# Tanghalang Ateneo

Tanghalang Ateneo is the longest-running theater company of the Loyola Schools, Ateneo de Manila University. The company weaves into its work the theatrical traditions of the university's sesquicentennial past.
Tanghalang Ateneo uses theater to foster eloquentia, sapientia, and humanitas – the pillars of Jesuit pedagogy. It sees itself as a theater company in the service of student formation, and by extension – given the Jesuit ideal of magis – a theater in service of the nation.

## Notable players and awards

Since its founding in 1972 (and formally recognized five years later), Tanghalang Ateneo has grown from a fledgling band of student players to one of the country's leading school-based theater companies. Its repertoire of plays is daunting: from world classics to modern Filipino pieces. The languages used on stage are Filipino and English.
Its members come from diverse academic fields. In fact, many have pursued careers in theater, television, and film; many more use their theater experience to excel in management, law, teaching, media, and cultural work.
Acclaimed professional actors have graced its shows, and several outstanding designers and choreographers have served as members of its artistic staff. Possibly the best known actor-alumnus is Nonie Buencamino, who joined as a college student and decades later fondly remembered his start with the company. Manila City Council member Alfred Vargas got his acting career started with the company, later calling it his "refuge" when he was a student at Ateneo.
Other notable actors Naty Crame-Rogers, Irma Adlawan, Teroy Guzman, Bodjie Pascua, Frances Makil-Ignacio, Floy Quintos, Myra Beltran, Leeroy New, and Gino Gonzales have worked with the company in previous seasons.
Tanghalang Ateneo has won two Aliw Awards for Best Production and another two for Best Direction for its 2008 and 2011 productions of Glenn Sevilla Mas's "The Death of Memory" (Direction: Ricardo G. Abad) and "Sintang Dalisay" (Direction: Ricardo G. Abad). Last year, the company received several citations, including two for the year's 10 Best Productions, in the Philippine Daily Inquirer's Best of Theater 2014 for its productions of Han Ong's "Middle Finger" (Direction: Ed Lacson, Jr.) and Glenn Sevilla Mas's "Rite of Passage: Sa Pagtubu kang Tahud" (Direction: Ron Capinding).
The company has also received production grants from the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the Loyola Schools, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the Spanish Program for Cultural Cooperation, and the Japan Foundation.
Its shows have also been shown in campuses and venues across the country and abroad, notably in Shanghai and Taiwan as part of the Festival of the Asian Pacific Bureau of Theatre Schools, and in Minsk, Belarus for the International University Theatre Association Student Theatre Festival. The company's past achievements have also facilitated the creation, in SY 2000–2001, of a degree program in Theater Arts within the Fine Arts Program of the Ateneo de Manila University.

## Artistic directors

Ricardo Saludo became the first artistic director and Moderator when Tanghalang Ateneo gained university recognition in 1979. Ricardo G. Abad (Ricky Abad) succeeded him and became the company's longest-serving Artistic Director and Moderator (1984-2013). In 2014, Glenn Sevilla Mas became the company's new artistic director and Moderator.

## History

Tanghalang Ateneo started out in 1974 as a group of friends who wished to stage plays, and having no theater to speak of on the Loyola Heights campus, scheduled performances at the college cafeteria. The group pressed the administration for a more suitable venue, and by 1978, a large classroom, seating about 80 people, was converted to a theater of sorts. In the old classroom, the group constructed the stage; this is now called the Fine Arts Theatre.
However, since 1989, Tanghalang Ateneo has been staging plays in a 250-seater theater called the Rizal Mini-Theater and recently, in other venues within the Loyola Schools such as the Fine Arts Blackbox Theater and the Doreen Fernandez Blackbox Theater.
The officers got recognized as an organization of the college, and recruited Ricardo Saludo, a faculty member of the Departments of English and of Communications, to serve as moderator. In 1979, under Saludo, Tanghalang Ateneo's first repertory season began. The repertory season of Filipino plays, original or in translation continued even after Saludo left to join Asiaweek magazine in Hong Kong in 1984.
He was succeeded by Ricardo G. Abad in 1984, who retained the repertory program but added English plays as part of its annual fare. In 2014, Glenn Sevilla Mas came aboard and became the company's new artistic director and Moderator.
Tanghalang Ateneo productions have also been seen off campus: over the last decade, the company has performed in the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the Metropolitan Theater, the Puerto Real Gardens, the Ninoy Aquino Park, the British Council, the Alliance Francaise, Vigan, Iloilo, Nueva Ecija, and a lot more.

