Teatrong Mulat ng Pilipinas brings Prinsipe Bahaghari, a Filipino puppetry adaptation of The Little Prince, to Power Mac Center Spotlight Blackbox Theater in Circuit Makati.
Recognized as one of the Best of Filipino Theaters in 2023, Prinsipe Bahaghari runs from Jan. 19 to Jan. 21 and from Jan. 26 to 28.
The puppet play revolves around the journey of the Rainbow Prince in search of a companion who would help him care for his flower, the Gumamela, and keep her safe on his home planet. During his quest, he meets several extraordinary characters and makes a friend, the Storyteller, with whom he shares his joys and hardships. Prinsipe Bahaghari’s encounters ultimately led to his realization of what his relationship with the flower meant to him.
This adaptation celebrates Filipino culture, myths, and language to make the play accessible, especially to children. The puppets are made from rattan while local materials were also used in production.
“The use of the Filipino language and stories are drawn from the experiences of our people to narrate the magic and challenges of growing up, of the many ways of taking care of this world, of faith in different forms of love within and beyond the reach of the physical senses,” shared playwright Vladimeir Gonzales.
The production has received recognition and noteworthy reviews since its first iteration as a thesis project by director Aina Ramolete. It first premiered in November 2023 at the Amelia Lapeña-Bonifacio Teatro Papet Museo. It was also featured during the 14th Annual Meeting and International Conference of the Asian Theatre Working Group in March 2022 in Quezon City, Philippines, and at the Puppet Power 2022: Celebration in May 2022 in Calgary, Canada.
The production was also one of the six finalists from across the globe in The Red Curtain International’s Good Theatre Festival for Young Audiences held on Sept. 24 and 25, 2022, in India, where the play was recognized by the international jury and received Best Direction (Joint Winner) for Ramolete, Best Production, Best Production Design, and an honorable mention for Best Script for Gonzales.
The artistic and production teams behind this magical production include: Vladimeir Gonzales (playwright), Aina Ramolete (director, illustrator, and overall production designer), Amihan Bonifacio-Ramolete (producer and assistant director), Steven Tansiongco (graphics and video designer), Ohm David (set designer), Arvy Dimaculangan (music and sound designer), Jessamae Gabon (music composer), Darwin Desoacido (costume designer), Gabo Tolentino (lights designer), Sig Pecho (additional shadow puppet designer and publicity manager), Clariz Caingat (character illustrator), Shenn Apilado (technical director), Shania Lee Cuerpo (stage manager), and Joshua Ceasar Chan (production manager).
Matinee shows are on Jan. 21 and 28 at 3:38 p.m., at Power Mac Center Spotlight Blackbox Theater, Circuit Makati. Tickets are available at https://ticket2me.net/event/21496.
Prinsipe Bahaghari will also go on an outreach run in Palawan on Feb. 23, as part of the outreach program of the Cultural Center of the Philippines.