Tag: Virgin Labfest

The ‘Virgin’ Playwrights of VLF XXI Bravely Unwrap Humanity’s Innate desire for Acceptance

Translating the intricate language of the human soul into words requires an insurmountable amount of dedication and courage. The process is not for the faint-hearted, as it often makes writers shed blood, sweat, and tears for simply wishing to execute a vision that has been haunting them for days, months, or years.

The Virgin Labfest (VLF), the country’s pioneering theater festival of untried, untested, and unstaged one-act plays, has turned these daydreams and ambitious ideas into reality since its establishment in 2005. Carrying the theme “Hubo’t Hubad” in its 21st edition, it transforms into a sanctuary for narratives that unwrap humanity’s innate hunger to be desired, seen, and celebrated.

Among the first-timers or “virgin” playwrights this year are Elijah Felice Rosales of HUMAN RIGHTS STORY OF THE YEAR, Alab Usman of HARAM, Ron Evangelista of SHE’S ELECTRIC, and Gab Mactal of LUALHATI.

The harrowing but rewarding writing process for VLFXXI: Hubo’t Hubad

“My first love talaga is writing for theater,” Mactal confessed, her journey beginning in 7th grade.

While writing Lualhati, the Theater Arts student faced the roadblock of not knowing the conclusion. She visited the St. Aloysius Gonzaga Chapel situated in Ateneo de Manila University despite not being religious: “It was a low point, then may random girl na nakakita sa akin. Niyakap ako. I just surrendered to the fact that I didn’t have everything figured out.”

Media and philosophy teacher Evangelista confessed to falling into the same rough patch while drafting She’s Electric. “Pagdating sa scripts, naramdaman ko kasi na there’s a certain freedom. Doon ako talaga na-hook. I have so much to tell,” he shared, noting how the absence of catharsis in academic papers led him to theater and fiction.

“Umabot ako ng 12 drafts,” Usman, a full-time freelance artist, said in between chuckles. Haram was derived from his college thesis. Before affixing stage directions, Usman started with character sketches of his protagonists inspired by the real struggles he stumbled upon online: “Doon ako nagsimula talaga, since wala pa akong background dati sa pagsusulat.”

Rosales, on the other hand, has been a journalist for almost a decade. With Human Rights Story of the Year, he steps into the world of Philippine theater as a playwright. “Kahit sabihin mo na the piece is meant to be watched by hundreds of people at the same time, na collaboration makes it work, the writing process is a lonely act,” he lamented, stressing the need to find fellow artists who believe in the same vision.

Presenting humanity’s flaws and gray areas as its strength

Rosales’ Human Rights Story of the Year captures the eternal dilemma that media practitioners face. “May mga sitwasyon kasing naghihilahan ‘yong tama at mali. Kapag ginagamit sa balita ang kuwento ng marginalized, sila ba ‘yong nakikinabang o ang media?” he expressed, hoping the audience would entertain the questions that fueled his script.

As he comes to terms with the natural yearning for love and acceptance in She’s Electric, Evangelista weaves an absurd circumstance after falling into a depressive episode: “Napaisip ako na parang mahihirapan akong makahanap ng taong matatanggap ako for who I am, dahil sa perceived eccentricities ko. Everybody just wants to be understood.”

“My play [Lualhati] naman is an invitation for older queer people to reconcile with how they were raised. I’m sure sobrang iba sa how I was raised,” Mactal expounded. While dedicating her work to those who feel the need to justify their existence and box their identities into societal conventions, she highlights the religious guilt that stems from the imposed belief that nonconformity is an anomaly.

Meanwhile, Usman emphasizes kindness as the core of all religions in intertwining the fates of three queer Muslims in Haram. “I believe na shared experience ‘yong pag-come out, pero marami akong friends sa province na nagtatago pa rinuntil now,” he narrated, acknowledging the heartbreaking disparity he witnessed in the city compared to his hometown, Zamboanga City.

The VLF stage as a manifestation of every artist’s dream

Back in VLF 2024, Usman served as the dramaturg to Neil Arkhe Azcuna’s Si Hesus Na’a Sa US. He now shares the festival stage with Azcuna as a playwright, a profound full-circle moment for the mind behind Haram. “I believe angVLF ay isa sa mga medium para ipakita sa mga tao ‘yong kultura at religion ko [Islam]. Nabibigyan kami nito ng espasyo,” Usman explained.

