Papet Pasyon 2025—a puppet play re-telling of the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ—makes its way home to the CCP in time for the Holy Week celebrations.
Written by National Artist for Theater Amelia Lapeña-Bonifacio, Papet Pasyon 2025 is a senakulo—a folk-religious theatrical retelling of the most important moments celebrated during Holy Week, namely the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, told by Teatrong Mulat through wooden puppets crafted by master woodcarvers in the town of Paete in Laguna. This year, it marks its 40th anniversary by returning to where it all began: at the CCP. Papet Pasyon 2025 is welcoming both seasoned and new generations of Mulateers (as the Mulat Theater puppeteers are fondly called) to continue their decades-long tradition each Lenten season.
Papet Pasyon was first staged at the CCP in 1985. Since then, the production has been performed annually in various venues such as churches, schools, and other performing spaces in Metro Manila and Bulacan until it found its permanent home at the Amelia Lapeña-Bonifacio Teatro Papet Museo in Teacher’s Village, Quezon City, in 2006.
The upcoming production is free to the public, and will take place on April 6, 2025, at CCP’s Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez, with two performances at 230 PM and 6 PM.
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The Boy Touched By A Miracle
The play is told from the perspective of a young boy who received a miracle from Jesus, lifting from Biblical passages and Filipino tradition during Holy Week. It begins with Jesus’s entry to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday; his outburst at the Temple; his miracles; his agony in the garden at Gethsemane; his final supper with His twelve disciples; Judas’s betrayal; and finally Jesus’s passion, death, and resurrection on Easter Sunday.
Papet Pasyon 2025 And The Evolution Of Tradition
At the height of the pandemic in 2021 and 2022, Teatrong Mulat produced two stage-to-film versions of Papet Pasyon, which were live-streamed on the group’s official Facebook page. In 2023, the play was staged at the recently-renovated Metropolitan Theater of Manila.
Directed by Teatrong Mulat Artistic Director, Amihan Bonifacio-Ramolete, Papet Pasyon 2025 has undergone numerous updates over the years from the length of the texts and the wooden rod puppets to the incorporation of shadow play elements and voice-over recordings; each innovation has helped the play stand the test of time.
Amid its constant evolution, Papet Pasyon 2025 has remained steadfast in its original vision since its debut 40 years ago: to present the senakulo through the art of puppetry, bringing the passion of Jesus Christ closer to new and younger generations of audiences.
The puppet play features an ensemble of puppeteers, comprised of Bonifacio-Ramolete, Raymund Ramolete, Roel Ramolete, siglo, Arvy Dimaculangan, Shenn Apilado, Khen Del Prado, Nour Hooshmand, Mina Camacho, Janno Castillo, Hazelle Catena, Ayeesha Cuerpo, Anna Dalet, Ravelyn Dar Juan, Vinzar Rubi, Harvey Sallador, and V Soriano.
Sharing their vocal talents to bring to life the different biblical characters are Esteban Mara Fulay, Jr., Greg de Leon, Jessamae Gabon, Carlito Camahalan Amalla, Pau Benitez, Fitz Edward Torres Bitana, Darwin Desoacido, Kenneth del Prado, Jules dela Paz, Arvy Flores Dimaculangan, Rej Duka, Marynor Madamesila, Christelle Manuel, Jessette Gonzales Namin, Marvin Olaes, Vincent Kevin Pajara, Aina Ramolete, Katte Sabate, Gabo Tolentino, and Jamee Stevana Vega.
The artistic and production team of Papet Pasyon 2025 includes: playwright and puppet designer NA Amelia Lapeña-Bonifacio, director Amihan Bonifacio-Ramolete; music director Rodolfo de Leon; puppet designers Bernadette Solina-Wolf, Maurice Carvajal, Joji Pamintuan, Carol Castro, Romerico Romero, and Carlito Amalla; puppet sculptors Paloy Cagayat and Jeriel Madrigal; set designer Ohm David; costume designer Darwin Desoacido; shadow play designer siglo; sound designer and editor Arvy Dimaculangan; audio engineer Jessamae Gabon; light designer and technical director Satya Edilo; video designer and editor Steven Tansiongco; poster designer and assistant stage manager V Soriano; stage manager Shania Lee Cuerpo; production manager Janno Castillo; and production assistant Malvin Abadinas.
For more updates on Papet Pasyon 2025, follow Teatrong Mulat ng Pilipinas’s social media accounts on Facebook and Instagram. Visit the CCP website for more news on CCP and its programs.
Photos courtesy of the CCP.
