After its celebrated run in the 9th Festival International de Théâtre De Mont-Laurier in Quebec, Canada, “13th of September” is all set for yet another international show at the THEATERWELTEN 2022 on Saturday, 15 October 2022 at the Cultural Center Dieselstrasse in Esslingen, Germany, now with the support of the Philippine and German government, National Commission for Culture and Arts (NCCA) and Bund Deutscher Amateurtheater (BDAT). This opportunity and privilege to represent the Philippines fulfills one of the goals of BOGT Philippines to create and produce shows for international theater festivals.
“13th of September” is a Reimagination of Lanie Robertson’s “The Insanity of Mary Girard”, written and translated by playwright Eljay Castro Deldoc, directed by Riki Benedicto, with actors Marco Calilao, Norman Peñaflorida, and Lao Rodriguez who now takes the role of Mary Girard.
JayLo Conanan (Production Designer), Katreen Dela Cruz (Production and Stage Manager), Roldan Lozano (Lights Designer), and Ces Valera (Projection Designer) complete the delegation of 8 who will fly to Germany this October.
THEATERWELTEN is both a festival and an international theater encounter. It is held every two years since 2015 and – due to the travel restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic – had its first ever digital festival in 2021, which was also attended by BOGT Philippines. This year’s festival will be held from 13 – 16 October 2022 with performances coming from 8 countries: Philippines, Ukraine, Chile, Mexico, Zimbabwe, Lebanon, Germany, and Israel. An accompanying symposium will examine the topic of “Theater and Safe Spaces” from local and global perspectives: Is theatre a safe space? How does it affect participation in social events?
The Philippines’ representation at the festival does not end on the stage after the curtain closes as Director Riki Benedicto leads two days of Stage Combat workshops (October 14 and 15, 2022) in Sporthalle der Gemeinschaftsschule. Stage Combat is an artistic representation of fighting based on principles of reality using techniques that ensure the safety of actors on stage, all the while showcasing the fight’s aesthetic aspects and dramatic power.
Any play can, practically, be “based on a true story” but “The Insanity of Mary Girard” is one of the few that took real-life events into a haunting and highly theatrical piece. Mary Girard (1758–1815) was committed to an asylum in 1790 where her husband declared her legally insane. During her confinement, she gave birth to a baby girl – unsure who the father was – who died five months later. After residing in the insanity ward for 25 years, she was laid to rest somewhere on hospital grounds, her grave unmarked.
