Abo-kaykay (one-act plays): Unearthing the mythical feminine of Abucay

• Main Author: Vinzon, Ara Jenika C.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2023
• Subjects: One-act plays; Feminist drama; Creative Writing
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etdm_lit/11; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/context/etdm_lit/article/1011/viewcontent/2023_Vinzon_Abo_kaykay__One_Act_Plays___Unearthing_the_Mythical_Feminine_Full_text.pdf
• Institution: De La Salle University

Abo-kaykay (One-Act Plays): Unearthing the Mythical Feminine of Abucay argues that the elusive image of the mythical feminine in the origin story of Abucay can be reimagined by applying the poetics of excavation as a framework. The act of unearthing is used as a creative provocation and device -- in the project as creative research, in the advocacy of contributing to Abucay's literary map, and in the playwright's writing process. This thesis is a reckoning for the trauma of the misrepresentation of the mythical feminine, while simultaneously giving justice to her resurgence in Abucay, Bataan during two specific historical events: the Second World War, and the Mt. Pinatubo eruption in 1991. This is done through the collection of one-act plays written using the legends, told orally albeit unwritten, and known particularly in Abucay, Bataan. Set before the Spanish conquest, Abo-kaykay: Ang Unang Yugto is a story of how Abucay attained its name through the choices made by Maya, a katalonan. Abo-kaykay: Ang Ikalawang Yugto is an amalgamation of the narratives involving Erlinda, the Filipina whose name became a battle cry during the Second World War. Abo-kaykay: Ang Ikatlong Yugto tells the story of Lady O, an aging performer, whose dream of performing again on stage became a reality during the Mt. Pinatubo eruption. These one-act plays portray the mythical feminine as an ever-enduring woman in the face of political, personal, and environmental disasters.