2015 » The Philippines » Student Section

“Mabuting Tao” (A Good Person) Relief-box

A good person refers to a teacher, an actor and educator, whose passion is Theatre Arts. She mastered the skill of acting proven by her award-winning performance from classic to contemporary literature, including films and television. Amable Quiambao-Viray, better known by her stage name Ama Quiambao. Before her death, she was able to invite Rolando M. de Leon, a scenographer and cultural worker to teach in Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Valenzuela (University of Valenzula City) where she taught the Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies major in theatre arts and minor in media. During that time this was to be the last batch of theatre art course offered. But following the laboratory class on Scenography (Production Design in layman terms) which attracted great interest from the university administration, the course continued and caught the attention of those with related majors. Through her efforts, the beauty of scene design study was uncovered and revealed which is now called as “Tagpograpiya”(scenography).

The Philippine Students Sections in PQ'15 will present collective students productions completed that became a way to overcome the struggles of the abolition of the course. The exhibit aims to share an interactive exposition on physical aspects exploring the tiny box. The Relief box concept was formed as a parcel containing relieving experience content of a collected story that was inspired by the scenographic and theatrical works of the Filipino students as molding them in political, social and cultural practice which is soon be a good tradition like a Amable Quiambao-Viray. A good person who was selflessly devoted to this Art discipline.

Relief Box‘s (in the form of a crate cube) actual measurements of 5ft × cube (152.5 cm). The cube serves as a physical shell containing works carried out by the students, sharing experiences by crawling inside. Giving them the opportunity to touch, feel and see the objects inside the box. Inside are compressed objects such as images and text of plays done by students, telling how “Tagpograpiya” (scenography) influences the policy of the university which created a 360 degree change to the idea of the government to abolish the course.

The local language of performance design has made for the public university to see the discipline differently. The box is an emblem of refuge, collection and final limits, of why young minds became resilient as they learned how to adjust and give their best to create a big world inside a narrow space called the school’s laboratory performance room. A space where hope gathered momentum and developed. A space meant for the student’s masterpiece.