About the Director
Ron Capinding is a towering figure in Philippine theater—an acclaimed director, actor, playwright, translator, educator, and cultural leader whose contributions have reshaped the landscape of performance and pedagogy in the country. As the Founding Artistic Director of Teatro Meron, he leads with a vision rooted in theater as a tool for education, transformation, and nation-building—a legacy deeply inspired by his mentor, Dr. Ricardo Abad.
A proud alumnus of Ateneo de Manila University, Ron holds a degree in Philosophy and a Master’s in Educational Administration. He has served in key leadership roles at Ateneo High School, including Assistant Principal for Formation, and coordinator roles in both the Filipino Subject Area and the Office of Student Activities. A longtime educator, he is among the pioneering instructors of the Theater Arts Program at Ateneo’s Loyola Schools and also facilitates learning for professionals through the Ateneo Center for Continuing Education.
As a writer and translator, Ron bridges cultures and eras. He is the author of Ikaw at ang Kawili-wiling Wika and has translated seminal works—Ghosts, The Inspector General, Everyman, The Taming of the Shrew, The Caucasian Chalk Circle, and Measure for Measure, among others—into Filipino, giving new voice and urgency to classic texts for local audiences.
His artistry flourished in Tanghalang Ateneo, where he honed his craft under Dr. Abad and now serves as an actor, director, trainer, and deviser. He is also a founding force behind Teatro Baguntao, IndAK, TeatroFilipino Integrated, Capstone Project Incorporated, and RolePlayers, Inc., advancing both student theater and professional development.
Ron’s directorial repertoire is vast and daring, spanning Greek tragedy, Shakespeare, contemporary political drama, and devised theater. Notable works include Tao Po! (for Gawad Kalinga, later staged in Indonesia), Have Thy Will (for the Asian Shakespeare Association), and Laot-Lungsod-Langit (for DSWD, exclusively performed by Badjaos). These works reflect his commitment to using theater as a platform for marginalized voices and social justice.
On stage, Ron has embodied a pantheon of classical and modern roles: Hamlet, Macbeth, Shylock, Romeo, Antony, Malvolio, Iago, Ernest Worthing, Oedipus, Creon, Cyrano, Socrates, and Segismundo, as well as modern figures like Berenger (Rhinoceros), Tom Wingfield (The Glass Menagerie) and the Stage Manager (Our Town). His performances in musicals like Tagailog in Kahapon, Ngayon at Bukas and Bahaghari in Ang Bagong Damit ng Dakilang Bahaghari further reveal his range.
Beyond the stage, Ron has appeared in films (Pinoy Blonde, Still Life, Bamboo Dogs, Edjop, Quezon), TV, and advertising. He is a judge for the Palanca Awards and a frequent writing fellow, adding literary insight to his artistic leadership. His accolades include the Gawad Buhay Award for Most Outstanding Original Script (William, for PETA), and an ALIW Award for Best Play (Rite of Passage). These honors affirm his impact as both a creator and a curator of compelling, socially engaged theater.
At the heart of Teatro Meron is Ron Capinding’s unwavering belief: that theater is more than art—it is education in action, culture in motion, and hope onstage. With every production, he nurtures not just performance, but purpose.