Wilfrido Maria Guerrero (1922?-1995),
Philippine National Artist for Theater, remains one of the country's foremost playwrights.
Wilfrido Maria Guerrero was born in Ermita, Manila. He studied at the Ateneo de Manila University, at the University of the Philippines, and briefly, at Columbia University. He wrote his first play at age fourteen, and his play in Spanish, “No Todo Es Risa”, was produced at the Ateneo when he was fifteen.
He was later a reporter and proofreader for La Vanguardia, and drama critic for the Manila Tribune. He worked for some time in Philippine Films (1939) as a scriptwriter. He organized and was the director of the Filipino Players (1941-1947).
In 1947, Bienvenido Gonzalez, then president of the University of the Philippines, appointed Guerrero as assistant professor of dramatics despite his lack of a degree. He became director of the UP Dramatic Club for which he produced and directed over 120 plays. He wrote and directed for radio for one whole year (1950-1951) for Purico’s “Dulaan ng Buhay”. In 1959 he adapted six of his plays and directed them for TV’s Caltex Caravan.
In 1962 he organized and directed the UP Mobile Theater, with over 1880 performances so far, that goes on the road all over the Philippines. The UP Mobile Theater has been the recipient of two awards: The Citizen’s Council for Mass Media trophy (1966) and the Balagtas Award (1969).
Guerrero has extensively observed the theater and drama schools in the US (on a UP scholarship, 1956-57) and in England (on a British Council scholarship, 1965). Several Guerrero plays have been translated into and produced in Chinese, Italian, Spanish, Tagalog, Visayan, Ilocano and Waray. Six of his plays have been produced abroad: “Half an Hour in a Convent” at the Pasadena Playhouse, California; “Three Rats” at the University of Kansas; “Condemned” in Oahu, Hawaii; “One, Two, Three” (premiere performance) at the University of Washington, Seattle; “Three Rats and “Wanted: A Chaperon” at the University of Hawaii; and “Conflict” in Sydney, Australia.
Twelve of his works are included in 23 college and high school textbooks and anthologies, and are also included in the Russian Encyclopedia. His plays have been the subject so far of seven Master of Arts theses in English literature.
Guerrero has been the recipient of three national awards: the Rizal Pro-Patria Award (1961), the Araw ng Maynila Award (1969), and the Republic Cultural Heritage Award (1972). He has the unique distinction of being the first Filipino who has had a theater named after him in his own lifetime: The Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero Theater of the University of the Philippines in Diliman. Upon his death in May 1995, his colleagues in the theater and the academe drafted a resolution declaring him National Artist. Two years later, the national government officialy proclaimed Guerrero as “National Artist for Theater.”(Source: Critical Survey of Phil. Literature
Wilfrido Maria Guerrero was born in Ermita, Manila. He studied at the Ateneo de Manila University, at the University of the Philippines, and briefly, at Columbia University. He wrote his first play at age fourteen, and his play in Spanish, “No Todo Es Risa”, was produced at the Ateneo when he was fifteen.
He was later a reporter and proofreader for La Vanguardia, and drama critic for the Manila Tribune. He worked for some time in Philippine Films (1939) as a scriptwriter. He organized and was the director of the Filipino Players (1941-1947).
In 1947, Bienvenido Gonzalez, then president of the University of the Philippines, appointed Guerrero as assistant professor of dramatics despite his lack of a degree. He became director of the UP Dramatic Club for which he produced and directed over 120 plays. He wrote and directed for radio for one whole year (1950-1951) for Purico’s “Dulaan ng Buhay”. In 1959 he adapted six of his plays and directed them for TV’s Caltex Caravan.
In 1962 he organized and directed the UP Mobile Theater, with over 1880 performances so far, that goes on the road all over the Philippines. The UP Mobile Theater has been the recipient of two awards: The Citizen’s Council for Mass Media trophy (1966) and the Balagtas Award (1969).
Guerrero has extensively observed the theater and drama schools in the US (on a UP scholarship, 1956-57) and in England (on a British Council scholarship, 1965). Several Guerrero plays have been translated into and produced in Chinese, Italian, Spanish, Tagalog, Visayan, Ilocano and Waray. Six of his plays have been produced abroad: “Half an Hour in a Convent” at the Pasadena Playhouse, California; “Three Rats” at the University of Kansas; “Condemned” in Oahu, Hawaii; “One, Two, Three” (premiere performance) at the University of Washington, Seattle; “Three Rats and “Wanted: A Chaperon” at the University of Hawaii; and “Conflict” in Sydney, Australia.
Twelve of his works are included in 23 college and high school textbooks and anthologies, and are also included in the Russian Encyclopedia. His plays have been the subject so far of seven Master of Arts theses in English literature.
Guerrero has been the recipient of three national awards: the Rizal Pro-Patria Award (1961), the Araw ng Maynila Award (1969), and the Republic Cultural Heritage Award (1972). He has the unique distinction of being the first Filipino who has had a theater named after him in his own lifetime: The Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero Theater of the University of the Philippines in Diliman. Upon his death in May 1995, his colleagues in the theater and the academe drafted a resolution declaring him National Artist. Two years later, the national government officialy proclaimed Guerrero as “National Artist for Theater.”(Source: Critical Survey of Phil. Literature
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