HEADLINES

IPAG to Luzon, Negros
45th performance THIS 26TH SEASON to over 40,000 audiences

Standing ovations in Davao-Iloilo shows
Large audiences greet IPAG Vis-Min shows

IPAG tours Visayas-Mindanao
Closer to home, IPAG performs in key Mindanao and Visayan cities.

IPAG's trailblazing ways
IPAG off to a hot start in 26th Season

EVENTS SCHEDULE

Mga Kwentong Mindanao Pambata Iligan City School Tour	July 18-Nov., Iligan City
Tales From Mindanao national tours	October 10 - Quezon, Bukidnon 11 - Holy Cross College, Davao City 17 - Kabanglasan, Bukidnon 23-24 - Iloilo City November 27 -Museo Pambata, Manila, 3 pm. 28 - La Salle Lipa, Batangas 29 - Univ. of Asia-Pacific December Negros Occidental 2 - Bago City 3 - Escalante 4 - Sagay City 5 - Victorias City 6 - Cadiz City 8 - San Carlos City 9 - Talisay City 2004 January 22 - St. Scholastica HS 23 - Letran February Mindanao Arts Festival, CCP 13 - Colegio de San Agustin 14 - Adamson U (check CALENDAR for show schedules)
one turf, two families, three generations, four characters... a play by STEVEN P.C. FERNANDEZ	2004 February 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14   March 5, 6 7:30 p.m. MSU-IIT CASS Rooftop Theater
Auditions and Training	October continuing  2003

CHECK October-December Shows Calendar



The young enjoy a scene from "Monkey Business"

recent news

June-October  Iligan Schools feature children's stories "Mga Kwentong Pambata" performs to 16 school districts in Iligan Tours and a new play mark 26th Season Repertoire Tours feature Tales From Mindanao and pambata version. Also, MingMing, a new play about a Mindanao family in crisis

April Tri-people vignette launches 26th Season World premiere impresses Secretary Dick Gordon "Tatlo sa Isa" opens in the Best of Region 10 Visit Philippines 2003 Shows and Workshops in Panay Bracay and Kalibo hosts IPAG "Tales," but for Kids this time "Mga Kwentong Mindanao Pambata," a great treat for Iligan's children

ARCHIVES 'Tales' continues to wow audiences Jam-packed gym greets IPAG Silver production National tours wow large audiences IPAG in national travel mart

ARCHIVES IPAG again conquers Europe Prince Albert, Monaco crème applaud IPAG Music Ensemble in Europe concerts Latest Reviews rave IPAG WGA and IPAG link cultures

IPAG to Luzon, Negros
The Integrated Performing Arts Guild (IPAG) sails on its 5^th Leg of its “Tales From Mindanao” national campus tours from November 27 to December 9, this time drawing in the audiences of Manila, Batangas and Negros Occidental.

IPAG has thrilled thousands of audiences, mostly school children, by its touring performances of Mindanao stories using its signature dance theater idiom. The performances have reached diverse sectors in diverse settings around the country.  Students from elite private schools, businessmen, rural audiences in 6^th class municipalities, and underprivileged school children in barangay schools, among others, have watched IPAG performances.

The 5^th leg schedule follows: Museo Pambata (Nov. 27), La Salle Lipa (Nov. 28), University of Asia and Pacific, Mandaluyong City (Nov. 29), Bago City (Dec. 2), Escalante (Dec. 3), Sagay City (Dec. 4), Victorias City (Dec. 5), Cadiz City (Dec. 6), San Carlos City (Dec. 8), and Talisay city (Dec. 9).
 

Standing Ovations in Davao-Iloilo shows
A jam-packed Holy Cross College gym responded with a standing ovation to IPAG’s “Tales of Mindanao” last October 11 in Davao City. Davao is part of IPAG’s 4^th leg of its national performance tours that have brought “Tales” around the country and the world to bolster the Guild’s claim as today’s most travelled theater company.

The week after, Iloilo City also gave IPAG another standing ovation in a full-house performance at the Jesuit-run Sta. Maria Catholic School last Oct. 23. IPAG that has consistently enthused large audiences also performed in Bukidnon (Quezon and Cabanglasan) and at the exclusive St. Joseph’s School in Iloilo City. 

Only in its 7^th month for its 26^th Season, IPAG has already gathered over 40,000 audiences that have been thrilled by its productions in this season alone. In November and December, IPAG performs in Manila, Bulacan, Batangas, Negros Occidental, and Bukidnon.

In the Davao audience were prominent members of the city’s culturati including dance guru Bing Locsin, writer Aida Rivera-Ford, actress-writer Josie Tejada, and Lu Chin Bon, whose LCB Performing Arts Center produced the IPAG performance.

IPAG conducted dance workshops in Davao and Iloilo Cities, and performed aboard the luxury WGA Super Ferry 15. WGA is the exclusive carrier of the national IPAG tours. Supporting the IPAG is the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, Pioneer Insurance, Cultural Center of the Philippines, and the MSU-IIT.

IPAG tours Vis-Min

Closer to home, IPAG brings its Tales From Mindanao to Mindanao and the Visayas. “Tales” continues to wow large audiences nationwide as IPAG opens more venues for communities to better appreciate Mindanaon theater and lore. This 26^th IPAG Season, the Philippines’ most travelled repertory company recently completed three touring legs in Manila and Luzon and most recently performed to banner crowds at the Far Eastern University, Miriam College, and to schools in Batangas and Lucena, Quezon. IPAG also enthralled visiting businessmen of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry during their investment mission to Iligan the week before fiesta at the Ma. Cristina Hotel ballroom in Iligan City.

