HEADLINES

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
National and regional tours feature Tales From Mindanao in its touring and pambata version, Tatlo sa Isa, and MingMing, a new play about a Mindanao family in crisis

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 Project in Intramuros, a showcase for Lanao del Norte

EVENTS SCHEDULE

Mga Kwentong Mindanao Pambata Iligan City School Tour	July 18-Nov., Iligan City
Tales From Mindanao national tours	August 5 - La Salle Zobel 18 - Ateneo de Manila HS 19 - Museo Pambata September 25 - San Juan, Batangas 26 - Miriam College 27 - Lucena, Quezon 28 - Far Eastern University October 10 - Quezon, Bukidnon 11 - Holy Cross College, Davao City 17 - Kabanglasan, Bukidnon 18 - Maramag, Bukidnon November 19 - Marikina City 20 - St. Paul's College, QC 21 - De La Salle U, Taft 22 - Univ. of Asia-Pacific 24-26 - Naga & Legaspi, Bicol 28 - U.P. Prep, Diliman December 1-4 - Baguio City 2004 January 22 - St. Scholastica HS 23 - Letran February Mindanao Arts Festival, CCP 13 - Colegio de San Agustin 14 - Adamson U (check UPDATES for show schedules)
Ming Ming entry to the Mindanao Arts Festival Cultural Center of the Philippines, Feb. 1-29, 2004	December-January 2004, MSU-IIT CASS rooftop Theater
Auditions and Training	June - October 2003
Mobile Seminar Workshop in the Performing Arts	July - on-going Lanao Chung Hua School La Salle Academy, Iligan City

CHECK July-September Shows Calendar

Other News
"Tales," but for Kids this time
"Mga Kwentong Mindanao Pambata," a great treat for Iligan's children

Shows and Workshops in Panay
Bracay and Kalibo hosts IPAG for "Tales From Mindanao"


IPAG in recent summer recital productions

recent events
Jan-March 2003
'Tales' continues to wow audiences
Jam-packed gym greets IPAG Silver production
National tours wow large audiences
IPAG in national travel mart

 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.  "Tales" opens in August 5 at the La Salle Zobel in Ayala Alabang Village, Muntinlupa City. It also performs in the Ateneo de Manila High School in August 18, among other dates. (check calendar)

A new play by playwright Steven Fernandez, MingMing premieres in November 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.

In Boracay and Kalibo, IPAG further impressed their Visayan audiences with their continuing tours of "Tales From Mindanao."

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"Tales" for children in Iligan
IPAG refocused attention to providing quality theater to Iligan's school children when it mounted "Mga Kwentong Mindanao Pambata" last Feb. 21 at the MSU-IIT gym. Translating from the original "Tales" production, IPAG adapted its Mindanao dance-stories for re-telling to kids. The stories injected clearer themes for the kids' better understanding of Mindanao and its people. The production included in its repertoire a vignette on books and reading, the Higa-unun creation story, and the degradation of the environment via the maranao-dapated story of "The Bird and Fish," among others.

Two weeks later, IPAG highligted the variety show "Aaeeiii!" (The Best of CASS) that presented the best talents of the College of Arts and Social Sciences.

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Panay hosts IPAG shows and workshops
World-class beach resort Boracay was site of IPAG's most-recent performances of its acclaimed "Tales From Mindanao" last April 12. Hosted 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 continued its successful run of "Tales" engrossing again and again its large audiences who greeted the IPAG curtain call with another standing ovation.

IPAG conducted workshops to members of local dance groups in Boracay and Kalibo.

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