I. Aims and Objectives
Dulaang Sibol is the Ateneo High School drama group. From that simple statement of fact flows everything else about the structuring of Dulaang Sibol.
A.
Because it is
Atenean, it is Christian in thrust.
Dulaang Sibol’s
primary objective is to use theatre work:
1.
to help each Sibolista to become more fully human and
more vibrantly Christian
2.
to form Sibolistas into a Christian community
3.
to share with Sibol audiences, through Sibol’s theatre
pieces, the Christian perspective and celebration of God’s gifts of life and
love.
B.
Because it is
Atenean, it is Ignatian in spirit.
It will always seek the
“magis,” the “more,” in the service of the Lord in one’s neighbor; likewise,
the “magis” which is excellence, in the field of theatre. It will not
compromise with mediocrity, especially that mediocrity which is bred by an
uncertainty of purpose and a slackening of personal discipline and generosity.
Its striving for the “magis,” however, will be tempered by that other mark of Ignatian spirit which is the “cura personalis alumnorum,” the personal care and concern for the total well-being of its members. It will not sacrifice the welfare of its members for the success of a play. In Dulaang Sibol, the “play” is not the “thing.” The member is.
C.
Because it is an
Ateneo High School group, it hopefully aspires to produce the harmoniously
developed person, the total and integrated human being.
Dramatics, therefore, in Dulaang Sibol is a means to an end. Not an end in itself. The primary objective is not to produce artists for the theatre. It is to help produce what the whole Jesuit university hopes to produce—men-for-others.
Dulaang Sibol is an extension of the classroom; it is, in fact, a theatre used as a classroom. The organization is basically a specialized class with a teacher who has specialized in using theatre as a tool for total education, and a class purposefully kept small.
The members of the
class are part of the class because they have freely opted to be and because
they have been selected to be. Work hours in the core group are longer than
classroom hours.
Another difference is that in Sibol, the trimestral marks given because of school mandate are not considered of prime importance. There should be venues in a Christian school where time, talent and self are given for the sheer joy of giving.
D.
Because Dulaang
Sibol is a drama group of the high school level, it will, of necessity, be a
theatre of the young.
It will be a seedbed, hopefully, a fruitful seedbed for Philippine theatre. It is a beginning, an introduction to the medium of theatre.
In Dulaang Sibol, therefore, what should be expected is not the full flowering of the Omega, but the brave purposeful thrust of the Alpha.
E.
Because Dulaang
Sibol is Atenean, it is Filipino in
character.
Ateneo follows the
bilingual thrust of Philippine education; and Dulaang Sibol reflects this
thrust in its annual repertoire of plays in English and Filipino.
Within its limitations, Dulaang Sibol, therefore, hopes to bring to its stage some of the best of the world’s theatre pieces. With these, Sibol hopes to enrich the humanity of Sibolistas and Sibol audience; for, whereas, we are indeed a people, distinct from other peoples; we, nonetheless, all belong to the family of man, and are heirs to the treasure trove of significant human experiences from other climes and times.
Furthermore, proficiency in a universal language, such as English, puts the Filipino, who aspires for leadership, in the crosscurrents of universal thought, enabling him to lead with greater wisdom and expertise.
Dulaang Sibol, likewise, feels a very strong counterforce to stress the need to develop our own language, which has, for so long, been neglected; and to dramatize the necessity to “go down from the hill” and share the experiences and aspirations of the Mass base of our people. For if theatre is valuable because it holds a mirror to life, Dulaang Sibol will be doubly valuable if it holds a mirror to Filipino life; if it aspires to illuminate the Filipino situation; if it preserves, no, enriches the culture and tradition that God has given us for our own.
Therefore, much as foreign plays are valued for their basic humanity and are looked up to as models in theatrical craftsmanship, Dulaang Sibol prides itself more in its original plays. It is also for this reason that the playwright is valued highly in Dulaang Sibol, for it is his contribution that is most potent and most lasting.
F.
Dulaang Sibol will call the attention of Sibolistas to
the fact that Sibolistas are also members of families and classes; and that,
therefore, they have duties and responsibilities to these communities. Dulaang
Sibol will, likewise, reflect upon the fact that it is part of a school
community, which, in turn, is part of a nation; and that therefore, Sibol has
duties and responsibilities too to these communities. From these perspectives
flow the following corollary objectives.
1.
Dulaang Sibol aims to help each Sibolista become a good
student. Dulaang Sibol hopes to accomplish this principally by deepening the
Sibolista’s appreciation of the value of studies in the vocation of one who is
preparing for a meaningful giving of self to the service of his neighbor in the
future. In like manner, Sibol hopes to impart to the Sibolista a greater
appreciation and a wiser use of time.
Sibol activities, therefore, aim to
complement and complete what the Sibolista learns in the classroom. Sibol hopes
to assist the Sibolista achieve a judicious balance between the curricular and
co-curricular for his maximum development.
Sibol, in its concern to teach the Sibolista to prioritize, has this rule: Sibolistas who get a failing mark on the report cards will be withdrawn temporarily from the group until they are able to pull up their marks beyond the passing mark. A Sibolista who truly values his membership, will aspire for good marks, knowing full well that these marks are not only requisites for membership; but more importantly, they are a gauge of the quality of his service to God and his neighbor.
2.
Dulaang Sibol aims to help the Sibolista to be a good
classmate and schoolmate. Sibol will encourage him to interact with teachers
and schoolmates with kindness and generosity, with understanding and humility;
and to contribute to the efficiency of his teachers, the productivity of his
class and the betterment of his school. Scheduling of Sibol activities will
take these into account.
3. Dulaang Sibol aims to help the Sibolista to be a good son and brother. Sibol will encourage the Sibolista to be even more helpful and thoughtful and loving towards his parents and other members of the family. Scheduling of Sibol functions will take family activities into account.
G.
Pagkatao at
pakikipag-kapwa-tao.
These are two focal points of development in Dulaang Sibol. Dulaang Sibol recognizes theatre work as an outstandingly humanizing tool for the development of the total and integrated person. Dramatics as a tool; not as the end product.
Dulaang Sibol would pride itself more in turning out men who are just and compassionate than in turning out actors who are stunning but selfish. This is the basic and most important assumption in understanding the way Dulaang Sibol functions.