Today’s Doodle honours Filipino author and playwright Severino Reyes, who turns 161 today. Reyes, known as the “Father of Filipino Drama,” is known not only for his famed zarzuelas, Spanish-influenced dramatic musical theatre works, but also for his now-classic collection of Tagalog stories.
On this day in 1861, Severino Reyes was born in the Philippine capital of Manila. Reyes studied Latin, Greek, Hebrew, and a handful of other dialects spoken across the archipelagic nation, and he was fluent in both Spanish and Tagalog. His curiosity drove him to study history, literature, and the sciences. His academic career ended with a degree in philosophy, but it was in the arts that he left the most lasting effect.
Reyes founded the Gran Compania de Zarzuela, a theatre company dedicated to spreading the art form throughout the Philippines, in 1902. His trailblazing theatre troupe also produced his second play, “Walang Sugat” (No Wounds), a historical drama about the Philippine revolution, the same year. The success of this production signalled the beginning of the Philippine Zarzuela Golden Age. In the decades that followed, Reyes perfected his dramatic expression in over 50 zarzuelas.
Reyes served as the editor-in-chief of Liwayway, a popular Tagalog magazine to which he wrote stories under the pseudonym “Lola Basyang,” in addition to his illustrious career as a writer. His stories, which included what appeared to be ancient wisdom, became so ingrained in Philippine culture that the term “Lola Basyang” is still used to denote a grandmother who enjoys telling stories.
Here’s to a storyteller who ushered in a new era of Filipino creativity!