Rosales, an avid VLF audience member since 2013, mounted his first work in the culmination of the Writing Fellowship Program in 2023. Captivated by the theater festival’s ins and outs, he felt immense joy to be among the mainstage playwrights of VLF XXI: “Alagang-alaga kami sa puna. Ang writer, mahal ang mga tauhan niya pero para sa ‘kin, mahalaga ang kritisismo, ‘yong disiplina.”

As a complete outsider to the world of theater, Evangelista discovered the prestige of VLF to be the passion poured by every hand and mind that goes into mounting it. “It’s cheesy, pero no’ng na-experience ko siya, I realized I love this. The first time na nag-full run kami [ng She’s Electric], naluha ako nang kaunti,” Evangelista recalled needing a moment after seeing his work come to life.

“Is this a dream?” was Mactal’s initial thought upon receiving news that Lualhati had been accepted to VLF. She wrote it during the COVID-19 pandemic, blissfully unaware that it would someday be staged. She continued, “The VLF reveals parts of yourself and undresses the work. Hubad ka talaga sa harap ng keyboard para sa play mo.”

Unwrapping the soul in VLFXXI: Hubo’t Hubad

In its 21st year, the Virgin Labfest confronts humanity’s grit and shortcomings that often invite devastating but poignant consequences. While granting playwrights the opportunity and freedom to share their narratives, it dares its spectators to bask in the beauty, brilliance, and filth that make up the human soul.

“Virgin” playwrights Evangelista, Rosales, Usman, and Mactal had graciously accepted this challenge. They navigated the emotional whiplash of excitement upon being accepted to VLF, facing nerve-wracking critiques and relishing in the best versions of their work during premiere week. But besides their talent and commitment, these playwrights’ bravery deserves to be lauded for how they undressed and dissected their personal tales onstage for all the world to see.

Catch Usman’s HARAM, Rosales’ HUMAN RIGHTS STORY OF THE YEAR, Mactal’s LUALHATI, and Evangelista’s SHE’S ELECTRIC at VLFXXI: Hubo’t Hubad shows at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. from June 3 to 28, 2026, at the Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez (CCP Blackbox Theater).

For the latest updates on the festival schedule, ticket-selling, and accredited showbuyers, visit the pages of VLF, CCP, Tanghalang Pilipino Foundation Inc., and Writers’ Bloc across Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok.

June 15, 2026
Theater Review: Virgin Labfest XX: ‘Set E: Panghimagas’ Is Truly a Standout Set of Plays

I got to watch the revisited plays of the Virgin Labfest XX: Hinog this year, specifically Set E, which is entitled ‘Panghimagas.’ As someone who has always wanted to go but never seemed to catch the annual festival of brand-new one-act plays, it was a nice way to finally catch a set as this set features standout works from previous years. Held at the Cultural Center of the Philippines‘ Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez, each play runs about 30 minutes, with a 15-minute intermission between plays to allow for stage designs and props adjustments for the for the next play.

Not having seen a Virgin Labfest in over five years, I had forgotten how magical it is to witness new work being presented, even if Set E features plays that are a year or two old. These pieces still speak powerfully to the contemporary mindset. As these are standout productions, there was no question that each one hit hard, whether it was comic or tragic in theme.

Identite

Written by Jhudiel Clare D. Sosa
Directed by Meann Espinosa
Cast: Ash Nicanor and Kitsi Pagaspas

This surprising comedic play about a mother discovering her daughter’s dildo is a definite crowd-pleaser. The play tackles the generation gap surrounding the attitudes on sex positivity. When the mother finds her daughter’s stash of sex toys, the two go head-to-head about values and morals and social norms. It’s all played for laughs and even the mother becomes almost a caricature of the conservative, traditional Filipina who doesn’t even realise that sex can be pleasurable. Through the play, a discussion is presented; a bridge between the youth’s more liberal attitudes about sex and self-pleasure and the more repressed ideologies about women and their own desires.

The dramatic situation is funny enough, but Meann Espinosa directs Nicanor and Pagaspas to really go for the laughs. It’s played for comedy, and you can hear the whole audience erupting in laughter at every punchline. Pagaspas fully embodies the caricature, even punctuating her provincial accent (I think it’s a Batangueno accent) to really emphasize her rural mindset. It even gets physical as the women chase each other around. I’m wondering, though, how this would play it with a more restrained approach. The play is funny as it is, would it be stronger to not punch the punchlines?

