Stage Door News
Stage Door News
Toronto artists Andrea Mapili and Byron Abalos, today announce the Canadian premiere of Cassettes 100, a 30-minute Philippine music/movement piece where one hundred volunteer ‘musicians’ weave their way through and around an audience, each carrying an MP3 player playing one of one hundred pre-recorded tracks of various Philippine instruments, voices and natural sounds. The performance launches the Shen Development Festival on Sunday, November 19 at 1PM in the lobby of the Young Centre for Performing Arts. The piece is being co-presented by Soulpepper Theatre Company and the University of the Philippines Center for Ethnomusicology, with support from the Ontario Arts Council.
Cassettes 100 was created by National Artist of the Philippines (and Andrea Mapili’s grandfather), José Maceda and was first performed in 1971 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. This performance is a part of Maceda 100, a year-long international celebration of the life, work and legacy of National Artist of the Philippines, José Maceda.
Project Lead and choreographer Andrea Mapili: “My grandfather was Filipino and my grandmother was French-Canadian and this year celebrates both Maceda 100 as well as Canada 150. I chose to present the Canadian premiere of Cassettes 100 as a way to connect to my grandparents who have passed away. Artistically, I’m interested in exploring the ongoing challenge of maintaining human connection in an increasingly technological and digital world. By bringing together 100 strangers and an audience in Toronto, we create a microcosm of our city, where we will use art to build and unify a community.”
Cassettes 100
By José Maceda
Project Leads: Andrea Mapili and Byron Abalos
Lobby of the Young Centre for Performing Arts (50 Tank House Lane)
Sunday, November 19, 1PM
Free admission
To learn more about Cassettes 100, visit andreamapili.com/cassettes100.
Photo: Original performance of Cassettes 100 in the lobby of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, 1971.
2017-11-07
Toronto: Canadian premiere of "Cassettes 100" launches Soulpepper's Shen Development Festival