+63Kolektib’s reimagination of Christine Bellen’s adaptation of the classic ‘Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang’ tells the story of a doting grandmother as a migrant, bringing with her the Philippines in an overseas Filipino household.
Ang Prinsipeng Mahaba ang Ilong (The Prince with a Long Nose) grew up thinking that he looked normal until he first stepped out of their castle.
Ang Binibining Tumalo sa Mahal na Datu (The Lady who Defeated a King) introduces Sharay, a servant’s daughter from Tondo who surpassed the King’s three challenges to make herself worthy of the prince.
Ang Prinsipeng Duwag (The Cowardly Prince) tells the tale of Prince Marko and his lack of courage to fight for his country against an impending invasion – but behind a successful man, there is a woman.
With the enchanting melodies of acclaimed Filipino folk singer-composer Noel Cabangon, this promises to be an extraordinary and unforgettable experience for all.
This was performed at Bayt Al Mamzar and 421 Arts Campus.
Lola Basyang in a migrant Filipino Home
In many Filipino homes, where both parents work, you will find a grandparent usually a lola (grandmother) who is looking after the young ones.
It is not a different sight in migrant Filipino homes especially in the UAE; where the cost of employing a nanny will already take a huge percentage from the total household income. Thereby, making lola a kind of OFW— a migrant.
This adaptation reimagines Lola Basyang as such. Their presence in an OFW home somehow adds to the Filipinoness of the household – their usual preference for speaking in their mother tongue rather than English (as is the case for many young Filipino families); the customs and traditions that they tell (or force) you to observe; let’s not even talk about the food they cook; their fondness for Filipino entertainment; and of course, the stories they tell.
She brings the Philippines in a Filipino home overseas.
Lola Basyang’s arrival in the UAE sets the stage aglow, her suitcase bearing her most cherished treasure: tales of dazzling adventures, enchanting magic, and enduring humanity. In a land where tradition and modernity converge, the question lingers – will her grandchildren embrace her tales or will it feel too distant and unrelatable for them?
This play delves into the balance between preserving the past and embracing the future, weaving a timeless enchantment that binds generations through storytelling’s potent magic, uniting the young and old in a tapestry of wonder and wisdom.
Her apo (grandchildren) enters the scene and the storytelling begins.
The three selected stories, each with a unique theme, are intertwined to an overarching narrative that narrates some of the lived experiences of second-generation Filipino children.