WITH THE PEOPLE, THE STORYTELLERS: The Cases of Three Street Theater Companies in Metro Manila

Abstract

Street theater is an art practice that was used as a cultural weapon by young artist-activists during the First Quarter Storm of the 1970s to expose the social ills and the deemed causes of these. To aid in updating the documentation regarding this theater practice, this study assessed the state of the practice of street theater in Metro Manila from June 2021 to June 2023. This descriptive historical study gathered through semi-structured interviews and archival materials the updated demographics, details and dynamics of street theater practices, internal and external environmental analysis, and problem-solving approaches of three cultural organizations that produce street theater, namely UP Repertory Company, Sining Kadamay (SIKAD) and Liga ng Kabataang Propagandista (LKP). The study patterned its discussion after Theater in Society, Society in Theater by Resil B. Mojares (1985), which had a postcolonial theoretical framework. The lack of funding and threats of censorship and security from the national government negatively affect the production of street performances. The quality of response to the COVID-19 pandemic greatly affected the economic and political capacity of street theater practitioners, while the integration of social media and popular culture are evident in the present practice of street theater. Cultural organizations that perform street theater maintain their orientation of serving theater with and for the masses by involving themes and participants from grassroots communities. Further studies on the other regions of the country and timeframes are recommended to aid in the documentation of this art form.