Tita Amel surrounded by puppets of “Papet Pasyon” — the Cripple Boy Narrator, Mary Magdalene and Jesus Christ. Premiered in 1985 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, “Papet Pasyon” is presented annually during the lenten season.
“Ang Pagong at an Tssonggo” (The Monkey and the Turtle) premiered as a puppet play in 1980 for the Joint Japan-Philippine Puppetry Festival as hosted by the Ohanashi Caravan in Tokyo. It was first presented as a live show on the steps of Palma Hall of the University of the Philippines, written and directed by Tita Amel, Music by Christian Ramilo who also played the native kulintang(gamelan) and led a small band of four members playing traditional Philippine bamboo and brass instruments.
Amihan is a puppeteer for snake while Tita Amel is puppeteer for jumping frogs in “And Mga Pipit at an Ahas” (The Pipit Birds and the Snake), and Indonesian folk tale. Written and directed by Tita Amel, puppets by Dan Tayona and Tita Amel and music by Professor Edru Abraham of the U.P. College of Arts and Letters. It was premiered in Jakarta during the 4th International Workshop on Living Children’s Theater in Asia.
Entry to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday with puppets Jesus Christ riding a puppet pony and being welcomed by dancing puppet townspeople waving palm leaves (palaspas) and puppet birds flying in the air.
