Theater masters set to stage In My Father's House play

DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines — Local literature and arts once again comes to life as two award-winning names in theater will be in this city for the staging of an original Dumagueteño play, "In My Father's House," at Silliman University (SU) tomorrow, Friday (July 19).

The play, written by Elsa Coscolluela and directed by Amiel Leonardia who are both alumni of SU, is set in 1940's Dumaguete, during the war and Japanese occupation years.

Its characters are portrayed by locally and nationally renowned artists, such as multiple Palanca awardee Ian Casocot and environmentalist Leo Mamicpic.

"The story is basically about a Dumaguete family during the war years, and the choices they have to make to survive the war," Leonardia told The Freeman in an interview.

Leonardia said that although the play is set more than 60 years ago, modern audiences can still learn contemporary lessons from it. "War is something that man had to always contend with. What the impact that war had on people, especially on families, is one lesson that people can learn from the play," he said.

The director also said he has been working on the play since May, and that directing "In My Father's House" in Dumaguete is much different from his directorial efforts in Manila, where he worked as a professor at the University of the Philippines.

"What makes the play very much interesting for local audiences is because of its local touch," Leonardia noted, adding that several places featured in the play are still existing up to this day. "They'll be surprised realizing that the very buildings where they live and work in used to be camps the Japanese used during the war," he added.

"In My Father's House" will be staged at SU's Claire Isabel McGill Luce Auditorium, dubbed as the Cultural Center of Southern Philippines.  (FREEMAN)