JUAN LUNA I r r, ~~ j (A Historical Playlet) ~....... :· V/ by CEFERINO JOVEN ~'- ~ .;.· GUERRERO (excitedly). Juan, Juan, ·~ Time: 1847. Place: The deck of a ship in Manila you made it! The government will Bay. help you. LUNA (anxiously). Real!y? How? CHARACTERS~ GUERRERO. You will be sent to Eu­ Juan Luna, as a sailor rope to continue your studies in an Sr. Guerrero, teacher-painter of Juan art school. The_ government will pay Captain of the ship your expenses. Sailors LUNA (gratefulily). I have you to (As the curtains rise, the saHors are thank for all this, Senor Guerrero. bumming a sailor's tune as they work. Some are scrubbing the deck others are GUERRERO. But one thing more. folding the sails, while LUNA and two You have to send a historical pic~ sailors are rigging a brace to a spar of ture to the Philippine Government the ship. Once in a while LUNA looks each year-you know, just to show towards the shore as if expecting some­ improvement in your studies. one.) LUNA (firmly). I wi!! do that. Perhaps SAILOR 1. What is the matter, Juan? some day I shall be able to paint You are not yourself today. Expect­ great pictures! ing someone? · ,.._ SAILOR 2. But you are now a pilot, SAILOR 2. Probably the mailman, eh, Juan. There is no use giving up the Juan? life of the sea. LUNA. Oh, no! You're wrong, boYs". SAILOR 3. Stay with us, and we shall I'm expecting Senor Guerrero. see the world! SAILOR 1. The painter? SAILOR 1. Painting is difficult. It re­ I '· LUNA. Yes, he may have some good quires a great deal of patience and news for me. effort. Let's forget a!! about it. What (The CAPTAIN enters. The sailors do you say, Juan. .stand at attention and salute.) LUNA (determinedly). No, my friendS'. CAPTAIN (backoning Luna). Juan! If the eagle can fly to the top of the LUNA (approaching). Ayl ay! sir! mountain, the snail after some pa­ tience and effort wil! reach him there CAPTAIN. This is for you. (hands in due time. Luna a roll scroll.) You have been appointed Pilot of the High Seas. (Luna and Guerrero walk slowly to You deserve it. (He shakes LUNA'S the Captain's cabin as the sailors hum hand.) Congratulations ! "Auld Lang Syne." LUNA looks back LUNA. Thank you, sir! at the sailors and exits into the cabin with Guerrero.) (The CAPTAIN exits. The sailors gather around LUNA and congratu­ Scene 2 late him warmly. They sing a lively Time: 1879. sailor's song. About the end of the Rlace: The Luna Studio m Paris, tune, Senor Guerrero enters.) France. 22 '. ~~~,.,~.~~1 · /~·~.)~~.-:-·-~ ... "~ v~~;_<iuAii-L1JNA '"' .~~,~ -"< / .--,.: ..·:--:· .. ~.~~· ~::.•·.~.. :~c::,-;; .. 1' "'·~~·· 23· · .!,.If. .... · .. - '· " ··-- .• . : . • . ·-:"" : - .••i\t.'R • . "t.f~ . , "'~ .... t.i ' ,. CHARAC~_kRS: . (LUNA hustles his friends to' wear ·'.~;­ 1 ...:. some costumes. Tavera dons a coat of ==~"i' Juan Luna, the painter mail while Rizal takes off his coat and .,.·,: Jose Rizal, T. H. Pardo de Tavera, rolls his shirt sleeves.) -"' his friends RIZAL (curiously). What am I sup· (After the musical interlude, the cur­ posed to be? , tain is drawn. LUNA is seated at his TAVERA (uncomfortably). Y yo, que -~ table sketching humming a kundi­ and parte tengo? My, but this is warm! man. RIZAL and TAVERA enter.) LUNA. Senor Tavera here is. Legaspi TAVERA. ·Hala, amigo! and will sit there. (Tavera takes the RIZAL. What are you up to now, seat indicated.) And you, Pepe, will Juan! be Sikatuna. That will be your seat LUNA (surprised, stands). Nothing in there. (He points to the chair oppo. particular, Pepe. Have your seats, site Tavera.) Well, gentlemen, you gentlemen. saved the day for me. That calls (Rizal takes a seat, while Tavera goes for a drink! around the studio looking at the sket­ (LUNA gets three glasses and a bot. ches on the- walls.) tle of wine. He pours wine into tho RIZAL. You cannot fool us. We saw glasses and they toast.) you busy at your desk. RIZAL. To your success! .