Alamat: Stories of Philippine Gold

Using movement, songs, and a striking visual style, Ma-Yi Theater Company has created a compelling evening of theater that retraces the evolution of Philippine Gold as uniquely Filipino. Weaving together various indigenous myths about creation, nature, and tribal histories, Alamat: Stories of Philippine Gold tells the story of gold before colonization by the West.

“Alamat” is the Filipino word for legend or folktale. The Philippines is rich with these mythical tales that are unique to each region of the country. The Ilocanos, the Tagalogs, the Visayans, the peoples of Maguindanao all have unique stories about how this precious metal has become part of their collective stories.

Written for the stage by Ralph B Peña
(Based on stories compiled by Mabel Cook Cole (1846 - 1923) in her book "Philippine Folk Tales," published by A.C. McClurg & Co. 1916)

About the artists:

Ralph B. Peña (playwright) is a founding member and the current Artistic Director of Ma-Yi Theater Company. Recent directing credits include Nick Pichay's Macho Dancer, A Musical (Cultural Center of the Philippines), Lloyd Suh’s The Wong Kids in the Secret of the Space Chupacabra Go! (Children’s Theatre Company and Ma-Yi Theater Company; WINNER – Off Broadway Alliance Award), Joshua Conkel’s Curmudgeons in Love (EST Marathon), Ruth Magraff’s Centaur Battle of San Jacinto, Michael Lew’s Microcrisis (EST/ Youngblood and Ma-Yi Theater Company), and Lloyd Suh’s Children of Vonderly, and Nicky Paraiso’s House/Boy for LaMama ETC, and Dublin Theater Festival. He is a member of the Ma-Yi Writers Lab and The Ensemble Studio Theater.

Jack Tamburri (director) is a theatermaker currently based in Philadelphia. He has directed, devised, written, performed, and produced on his own and with companies like the Plagiarists (Chicago), Ma-Yi Theater Co (NYC), and FringeArts (Philadelphia). He is a graduate of the University of Chicago and the Yale School of Drama.

In conjunction with the exhibition Philippine Gold: Treasures of Forgotten Kingdoms, on view September 11, 2015 through January 3, 2016.