SED Hosts “Ang Magtutudlo”
Photo by Rey Caracena
Students from the School of Education showcased their theatrical talents in a musical titled “Ang Magtutudlo” last Oct. 25, 2018 at the Anthony Buchcik Hall in the university’s South Campus as part of the USC Days. The synopsis of the musical is about a compassionate teacher who tries to connect and help her students with the problems they face in their daily lives. The themes of bullying and paternal issues were presented heavily, with the use of pre-recorded footage to elaborate on the backstories of the student characters.
As a jukebox musical, it incorporated new and classic hits, like “Taki Taki” by DJ Snake, “This is Me” from The Greatest Showman, “First Day High” by Parokya Ni Edgar, “Mammia Mia” by ABBA etc. While most of the performances were interpretative dances, some actors shined through with their singing abilities, including the main star Jerryme O. Rodriguez, who plays the teacher/protagonist “Ms. Jerryme”. Near the end of the musical, she sang “I Have a Dream” by ABBA as her character dreams that her classmates would get the dreams they aspire to reach amidst the troubles they’re facing.
In conceptualizing the musical, director Monyean Rosima said she created the plot based on “the struggles and stories from her fellow teacher-classmates”. She wanted the audience to know that “educators plays an important factor in upholding students and young individuals because they’re basically the second mothers and fathers in their lives”.
Her intended message was translated well to Reggie, a student of SED who was one of the audience members. He said the musical meant a lot to him since he is a student of the School of Education. One particular aspect of the play that struck him the most was their presentation of the value of being a teacher. It’s his strong principle that “teachers aren’t just professionals. It’s their job description to be caretakers of their students. It’s part of their responsibility to help them not just academically, but also in their personal lives.” He also said that “teachers must be sensitive in their students’ needs because students go through different problems in their personal lives. It’s really important for teachers to be able to see through this and understand them.”
