First Komedya festival slated in Binirayan 2006
San Jose, Antique -- It's a festival within a festival. The four-day komedya festival in San Jose, Antique on April 20 to 23 is the first to be organized in West Visayas. This is one of the activities included in the month-long Binirayan celebration in the province of Antique.
The komedya is a folk theater form originating in the nineteenth century and became popular until the early 1900s. It is characterized by fantastic storylines, swordfights on stage, and resplendent costumes, traditionally dramatizing the conflict between the Christians and Moslems, and centering on a romantic theme. The first documented komedya in Western Visayas was in San Jose, Antique, as recorded by the newspaper El Eco de Panay.
Four komedyas are scheduled to be shown. These are "Gugma kag Corona ni Gracia" of Guinbangaan, Lauaan (April 20), "Leonaria" of Madrangca, San Jose (April 21), "Ludovico" (April 22), and "Ang mga peste sa parayan" (April 23) of San Antonio, Barbaza. The first three are traditional komedya, while the last is contemporary in that it uses as subject the integrated pest management (IPM) and is used to educate farmers about the benefits of organic farming. A demonstration of the swordfight routine will also be featured on the last day of the festival. All shows shall start at 6:00 p.m. in front of the San Jose Municipal Hall, the original venue of the komedya in the 60s and 70s.
The komedya festival is an effort by the Binirayan Foundation, Inc. (BFI), events organizer of the Binirayan festival, to revive local traditions and culture. The Antique province, under Governor Salvacion Z. Perez, leads in a cultural awareness program and is active in the Kalahi Cultural Services program of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts.
For sponsorships and inquiries, call Binirayan Foundation at (036)5407343.