As a progressive person who grew up with liberal, sex-positive parents, I wished the daughter (played by the magnetic Ash Nicanor) stood her ground more and the play didn’t try to find a compromise that coddled the elder woman’s feelings but, tonally and culturally, it is pitch-perfect to the Filipino experience. We always acquiesce to our parents and them taking a tiny step forward to understanding us while the younger generation takes huge steps to accommodate their feelings is part of why the Filipino family bond is so strong.

Pagkapit sa Hangin

Written by Joshua Lim So
Directed by Jose Estralla
Cast: Elora Espano, Wenah Nagales, Tim Mabalot, Gold Villar-Lim

Set at a provincial hospital in the middle of the COVID epidemic, a doctor and two nurses must make a choice on which lives to save when the supply of oxygen tanks run out. Exhausted, drained physically and emotionally, the trio must make an impossible decision as the means for sustaining the lives of their patients have become limited. While they devise a plan, one of the patient’s guardian has taken notice and a debate about who gets to live, and die erupts.

Pagkapit sa Hangin | Photo: Chari Villegas

Dressed in PPE, Espano, Nagales and Mabalot imbibe the tiredness of their characters. They are too tired to hope, to think clearly. You can see it in their gait, their posture, their line delivery. They are running on adrenaline. It’s wonderful if it weren’t so real and even if the pandemic is just two and a half years behind us, it’s still too soon. It immediately grants this production weight. As things start to unravel, the play unfolds the human drama of having to make a decision on who gets to survive. It’s riveting. Estrella’s direction keeps the energy flowing as the tension rises when Villar-Lim’s guardian begins to undermine the medical team’s decisions as it directly affects her father, who is least likely to survive his current condition.

At 30 minutes, the play feels like a lifetime. Joshua Lim So’s script makes no judgment on his characters but manages to show each one at their breaking point. The play doesn’t provide an answer but shows us what we are made of when were forced to make impossible decisions. It felt like I was holding my breath the entire run of the show.

Sa Babaeng Lahat

Written by Elise Santos
Directed by Caisa Borromeo
Cast: Jam Binay, Francesca Dela Cruz, Yanni Lopez

Sa Babaeng Lahat | Photo: Dulcinea Zulueta

A hilarious coming-of-age story set in an all-girl’s Catholic high school, ‘Sa Babaeng Lahat’ is a brilliant exploration of young girl’s navigating their faith and sexuality as they are hit by puberty. The religious, sheltered Marie believes she is pregnant with God’s child, the next Immaculate Conception, while her best friend Regina struggles with her feelings with the school’s resident tomboy, Gab, who actively flirts with her.

Sa Babaeng Lahat | Photo: Dulcinea Zulueta

Wonderfully directed by Borromeo, she allows Binay, Dela Cruz, and Lopez to really explore their characters and embody the highs and lows of young girls turning into young women. Jam Binay’s Marie could easily fall into a trap of the conservative idiot, but she infuses Marie with so much sincerity and charm that we see that she’s a victim of being misinformed or not properly educated at all. She’s not naive for comic’s sake but it’s coming from a deep-seated issue that is still prevalent until now. Yanni Lopez’s Gab is so fully realized that she comes off as authentic and true.

Sa Babaeng Lahat | Photo: Dulcinea Zulueta

And while all three are amazing and show off great chemistry with each other, this play is Francesca Dela Cruz’s through and through. Her Regina is a force of nature. She’s acerbic, mean, prickly but Dela Cruz has so much charisma that we can see that it’s all a facade, hiding something deeper within. While all three show impeccable comedic timing, Dela Cruz takes Regina and runs away with it turning her into a whirlwind that has the whole audience in stitches. It’s a powerful display of a great stage presence without making it look like a performance. Borromeo did a wonderful job at directing them that the comedy flows, the chemistry works, and the issues about shame, faith, youthful desires, and queer acceptance doesn’t get lost amongst the laughs.

My Rating:

VIRGIN LABFEST XX: HINOG is ongoing until June 29, 2025, at the Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez (CCP Black Box Theater). Festival passes are available at the CCP Box Office, or you can get your tickets through TicketWorld and Ticket2Me.

June 21, 2025
12 New Plays For Virgin LabFest 19 Announced

The 12 new plays which will be staged in 2024 are: Sentenaryo by Herlyn Alegre; Vengeance of the Gods by Hans Pieter Arao; Si Hesus naa sa US by Neil Azcuna; Ningas by Lino Balmes; Ang Munting Liwanag sa Madilim na Sulok ng Isang Serbeserya sa Maynila by Dustin Celestino; The Foxtrot by Chesie Galvez-Cariño; The Divine Family by Dip Mariposque; Love on the Brain by Rick Patriarca; Sa Babaeng Lahat by Elise Santos; Pagkapit sa Hangin by Joshua Lim So; Identité by Jhudiel Clare Sosa; and Abo-Kaykay Ang Ikalawang Yugto by Ara Jenika Vinzon.

