Jamias,
Ma. Teresa S.

BA Philippine Studies, UP Diliman

MA Theatre Arts, UP Diliman 

TESS is an actor, director, dramaturg,  teacher,  acting coach, filmmaker, voice talent, contemporary dancer - choreographer, haircutter and machinator.  She has decades of experience acting on stage that started back in her college days in UP Diliman where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philippine Studies, major in Theater Arts and Film, and where she also graduated with a Master of Arts in Theater Arts.  She has been featured in productions of Dulaang UP, Dulaang Talyer, Gantimpala Theater Foundation, UP Repertory, PETA, UP-CIS, Tanghalang Pilipino and Ballet Philippines and has performed in festivals and conferences in the Philippines, France, USA, South Korea, and Japan.   Tess was a member of TP’s Actors’ Company from 2000  to 2006, where she underwent rigorous  training  in all aspects of the actor’s full instrument.  

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Tess has directed productions for Tanghalang Pilipino, the Dulaang Laboratoryo of Dulaang UP, the Virgin Labfest, Dulaang Sipat Lawin, UP Diliman Art’s Month and the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Her directing credits include Betti’s Ang Reyna at mga Rebelde, Anouilh’s Antigone, Shakespeare’s Paano Man ang Trip Mo, Giraudoux’ Ondine: Nimfa ng Lawa, McDonagh’s Sa Isla Palasan, Liebrecht’s The Apples from the Desert / Mga Mansanas sa Disyerto,  Umewaka’s The Coffee Shop Within a Play,  Balmes’ Amoy Pulbos ang Alabok sa Ilalim ng Riles ng Tren, and Faust_As (Deals with the Devil). 

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As  choreographer, her credits include works for Ballet Philippines' Neo Filipino: Kabaret and WiFi Independent Dance Festival’s Bawal Tumambay, among others. 

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Tess is a founding member of two pioneering independent performance companies, Dulaang Talyer and KoLabCo.  She is the Virgin Labfest’s Festival Co-Director since December 2021.   Tess is the first woman to hold this position.  

 

She was an Asian Cultural Council Fellow, Shizuoka University of Arts and Culture visiting researcher and a Japan Studies Scholarship Organization Scholar.   She  taught theatre and research in the Philippine High School for the Arts for several years and continues to espouse and undertake performances as research.   Tess’ research interests include collective creative processes in performance-making  and cross-cultural and interdisciplinary actor training