## Recent seasons (2019-present)

In 2019, Tanghalang Ateneo presented Antigone, the Greek play, adapted to the Philippines. They also produced Batch 81, a drama set in a fraternity.
There was a break in presentations due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines.
Tanghalang Ateneo’s 2024 season was played in honor of the late director, Ricky Abad.
In July 2024, the company produced its adaptation of Shakespeare, Sintang Dalisay, based on Romeo and Juliet. It was reviewed glowingly by Tatler Asia. It had been produced first in 2011 by their late director, Ricky Abad.
In November 2024, their Filipino language production of Medea, starring alumni of the company, was favorably received by the television network ABS-CBN.
The University’s newspaper praised the Tanghalang Ateneo for producing plays in the Filipino language, while there has been a "devaluation of Filipino in the academe…."

## Past seasons

* First Season (1979–1980)
** Naibigan Mo Sana ang Sauna
** Ramona Reyes ng Forbes Park
* Second Season (1980–1981)
** Kilabot ng Makiling
** Isa Pang Bayani
** Taong Pang Habang Panahon
** Ang Belen
** Ang Sala
* Third Season (1981–1982)
** Ang Inspektor
** Eksena!
** Adriano VIII
** Ang Katubusan
* Fourth Season (1982–1983)
** Naibigan Mo Sana ang Sauna
** Sigwa!
** Kiko Kulang-Kulang
** Banal at Baliw
* Fifth Season (1983–1984)
** 1+1=3/Two Act Plays
** Paraisong Parisukat
** Angel sa Impiyerno
** Kilabot ng Makiling
* Sixth Season (1984–1985)
** A Man for All Seasons
** Ang Kuripot
** Artenista: A Trilogy of Plays
** Ang Paglilitis ni Mang Serapio
** Orinola
** Ligawan
** The Good Woman of Setzuan
* Seventh Season (1985–1986)
** Beckett or The Honor of God
** Ang Inspektor
** Tatsulok
** The Ugly Duckling
** Angela
** Usok, Ulap, Ibon, Kulisap
* Eighth Season (1986–1987)
** Pagsabog ng Liwanag
** Antigone
** Two Plays/Benefit Show
** Taong Grasa
** Orinola
** Tatlong Katuwaang Tig-iisang Yugto
** Ang Pamamanhikan
** The Boor
** Ang Anibersaryo
* Ninth Season (1987–1988)
** Paghihintay kay Godo
** The Importance of Being Earnest
** Tasulok II
** Gabun
** Alex Antiporda
** Ang Sopranong Kalbo
* Tenth Season (1988–1989)
** Felipe de las Calas
* Eleventh Season (1989–1990)
** Bb. Julie
** Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You
** Doon Po sa Amin
* Twelfth Season (1990–1991)
** Pangarap sa Gabi ng Gitnang Tag-Araw
** Immortal Diamond
* Thirteenth Season (1991–1992)
** Filibustero
** Pagkahaba-haba Man ng Prusisyon sa Simbahan Din ang Tuloy
** Murder in the Cathedral
* Fourteenth Season (1992–1993)
** Ang Trahedya ni Romeo at Julieta
** Tatsulok III
** Cafe Apollo
** Mother's Day
** Balasa
** Paghihintay kay Godo
* Fifteenth Season (1993–1994)
** Antigone (in English and Filipino)
** The Importance of Being Earnest (Filipino)
** Isang Bale Walang Komedya Tungkol sa mga Taong Seryoso
** Hamlet, Prinsipe ng Dinamarka
* Sixteenth Season (1994–1995)
** Oedipus Rex
** The Glass Menagerie
** Cyrano de Bergarac
* Seventeenth Season (1995–1996)
** Isang Pangyayari sa Planas Site
** Tuwaang: Isang Epikong Manobo sa Pantomina
** Doon Po sa Amin
** 2Bayani: Isang Bagong Rock Opera
* Eighteenth Season (1996–1997)
** Dalawang Sulok
** Lysistrata
** 2Bayani: Isang Bagong Rock Opera
** Ang Apologia ni Sokrates
** Ang Mabuting Tao ng Setzuan
** Ang Kambal
** Freshman
** Mga Kahon
** Makbet
* Nineteenth Season (1997–1998)
