Women in Arts and Culture: Celebrating Women’s Creativity at the CCP

To celebrate March as Women’s Month, the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) in partnership with Women Playwrights International-Philippines (WPIP) will hold an all-women event entitled READATHON: Dramatic Reading of Plays by Women 2019 at the CCP from 9:00AM onwards on March 15 and 16, 2019.

READATHON: Dramatic Reading of Plays by Women 2019 is the CCP Gender and Development Committee’s flagship project that will feature women’s creativity through reading of plays, talk, and book fair at various venues in CCP.

Celebrating its 7th year, Readathon is a free and open to public event that focuses on the talent of women playwrights from different regions as their written works will be dramatically performed by aspiring group of theater actors and actresses.

The first day of the event will be celebrated with different playwrights reading their own monologues. Mary Carling reading her written work “Tan- Aw”; Sittie Jehanne Mutin reading her work “Sdap so Marawi: Bakwit Monologue”; and Tessa Belleza reading her work named “Ang Puno ng Mangga”. Aside from the playwrights, theatre performers from The Thespians of Truth and Possibilities will be perfroming “Si Marikit Sa Buwan ng Mayo”, a play written by Kristinne Nigel Santos. Plus, Pinoy Kids Read Pinoy Books Book Club (PKRPB) will host a talk about reading for children named ‘Tell Stories Like Nanay’ at MKP Hall while artists from Old Manila Eco Market will open a fair entitled ‘Gawa ng Ina mo! A Mama Makers Market’ at the Silangan Hall.

On the last day, The Performance Laboratory Inc. will perform 5-minute scripts written by six women playwrights. First is the “Tuhoy” written by Venise Buenaflor, second is “Padya” written by Charlene Tupas, third is “Decisions” by Katrina Danielle Ledesma, followed by “A Dillemma of an Artist as a Post-Grad” written by Valerie Durias, next is “Amiga” by Erica Marie Magdato and last but not the least Jorejane Onlayao’s “Merry Krismas”. In addition, a book discussion of Manga Tutul A Palapa (Recipes and Memories from Ranao) will be hosted by Pinoy Reads Pinoy Books Book Club (PRPB) at the MKP Hall. And, another group of women writers and artists named Gantala Press will open Gandang Ganda Sa Sariling Gawa (GGSSG) zine fair at the Silangan Hall.

Readathon is a great opportunity to empower women artists in our country. It will also inspire audiences of different genders to make their own masterpieces as they patronize women’s works.

And to make the activities more exciting, the CCP Media Arts Division has also announced a special free screening of “Liway” (2018) as part of their Gender and Development project. Starring a powerful female lead, “Liway”, directed by Kip Oebanda will be screened on March 14, 2PM at the CCP Tanghalang Manuel Conde. Seats will be available on a first come, first served basis. So be sure to come early to get the best seats possible.