The Jesuits And Early Theater

1
The Jesuits And Early Theater

• By Brent, Yvette and Rito

2
Early Theatre

• Wenceslao E. Retana
• Researched how theater developed in the PI
• Failed to show indigenous theatre( limited to
  text)
• Lead to a conclusion that theatre didnt exist
  before 1571
• Noted that theatre originated in 1601 at the
  Colegio de San Jose

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Early Theatre

• First comedia took place in Cebu in 1598
• Theatre was mostly connected to religious feasts
• Drama was considered an important part of
  education
• Drama became a popular means of audiovisual
  teaching of religion

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Drama In Bohol

• First Religious play in a Philippine vernacular
• Martyrdom of Santa Barbara, 1609
• Encouraged Natives to abandon idols, talismans,
  and shamans (Pagan beliefs)

This will be, then, our end if we separate
ourselves from the true faith and from Christian
life.
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Drama and Religious Feasts
..It was clear that this small, deprived colony
had reached a level of culture that would have
been difficult to equal in many populous European
cities and in any city in the Orient at the
time.. -Retana
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The gran comedia of 1637

• The first theatrical presentation
• Linked to religion in which used to catechize or
  to celebrate religious festivities
• A priest wrote Palaciego y politico
• Used to celebrate the victory of Governor General
  Sebastián Hurtado de Concuera over Sultan Kudarat
  of Mindanao

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Gran comedia cont

• It also leads to the play called moros y
  cristianos, enacting corcueras battle with
  Kudarat
• Thanksgiving feast was held in the Jesuits
  province honoring the victory where The gran
  comedia de la toma del pueblo de corralat, y
  conquista del cerro written by Fr. Heromino
  Perez was presented
• It was the first play written with Philippine
  subject matter
• Others called this drama the first moro-moro
• Spanish Comedia not a Tagalog Comedia

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Eighteenth century

• 1653 Gov. Sabiniano Manrique and Archb. Miguel
  Poblete arrived in manila
• Refused to disembark unless miguel blessed the
  land
• Birth of Luis Felipe was celebrated in manila

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Baptism of Alimuddin

• In 1750 King of Alimuddin (Jolo) was baptizes in
  paniqui tarlac, some question the authenticity
  because the jesuits has never been to tarlac

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The nineteenth Century

• The Beginning of Realism
• Jose Rizal wrote Junto Al pasig which retana
  criticize because it was a religious play the
  only difference was the character Diwata (the
  national Devil)
• Transition from spanish play into English
• Greek and English theater was introduce

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Conclusion

• The purpose of the play was to catechize the
  indigenous people
• Important Element of their pedagogy, but they
  used it with industry, versatility and
  imagination in the work of teaching and
  reinforcing the catholic religion retana
• It is important to look at the work of Jesuits
  because it pave a way to the traditional and
  contemporary Philippine theater