Why puppetry steals the show in the PH run of ‘Shrek The Musical’

Kayla Teodoro and Benjor Catindig of Puppet Theater Manila push the boundaries of local puppetry in this world-class staging.

Apart from the story of Shrek, his damsel in distress Princess Fiona, and his best buddy Donkey in “Shrek The Musical,” Elizabeth the Dragon remains the main spectacle of the production.

There is no denying the grand entrance of the Dragon, portrayed by Julia Serad. The character guards Princess Fiona’s tower, is described as fierce and fiery, and even harbors a love interest in Donkey.

The Dexter Martinez-Santos–helmed stage production, now running at the Newport Performing Arts Theater of Newport World Resort, is a world-class presentation that both local and international audiences deserve to catch.

Coupled with strong performances by the cast, the musical is based on the DreamWorks animated film, with music by Jeanine Tesori and book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire. It features beloved characters like Shrek, Donkey, and Princess Fiona on a quest filled with songs, humor, and fairytale misfits, enhanced by extravagant sets and costumes. But in this edition, it also showcases standout puppetry—from concepts to execution.

Two brilliant minds

Two brilliant minds are behind the colorful, larger-than-life creatures that come alive onstage: Kayla Teodoro and Benjor Catindig of Puppet Theater Manila (PTM).

Given the make-believe scenery, there is great potential for puppet creators to go big. Catindig shared that their group has been around for just seven years since its inception. They started off slowly but have picked up recently.

What is the future of puppetry in the Philippines when it comes to theater? Catindig sees it as promising: “As Philippine theater continues to grow, companies are starting to use puppetry as a way to complement their productions. Some recent productions were [entirely] done with puppets.”

 

For Teodoro, “I think that puppetry is on the rise globally. With AI and advanced VFX, audiences in theater and film are looking for something more tangible and down-to-earth.

“In the Philippines, I think audiences are looking for that kind of experience—something new yet rooted in physical theater. Because of this, puppetry is seeing a new era.”

When they established PTM, their mission was always to tell Filipino stories, train Filipino puppeteers, and use Filipino materials in creating their puppets.

Both Teodoro and Catindig describe the vital role of puppetry in stage productions. “(Comparing it to acting) It’s similar and yet it’s not. As an actor, your first job is to make people believe you’re a character, but with puppets, it’s a puppeteer’s job to make the audience believe that a puppet is real. With puppetry, there are things you need to think about that are instinctual to an actor—most importantly, the breath. But it’s similar in the sense that you need to understand the puppet’s character, arc, and motivations, all of which actors do when breaking down their characters’ journey,” Teodoro explained.

Catindig summed it up: “Our puppeteers are just as important as the ones making the puppets. Acting is definitely needed, as puppetry is an extension of one’s self.”

According to them, it took about two months to build the puppets in “Shrek,” but they had been discussing the Dragon for almost a year.

 

Is puppetry lucrative as a career? Catindig put it this way: “Puppetry abroad can be considered a normal career path, but not yet in the Philippines. For now, a lot of us do this on the side. Hopefully, puppetry will become big soon. Exciting things are brewing.”

Teodoro added, “I think it’s definitely coming up. We at PTM try to fairly compensate all our makers, puppeteers, and creatives, and we have a very strong community. We hope that in the future, Filipinos can practice puppetry on a full-time basis.”

 

Catch the magical world of Shrek—from the swamp to his journey into the deep forest, on to the fiery adventure in Princess Fiona’s castle, and all the way to Lord Farquaad’s.

Jamie Wilson is Shrek, Krystal Kane is Princess Fiona, Topper Fabregas is Donkey, and Alfredo Reyes is Lord Farquaad.

The show runs until December 21. Tickets can be purchased through Ticketworld or the Newport World Resorts Box Office.