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Peregrination hybrid theatre
May 3, 2006
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A hybrid theatre piece that combines acting, dance movement, music and video clips will stage performances at the Fig Tree Theatre in Sydney this weekend, May 5-7.
 The stage performance, Peregrinasyon (Peregrination), will be the Sydney premier presented Casula Powerhouse, followed soon by a world premier at the biennial UNESCO International Theatre Institute�s 31st Congress and Theatre Olympics of Nations in Manila, Philippines.
It features three accomplished and well credentialed performers comprising choreographer-dancer Enrico Labayen, actor-playwright and director Mars Cavestany, and young artist-writer Vienna Parreno.
Mr Labayen is a Filipino based in the United States. Dr Cavestany and Ms Parreno live in Sydney.
Peregrinasyon is a Filipino transliteration of the English word ''peregrination'', meaning ''travelling from place to place'' or a ''wandering''. Another important aspect which cannot be sufficiently covered for the complex nature of it - is the push and pull artistic influence of the country of origin (the Philippines) and the country where they have migrated to, live and work in ~ Australia in the case of Cavestany and Parreno, the United States in the case of Labayen.
 Because of the nature of the material which confronts the personal impact of HIV AIDS, there is an educational aspect to the work which may be relevant to those in high risk categories.
Each of the three artists ~ Cavestany (Theatre), Labayen (Dance) and Parreno (Video/Text/Visual Arts) ~ push the boundaries and limits of their respective medium in order to produce a total gesumkunstwerk production. By joining hands in this artistic journey the triumvirate Cavestany-Labayen-Parreno projects embraces both traditional and newer forms of art practice � enriching new media by grounding it in a more anchored cultural context � as well as offering a new perspective on the more traditional art of theatre and dance.
This dynamic collaboration between the Philippine Educational Theatre Arts Leagues Sydney and Labayen Dance USA explores the passion and energy of Filipino migrant artists working across disciplines, technologies, and artforms. The work sets an example of performative projects that bridge local concerns and global movements.
Peregrinasyon highlights the complex relationships between adopted home and country of origin. The dance-drama-video triptych reflects the mix of cultural influences and practices that proliferate and shape Filipinos who have left the Philippines in a diaspora that has accelerated in the last 30 years.
It is an exploration of the impact migration has had on the changing face of traditional culture as the Philippines becomes a highly multicultural and/or culturally diverse country.
It also focuses on Labayen and Cavestany, who have been afflicted with the HIV-AIDS virus. Drawing on their personal experiences, the work is a process of unmasking and baring of their souls and challenging preconceptions about a topic still the subject of much ignorance and prejudice in the Philippines and many places around the world.
Official guest at the Sydney performance is Philippine Ambassador the Australia, Christine Ortega Ambassador.
Admission is free, but donations are welcome. #
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PICTURES: At the top, Mars Cavestany (kneeling), Vienna Parreno, and Enrico Labayen. At right, Vienna Parreno and Enrico Labayen. Lower left, Mars Cavestany.
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