The 12 untried, untested and unstaged plays were selected from the 145 submissions received early this year. The selection committee was composed of festival directors Tess Jamias and Marco Viaña, together with VLF founders Writers Bloc Inc’s Rody Vera and director-playwright Herbie Go.

Three plays from the 18^th edition will be revisited on its 2024 run, namely Zheg Arban’s Room 209, directed by Delphine Buencamino; Andrew Estacio’s Ang Awit ng Dalagang Marmol, directed by Nazer Degayo Salcedo; and Dingdong Novenario’s Dominador Gonzales, National Artist, directed by George de Jesus III.

Stay updated by following the CCP’s official social media accounts. Visit our website (www.culturalcenter.gov.ph) for tickets and inquiries.

July 1, 2023
VLF Soars to 18: A Celebration of Fresh Plays and a New Home

As the Virgin Labfest (VLF) turns 18, it celebrates this milestone with 12 new plays from both veteran and upcoming playwrights. From June 7 to 25, 2023, the festival will take place at its brand-new home, the Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez (CCP Blackbox Theater). With the theme “Hitik,” the 18th VLF promises to overflow with new and exciting collaborations between veteran and virgin directors, designers, and actors.

A Diverse Lineup of Plays

Following the theme “Hitik,” the festival is filled to the brim with new and exciting collaborations with veteran and virgin directors, designers and actors. VLF 18 opens the curtains with four thematic sets of new one-act plays – Adulting 101 (Set A), REBELasyon (Set B), Y.O.LO. (Set C) and Muwang (Set D). We also bring back one set of revisited plays (Hinog / Set E), and two sets of staged readings.

Set A: Adulting 101 features: “O” by Raymund Barcelon, to be directed by Missy Maramara; “Regine: The Fairy Gaymother” by Chuck D. Smith collaborating with director Mark Daniel Dalacat, and “10 To Midnight” by playwright Juliene Mendoza and director Sarah Facuri.

Set B: REBELasyon is composed of “Ang Awit ng Dalagang Marmol” by playwright Andrew Estacio and director Nazer Salcedo; “Dominador Gonzales: National Artist” by playwright Dingdong Novenario and director George De Jesus; and “Tuloy Ang Palabas” by playwright Layeta Bucoy and director Tuxqs Rutaquio.

Set C: Y.O.L.O. brings to the stage “Room 209” by playwright Zheg Arban to be directed by Delphine Buencamino; “Hukay” by playwright Ophalain Margaux Serrano and director Melvin Lee; and “Mga Halimaw Rin Kami” by playwright Jules Pamisa and director Tat Soriano.

Plays in Set D: Muwang are: “Hawaii, Here We Come!” by playwright Shenn Apilado, directed by Mark Mirando; “O’Donnell” by playwright Jerry O’Hara and director Issa Manalo Lopez; and “Ang Tuyom” by playwright Marjay Manalastas and director Gio Potes.

Three plays from the 2022 edition of the theater festival will be revisited in Set E: Hinog, comprised of “Nay May Dala Akong Pansit” by playwright Juan Ekis and director Karl Jingco; “Punks Not Dead” by playwright Andrew Bonifacio Clete and director Roobak Valle and “Fermata” by playwright Dustin Celestino and director Antonette Go-Yadao.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Cultural Center of the Philippines (@culturalcenterph)

After three years, the staged readings make a comeback this year, featuring the back-to-basics reading performances of selected scripts from the VLF18 submissions. For Staged Reading Set 1, “My Lover’s Presscon” by playwright Ross Manicad and director Katreen Dela Cruz back-to-back with “Kamay Ng Orasan” by playwright Marc Noesis Marquez and director Eljay Castro Deldoc.

Set 2 of Staged Readings features “Sino Ang Pumatay Kay Mr. Masangkay?” by playwright U Z. Eliserio and director Rolando T. Inocencio, and “TBT: Takbo, Batang Tondo” from playwright Mikaella Yoj B. Sanchez and director Chic San Agustin.

More Than Just Plays

Aside from the Staged Readings, the festival will also host Theater Talks featuring speakers on topics of interest to theater actors, practitioners, and enthusiasts. Plus, a Playwrights’ Fair will be held, where both young and veteran playwrights will share their experiences and writing journeys. The Staged Readings, Theater Talks, and Playwrights’ Fair will take place at the VLF Lounge at the TIG Basement, and these events are free to the public.

