Antonio "Tony" Ocampo Mabesa (January 27, 1935 – October 4, 2019) was a Filipino stage director, film and television actor, and professor. With a career spanning over 70 years, he was a founding father of Philippine university theater[1] and one of the most prominent theater directors in the country. For his work, he was known as a "Lion of the Theater".[2]
He founded the theater groups Dulaang UP and the UP Playwrights' Theatre.[3]
Upon his return from studies abroad, Mabesa was offered a teaching position at the UP Diliman's Department of Speech Communications and Theater Arts. As an educator, Mabesa pushed for the establishment of a Baccalaureate program devoted to Theater Arts, which began in 1978, and a Master of Arts in Theater Arts Program at the UP Diliman Campus.[citation needed]
He founded the theater groups Dulaang UP (DUP) in 1976, the UP Playwright's Theater in 1980, and later on founded the Angeles University Foundation Reportory Theater in 2005.[1] In 1978, he served as Theater Director of the Manila Metropolitan Theater.[6]
