TEATRO BALANGAW Act Six 2001-2002

Act Six 2001-2002

MOVING ON TO GASAN & BUENAVISTA

Local elections again swept the country in 2001. Newly elected mayor Vicky Lao-Lim of Gasan hired Obligacion who was out of work as her “culture and tourism secretary” (a casual position in the mayor’s office). The Gasan Culture & Arts Foundation (GASCUAF), also headed by the mayor was preparing for a new festival to be held on Easter Sunday. “GASANG-GASANG FESTIVAL” the name Obligacion had originally proposed to be the name of another festival for August ’02 in connection with the 1st Araw ng Gasan celebration was adopted as the official name of the Easter event.

A new theater group was formed by Obligacion for Gasan: ‘TEATRO GASENO’ based in Bangbang National High School. “BULONG” was premiered on August 18, 2002 at the open court beside the municipal office. Noted artist, Raymond C. Go, painted the background mural for the play and did the set design. “Bulong” was presented again for visiting tourists as part of ‘Lakbay Aral” tour and for a Christmas presentation in the same town. The lady mayor who was into the arts herself ensured sufficient funds for the project resulting in a “glossy” presentation that even the NBN-4 TV-crew raved about the dance-drama. Immediately after seing the dance-drama on premiere night, Jan Engels, a Dutch national who has made Gasan his second home, expressed his desire to donate PHP 100,000 half of which should go to the school (Bangbang National High School and to the Gasan Culture & Arts Foundation to continue their cultural programs. Engels invited the entire cast and production staff of Teatro Gaseno to a cast party in his 'Hidden Paradise' resort house. "It (the play) was just fantastic! I never thought it was possible to put up something like that in Marinduque!", he ecstatically raved.

Excerpts of the play were presented in two national television programs. (“Damayan” and “Teledyaryo“ and featured an interview with the artistic director (Obligacion).