The Dynamic Duo Behind the Scenes

Under the leadership of festival directors Tess Jamias and Marco Viaña, theater fans can expect brave new works that showcase Filipino sensibilities and creativity. Established in 2005, VLF is a collaborative project of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, The Writer’s Bloc, and Tanghalang Pilipino.

Join the Celebration

For tickets and other inquiries, contact the CCP Box Office at salesandpromotions@culturalcenter.gov.ph. Stay updated by following the official CCP, VLF, Writer’s Bloc, and Tanghalang Pilipino social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tiktok. Don’t miss the chance to be part of the exciting new chapter of the Virgin Labfest!

May 1, 2023
The Virgin Labfest Calls for Script Submissions for its 2024 Edition

Now in its 18th year, the Virgin Labfest, the annual theater festival of unpublished, unstaged, untried and untested works, is now open for script submissions for its 2024 edition.

Deadline for submission is on February 28, 2023 at 12:00 midnight. Submit your entries in doc or pdf format only to thewritersblocinc@gmail.com.

The call for script submissions is open to all Filipino citizens ONLY. Entries should have a maximum running time of 40 minutes. The festival is open to various themes and genres.

All submitted works must NOT have been previously published in book form, staged commercially for more than two (2) performances (staged readings and/or one-time workshop productions are allowed), or have not received any recognitions and awards in competitions and the likes.

Script entries may be in Filipino, English, Cebuano, Hiligaynon or Ilocano; but should be submitted with accompanying Filipino translations. Entries in other Filipino languages will also be considered based on availability and capability of performers.

A partnership project of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, The Writer’s Bloc, and Tanghalang Pilipino, Inc., the theater festival will select twelve (12) new one-act plays. The playwrights of the selected plays must be willing to undergo a script development process with the creative team of the festival.

The finalists will be formally announced at the end of the VLF Year 18, slated this June 2023.

For inquiries, call 8832.1125 local 1600 or email virginlabfest2023@gmail.com

January 23, 2023
CCP Announces Fellows Accepted at the Virgin Labfest Writing Fellowship Program in the Visayas
The Cultural Center of the Philippines is pleased to announce the fellows accepted to the Virgin Labfest Writing Fellowship Program in the Visayas which will take place on July 19-31, 2022 in Bacolod City:
- Archel G. Barayoga
- Jasper John V. Cabra
- Faye Lisette P. Gachon
- Nicole Garganera
- Pnuema Lorena C. Lorenzo
- Jim Benedict D. Lubrico
- Rocky O. Nicor
- Daveson E. Torculas
The Virgin Labfest Writing Fellowship Program in the Visayas is a two-week mentorship program on the study and practice of dramatic writing for the stage. The Fellows from the Visayas region will take part in lectures, discussions, and workshops on playwriting and script critiquing. They will also be given access to watch recordings of selected past festival plays, as well as the opportunity to participate in the talkback and interaction with known playwrights and directors.

The eight (8) fellows accepted to the program will be mentored by multi-award-winning playwright Glenn Sevilla Mas, and will be given access to past festival plays as part of their mentorship. The Fellowship Program will conclude in a staged reading of the fellows’ works directed by Dennis Marasigan which will take place at the Negros Museum on July 31, 2022, 6:30PM.

The Virgin Labfest Writing Fellowship Program in the Visayas is a project of the Cultural Center of the Philippines and Writer’s Bloc in collaboration with the Province of Negros Occidental, The PerfLab, and the Negros Museum.

For further inquiries, kindly email vlfwfp.regionals@gmail.com or call (02) 8832-1125 local 1604/1605.
July 15, 2022
Here’s the VLF Playwrights Fair 2022 Schedule

With the return to the live stage of the well-loved CCP Virgin Labfest this June, the Playwrights Fair, a staple in the Festival, goes onstage and online for a lively round of panel discussions from June 17 – July 3, 2022.

Here is the schedule of the onsite sessions that will be held at the CCP’s Tanghalang Manuel Conde:

On JUNE 17, 5pm, in Critics’ Choice, two critics, Gibbs Cadiz and Chunchi Cabasaan, share their list of the top ten plays of VLF from its inception in 2005 to the present.

On JUNE 18, 5pm, in Playwrights in the Academe, writers Guelan Luarca, Vladimeir Gonzalez and Urie Clamor share their thought and processes on writing plays in university theatres.

