Media

IN 1968, long before he was named a National Artist for Visual Arts, Abdulmari Imao wrote a short story called “Anak Datu,” about a community in the Sulu archipelago that was invaded by pirates. Over 50 years later, his short story has evolved into a play with music that weaves the story with the experience of the Imao family and the beginnings of the conflict in Mindanao.

Tanghalang Pilipino’s Anak Datu, the maiden production at the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ new Black Box Theater, has three central narratives that are introduced in the first three scenes.