On its 50th Anniversary, Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) launches a new children’s musical that will take audiences to a world where everything is possible with the use of a little imagination. PETA is proud to continue its mission to provide extraordinary theatrical experiences for children of all ages as it presents J-mee Katanyag’s “Tagu-taguan Nasaan Ang Buwan?”.
“Tagu-taguan Nasaan Ang Buwan?” is about the forgotten land of Saysay Lupalop, a world of stories that had limitless possibilities. With the curse of the evil Papaw Halimaw, the magical realm becomes Dilim-Dilim Land, an arid and hopeless place full of fear and restrictions.
It is now up to Popoy, the young descendant of Lola Basyang, to save the world of stories with the use of his shining heart. With the help of his Lola Luna, he rediscovers this forgotten world through the help of some unlikely friends.
While it’s a children’s musical, we think the play also resonates with a lot adults. Here’s why:
1. It appeals to our memories as a kid
Once upon a time we were young, vibrant, and full of dreams. “Tagu-taguan” appeals to our childhood memories and shows us how and why bedtime stories made sense to us when we were kids. It reflects how life was so much easier when we used to believe that a superhero will always save the day and we built our own version of the world when the real world was too big for our fragile little minds.
2. It reminds us of the power of “haraya”
As grown-ups, we tend to dismiss our childhood stories and games as only child’s play. We think our “haraya”, or imagination, has no place in the real world. But this musical reminds us that imagination is an important weapon that we can use, even as adults. With it, we can solve real-life problems and overcome obstacles.
3. It helps us be more appreciative of the hardships our parents went through
Most of the time, we forget that our parents were once young people too. We don’t realize that they had to sacrifice a lot in order to raise us, and that they have their share of miseries in life. “Tagu-taguan Nasaan ang Buwan?” makes its viewers realize that our parents went through a lot of hardships which may or may not have affected their outlook in life and the way they react to certain things.
4. It reminds us of our special bond with our grandmothers when we were kids
Popoy and his close relationship with his Lola Luna reminds us how our grandmothers were an integral part of our lives. Our grandmother’s stories, no matter how fictional and unbelievable they may be, influenced our beliefs and perception in life especially during our formative years. The lessons we learned from them and the memories we shared with them are something that we’ll carry for the rest of our lives to be passed on to the next generation.
5. It makes us realize how we’ve lost some of our passions and ideals as we brave adulthood.
As kids, we used to think being an adult is fun because you get to make your own decisions about everything. But now, we know that it’s more difficult than it is a relief. Adulthood requires so much from us and it’s very easy to lose sight of your ideals as you struggle day to day. Maybe you would even realize that the person you are today is different from who you wanted to be when you were younger, not because you no longer want to be that person but because life simply happened to you and you lost your way. This musical tackles this reality through one of its main characters, who became someone else due to the difficulties he had to face in life.
6. It shows us that compassion has no age limit
Age shouldn’t be a hindrance for people to make a difference in the lives of others. “Tagu-taguan Nasaan ang Buwan?” shows us that even children are capable of bringing about change in the world, especially in these troubled times. Having compassion for our fellow beings is not something that only adults can have. Some young people might feel helpless when they see what is going on around the world because they think that there is nothing they can do about it. This musical disproves that.
7. It makes us realize how our childhood fantasies were just mere reflections of our reality
As we grew up, we realized how the bedtime stories we used to hear at night were just our parents’ way of making the real world easier for us to understand. In this musical, Popoy’s father, Jepoy, dismissed all of Lola Luna’s stories as silly, childish, and irrelevant to everything he’s been through in life. “Tagu-taguan” made us understand that even though our lives didn’t turn out to be as happy and colorful as the world we used to know in our childhood fantasies, it doesn’t mean we can’t have our own real-life “happy ending.”
8. It gives us hope that though we have real-life monsters, we can always find a way to defeat them
We may not be a knight or a warrior but we fight our own battles in life everyday. We all have monsters we’re struggling to defeat and sometimes it’s hard to even put up a fight. Life may not be as magical as the fairy tales we know but we all get to choose how our stories will end. After all, we are our own superhero who’ll always find a way to save the day.
“Tagu-taguan” is inspired by PETA’s vast collection of children’s productions. Katanyag has borrowed characters from PETA’s previous children’s stories like Pepe and Pepito from “Batang Rizal,” Prinsesa Mina from “Ang Tiririt ng Ibong Adarna,” Little Match Girl from “Hans Christian Andersen Must Be Filipino,” Ngo from “Ngo ang Dagang Patay,” and Ismail and Isabel from “Ismail at Isabel,” and brought them to life once again for young audiences to enjoy.
This enchanting production directed by Dudz Teraña (director of PETA’s well-loved classic Batang Rizal), comes alive at the PETA Theater Center from August 18-27, followed by a short run at the Star Theater, Pasay from September 1-3, 2017. For inquiries and ticket reservations, contact PETA Marketing and Public Relations Office at Tel. No. 725-6244 or TicketWorld at 891-9999, www.ticketworld.com.ph.