The Mindanao-Visayas schedule follows: Quezon, Bukidnon (Oct. 10), Holy Cross college, Davao City (Oct. 11), General Santos (Oct. 13-15), Maramag, and Kabanglasan, Bukidnon (Oct. 17-18), Iloilo City (Oct. 23-24), and, Silay and Cadiz Cities (Oct. 25-27). In November, “Tales” performs in the U.P. Integrated School, University of Asia and Pacific, St. Paul’s College, Quezon City, Baguio City, and the Conference of the Philippine chamber of Commerce and Industry.

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IPAG's trailblazing ways

The current national tours have drawn more and more audiences from the young campus crowds. Last season alone (April 2002- March 2003), IPAG’s shows have gathered close to a 150,000 audiences worldwide. No lean feat for a group that not only thrives outside of mainstream Manila Theater but is also self-funded.

IPAG continues its tour of campuses and communities nationwide with its “Tales From Mindanao” dance-theater repertoire and “Mga Kwentong Mindanao Pambata” to the less privileged school children in local elementary and high schools.

This Season, only on its sixth month, IPAG shows have already drawn over 30,000 audiences nationwide. It has added to its list of prominent campuses where it has performed the Ateneo de Manila (Aug. 18), La Salle Santiago-Zobel (Aug. 5), Meriam College (Sept. 26), and Far Eastern University (Sept. 28). Add world-class Boracay, Kalibo, a featured performance at the Intramuros for Visit Philippines 2003, and an invitation to perform for the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, one may say that the IPAG again is off to a hot start.

At home, it continues to engross thousands more of school children with “Mga Kwentong Mindanao Pambata” now on a 16-district tour of Iligan schools. More trailblazing ways for the resident group of the MSU-Iligan Institute of Technology, which is, after all, today’s most travelled repertory company, and the first Philippine cultural group to have a web site.

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 Schools feature Mindanao children’s stories
IPAG launches a 16-district performance tour of Iligan City schools of “Mga Kwentong Mindanao Pambata.” This child-oriented production is a collection of Mindanao stories, folk tales, and experiences, adapted for young campus-based audiences, and narrated in dance, music, the visual arts and poetry. Scheduled this month until September in various venues, “Kwentong Pambata” is one of several theater projects the IPAG highlights in its 26^th Season to underline its thrusts with the theme “Bridging Cultures for Peace.” Hosting the IPAG are school districts from farthest West to East. About thirty thousand school children are expected to watch the shows. The local Dept. of Education coordinates this project. The City Central school district opens the tour in July 18 at its amphitheater at 3:30 in the afternoon.

Tours and a new play mark 26^th Season
Continuing national touring performances feature the 26^th repertory season of the IPAG.

The Tales From Mindanao saga will continue to electrify national audiences with its campus tours that start in August until March next year.  

A new play by playwright Steven Fernandez, MingMing premieres in February in the College of Arts and Social Sciences (CASS) Rooftop Theater of the MSU-IIT. “MingMing” is the intriguing story of 3 generations of a Maranao family in crises. Tradition and liberal ideas represented by 3 generations of a clan clash. Their stories are narrated in this post-modern theater piece that will use the techniques of the multi-media.

IPAG continues to conduct pedagogy-directed classes in the performing arts. It has launched its Mobile Workshops in the Performing Arts to schools and communities in the region. Ongoing until October is a performance arts workshop at the Lanao Chung Hua School. In-Guild, regular courses enhance the craft of IPAG artists who are cast in its various productions.

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Tri-People dance-story launches 26th Season
IPAG wows large audiences in Intramuros Tourism Program. More standing ovations greeted IPAG in its Kalibo and Boracay performances.


In its second appearance in the Visit Philippines 2003 Program at the Baluarte de Plano Luneta de Sta. Isabel in Intramuros last April 8, the IPAG wowed two large audiences with its engaging production of tri-people dance-stories. IPAG, commissioned by the Province of Lanao del Norte to produce "Pasundayag sa Lanao del Norte" for the "Best of the Regions" cultural program of the Dept. of Tourism impressed Tourism Sec. Richard Gordon who was profuse in his praises for IPAG. Gordon, leading the calls for "Bravo!"  praised IPAG in his speech during the Opening Program and in a later radio interview after being Guest of Honor during the Lanao del Norte Day.

IPAG's production, under the sponsorship of Governor Imelda Quibranza-Dimaporo, included the world premieres of "Tatlo sa Isa," a dance vignette on Mindanao's people united, Lanao del Norte's Theme, a Parade of Festivals exhibiting the provinces myriad resources and festivities, and the launching of the Palarong Pambansa through a pulsationg dance production. The Palaro will be held in the capital town of Tubod in May.

Sari d'Champ, Palaro Mascot

Dimaporo danced a number with the IPAG in the gala presentation. Prominent national and provincial officials attended the event. Besides Gordon were DOT 10 boss Dorothy Pabayo and Lanao Norte Congressman Abdullah Dimaporo.

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Panay hosts IPAG shows and workshops
World-class beach resort Boracay hosted "Tales From Mindanao" last April 12. Sponsored by the Rotary Club of Boracay, IPAG regaled the audiences with its "World-class" performances in a fitting setting that was the moonlit  beach that became the show's natural "backdrop." An anchored sailboat accented the bare setting, its sail outlined by the colors created by IPAG light designer and Technical Director Joey Nombres. Many thought that the design was impressive. In Kalibo, IPAG also performed "Tales" to a large audiences that greeted the IPAG with another standing ovation.

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photo credits: Saki Binudin/IPAG/Robert Booc/IOV Taiwan