La Salle University-Ozamiz Teatro Guindegan performs in Cambodia

by: Shaun Alejandre Y. Uy

Ozamiz City La Salle University’s (LSU) resident theater company, Teatro Guindegan represents Northern Mindanao and the Philippines at the Asian Youth Theatre Festival (AYTF) 2022, in Cambodia, November 24-27, 2022. The group performed “Padayon” An original devised production inspired from Portuguese playwright Gil Vicente's "Auto Da Alma" (The Soul's Journey) at the Phare, The Cambodian Circus, Siem Reap, Cambodia, November 25, 2022. (Photo Courtesy: AYTF 2022 Documentation Team)

In a movement to unite Asia through theater, the La Salle University’s (LSU) resident theater company in Ozamiz City, Teatro Guindegan represented Northern Mindanao and the Philippines as performer at the Asian Youth Theatre Festival (AYTF) 2022, in Cambodia, November 24-27, 2022.

LSU Teatro Guindegan Artistic Director Ted Nudgent Fernandez Tac-an and LSU Arts and Culture Center Director Denise Aguilar led the group of six participants to the AYTF 2022.

“The AYTF is not just a festival but a movement to unite Asia through theater, it’s in a hybrid set-up with on-site and online performances, workshops, and audiences,” Tac-an said.

“The AYTF was a mix or a hybrid festival, as there were performance entries from Bangladesh and Myanmar that was showcased,” Aguilar said.

The AYTF is a four-day event that showcases youth theater groups from Asia hosted by the Khmer Art Action, in partnership with Phare, the Circus of Cambodia & Banteay Srei Village and produced by the AYTF Movement. The organizers launched the festival through an onsite and online media event, November 19, 2022.

The festival’s vision is to provide a bridge between cultures to connect and unite youths in theatre and serve as a tool for building the next generation of Asian artists, a festival that educates and empowers young people to use theatre as a vehicle for change.

“This is actually the second time for Teatro Guindegan to join AYTF. In 2021, we brought “SENYOR ERASMUS” in AYTF’s Online Festival because of COVID. This year is a manifestation that Teatro Guindegan is in support to the movement of using theater to stir not just the minds of Ozamiz people but also the international audience to think and question humanity and its existence,” Tac-an said.

The group is making the outside world see “our views, culture and systems,” he added.

The festival featured original performances and workshops for the participants that included collaborative performances, open mic sessions, live music and more.

Asian countries who joined the festival were the Philippines, Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

According to the festival briefer, the AYTF festival concept is driven by the desire to share ideas, methodology and pedagogical approaches with young artists (13-35yrs), to enlighten, challenge and empower them, with the ultimate aim of progressing the theatrical and artistic landscape within the region.

Aguilar said, “this has been an inspiring journey to us, as four out of the six of us, were first timers in joining an international festival that they really are physically being able to mingle with artists from other countries.”

The Teatro Guindegan Experience

Ozamiz City La Salle University’s (LSU) resident theater company, Teatro Guindegan in its performance of its festival entry – “Padayon” where “BEING”, the lead character, was again in his head for the nth time, the voices, “ENSEMBLE”, became more harsh as he was being persuaded to the 7 deadly sins, said LSU Teatro Guindegan Artistic Director Ted Nudgent Fernandez Tac-an, at the Phare, The Cambodian Circus, Siem Reap, Cambodia, November 25, 2022. (Photo Courtesy: AYTF 2022 Documentation Team)

The Teatro Guindegan production team was composed of Ted Nudgent Fernandez Tac-an, director, playwright, dramaturg and production designer; Chrey Mickko Mutia, stage manager; Niel Villarejo and Karen Linganay, assistant stage managers; Reyan Christian Amacna, music producer, sounds and lights designer and layouts; Philip Concepcion, lyricist, music arranger and technical crew; Nuelan Ian Atienza, Technical Director; Franaya Jereca Cuevas, layouts and assistant production designer; and Denise Aguilar, production and tour manager and stage manager for international shows.

During the four-day AYT festival, theatre collectives shared their different perspectives and responses to this year’s theme, ROOTS & ROUTES, through performance, workshop and dialogue.

Performances and workshops were based on each country’s personal interpretation of the theme.

According to Aguilar, the Teatro Guindegan's entry, “Padayon” – which is an original devised production inspired from Portuguese playwright Gil Vicente's "Auto Da Alma" (The Soul's Journey), also proved that productions locally created in Northern Mindanao has the capacity to be showcased in the international arena and stirs interests to other local theatre groups in the region to apply for the AYTF on the next years to come.

Aguilar also said that the festival included in its program workshops, the different groups from the different countries were assigned a timeslot to share a workshop.

“For us, it was the basic Subanenen dance used as a traditional base for creating contemporary theatre performance. A training concept that Ted and I got from our training at the Intercultural Theatre Institute (ITI) in Singapore,” said Aguilar.

Tac-an added that the members of Teatro Guindegan, after hibernating in their own rooms or online meeting frames, were opened to the wonders of diversity - diversity of possibilities in the world of theater (form and content).

“This experience will surely push them to be better artists and better individuals - a view that our ITI, Singapore Director Sasi would always say,” said Tac-an.

Tac-an said that he was overwhelmed with the individuals present in the festival and the value of sharing they all possess, from the organizing team, volunteers, and participants, “everyone did really share their abled bodies for the success of the festival.”

(From Left) Reyan Christian Amacna, Marchmae Delvo, Niel Villarejo as “Being”, Philip Concepcion, Ted Nudgent Tac-an, Denise Aguilar of the Ozamiz City La Salle University’s (LSU) resident theater company, Teatro Guindegan, take centerstage as performed “Padayon” an original devised production inspired from Portuguese playwright Gil Vicente's "Auto Da Alma" (The Soul's Journey) at the Asian Youth Theatre Festival (AYTF) 2022, in Cambodia, November 24-27, 2022. (Photo Courtesy: AYTF 2022 Documentation Team)

Aguilar shared that coming home to the country and region, knowing that they were able to raise the flag of La Salle University, Ozamiz City, Northern Mindanao, and the Philippines proves again that even in the creative sector, being able to represent your own regional culture and creative practices, “we are already marking the idea of decentralization in the performance sector.”

“This has been proven many times over for many years by other groups in Mindanao like IPAG and Sining Kambayoka and other regional theatre groups who brought their shows abroad. Now, LSU Teatro Guindegan is joining the bandwagon with flying colors. You'll have to watch Padayon to experience the kind of contemporary theatre that this part of the region is creating,” said Aguilar.

Aguilar said that the exchanges of practices during the AYTF workshops and participants watching each of the showcases from the different groups coming from 13 countries in four days provided the necessary knowledge in the understanding of the different Asian cultures, perspectives and creativity. (SAYU/PIA-10)