UP Playwrights’ Theatre presents “Angry Christ”
The University of the Philippines Playwrights’ Theatre will have as the second and last offering for its 25th season “Angry Christ,” a stage play based on the life of Filipino-American painter Alfonso Ossorio.
Often described as an abstract expressionist artist, Ossorio is best known for his mural titled “The Last Judgment” which can be seen to this day at the Chapel of Saint Joseph the Worker in Victorias City, Negros Occidental. Finished in 1950, the controversial and enigmatic mural has been given the monicker “Angry Christ” because it depicts Jesus Christ in a seemingly agitated state.
Written by Floy Quintos and directed by Dexter M. Santos, “Angry Christ” begins by recounting Ossorio’s early life as well as his years living in England and in the United States. He returned to the Philippines in 1949 and stayed in Negros for a year to work on the mural. Ossorio eventually flew back to the United States where he solidified his reputation as a painter and established close ties with artistic giants such as Jackson Pollock and Jean Dubuffet. He died in 1990 without ever returning to the Philippines.
The highlight of “Angry Christ” promises to be Quintos’ reimagination of the difficult thought processes that Ossorio underwent while conceiving and executing his masterpiece. “As in many of Quintos’ works, historical fact and artistic license meld to produce a thought provoking piece of theatre peopled by characters historical and fictional,” UP Playwrights’ Theatre said in a press release.
“Angry Christ” will have its theatrical run from April 26 to May 14 2017 at the Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero Theater, 2nd Floor Palma Hall, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City at these times:
SECOND WEEK
May 3 (Wednesday) – 7PM
May 4 (Thursday) – 7PM
May 5 (Friday) – 7PM
May 6 (Saturday) – 10AM, 3PM
May 7 (Sunday) – 10AM, 3PM
THIRD WEEK
May 10 (Wednesday) – 7PM
May 11 (Thursday) – 7PM
May 12 (Friday) – 7 PM
May 13 (Saturday) – 10 AM, 3 PM
May 14 (Sunday) – 10 AM, 3 PM
Interested parties may contact Arkel Mendoza, UP Playwright Theatre’s marketing manager, at 0917-967-3616 for ticket inquiries and related concerns.
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