On JUNE 24, 5pm, in Adapting Literature/Fiction to Stage, playwrights Alvin Dacanay, Eljay Deldoc, and May Cardoso share their experiences/creative process in adapting fiction to the stage.

On JUNE 25, 5pm, in Scriptwork: Directors Take on New Work by Playwrights, directors Tuxqs Rutaquio, Roobak Valle, Issa Manalo Lopez talk about their processes and approaches to directing new works by playwrights.

Here is the schedule of the premiere streaming of the online sessions through the following Facebook Pages: Cultural Center of the Philippines (https://www.facebook.com/culturalcenterofthephilippines), CCP Intertextual Division (https://www.facebook.com/CCPIntertextualDivision), and The Virgin Labfest (https://www.facebook.com/thevirginlabfest):

On JUNE 29, 7pm, in Hango sa Totoong Buhay with playwrights Dustin Celestino, Layeta Bucoy and Nicolas Pichay. At 8:30 pm, in Folklore in Playwriting, playwrights Jerry Respeto and Carlo Vergara share their experiences, processes, and insights in writing folklore plays.

On JUNE 30, 7pm, in Playwriting for Children and Young People, writers Luna Inocian and Christine Bellen share their wonderful journey in writing plays for children and young people. At 8:30 pm, you can watch the live recorded session of Critic’s Choice by Gibbs Cadiz and Chunchi Cabasaan.

On JULY 1, 7 pm, in Remembering Rene Villanueva, writers Luna Sicat-Cleto and Jun Lana reminisce about their memories of Rene Villanueva and how he inspired and influenced them. At 8:30 pm, online streaming of Playwright in the Academe with playwrights Guelan Luarca, Vladimeir Gonzalez and Urie Clamor.

On JULY 2, in Writing Musicals, musical director Ejay Yatco talks about his ideas and inspirations in writing music for theater musicals. At 8:30, you can watch the online stream of Adapting Literature/Fiction to the stage with playwrights Alvin Dacanay, Eljay Deldoc and May Cardoso.

On JULY 3, in Teaching Playwriting, playwright Glenn Sevilla Mas discussed the approaches to teaching playwriting both in academe and non-academe settings. At 8:30 pm, online streaming of Scriptwork: Directors Take on New Work by Playwrights with directors Tuxqs Rutaquio, Roobak Valle and Issa Manalo Lopez.

The Playwrights Fair is held under the direction of Rody Vera and coordination by the CCP Intertextual Division.

The Playwrights Fair is one of the components of the VLF, the festival of untried, untested and unstaged plays, established in 2005. It is free and open to public. The online sessions of the PW Fair will be streamed for the entire duration of the VLF.

For its 17th edition, after two years of the pandemic, VLF returns to live stage with 12 new works slated on June 16 to 26, at Tanghalang Huseng Batute (CCP Studio Theater).

For this year, VLF follows the theme “Hinga” to “underline the need to breathe, to be present and feel alive.”

VLF also brings back the VLF Fellowship Program, with mentor Glenn Sevilla Mas and director Dennis Marasigan and introduces the new Theater Talks, a curated forum series on theater and creative processes.

For more information, visit the CCP website (www.culturalcenter.gov.ph). Follow the official CCP social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for latest updates.

June 10, 2022
Here Are The 12 New Works Coming to The Virgin Labfest (VLF) Live Stage

After two years of online performances and the streaming of archived works, the Virgin Labfest (VLF), the festival of untried, untested, and unstaged plays, returns to live stage with 12 new works slated on June 16 to 26, at Tanghalang Huseng Batute (CCP Studio Theater).

For its 17th edition, VLF follows the theme “Hinga” to “underline the need to breathe, to be present and feel alive.”

“After being isolated in our houses, we now focus on the importance of community — the need to share space and time and revel in one another’s presence — and the urgency of theatre and performance,” said VLF festival director Tess Jamias who is sharing the role with TP associate director Marco Viaña.

Aside from marking its return to THB, its original home, VLF 17: HINGA reintroduces the practice of grouping plays into sets under shared themes and other commonalities.

Set A: Life is Full of Surprises revolves around life’s unexpected turns. This set features: Eljay Castro Deldoc’s Walang Bago sa Dulang Ito; Ma. Cecilia de la Rosa’s Mga Balo; and Bibeth Orteza’s Bituing Marikit.

Directed by J. William Herbert Sigmund Go and Tess Jamias, Walang Bago sa Dulang Ito follows the pursuit of a woman in understanding myriapods and how this would lead to bewildering encounters and finding herself preyed on by those in positions of power.

