Dulaang UP Calls for Help Amidst Tragic Fire
Around 1:15am last April 1, a tragic thing happened to our beloved state university. A massive fire broke out in the UP Faculty Center, the place where the rooms of the professors from different colleges, faculties from different departments (Anthropology, History, Philosophy, among many others), libraries, conference rooms, etc. was housed. Included in this building is the Department of Speech Communication and Theatre Arts, and the Teatro Hermogenes Ylagan (THY; formerly known as the FC Studio), UP’s Blackbox Theater.
One of the saddest things for the theater industry is that the rooms of the professors and directors contained all the readings and books that they’ve collected in the academe, scripts and musical scores that do not have any duplicate copies, photos, videos, costumes from past Dulaang UP (DUP) productions since 1976, are all gone. According to our online interview with UP theater arts student and Dulaang UP member Mikko Angeles,
“The students are very much affected kasi FC became our home din. A DUP prod, before moving in to our theater (Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero Theater), nagrerehearse muna sa THY yan. Yung mga galleries sa FC, dyan nagrerehearse ang nga students for their theater classes. Sa THY nagffinals at nagtthesis. A lot of the famous theater actors now started their careers in THY (FC Studio).”
Now, the alumni has launched a movement to digitize all files of Dulaang UP. They have called everybody who has been a part of a DUP production to contribute whatever they have.
Dulaang UP Artistic Director, Dexter Santos, posted:
“KINDLY SHARE !!!
It’s a sad day for Dulaang UP but the show must go on. Help us build our archives once again by donating your old scripts, posters, souvenir programs, photos, videos and other substantial memorabilia.
For hard copies, you may contact Archie Clataro (63 927 244 7132) and drop them at the DUP Office, Palma Hall 136, UP Diliman.
For soft copies, you may join and upload them to https://www.facebook.com/groups/777411519056959/ or email them to dulaanguparchives@gmail.com.
In Dulaang UP, we shall continue to breathe and live for the theatre. In UP we shall continue to FIGHT.”
#bangonCAL
*Featured image made by Mikko Angeles
