Raw theater at Virgin LabFest 9

[See original image here.]

MANILA, Philippines – Raw emotions, raw art, raw performances. These are what Virgin LabFest is all about.

A festival of one-act plays by established and emerging Filipino playwrights, Virgin LabFest is being held at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) until July 7.

Below is the schedule of performances and the synopsis of each play. Tickets cost P300 each. For more information, visit the CCP website.

July 3, Wednesday 

3pm – Venue: Tanghalang Huseng Batute

• Pamamanhikan
• Kung Paano Ako Naging Leading Lady
• Ambong Abo

6pm – Venue: Bulwagang Amado Hernandez

• Minsan May Pumara 

8pm – Venue: Tanghalang Huseng Batute

• Pramoedya

July 4, Thursday

3pm – Venue: Tanghalang Huseng Batute

• Pramoedya

8pm – Venue: Tanghalang Huseng Batute

• Unang Regla ni John
• Panagsubli
• Kuneho

July 5, Friday

3pm – Venue: Tanghalang Huseng Batute

• Unang Regla ni John
• Panagsubli
• Kuneho

6pm – Venue: Bulwagang Amado Hernandez

• Jun Ispater

8pm – Venue: Tanghalang Huseng Batute

• Pamamanhikan
• Kung Paano Ako Naging Leading Lady
• Ambong Abo

July 6, Saturday

3pm – Venue: Tanghalang Huseng Batute

• Kudeta! Kudeta!
• Kapit
• Imbisibol

8pm – Venue: Tanghalang Huseng Batute

• Isang Daan
• Chipline (in Cebuano)
• Owel

July 7, Sunday

3pm – Venue: Tanghalang Huseng Batute

• Isang Daan
• Chipline
• Owel

6pm – Venue: Bulwagang Amado Hernandez

• Writing Fellowship Showcase

8pm – Venue: Tanghalang Huseng Batute

• Kudeta! Kudeta!
• Kapit
• Imbisibol

Synopses

1. “Kudeta! Kudeta!” – Written by Jimmy Flores and directed by Ariel Yonzon

A coma patient and a fallen angel plot to remove Lucifer from power. It’s good versus evil and the grey area in between.

2. “Kapit” – Written by George de Jesus and directed by Melvin Lee

An older woman scolds a younger man in a bedroom. But as the argument unfolds, what at first seems like a mother-son relationship reveals more layers of attachment and detachment. This is the first Virgin LabFest play to be totally written in Cebuano.

3. “Imbisibol” – Written by Herlyn Alegre and directed by Lawrence Fajardo

A Filipino illegal worker in Japan kills a man who threatens to expose his identity to the police. He contemplates going further underground, a choice that can render him invisible not only to the authorities but to his family, loved ones and, ultimately, to himself.

4. “Isang Daan” – Written by Liza Magtoto and directed by Ed Lacson Jr

A man with a Katipunero hero for a great grandfather tries to stop a mayor from building a highway on the street named after his famous ancestor. An informal settler and an NGO worker also have their reasons for wanting to save the street. What else makes this street worth saving?

5. “Chipline” – Written by Dominique La Victoria and directed by Charles Yee

The lives of 3 children in Bukidnon are shaken when they find out that a zipline will be buily on the site of their beloved playground. 

6. “Owel” – Written by Eljay Castro Deldoc and directed by Marlon Rivera

A pair of ex-lovers attempt closure while in an infirmary in Makati. Sexual innuendo and heartbreak are set against the clinical backdrop of the facility. 

7. “Pamamanhikan” – Written by Bernadette Neri and directed by JK Anicoche

Esther’s daughter is coming home with her lover. Esther doesn’t know how to deal with the impending meeting. She and her friend Ibyang try to find the perfect solution while preparing her daughter’s favorite dish.

Here is a behind the scenes look at ‘Pamamanhikan’:

8. “Ambong Abo” – Written by Em Mendez and directed by Roobak Valle

Ambo, a copra farmer from Bicol, goes to New York where his youngest daughter has immigrated. He claims to be the son of two powerful beings from Bicol lore: Daragang Magayon and Handyong. Ambo’s visions and actions bridge the lives of his youngest daughter and his eldest, a submissive abaca weaver he left in Bicol.

READ: The promise of Daragang Magayon

9. “Kung Paano Ako Naging Leading Lady” – Written by Carlo Vergara and directed by Chris Martinez

This tragicomedy centers on Mely, a domestic helper who must deal with unconventional employers for the sake of her family. Things get complicated when her sister enters the picture, reminding her of a disturbing past.

10. “Pramoedya” – Written by Benjamin Pimentel and directed by Chris Millado

Indonesian novelist Pramoedya Ananta Toer is a political prisoner during the Suharto regime. Banned from reading or writing, he secretly composes a novel by narrating the story to his fellow prisoners. He takes inspiration from the revolution of Filipinos against Spanish colonizers.

A Filipino journalist travels to Indonesia to write about Pramoedya. The two stories mirror one another to reflect on the Indonesian and Filipino experience.

11. “Pagsubli” – Written by Aizel Cabilan and directed by Melvin Lee

An old native man from Sagada and a soon-to-be-wed woman from Manila meet in a rundown waiting shed by the road in Sagada. While waiting and conversing, they discover each other’s story and how they know each other. The play features Kangkanaey language and lullabies.

12. “Ang Unang Regla ni John” – Written by Em Mendez and directed by Gregorio de Jesus III

A boy comes of age surrounded by his hyper-machismo family. Despite the premium put on all things macho, he dreads the growth of his pubic hair and adores the hairlessness of women. After he discovers hair in his private parts, he attempts to shave it off.

13. “Kuneho” – Written by Guelan Luarca and directed by Emmanuel Dela Cruz

For P4 million each, 5 men are hired by a mysterious employer to perform a strangely simple task: transfer a loaded body bag from one room to another. But the task is not as simple as it looks.

– With reports from Pia Ranada/Rappler.com