In Mga Balo, a writer tries to decide on the future of the play she is writing. She returns to her material and seeks the help of the widows who rightfully own the story. The play is directed by Adrienne Vergara.

Under the direction of Carlos Siguion-Reyna, Bituing Marikit tells the death of a man’s second wife and how much of a “bituing marikit” his wife is to their boys. The play was in memory of film and theater director Mel Chionglo.

Three plays show that fiction is stranger than life in Set B: Life is Strange Fiction. The plays are: BJ Crisostomo’s Absurdo: Event Day; Jerry O’Hara’s Liberation; and Juan Ekis’ ‘Nay May Dala Akong Pancit.

In Absurdo: Event Day, in between working as project coordinators at a massive end of the world party and dealing with absurd client demands, two co-workers must come to grips if their jobs have any ultimate meaning before time runs outs. Directed by Mara Agleham, Absurdo: Event day is part of a trilogy dealing with the craziness of the Philippine event industry.

Directed by Dennis Marasigan, Liberation is the story of three Japanese soldiers left behind to engage the enemy at whatever cost in a desperate effort and put up pocket resistance in southern districts of Manila in 1945. How would they act in the face of death?

In ‘Nay May Dala Akong Pancit, two siblings are stuck in a metaphysical loop of a Pinoy soap opera trope. Every time the older brother comes home with pancit, their mother dies. The siblings must now find a way to escape the loop and save their mother once and for all. Karl Alexis Jingco directs the play.

Stories of characters who are at a crossroad find their way to Set C: Life Choices, which include Mikaela Regis’ Unica Hijas; Andrew Bonifacio Clete’s Punks Not Dead; and Anthony Kim Vergara’s Student’s Handbook.

In Unica Hijas, two girls are called into the principal’s office after they were caught by a nun in an almost-kiss. With less than an hour left until their future is decided, the two are forced to confront each other, their past, present, and their own selves. It will be directed by Pat Valera.

Directed by Roobak Valle, Punks Not Dead is about a mother who complains to her son’s teacher regarding a discriminating item. As the characters argue about the item, the play shows what’s permanently inked with prejudice.

Student’s Handbook, directed by Erika Estacio, shows what happened when a few pioneer students were caught violating some of the institution’s most outrageous regulations. The rules were put into question and things started getting ridiculously clairvoyant.

Plays set in schools and involve life lessons that must be learnt and unlearnt are grouped together in Set D: School of Life. They are: Dustin Celestino’s Fermata; Ryan Machado’s Huling Haraya Nina Ischia at Emeteria; and George Vail Kabristante’s Bienvenuta Al Lido Di Venezia.

Directed by Guelan Luarca, Fermata follows the son of a dead celebrated musician as he investigates the truth about his father.

Directed by Regina De Vera, Huling Haraya Nina Ischia at Emeteria shows the endearing moment between a mother and her daughter as they prepare for the daughter’s departure. As the conversation gets deep, the daughter realizes that this might indeed be their last evening together.

In Bienvenuta Al Lido Di Venezia, a couple who works as Filipino domestic helpers for a wealthy contessa with Alzheimer’s conspired to poison their employer. But things have gone awry. The play is co-directed by Nanding Josef and Antonette Go.

VLF 17 will have a new component, Theater Talks, a curated forum series on theater and creative processes. To be livestreamed during the festival, these talks feature theater practitioners who will share their know-how on production works and take in questions from the audience to elicit a lively dialogue on contemporary theatre-making.

The festival brings back its mainstay components such as the VLF Fellowship Program, with mentor Glenn Sevilla Mas and director Dennis Marasigan, and the VLF Playwrights Fair under the direction of Rody Vera and coordination by Beverly Siy.

For more information, visit the CCP website (www.culturalcenter.gov.ph). Follow the official CCP social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for latest updates.

May 26, 2022
Virgin Labfest Returns to Live Stage with 12 New Works

AFTER two years of online performances and the streaming of archived works, the Virgin Labfest (VLF), the festival of untried, untested and unstaged plays, returns to live stage with 12 new works slated on June 16 to 26, at Tanghalang Huseng Batute (CCP Studio Theater).

For its 17th edition, VLF follows the theme “Hinga” to “underline the need to breathe, to be present and feel alive.”

“After being isolated in our houses, we now focus on the importance of community — the need to share space and time and revel in one another’s presence — and the urgency of theatre and performance,” said VLF festival director Tess Jamias who is sharing the role with TP associate director Marco Viaña.

