Ayala Malls Cinemas ticket booths and website (www.sureseats.com).

For more information, visit the CCP (www.culturalcenter.gov.ph) and follow the official CCP social media accounts on Facebook, X, and Instagram for the latest updates.

Thursday, March 14, 2024

CCP receives multiple awards for its resiliency during pandemic and creative innovations


When the country bore the brunt of the pandemic in 2020, the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) ensured to the public that it could still fulfill its mandate to promote and preserve the best of Filipino arts and culture. Back on March 13, 2020, the CCP complied with the decision of shutting down all its public venues and postponed all productions and events indefinitely due to the precautions the country had to make. However, despite these restrictions, CCP found their way to thrive through the online platforms. This was the start of the transition of online performances for the Center.

For years, the Center has embarked on digitizing its archives. It proved to be quite a pioneering and progressive project because it became a lifeline for the center’s artistic endeavors. As directed by the Philippine government, CCP functioned on a skeleton workforce, with restricted access for employees and cultural workers. With the theaters closed, the CCP couldn’t produce any shows; hence, limited livelihood for the artists.

The CCP Board of Trustees calibrated the response to the pandemic affecting the creative industry and implemented the Innovation Grants Program which provided financial support to seven art and culture organizations so they could create and produce new works in various art disciplines and distribute these new contents using online technology, blended, and hybrid technologies.

The new programming brought to “online stages” different shows such as virtual pocket concerts of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, dubbed Music for Healing: PPO in Quarantine, Virgin Labfest’s online edition using Zoom and Facebook Live, and Cinemalaya screening short films in competition in Vimeo.

“These interventions and responses proved that arts could not be curtailed. Even a pandemic can’t stop people from engaging in arts. In fact, art is what sustained them throughout the most challenging time in this era,” said CCP president ad interim Michelle Nikki Junia.

No matter what the obstacles, CCP remains committed to its mandate, and these efforts earned recognition from inaugural The Living Laurels Awards, organized by the Malaya Business Insights.

Living Laurels 2024 Pandemic Resilience Award

The CCP recently received The Pandemic Resilience Award for “its outstanding contributions to the lifestyle industry and reaffirms their steadfast dedication to excellence in lifestyle endeavors.” The award recognizes the organizations or individuals who adapted and thrived during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Despite the challenges we might face in the near future, whether it is pandemic, natural disasters, and man-made situations, including budget cuts, the CCP will continue to champion a thriving local creative industry that respects tradition, spurs innovation, increases social awareness, and enriches the Philippine national brand,” said Junia.

Living Laurels 2024
Arts Visionary & Local Artisan Showcase Award

The CCP also received The Arts Visionary and Local Artisan Showcase Award for one of its most-anticipated festivals, the Virgin Labfest. The award was given to organizations that promote emerging local artists and craftsmen who have created outstanding and notable pieces.

Twenty years since it was launched, the VLF serves as a laboratory and experimental stage for untried, unstaged, and untested one-act plays written by up-and-coming playwrights from different regions.

“From putting the spotlight on Filipino playwrights, VLF also becomes a safe space for directors, actors, stage managers, and technical crew who come together to bring ‘virgin’ one-act plays to audiences. From a one-week run, it grew to a three-week festival featuring 12 new plays and 3 revisited plays. Together with the Writers’ Bloc and CCP resident theater company Tanghalang Pilipino, we are proud of how far the VLF has come. Many of the playwrights who have been featured in VLF have become some of our country’s better-known playwrights, and award winners,” shared CCP artistic director Dennis N. Marasigan.

The Living Laurels Awards also recognized other organizations in different categories such as Digital Transformation Excellence Award, Sustainable Lifestyle Champion Award, Mental Health and Wellness Advocate, Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Award, Innovative Health and Fitness Solutions Award, Hybrid Work-Life Integration Awards, Creative Culinary Excellence Award, Jake Macasaet Legacy Award, Joy Delos Reyes Community Impact Award, Pocholo Romualdez Media Excellence Award, and Che Francisco PR Excellence Award.

Metrobank Foundation Inc.'s Partner in Empowerment,
Advocacy and Commitment to Excellence (PEACE) Awars

CCP also received recognition from the Metrobank Foundation Inc. for being a Partner in Empowerment, Advocacy and Commitment to Excellence (PEACE). This award is presented every five years to recognize partners that have collaborated impactfully with MBFI in its mission of uplifting the lives of the most vulnerable and underserved sectors in Philippine society.

