SYNOPSIS/STATEMENT

Katips: Ang Mga Bagong Katipunero

A rock musical on the evil and horrors of martial law

                  By JC Nigado

KATIPS: Ang mga Bagong Katipunero”  is a musical that charts a subversive tale of love – of one’s self, of another, of country -- and sacrifice amidst the turbulence and massive desolation of an oppressed people under a martial law regime. It uses history to explore a seemingly forgotten, yet unforgettable, landscape, where tragedy looms all around, and the depth of a nation’s feelings.

The plot follows the lives of distinct, albeit kindred, individuals during the dark era of Philippine

history in the 1970s, a reprise of the oppressive Spanish rule that engendered the Philippine revolution of 1896. Hence, KATIPS: Ang mga Bagong Katipunero.

The main charaters are Greg, an editor of a school paper; Lara a Filipino-American balikbayan student; Panyong, an activist writer; and Alet, tagged as the “new Tandang Sora.” They are among the young activists who openly protest against the practices and abuses of the Marcos dictatorship, until fear overwhelms them when three of their comrades are abducted and disappeared. In a cruel turn, Alet’s body is found in the Payatas garbage dump, violently savaged and trashed to the bones.

However, once they regain their bearing they continue to fight, especially Lara, the person least expected to carry on and live the struggle, since she was born and raised in the U.S. With utmost concern and dedication, Lara proves to all and sundry that love of country starts with an honest acceptance of one’s self, and her political awakening radically transforms her into a true patriot, heartily owning her native country and birthright. Against all odds and at great cost, the bloody story unfolds in a relatively bloodless victory of the so-called People Power at EDSA, banishing the puppet dictator into the waiting arms of his imperialist master.

But the fight goes on. The year of living dangerously marches on even in the best of times, as it were. Death and disappearances remain the “unofficial option“ of the powers that be up to this very day. How many had disappeared and were killed during Cory, Fidel, Erap, Gloria and Noynoy’s administrations? And now?...

Katips also depicts the language, fashion and culture in vogue during the 1970s. But more important than the superficial factors, the play dramatizes the people’s passion to effect change in society during that time. This murky period is, wittingly or unwittingly, barely covered in our history books or rarely discussed in the classroom.

But it is a big blunder to ignore the past and disregard its lesson. Thus, Katips aims to entertain and educate young and old audiences using dance, drama and music, the universal language that binds all of us. Marcos and martial law may be gone but their legacy of institutionalized corruption and exploitative system live on.

For a change, Katips is accompanied by a live band onstage, forming part of the set. The costume, props and set design shall approximate to be authentic and relevant to the times, with the usual “theatricals.” It posits to be a social and political act, a cultural event, whose importance and impact cannot be downplayed by any attempts to revise history under any guises -- “of what is past, or passing, or to come,” as Yeats the Nationalist would beat.

Multi-awarded (Aliw, Broadway World, Golden Dove, Dangal ng Bansa and Palanca, among others) Vince Tañada writes, directs and produces the musical play, with Pipo Cifra as musical director. The story and text can be appreciated and understood by all ages (general patronage), with a running time of two hours. Katips runs from July 16, 2016 to March 2017, with more than 500 performances, following the footsteps of last year’s “#popepular: Pa’no kung Pinoy si Kiko?” that packed the record-breaking 535 performances nationwide in one season or nine  months.

 From Bonifacio’s to today’s revolution, the time has come to right the wrongs of the past and demand justice for all. We are the new Katipuneros and the Philippine Stagers Foundation challenges theater to go beyond walls, any walls, by entertaining, educating and inspiring people to act accordingly, as time and space require.

To paraphrase the Bard, the notes of pain and sorrow may be out of tune but worse are the lies of politics and religion.                                                                                                                (JC NIGADO)