·!;., LUNA. Well, if you must know, I am TAVERA. Success 1 n:taking a sketch of the historical pic­ (All empty their ·-glasses.) ture I shall send home to the govern­ (Musical interlude) ment. This is my first, and it is due Scene 3 soon. Time: 1884. Place: A social hall in Madrid, Spain. RIZAL. Oh, I see. CHARACTERS: TAVERA (turning around). And what , is it about? Juan Luna LUNA. The blood compact, Seii.or Ta­ Jose Rizal vera. Graciano Lopez Jaena Other Filipinos in Spain TAVERA. Que blood compact? Spanish sympathizers and friends. RIZAL. El pacto de sangre. (As the last notes of the musical in· TAVERA. Hm ... Hm ... De Le- terlude is heard, the curtains open to gaspi y Sikatuna? a banquet scene where JUAN LUNA, jOSE RIZAL, GRACIANO LOPEZ LUNA. Exactly 1 Here, see my sketch. JAENA, and ANTONIO LUNA may (He shows the sketch.) But I have be seen at the head of the table. .OQ difficulties ahead of me. I simply the center wall is a big curtained pic· can't find the right model. (He stares ture. The crowd is merry and is almost at the two.) Wait • through with the banquet.) RIZAL (noticing the stare). Well? GUEST 1. (shouting). A song, a LUl'fA (excitedly). I have it! I have it! a song ••. 1 You are just the anen I need. You GUEST 2. Yes, a song •• I will be my models 1 There is enthusiastic clapping of TAVERA (baffled). Models? Que es hands as one of the guests stands and models? sings a kundiman. After the song thero LUNA (eagerly). Here, here, put these is a salvo of applause. Then Riza:l on! stands to speak) FOR MODERN OPTICAL NEEDS-SEE KEEPSAKE OPTICAL-80 Escolta ';";( ~Z4.,.~~ ;t.~ ""-.--~· :"f .;' P~lPPIN'E _EDUOaTott· ~· ...<:.· "' .... , \' • r ~ - ~ t ,., t -~. , ' •' %'.-. RIZAL. ' Fellow - countrymen' and speak louder t~an ~o~ds the truths · friends!· For the second time we in our hearts . .;,;, ·. are gathe.re<l to do honor to a com- Therefore, my friends, let us <!rink .., patriot who has placed our beloved to the health of. Luna. The Filipino ;_ Philippines. on the map of the world youth of Europe, always enthusiastic, of art. For the second time he has tender Luna a crown, a "humble tri- shown that genius springs from any bute which is small indeed compared race. Genius is like light and air- to our enthusiasm, but the most the patrimony of all: cosmopolitan spontaneous and freest of all the tri· as space, as life~ and· as God.. butes yet paid him. (He points at c~rtained picture on (Rizal raises his glass a,nd the rest center wall) On that canvass, which of the guests, excep,t Luna, stand and is not mute is heard the tumult of the follow suit.) throng, the' cry of slaves, the metallic Gentlemen, to Juan Luna! r;.ttle of the armors on the corpses, the sobs of orphans, and the hum (All drink to Luna's health. Then of prayers, with as much force and the pianist plays a kundiman as the realism as is heard in the fearful and guests begin to leave, bidding Luna frightful rumble of the earthquake. good-by. Soon Luna is left alone on This shows the characteristics of the stage. The humming of the kundi­ the painter, and it portrays the pre· man by the guests can be faintly heard sent conditions in our native land. in the distance. Luna walks to the paint­ Yes, pictures and paintings do not ing and pulls the curtain revealing "The merely entertain our eyes; they often Spoliarium." Letters. (Con't. from page 36) ible strength and unbeatable spirit to carry on the fight for "this cause of Sir: ours." Kindly explain why no Philippine Educator is sent to me. The last issuo . We are eager to help but we ate I received was dated April and May, hard-pressed for cash. You know 1947. these hard times. But if it's . agreeable Yours truly, to you, you may send me 10 subscrip­ tions for my teachers beginning with ROMAN B. GONZALES the July or August issue, payable in two "easier" payments-half from the Sir: September sa lary and the other half .We did not come out in June. If V ' (; from the October pay. I~ that o. k.? failed to send you the July issue oil­ Sincerely yours, fore, we are sending it now--'right now. Please forgive us. We have not enough RUSTICO FERNANDEZ clerical help to check up on our fail­ Principal ures and shortcomings. Also, we are Central Elementary School, Bohol trying to economize members' money. Dea1· Jlih. Fernandez : Very respectfully, 0. K. by "US." We'll send you teta- -ED. -ED. -o- · --<>-- Dear Mr. Laya: Dear Sir: I sincerely! appreciate the efforts I have the honor to request inform&· you are exerting for the PE and the tion regarding the subscription rate to PPSTA which in the last analysis are your magazine. for "US", and I wish you inexhaust. (Continued on page 39) .