Local theater company Tanghalang Pilipino is set to adapt the classic Filipino film Kisapmata into a stage play.
With the direction of Guelan Luarca featuring the TP Actors Company, the upcoming play will run from 7 to 30 March 2025 at the Tanghalang Ignacio Jimenez at the Cultural Center of the Philippines Complex in Pasay City.
Kisapmata is a film adaptation of “The House on Zapote Street,” a short story included in the Reportage on Crime anthology by Quijano de Manila, a pen name by National Artist for Literature Nick Joaquin.
The 1981 critically acclaimed film, directed by Mike de Leon with a screenplay by De Leon, Clodualdo del Mundo and Raquel Villavicencio, starred Vic Silayan, Charo Santos, Jay Ilagan and Charito Solis.
It follows the story of Mila (Santos), who reluctantly tells her domineering father, a retired policeman, Tatang Dadong Carandang (Silayan) that she is pregnant. She then asks her Tatang that she’ll marry her co-worker Noel Manalansan (Ilagan). While Dadong begrudgingly gives his permission, problems arise after he asks the couple to stay at his house.
Soon, an unfortunate situation left Noel locked out of the house. This forced Mila to escape.
However, they have to return to the Carandang house to gather their belongings. Dadong then pleads his daughter to stay, insinuating that he has been having an incestuous relationship with his daughter.
Kisapmata premiered at the 7th Metro Manila Film Festival. It won several awards, including Best Film, Best Director, Best Story, Best Screenplay, Best Actor for Vic Silayan, Best Supporting Actor for Jay Ilagan, Best Supporting Actress for Charito Solis, Best Editing, Best Production Design, and Best Sound Engineering.
The film also screened at the 35th Cannes Film Festival at the Directors’ Fortnight alongside another of De Leon’s film Batch ’81.