About the Playwright- Severino Reyes

Severino Reyes, writer of Walang Sugat, is the “Father of Filipino Drama” who gained immortality not only for his unequaled zarzuelas but also for his innumerable Tagalog stories, under the title of Mga Kwento ni Lola Basyang, which appeared for many years in the Liwayway Magazine.

Born on February 11, 1861 in Santa Cruz, Manila, he was fifth child of Rufino Reyes and Andrea Rivera. He studied at Letran College and obtained a Bachelor of Philosophy and Letters at the University of Santo Tomas. After completing his studies he worked as a clerk at the Tesoreria General de Hacienda in order to avoid being drafted into the Spanish army colony. He married his childhood sweetheart, Paz Puato, and set up a variety store in Azcarraga Street (now Recto Avenue).

In 1902, he organized the Gran Compania de Zarzuela Tagala to propagate the Zarzuela as replacement of the moro moro plays which he considered vulgar and vapid. His first zarzuela, “Requiescat in Pace”, presented on April 13, 1902 at the Zorilla Theater, was a one- act play which satirized the moro moro as a corpse ready for burial. The success of his initial work literally brought the demise of of the moro moro. His second Zarzuela, “Walang Sugat”, which was staged two months later, became tremendously popular overnight and drew more than a hundred repeat performances during the first year alone.

It brought fame to its singers-- Maria Carpena, Estanislao San Miguel and Victorino Carreon Jose. To the playwright it earned a bronze medal at the St. Louis Universal Exposition in 1904 and as silver medal at the Panama- Pacific International Exposition held at San Francisco in 1915.

Don Severino wrote a total of 58 plays, of which three were in collaboration with Maestro Tolentino who wrote the music-- “Walang Sugat,” “Ang Kalupi,” and Martires de la Patria.” his other well- known plays were “Minda Mora,” “Huling Pati,” “Luha ng Kagalakan,” “Filotea,” and “Ang Bagong Fausto.”

With the advent of the movies in the Philippines, the popularity of the zarzuela declined. So Don Severino finally gave up play- writing and devoted his time to writing stories for Liwayway, the Tagalog magazine that he founded in 1902. He was its editor- in- chief until his death on September 15, 1942. His surviving children are Pedrito Reyes and Cristeta Vda. De Revilla.