WALANG SUGAT AT SARSWELA

Derived from its Spanish origins (the Zarzuela), a Sarswela is a Filipino rendition herein it also makes use of Music and Dancing written in a prose. The play is split into one to five acts, it makes use of twists in regard to romance among idealized Filipino characters, and is often related to, or has an underlying relation to, social, political, economic, or cultural issues during the period of which the play was made, attracting relevance and interest.

One of the Sarswela’s main attractions is that it appeals to basic human emotions such as love, hate, revenge, greed, cruelty, and etc. with the use of song and music. They also make use of poetic or oral approaches when it comes to character dialogue with main characters using poetic dialogue that can be sung, while supporting characters simply deliver their lines, allowing the viewers to distinguish the cast.

During its uprise as a new form of entertainment, several komedya actors, directors, and playwrights contested sarswela, and in response to this, Severino Reyes presented a play entitled “R.I.P” which attacked the komedya genre for its escapism, followed by another play entitled “Walang Sugat” which Reyes believed exhibited the artistic and truthful form of theater with the use of sarswela. This play ran from 1902 until the 1930s which established the sarswela as a premiere form of theater, marking its golden age. - the story tackled the bravery and dedication of the revolution, more specifically how the Katipuneros faced the Spanish regime during their occupation of the country. Due to Reyes’ works in the field of arts, theater, and literature, he was renowned as being the Father of Plays producing 26 Sarswelas and 22 Dramas throughout his entire career.