“HESUKRISTO”, a Senakulo (passion play) in dance-drama-pantomime

“How can you ignore this play that is so rich in insight, it has all the elements of a great story? In fact, all the events that took place are very relevant to the current issues confronting us right now as we meditate on the insights offered by the Gospel.”

Conceived and directed by Dandin Ranillo, “HESU KRISTO” is the story of Jesus is presented in dance and action, interspersed with gospel passages and moving melodies, along with popular Filipino traditions like “pabasa”, “flagelantes”, “salubong”, making it truly a Philippine cultural presentation.

The season of Lent, one of the oldest observations on the Christian calendar, has always brought most of us to meditate and conduct self-examination. The play Hesu Kristo has many insights to offer – friendship and betrayal, a mother who sacrifices a Son and a Son who sacrificed himself to save mankind, a penitent Peter who denied his Master thrice and a remorseful Judas who sold Christ for 30 pieces of silver and hanged himself on a tree.

The play features Filipino actor, Mat Ranillo III as Jesus Christ.

How it began

The play Hesu Kristo was adapted from the originally titled play, “KRISTO”, written by renowned Filipino educator, Onofre Pagsanghan, and choreographed by the late Tony Fabella.  It began as a production of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, and later on, staged annually every Holy Week starting 1977 at the Folk Arts Theatre (FAT), Manila. It made its last performance in Bacolod City in 1992.

In 1993, Ranillo took over the play as director and choreographer,  staging the play at the FAT in ’94, the “World Youth Day” and  FAT in ‘95, Araneta Coliseum and FAT in 1996, an IBC Channel 13 TV airing in 1997, Cebu City in 1998.

In 2001, major actors and actresses from the Philippines took part in the 2001 presentation at the Henry Kaiser Arena in Oakland, namely, Piolo Pascual, Judy Ann Santos, Alice Dixson, Rustom Padilla, Rosanna Roces and Jhong Hilario.

Ranillo went to stage the play at the Hogan High School Auditorium in Vallejo, California in 2011 and 2016, and last at the Crest Theater, Sacramento in 2016. The play was postponed twice in Los Angeles because of the pandemic.

Finally, “Hesu Kristo” will be restaged on May 20, 2023, Saturday at 7:00 pm at the Fox Theater in Redwood City. It is presented by Island Pacific, in cooperation with The Diocesan Council of Filipino Catholics (DCFC) in San Jose.

This is a Philippine Cultural event, utilizing the Senakulo in presenting the life of Christ the Filipino way. And in this time of the pandemic, the one production and theme that is very timely and relevant to these trying times.