An annotated bibliography of the theatrical performances of Wilfrido Ma. Guerero's plays

Date of Publication

2004

Document Type

Bachelor's Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts in Literature

College

College of Liberal Arts

Department/Unit

Literature

Honor/Award

Awarded as best thesis, 2004

Thesis Adviser

Gerardo Torres

Defense Panel Member

Shirley O. Lua
Maria Lourdes Jacob

Abstract/Summary

It has been nine years since the death of National Artist for Theater Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero. We need to reassess him from two viewpoints: to re-evaluate his past and to revalue him in relation to the present. The task of re-evaluation and revaluation is the responsibility of literary critics and historians, however. Before these individuals can reassess Guerrero, they must have an in-depth knowledge and better understanding of him. We must, first of all, know and study his creative output - his plays and their production.

This led me to create an annotated bibliography of the theatrical performances of Guerrero's plays from 1936 to the present. I thought an annotated bibliography was the most appropriate because the large number of performance called for an organized, uncomplicated reference. The annotations provide comprehensive information on the performances and their significance.

I focused on theatrical productions because I noticed that the performance is often overlooked in the study of Guerrero or of Philippine drama. Guerrero is recognized for his work as a director, but ironically, scholars study him as a playwright. Guerrero is a National Artist for Theater and his plays continue to be produced around the country.

The main objective of this study is to create an annotated bibliography of the theatrical performances of Wilfrido Ma. Gerrero's plays from 1936 to the present. Based on the information in the annotated bibliography, I suggest Guerrero was indeed significant to his time and deserved the National Artist award for Theater. In addition, taking into account the contents of the annotated bibliography once more, I suggest Guerrero was relevant to contemporary times, as observed in how some of his creative output is still admired up to today.

To search for information on Guerrero, his works, and their performances, I looked through various resources from the libraries of De La Salle University-Manila, Cultural Center of the Philippines, Far Eastern University, and University of the Philippines-Diliman. These resources include collections of Guerrero's plays, book on Philippine theater and drama, press releases and reviews of performances, souvenir programs, video recordings of productions, tributes to Guerrero, graduate theses on Philippine theater history, theater company websites, and e-mail correspondence with people who have produced Guerrero's plays.

I read 45 of Guerrero's published plays and created a synopsis for each one. In addition, I commented on the plays. I did these in order for readers to be more familiar with Guerrero and his works. I noted what type of play they were only if Guerrero or literary critics say so. I included trivia and anecdotes about the writing of some of Guerrero's plays. I continued each annotation with cast lists, list of production staff, and purpose of production, among others. Finally, I added quotations from reviews of the performance at the end of the annotation.

The entries were arranged in alphabetical order, based on the date of the performances. They were written as follows: Date (Year, Month, Day/s), Title of Play, Venue, Theater Company, and Director. Performances in Filipino were annotated in English, but the Filipino title was encased in parentheses after the title of the English original. Current changes in information, such as the names of the venue or cast members, are encased in parentheses to avoid confusion.

Before I drew any conclusions I first situated Guerrero and his creative output against each decade. I then identified three roles Guerrero played, which made him an important figure in Philippine drama and theater. These are the playwright , the director , and the mentor . From the third role I found a link between Guerrero's past and his impact on the present.

The annotated bibliography chronicled 141 productions of 40 of Guerrero's published plays in a span of 68 years. Based on the information in the annotated bibliography, I suggested that Guerrero was significant, thus deserving of the National Artist award for Theater, for several reasons. He wrote plays which reflected changes in our culture and society. He brought theater to the masses and to the rest of the country. He shaped some of the most outstanding achievers in film and theater. I also suggested that Guerrero is significant and relevant to our times, for several reasons. He shaped today's generation of stage directors and actors. He is fondly remembered by artists, colleagues, and alumni. His plays are staged up to today. Some of his works have been produced and enjoyed for decades, even half a century after their first performance.

The remarks that I made at the end of this study are the result of what I found in the annotated bibliography. The annotated bibliography is my modest contribution to the study of Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero. I hope this project will lead to the possible reevaluation and revaluation of him in the future.

Abstract Format

html

Language

English

Format

Print

Accession Number

TU13756

Shelf Location

Archives, The Learning Commons, 12F Henry Sy Sr. Hall

Physical Description

v, 156 leaves : ill. ; 28 cm.

Keywords

Guerrero; Wilfrido Maria; 1917-; Drama

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS