27 June to 15 July 2018
Cultural Center of the Philippines
Pasay City
The Cultural Center of the Philippines, Tanghalang Pilipino, and The Writer’s Bloc Inc. present The Virgin Labfest!
Festival tickets (P400 for regular seats; P600 for premium seats) and passes (P1,600 for regular; P2,400 for premium) are now available at Ticketworld (www.ticketworld.com.ph) and the CCP Box Office (832-3704; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Tuesday to Sunday only)
#VirginLabfest #VLF14Silip #VLF
Set A
MGA EKSENA SA BUHAY NG KONTRABIDA
Written by Dustin Celestino. Directed by Roobak Valle. Cast: Jay Gonzaga, Lian Silverio, Earl Figuracion, Richard Manabat, and JV Ibesate.
Synopsis: Jake is a villain. He’s violent, selfish, and reckless. Unfortunately, Jake doesn’t exist in a vacuum, and his behavior has consequences.
Because Jake is a villain, people around him feel threatened, and these people look for ways to solve the problem that is Jake.
Part origin story, part family drama, the play is a collection of conversations heard in the vicinity of a villain.
Shows: June 27, July 6, July 11, and July 15 at 3 p.m.; June 27, July 5, July 10, and July 14 at 8 p.m.
Venue: Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino
MGA BATA SA SELDA 43
Written by Rolin Migyuel Cadallo Obina. Directed by Ian Segarra. Cast: Tomas Santos, JM Canlas, and Rafa Tibayan.
Synopsis: Philip and his younger brother Ino are ordinary and playful children from the slums who were kidnapped by aliens—or so they thought. But their dreams of escaping the alien prison cell and be reunited with their mother and ailing grandmother are shattered when they meet Ed.
Shows: June 27, July 6, July 11, and July 15 at 3 p.m.; June 27, July 5, July 10, and July 14 at 8 p.m.
Venue: Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino
ANG INYONG MGA ANAK: SI HAROLD AT SI NAPOLEON
Written by Anthony Kim Vergara. Directed by Ricardo Magno. Cast: May Bayot, Edna Vida, and Joshua Tayco.
Synopsis: After feeding his grandmother, Harold was just about to leave the house for another poetry gig, and an out-of-the-country trip, when he starts a conversation with his mother about Napoleon, a former collegemate who was brutally murdered in their province recently.
The conversation then opens a venue for powerful insights and revelations about the mother and son’s beliefs and political stand.
The play will start and end with poetry that will further tackle the mother and son’s will to live as an ordinary citizen or a steward of change.
Shows: June 27, July 6, July 11, and July 15 at 3 p.m.; June 27, July 5, July 10, and July 14 at 8 p.m.
Venue: Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino
Set B
EDGAR ALLAN HEMINGWAY
Written by Carlo Vergara. Directed by George de Jesus III. Cast: Guelan Luarca, Rafa Siguion-Reyna, and Ricci Chan.
Synopsis:When a young man achieves a feat that many writers could only dream of, he is thrust into a hectic life of a celebrity, one unabashedly embraced by his supportive lover.
But when a childhood friend shows up, hoping to have a slice of the man’s success, an unexpected revelation brings about questions on ethics, survival, and freedom.
Shows: June 28, July 1, July 7, and July 12 at 3 p.m.; June 28, July 6, July 11, and July 15 at 8 p.m.
Venue: Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino
ROSAS
Written by Jose Dennis Teodosio. Directed by Charles Yee. Cast: Bembol Roco and Crispin Pineda.
Synopsis: In a home for the aged, two old men wait for the sun to set. As they reminisce, the past and the present unapologetically confront them, forcing them to reveal and admit their fears and longings. This eventually, leading them to face and accept their inevitable future. Before them, a bed of blooming roses bears as a silent witness.
“Rosas” is the last play in the “Tatlong Bulaklak” trilogy. It is dedicated to the late theater stalwart Soxie Topacio.
Shows: June 28, July 1, July 7, and July 12 at 3 p.m.; June 28, July 6, July 11, and July 15 at 8 p.m.
Venue: Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino
ANG MGA PROPESYUNAL
Written by Sari Saysay. Directed by Carlos Siguion-Reyna. Cast: Krystle Campos, Arthur Castro, and Jian Tayco.
Synopsis: Pia is a 10-year old journalist who is barred from covering Malacañang. From here, she confronts reality and, with her two friends—a doctor and a police officer—chooses to dwell in a make-believe realm of truth in order to investigate the predicaments of each other’s chosen profession, while trying to discover facts about certain deaths—of innocent children, of freedom of expression, of democracy.
Shows: June 28, July 1, July 7, and July 12 at 3 p.m.; June 28, July 6, July 11, and July 15 at 8 p.m.
Venue: Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino
Set C
TULAD NG DATI
Written by JV Ibesate. Directed by Olive Nieto. Cast: Arnold Reyes and Acey Aguilar.
Synopsis: Returning home after spending 20 years in prison, Neil, a former teacher convicted for raping his teenage student, reunites with his younger brother Norman.
Home is where many of the brothers’ secrets have been formed, secrets that Norman wishes to forget. What is supposedly a happy reunion turns sour when past issues reemerges, forcing the two to come face to face with their darkest, most disturbing secrets.
Shows: June 29, July 4, July 8, and July 13 at 3 p.m.; June 29, July 1, July 7, and July 12 at 8 p.m.
Venue: Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino
ENSAYO
Written by Juan Ekis. Directed by Eric Villanueva dela Cruz. Cast: Sherry Lara and Bembol Roco.
Synopsis: Lolo Peds anxiously waits for his acting partner Lola Tisha, so that they can rehearse the scene they are about to present in acting class.
Tisha arrives late, then protests about the script, which contains a kissing scene. Tisha suspects Peds asked to rehearse so he can get his way with her. Peds accuses Tisha of being unprofessional.
As they work on the scene, they both discover that they’re in for a little more than just a rehearsal.
Shows: June 29, July 4, July 8, and July 13 at 3 p.m.; June 29, July 1, July 7, and July 12 at 8 p.m.
Venue: Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino
LABOR ROOM
Written by Ma. Cecilia “Maki” dela Rosa. Directed by Jose Estrella and Issa Manalo Lopez. Cast: Hariette Damole, Skyzx Labastilla, Sheryll Ceasico, Kiki Baento, J-Mee Katanyag, Opaline Santos, Ina Azarcon-Bolivar, and Sherry Lara.
Synopsis: Three women meet in the busy labor room. As they watch delivering mothers come and go, they build a short friendship, that of strong confidence and genuine concern. Three women—one, having a baby; two, facing the loss of one. All are giving birth to hope.
Shows: June 29, July 4, July 8, and July 13 at 3 p.m.; June 29, July 1, July 7, and July 12 at 8 p.m.
Venue: Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino
Set D
RIVER LETHE
Written by Allan Lopez. Directed by Chris Martinez. Cast: Dolly de Leon, Paolo O’Hara, Denise Nayve, Ian Formacion, and Rocky Zaballero.
Synopsis: A room in a small lover’s hotel is sanitized and being prepared for its next occupant. Abe and Mara, two cancer patients who just finished their early morning chemotherapy sessions, check in before returning to their regular lives.
In snapshots, we see the few hours they are together exploring fetishes, kinks, uncanny sex and hopeless medical conditions—the nakedness of their bodies shadowing intimacies that nobody outside the room will ever know. All is left in the cramped space to be forgotten—a dip in the mythical River Lethe, where one drinks to forget.
Shows: June 30, July 5, July 10, and July 14 at 3 p.m.; June 30, July 4, July 8, and July 13 at 8 p.m.
Venue: Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino
MARAWI MUSICALE
Written by Tyron Casumpang. Directed by Ariel Yonzon. Cast: Jonathan Tadioan, Lhorvie Nuevo, Poppert Bernadas, Bayang Barrios, Tyrone Dela Cruz, James Garlando, Marlowe Concepcion, Roeder Camañag, and Nazer Salcedo.
Synopsis: September 24, 2017—four months since Marawi City was invaded by the Islamic State-inspired Maute terrorist group. While soldiers in Marawi fight the terrorists, a group of Christian and Muslim volunteers fight a war against hunger in an evacuation center in a municipality right beside Marawi.
As they already struggle to make ends meet in order to feed all the child evacuees in the area, they face a greater adversary: the immobilizing noise of gunshots, bombing, and air raids from the war zone. And their only weapon against it is music.
Shows: June 30, July 5, July 10, and July 14 at 3 p.m.; June 30, July 4, July 8, and July 13 at 8 p.m.
Venue: Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino
AMOY PULBOS ANG MGA ALABOK SA ILALIM NG RILES NG TREN
Written by Lino Balmes. Directed by Tess Jamias. Cast: Marjorie Lorico, Bong Cabrera, Paolo Rodriguez, and John Paolo Rodriguez.
Synopsis: Live-in partners Chona and Ramil argue about their misfortune inside their house beneath a railroad. A train passes by and we’re transported to a TV studio in Quezon City, where Ramil performs a lousy pansit monologue during the elimination round of “Pera o Bayong”. Then, a different train arrives.
Shows: June 30, July 5, July 10, and July 14 at 3 p.m.; June 30, July 4, July 8, and July 13 at 8 p.m.
Venue: Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino
Set E / VLF 13 Revisited
PILIPINAS KONG MAHAL WITH ALL THE OVERCOAT
Written by Eljay Castro Deldoc. Directed by Roobak Valle and Tuxqs Rutaquio. Cast: Paul Jake Paule, Fitz Bitana, Chunchi Cabasaan, and Anthony Falcon.
Winner, First Prize in the One-act Play in Filipino category at the 2017 Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature.
Shows: June 30, July 1, July 7, July 8, July 14, and July 15 at 3 p.m.; June 29, June 30, July 6, July 7, July 13, and July 14 at 8 p.m.
Venue: Tanghalang Huseng Batute
SINCERITY BIKERS’ CLUB
Written by Adrian Crisostomo Ho. Directed by Jenny Jamora. Cast: Frances Makil-Ignacio, Chrome Cosio, Ring Antonio, Jerome Dawis, Rachelle Gimpes, and Joel Saracho.
Synopsis: The only bikers’ club of Barangay Sincerity welcomes a new member: Louella, a widow from Manila. All five original members are happy about the new addition to their club, except for one who reveals that Louella is rumored to be a drug user and that her husband was killed by the police for being a drug addict.
The revelation causes dissent amongst the members. Those who fear for the club’s reputation and their safety want Louella out. Some, however, feel that Louella shouldn’t be punished for the tragic events of her past. All are faced with a dilemma: will they succumb to fear or will compassion win out?
Shows: June 30, July 1, July 7, July 8, July 14, and July 15 at 3 p.m.; June 29, June 30, July 6, July 7, July 13, and July 14 at 8 p.m.
Venue: Tanghalang Huseng Batute
BIRDCAGE
Written by Rick Patriarca. Directed by Ian Segarra. Cast: Aldo Vencilao, Gilbert Onida, and Jerome Canlas.
Synopsis: As two of the longest-staying employees in their BPO company, Ed and Arthur have witnessed the departure of many colleagues. When a young teammate suddenly resigns to pursue his dreams, the two contemplate about their future in the industry, and on everything they have sacrificed to secure their comfortable lives.
Shows: June 30, July 1, July 7, July 8, July 14, and July 15 at 3 p.m.; June 29, June 30, July 6, July 7, July 13, and July 14 at 8 p.m.
Venue: Tanghalang Huseng Batute
Staged Reading Set A
DOLOROSA
Written by Peter Zaragoza Mayshle. Directed by Chic San Agustin. Cast: Joy Virata, Karen Romualdez, Karen Gaerlan, Hariette Damole, Wayneheart Geonzon, Abigail Ravalo, and Rayne Cortez.
Synopsis: Each year, for the Holy Week procession in Paete, Laguna, a family’s prized heirloom—a one-of-a-kind wooden statue of the Mater Dolorosa—is put together and made whole by three sisters: Ate Maria, Dete Alicia, and Juliana. On Maundy Thursday, they await the visit of their mother Pilar, who mysteriously abandoned them 15 years ago.
When she arrives, the sisters will confront the ghosts of their past and one shattering truth about their beloved Dolorosa statue.
Show: July 6 at 6 p.m.
Venue: Bulwagang Amado Hernandez
WITHOUT THE DRAMA
Written by Jay Crisostomo. Directed by Renate Bustamante. Cast: Liza Magtoto and Carlo Vergara.
Synopsis: Writers Alister and Loraine meet up one last time before they part ways indefinitely. They sit down in the apartment they shared as husband and wife to write a play about their romance: how they met, how they fell in love, and how that love fell apart.
As they write, they reminisce, relive their past, and understand. After writing the play, Loraine hands Alister their annulment documents. Alister leaves. Alone, Loraine types a single word: Epilogue.
Show: July 6 at 6 p.m.
Venue: Bulwagang Amado Hernandez
Staged Reading Set B
BAGYOLANDA
Written by John Lapus. Directed by Tuxqs Rutaquio. Cast: Melvin Lee, Joey Paras, and Reynald Santos.
Synopsis: “Bagyoland”a is about the tragic, but fun experience of three generations of gays, who found themselves trapped in a beauty parlor on the day Super Typhoon Yolanda hits their province.
Showing resiliency and strength as the typhoon rages, the three entertain themselves by talking about their favorite topic: beauty pageants.
Show: July 13 at 6 p.m.
Venue: Bulwagang Amado Hernandez
ASALTO
Written by Dominic Lim. Directed by Yong Tapang. Cast: Mosang, Via Antonio, Noel Escondo, Raflesia Bravo, and Erick Sindol.
Synopsis: On the night of her fifth “fake stroke,” a hypochondriac mother tries to convince her two sons and daughter that tonight is the night that she will finally die.
Show: July 13 at 6 p.m.
Venue: Bulwagang Amado Hernandez