** Tartuffe
** Ang Mabuting Tao ng Setzuan
** Equus
** Therese ng Lisieux
** Kilabot ng Makiling
** Ang Kambal
** Pangarap sa Gabi ng Gitnang Tag-Araw
** Courtship by Handkerchief and Fan
* Twentieth Season (1998–1999)
** Marisol
** Paghihintay kay Godo
** TA Lab I
** Ang Punong Inspektor
** The Kahapon, Ngayon at Bukas Seditious Love Musical
** TA Lab II
* Twenty-First Season (1999–2000)
** The Kahapon, Ngayon at Bukas Seditious Love Musical
** Ningning sa Silangan
** The Merchant of Venice
** TA Lab III
** Artenista: An Ateneo Theater Festival
* Twenty Second (2000–2001)
** Twelfth Night: Kung Ano'ng Ibigin
** The Mistress of the Inn
** Santa Juana ng mga Kural
* Twenty Third (2001–2002)
** La Vida es Sueno (Ang Buhay ay Isang Panaginip)
** Mirandolina: Ang Senyora ng Otel
** When the Purple Settles
** Ang Pagpapaamo sa Maldita
* Twenty Fourth (2002–2003)
** Ang Bagong Damit ng Dakilang Bahaghari
** Isang Buhay sa Tambakan
** Rhinoceros
* Twenty Fifth (2003–2004)
** Bawat-Tao
** Ang Palilitis ni Mang Serapio
** Don Juan: Ang Babaero ng Sevilla
** An Enemy of the People
* Twenty Sixth (2004–2005) The Fighting Season
** An Enemy of the People
** Re-Isyu: Santuario & Linya
** Lam-ang
** 3PO
* Twenty Seventh (2005–2006) The Season of Flight
** Bayan-Bayanan: Pinoy sa Diaspora
** Nasaan si Kaliwete
** Ang Nilalang ni Victor Frankenstein
* Twenty Eighth: (2006–2007) The Season of Awakening
** Ang Buhay ay Isang Panaginip
** Ang Aksidenteng Kamatayan ng Isang Anarkista
** STArting 5: Iba 'to!
** Middle Finger Po
** The Glass Menagerie
* Twenty Ninth: (2007–2008) The Season of Truth
** Ang Litisang Bilog ng Caucasus
** TABAKADA!: Tanghalang Ateneo Brings Alive Komedya And Drama Anew
** The Death of Memory
** Hakbang sa Hakbang
* Thirtieth Season: (2008–2009) Echoes
** May Day Eve
** ?: Two by Ionesco
** Otelo: Ang Moro ng Venecia
** TALAB: Tanghalang Ateneo. Live. Act. Beybeh!
** Lysistrata
* Thirty-First Season: (2009–2010) Bayanihan
** Metamorphoses
** Baha-Bahang Buhay: Mga Kuwentong Ondoy
** Walang Sugat
* Thirty-Second Season: (2010–2011) The Season of Ardent Pursuits
** La Ronde
** Walang Sugat
** Ang Kambal
** Confessiones: Pag-Amin at Papuri ni San Agustin
** What You Will
* Thirty-Third Season: (2011–2012) Undaunted
** Sintang Dalisay
** Para Los Jovenes: Mga Pangkabataang Kuwento ng Nakatatandang Rizal
** Fireflies
* Thirty-Fourth Season: (2012–2013) Journeys
** Sintang Dalisay
** 4Play
** The King of the Birds
* Thirty-Fifth Season: (2013-2014) Re-Imagining the Greeks
** Ang Oresteyas
** Ang Bakkhai
** Euridice
** Breakaway Antigone
* Thirty-Sixth Season: (2014-2015) Navigating Identities
** Middle Finger
** TA Lab: TAwid
** Rite of Passage: Sa Pagtubu Kang Tahud
** Paghihintay kay Godo
* Thirty-Seventh Season: (2015-2016) Staging Revolution/s
** R.U.R. (Robot Unibersal ni Rossum)
** TA Lab: Utos ng Hari
** Kalantiaw
* Thirty-Eighth Season: (2016-2017) De/Constructing Narratives
** Boy
** Si Janus Silang at ang Tiyanak ng Tábon
** TA Lab: Takas
* Thirty-Ninth Season: (2017-2018) Performing Change
** Si Janus Silang at ang Labanang Manananggal-Mambabarang
** TA Lab: Tambalan
** Lysistrata ng Bakwit
** The Squaddies' Shrew
* Fortieth Season: (2017-2018) Sturm und Drang/ Bagyo at Bagabag
** TA LAB: Squaddies' Shrew
** TA LAB: Gilgamesh
** Marisol
** AKO: Alpha Kappa Omega