Various puppet groups will perform at the First Philippine Puppetry Festival from August 13 to 15, 1 pm and 4:30 pm, at the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Tanghalang Huseng Batute (Experimental Theater). The event is presented by the Samahan ng mga Papetir ng Pilipinas Inc. (SPP) in cooperation with the CCP. Participating artists are ventriloquist Ony Carcamo, Tali Galaw, Roppets Edutainment Productions Inc., Anino Shadowplay Collective, Teatrong Mulat ng Pilipinas and Black Theater of Manila (BTM).

As the country’s premier ventriloquist, Carcamo has been doing live educational shows since 2000. Carcamo created the one-of-a-kind Laff and Learn Kidshow Ventriloquism Program that teaches children character-building concepts using magic, humor and the ancient theater art of ventriloquism.

Established in 1995, Tali Galaw is the first and only Filipino marionette group conducting regular performances to promote and professionalize the art of marionette puppetry in the country. Its plays promote Philippine history, culture, folktale, environmental protection and good morals.

Roppets was Most Outstanding Educational Entertainment Company for 2001. The group conducts field trips, school and mall tours, caters to birthday parties and other social events around the country, maintaining branches in Manila, Pampanga, Cebu, Negros and Davao.

The Anino Shadowplay Collective is a group of multimedia artists dedicated to popularizing the art of shadowplay. Its core members come from diverse backgrounds, such as university students, visual artists and theater practitioners.

Teatrong Mulat ng Pilipinas was founded in 1977 by playwright-director Amelia Lapeña-Bonifacio, a professor emeritus of the University of the Philippines and recipient of the CCP Gawad Award for Theater. Mulat has been inspired by Asian puppet techniques such as the Indonesian wayang golek and wayang kulit, and the Japanese bunraku.

Established in 1978, the Black Theater of Manila is the information dissemination arm of the Philippine Information Agency. Its goals are to experiment on the use of popular folk and low-cost media in development communication, and develop information materials for child audiences.

For details, contact the CCP Theater Division at 832-1125, locals 1606 or 1607.

Nostalgia aplenty at Manila Grand Opera Hotel

THE Manila Grand Opera House—a cultural landmark known for the rich heritage it has collected from over 10 decades—will take on a new identity as The Manila Grand Opera Hotel on August 30.

READY, SET, DECLUTTER: Organizing paper

THIS has been, without question, the hardest part so far of this 11-week project to clean up my attic. It’s also been the most time-consuming and the most tedious. I remember one night, having spent nearly three hours sorting bills, birth certificates and newspaper clippings when I was both sleepy and sweaty, I turned around and found another 14 boxes that I still needed to empty out.

I NEED not describe to you what transpired during the opening of the Beijing Olympics, Friday night at 8, the eighth day of the eighth month in the year 2008.

TV5 shakes TV landscape

With TV giants GMA and ABS-CBN both claiming to be No. 1, “we’re happy to be No.  2—for now,” declared the boyish-looking MPB Primedia Inc. CEO Christopher Sy during the recent press launch to introduce the new TV5, which is the result of Primedia’s entering into a long-term blocktime agreement with ABC, headed by Antonio Cojuangco. 

First Philippine Puppet Fest at CCP

Various puppet groups will perform at the First Philippine Puppetry Festival from August 13 to 15, 1 pm and 4:30 pm, at the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Tanghalang Huseng Batute (Experimental Theater).

10 cool energy-saving tips for around the house

RISING gasoline prices will probably mean fewer escapes this summer to the shore or the mountains. And for those on fixed incomes, the cost of keeping cool may stretch finances to the limit.