Philippine Theater Traditions, Relations, and Contestations, the second volume of Nicanor Tiongson’s trilogy of collected theater essays, is divided into three parts. The first, “Tradition and Innovation in Philippine Theater,” has one article illustrating how the traditional komedya, sinakulo, and sarsuwela, among others, have been revitalized with progressive messages; a study showing how Palasyo ni Valentin subverted the elements of the traditional sarsuwela to get the form out of its box; a personal account narrating how Ramayana drama traditions of Southeast Asia were transformed in ASEAN’s Realizing Rama through the process of “inter-creation”; an article showing how the Indian Ramayana was indigenized by Filipino artists in their literary, dance, and theater productions; and an analysis of how Jose Rizal’s two novels were contemporanized to expose the corruption behind illegal logging that devastates lives and properties.

1. Theater - Philippines. 2. Drama?Stories, plots, etc. - 20th century. 3. Philippine essays.