Aside from marking its return to THB, its original home, VLF 17: HINGA reintroduces the practice of grouping plays into sets under shared themes and other commonalities.

Set A: Life is Full of Surprises revolves around life’s unexpected turns. This set features: Eljay Castro Deldoc’s Walang Bago sa Dulang Ito; Ma. Cecilia de la Rosa’s Mga Balo; and Bibeth Orteza’s Bituing Marikit.

Directed by J. William Herbert Sigmund Go and Tess Jamias, Walang Bago sa Dulang Ito follows the pursuit of a woman in understanding myriapods and how this would lead to bewildering encounters and finding herself preyed on by those in positions of power.

In Mga Balo, a writer tries to decide on the future of the play she is writing. She returns to her material and seeks the help of the widows who rightfully own the story. The play is directed by Adrienne Vergara.

Under the direction of Carlos Siguion-Reyna, Bituing Marikit tells the death of a man’s second wife and how much of a “bituing marikit” his wife is to their boys. The play was in memory of film and theater director Mel Chionglo.

Three plays show that fiction is stranger than life in Set B: Life is Strange Fiction. The plays are: BJ Crisostomo’s Absurdo: Event Day; Jerry O’Hara’s Liberation; and Juan Ekis’ ‘Nay May Dala Akong Pancit.

In Absurdo: Event Day, in between working as project coordinators at a massive end of the world party and dealing with absurd client demands, two co-workers must come to grips if their jobs have any ultimate meaning before time runs outs. Directed by Mara Agleham, Absurdo: Event day is part of a trilogy dealing with the craziness of the Philippine event industry.

Directed by Dennis Marasigan, Liberation is the story of three Japanese soldiers left behind to engage the enemy at whatever cost in a desperate effort and put up pocket resistance in southern districts of Manila in 1945. How would they act in the face of death?

In ‘Nay May Dala Akong Pancit, two siblings are stuck in a metaphysical loop of a Pinoy soap opera trope. Every time the older brother comes home with pancit, their mother dies. The siblings must now find a way to escape the loop and save their mother once and for all. Karl Alexis Jingco directs the play.

Stories of characters who are at a crossroad find their way to Set C: Life Choices, which include Mikaela Regis’ Unica Hijas; Andrew Bonifacio Clete’s Punks Not Dead; and Anthony Kim Vergara’s Student’s Handbook.

In Unica Hijas, two girls are called into the principal’s office after they were caught by a nun in an almost-kiss. With less than an hour left until their future is decided, the two are forced to confront each other, their past, present, and their own selves. It will be directed by Pat Valera.

Directed by Roobak Valle, Punks Not Dead is about a mother who complains to her son’s teacher regarding a discriminating item. As the characters argue about the item, the play shows what’s permanently inked with prejudice.

Student’s Handbook, directed by Erika Estacio, shows what happened when a few pioneer students were caught violating some of the institution’s most outrageous regulations. The rules were put into question and things started getting ridiculously clairvoyant.

Plays set in schools and involve life lessons that must be learnt and unlearnt are grouped together in Set D: School of Life. They are: Dustin Celestino’s Fermata; Ryan Machado’s Huling Haraya Nina Ischia at Emeteria; and George Vail Kabristante’s Bienvenuta Al Lido Di Venezia.

Directed by Guelan Luarca, Fermata follows the son of a dead celebrated musician as he investigates the truth about his father.

Directed by Regina De Vera, Huling Haraya Nina Ischia at Emeteria shows the endearing moment between a mother and her daughter as they prepare for the daughter’s departure. As the conversation gets deep, the daughter realizes that this might indeed be their last evening together.

In Bienvenuta Al Lido Di Venezia, a couple who works as Filipino domestic helpers for a wealthy contessa with Alzheimer’s conspired to poison their employer. But things have gone awry. The play is co-directed by Nanding Josef and Antonette Go.

VLF 17 will have a new component, Theater Talks, a curated forum series on theater and creative processes. To be live streamed during the festival, these talks feature theater practitioners who will share their know-how on production works and take in questions from the audience to elicit a lively dialogue on contemporary theatre-making.

The festival brings back its mainstay components such as the VLF Fellowship Program, with mentor Glenn Sevilla Mas and director Dennis Marasigan, and the VLF Playwrights Fair under the direction of Rody Vera and coordination by Beverly Siy.

For more information, visit the CCP website (www.culturalcenter.gov.ph). Follow the official CCP social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for latest updates.

May 25, 2022