Photos / Kisapmata and Yan Caringal
The stage adaptation of Mike de Leon’s Kisapmata is getting an extension.
Tanghalang Pilipino said, “Due to an overwhelming demand, we are extending our critically acclaimed production of Kisapmata for two more weeks!”
The new show dates will be April 4 to 13, 2025, with shows at 2 PM and 7 PM on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
Kisapmata will have a new home: instead of the Tanghalang Ignacio Jimenez at the Cultural Center of the Philippines Complex in Pasay City, the extension will be at Arete at the Ateneo de Manila University in Quezon City.
Tanghalang Pilipino will also bring back a beloved stage classic for a limited double feature run. Sandosenang Sapatos will be staged for one weekend, also at the Arete. The shows will be from April 11 to 13, 2025, with shows at 2 PM and 7 PM.
Ticket prices for Kisapmata and Sandosenang Sapatos
- KISAPMATA PACKAGE (I want to watch Kisapmata during its first weekend show dates only)
-
- VIP: P2,500
- Regular: P2,000
- Tickets: https://bit.ly/Ticket2Me-KISAPMATA
- PANAGINIP PACKAGE (I want to watch Sandosenang Sapatos only)
-
- Orchestra: P1,000
- Balcony: P800
- Tickets: https://bit.ly/Ticket2Me-PANAGINIP
- TWIN BILL PACKAGE (I want to watch both shows during the second weekend show dates only)
-
- VIP: P3,000
- Regular: P2,500
- Tickets: https://bit.ly/Tickets-TWINBILL
From book to screen to stage
Photo / Kisapmata
Kisapmata is a film adaptation of the short story “The House on Zapote Street,” which is part of Reportage on Crime, an anthology of true crime stories written by National Artist Nick Joaquin, writing under the pen name Quijano de Manila.
It is a psychological horror film considered one of the best works in Philippine cinematic history.
The film stars Vic Silayan, Charo Santos, Jay Ilagan, and Charito Solis.
Kisapmata premiered in 1981 at the 7th Metro Manila Film Festival, where it won 10 awards: Best Film, Best Director, Best Story, Best Screenplay, Best Actor (Silayan), Best Supporting Actor (Ilagan), Best Supporting Actress (Solis), Best Editing, Best Production Design, and Best Sound Engineering.
The film was screened at the 35th Cannes Film Festival at the Directors’ Fortnight alongside another de Leon film, Batch ’81.
Why should you watch it?
Photo / Yan Caringal
Despite being the third iteration of the same story, Kisapmata, the play, stands on its own and brings something new to the stage.
The story remains the same, of course. Across all three versions, Dadong, a controlling patriarch, opposes his daughter Mila’s marriage and her attempts to escape from their household.
The stage adaptation still presents the feeling of suffocation, menace, and dread that made both the report and the film enduring classics. But Guelan Luarca, who wrote and directed the play, demonstrates the meaning of “adaptation”: He took elements from the reportage and the film and added a fresh perspective.
What do you think? Share your thoughts below!
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