Overview:

Sarswela is the national theater genre of the Philippines. After a long, complicated history, Filipino sarsuwela became a unique style of musical theater that delved into the political struggles of the past in search for a better future. More modern plays continue to explore political and social problems in more contemporary life throughout the Philippines

Short History:

Sarsuwela is a form of theater unique to the Philippines, however, it wasn’t until the Spanish colonization when Spanish performers introduced Zarzuelas to the nation and they quickly made it their own. In addition to having roots in the Spanish genre, Filipinos also drew inspiration from the local sainete. The sainete was a comedy skit that used music as an intermission to the long comedies of the 19th century.  Although the local sainete has impacted sarsuwela’s, the Spanish zarzuelas are the real inspiration behind the Filipino art form. In 1869, after the opening of the Suez canal that allowed the Spanish much easier access to the Philippine Islands theater really began to take off. This meant that in addition to bringing more troupes, the Spanish also sent over playwrights and acting groups to perform for the Spanish population residing in the Philippines. This inspired many Filipinos to begin writing their own form of zarzuelas. At first, they were written and performed in Spanish, then Filipinos began to write them in Tagalog, but they would still be performed in Spanish. Finally, as the theatrical form became popular among the Filipino community, they started to perform in their national language. In 1901 American colonization began and unlike the Spanish culture that did not attempt to assimilate the population, American school teachers came over and introduced the Filipino education to the English language. Teachers used American plays and movies to teach their students about English and this inspired the works of future playwrights. The American Dream became the quintessential plot of most plays being written in both English and Tagalog up until the 1960’s. (Fernandez, 2000) Both periods of colonization have affected the Philippines and their sarsuwela’s. 

Many describe Philippine history as “300 years in a Spanish convent followed by 50 years in Hollywood”. (Lockard, 1998)

Elements of Sarsuwela:

Sarsuwela’s are usually written in colloquial prose containing anywhere between one and five acts. Musical performances are woven into the acts, delivery an exciting story that ties the acts together in an entertaining and dramatic form. The story often follows a Filipino character in a love story while engaging several conflicts relating to social, political, economic or cultural issues.(Tiongson, 2010) These issues were often associated with the Spanish Period and the Filipino revolution. The hero and/or heroine who were in love with one another, would join the revolution and fight against the Spanish forces until the two Filipino lovers were reunited in a happy, exhilarating finale. Each play depicted a glorious moment of pride for all Filipinos, becoming a symbol of success and joy in the Philippines.   

Bonifacio: Isang Sarsuwela (The Supremo’s Life and Death in Song): is an epic stage production which covers a lot of historical ground.  It recreates onstage all the major events in the revolutionary life of Andres Bonifacio

References:

Texts Cited

Diamond, Catherine. “Quest for the Elusive Self: The Role of Contemporary Philippine Theatre in the Formation of Cultural Identity.” Tdr (1988-), vol. 40, no. 1, 1996, p. 141., doi:10.2307/1146515.

Fernandez, Doreen G. “Philippine Theater in English.” World Literature Today, vol. 74, no. 2, 2000, pp. 318–322., www.jstor.org/stable/40155578.

Fernandez, Doreen G. “Zarzuela to Sarswela: Indigenization and Transformation.” Philippine Studies, vol. 41, no. 3, pp. 320–343. Jstor, www.jstor.org/stable/42633388.

Lockard, Craig. “Philippines: Pinoy, Protest, and People Power.” Dance of Life : Popular Music and Politics in Southeast Asia, University of Hawaii Press, 2017, pp. 114–161.

Tiongson, Nicanor G. “A Short History of the Philippine Sarsuwela (1879-2009).” Philippine Humanities Review , 11 May 2010, pp. 149–186., journals.upd.edu.ph/index.php/phr/article/view/4754.

Videos Cited:

“https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pv3ImnBsu80” Youtube, uploaded by Escape on 1 September 2013