THE Cultural Center of the Philippines presents ten new
works, three revisited works, and six staged readings in the 16th
edition of Virgin Labfest, billed as “VLF 2020 KAPIT: Lab in the Time of
Covid (A Virtual Labfest Lockdown Edition),” which goes online for the
first time from June 10 to 28, 2020 on CCP’s Facebook and YouTube pages.
In
view of the COVID-19 crisis, CCP braves a new front and adjusts to new
realities as the Virgin Labfest playwrights, directors and actors take
steps to bring the annual festival of untried, untested and unstaged
works to a virtual stage.
The
three-week festival features ten featured works; “Doggy” by Dustin
Celestino, directed by Roobak Valle; “Pilot Episode” by Floyd Scott
Tiogangco, directed by Giancarlo Abrahan; “Dapithapon” by Jay Crisostomo
IV, directed by Sigmund Roy Pecho; “Papaano Turuan ang Babae Humawak ng
Baril” by Daryl Pasion, directed by Erika Estacio; “BlackPink” by Tyron
Casumpang, directed by Jethro Tenorio; “Multiverse” by Juliene Mendoza,
directed by Fitz Edward Bitana; “Titser Kit” by Jobert Grey Landeza,
directed by Adrienne Vergara; “Mayang Bubot sa Tag-araw” by Mark Norman
Boquiren, directed by Mark Mirando; “Gin Bilog” by Luisito Nario,
directed by James Harvey Estrada and Anthony Kim Vergara’s “The Boyboy
and Friends Channel” directed by Joshua Tayco.
All
these plays will be premiere with live performances at the CCP’s
Youtube channel and Facebook page. From June 14 to 28, they will be
streamed on IWANTv.
“Doggy”
(live on June 10, 3pm and June 26, 2pm) is about a man's fiancee’s
sexual peculiarity that becomes his source of repressed anger.
“Pilot
Episode” (live on June 13, 5pm and June 24, 8pm) shows a young gay man
who just quit his job through a text message, and how his parents
attempt to de-escalate his extreme manic-depressive episode.
“Dapithapon”
(live on June 14, 3pm and June 27, 5pm) follows the story of three boys
in their senior high school years who have to confront their greatest
fears in a single day: flunking out of school, impossible parental
expectations, and an unhealthy infatuation with a teacher.
“Papaano
Turuan ang Babae Humawak ng Baril” (live on June 13, 3pm and June 24,
2pm) shows what happens when a man reunites with his pregnant wife upon
returning home from an encounter against the NPA.
“BlackPink”
(live on June 11, 5pm and June 28, 8pm) tells of a father‘s discovery
that his youngest son who is a staunch fan of Blackpink was prohibited
by his school principal to dance “Kill This Love” in their Family Day
talent contest, and the only way for him to join the competition is if
he finds
other male students to dance with him.
“Multiverse”
(live on June 14, 8pm and June 26, 8pm) reunites two estranged brothers
- a writer and a recovering alcoholic. The two reconnect through their
mutual love of comic books.
“Titser
Kit” (live on June 11, 3pm and June 27, 2pm) tells of a young student
who gets into trouble in his new school and hides inside a dilapidated
storage room, afraid of what punishment the Principal might sanction him
with. He feels safe until “Titser Kit” finds him there.
“Mayang
Bubot sa Tag-araw” (live on June 12, 5pm and June 23, 2pm) is a painful
tale of two Ayta children whose friendship is tested as they choose
different paths.
“Gin
Bilog” (live on June 12, 3pm and June 25, 2pm) focuses on old issues
that are rehashed in a drinking session of family and friends.
“Boyboy
and Friends Channel” (live on June 12, 8 pm and June 23, 8 pm) was
written by Anthony Kim Vergara and is directed by Joshua Tayco. It
tells the tale of friends who lost their jobs as production crew members
after the timely untimely shutdown of their TV network and find
successful making a new career as Youtubers. Now, Boy-boy with his
buddies make a decision that forever changes their friendship.
The
Revisited Plays include: “Fangirl” by Herlyn Alegre, directed by
Charles Yee (June 14, 5pm and June 25, 8pm); “Anak Ka Ng” by U Z
Eliserio, directed by Maynard Manansala (June 10, 8pm and June 23, 5pm);
and “Wanted: Male Boarders” by Rick Patriarca, directed by George De
Jesus III (June 10, 5pm and June 27, 8pm).
Catch
the Staged Readings: “Jenny Li” by Buch Dacanay, directed by Nour
Hooshmand (June 20, 5pm); “Dominador Gonzales - National Artist” by
Dingdong Novenario, directed by Bunny Cadag (June 19, 5pm),
“LadyMasters” by Rouchelle Dinglasan, directed by Joy Cerro (June 25,
5pm); “Matira ang Matibay” by Bernice Dacara, directed by Alon Segara
(June 26, 5pm); “Bagahe” by Nicko de Guzman, directed by Joel Saracho
(June 18, 5pm); and “Mongoloida’s Casa de Pun” by Claro delos Reyes,
directed by Guelan Luarca (June 24, 5pm).
The
VLF Playwright's Fair, one of the components of the theater festival,
will be held online on June 11-14, 17-20, 25-27 at 8pm. A collaboration
of the CCP Intertextual Division, the VLF Team and The Writers’ Bloc’s
Rody Vera, the fair features Filipino writers. Other events include
online discussion (June 18-21) and digital marketing platform for the
expertise, services, publications and other products of writers of
theatrical productions. Check out the FB page of VLF 2020 for the
complete line up of speakers and activities.
The
Virgin Labfest 2020 Writing Fellowship Program will take place on June
16–28, 2020. It is a two week mentorship program for young aspiring
playwrights on the study and practice of dramatic writing for the stage.
Participants will learn from lectures, script critiquing, writing
sessions and interactions with known playwrights, directors and actors.
The Fellowship Program will culminate in an online staged reading of
the fellows’ works on June 28 at 2 and 5pm.
Established
in 2005, the Virgin Labfest is co-presented by the Cultural Center of
the Philippines, its resident theater company Tanghalang Pilipino and
the playwrights' group Writer's Bloc Inc.
For more details, visit the CCP website and official social media accounts, and the VLF Facebook account.
No comments:
Post a Comment