“We dedicate these awards to the people who worked hard and diligently during the most turbulent time in recent years, and for the Filipino people who have supported the CCP through the years,” concluded Junia during one of the award ceremonies.

For updates on CCP’s events and productions, follow the official CCP social media accounts on Facebook, X, Instagram and Tiktok. You can also watch CCP digital contents on the CCP YouTube Channel.

Monday, March 11, 2024

CCP Cine Icons celebrates 1st Anniversary with Flor Contemplacion Story special screening


Just like that, the CCP Cine Icons, a program of the Cultural Center of the Philippines' Film, Broadcast, and New Media Division-Production and Exhibition Department (FBNMD-PED) that aims to honor and popularize the life and works of the National Artists for Film like Ricky Lee, Nora Aunor, and Marilou Diaz-Abaya, is turning a year old already.

In celebration of the upcoming 1st anniversary and also National Women's Month, Cine Icons presents the special screening and talkback of The Flor Contemplacion Story on March 15, 2024 1:00 PM at the GSIS Theater.

First shown in cinemas back in 1995, The Flor Contemplacion Story stars National Artist Nora Aunor and also the late Jaclyn Jose, 2016 Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Winner. The film is directed by Joel Lamangan with screenplay by National Artist Ricky Lee and Bonifacio Ilagan.

More information about the CCP Cine Icons special screening of The Flor Contemplacion Story including how to reserve seats can be found at the press release reprinted below.

CCP CINE ICONS MARKS FIRST YEAR WITH ‘THE FLOR CONTEMPLACION STORY’

A special screening and talkback of The Flor Contemplacion Story marks the first anniversary of the CCP Cine Icons, slated on March 15, 1 pm, at the GSIS Theater in Pasay City.

Free and open to the public, this event is also CCP’s contribution to National Women’s Month, as part of its Gender and Development (GAD) commitment.

In partnership with the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) and VIVA Films, the 1995 crime-thriller film follows the tragic tale of Flor Contemplacion, a domestic worker from the Philippines. Leaving her home to seek work in Singapore, Flor finds employment at a relatively pleasant household. However, her life takes a sharp turn when Flor is accused of killing fellow maid Delia Maga as well as the child in her care. Although evidence supports Flor's innocence, a trial finds her guilty, and she is sentenced to death.

Directed by Joel Lamangan, with the screenplay by National Artist Ricky Lee and Bonifacio Ilagan, starring National Artist Nora Aunor, The Flor Contemplacion Story operates on various personal, social, and political levels. Both controversial and critically acclaimed, it won Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay at the 1996 FAP Awards, among 18 other wins and 16 nominations.

For the past year, CCP Cine Icons has screened numerous films by newly-minted National Artists Ricky Lee, Nora Aunor, and Marilou Diaz-Abaya in different screening venues and partner schools nationwide. A special program of the CCP Film, Broadcast, and New Media Division-Production and Exhibition Department (FBNMD-PED), this program aims to honor and popularize the life and works of the featured National Artists.

The CCP Cine Icons is also part of CCP Lakbay Sine, an outreach program of the FBNMD-PED that brings different film projects to different regions, partner communities, organizations, and campuses primarily to popularize the works of Filipino filmmakers and encourage film appreciation among the youth and the general public.

Noranians, film enthusiasts, and interested audiences may secure their seats for the screening by reserving here: bit.ly/CCPCineIcons-TFCS-reg.

To get the latest updates on future film screenings from CCP Lakbay Sine, follow the official CCP and CCP Film, Broadcast, and New Media Division social media accounts on Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.

Purple Power: CCP celebrates National Women's Month with facade lighting

CCP Main Building
Photo ©Rodel Valiente

The Cultural Center of the Philippines lights up the Tanghalang Pambasan (CCP Main Building), the Bamboo Pavilion at Liwasang Kalikhasan, and the Tanghalang Ignacio B. Gimenez (CCP Blackbox Theater) in purple to celebrate the National Women’s Month this March.

Tanghalang Ignacio B. Gimenez
Photo ©Rodel Valiente

Designed by Camille Balistoy and Jericho Pagana, executed by the Production Design and Technical Services Division under the Production and Exhibition Department, the façade lighting is the leading art institution’s way of recognizing the Filipino women’s contribution to nation-building and putting the spotlight on their accomplishments.

Liwasang Kalikasan
Photo ©Rodel Valiente

Through its various programs and projects, the CCP advocates women’s empowerment and gender equality.
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