In Virgin Labfest, the actions behind the stage curtain are as fascinating as what is happening on the stage. Behind-the-scene stories are so palatable with no sawafactor; you can savor each with gusto.
A random chit chat with the playwrights, actors, directors, and/or production staff, you’ll get intellectual conversations and discussions, as well as gossip, intrigues, and juicy details. There were so many BTS stories in the theater of untried, untested and unstaged one-act plays that you could possibly come up with a book (probably with a sequel).
In one of our random encounters with production manager Nikki Torres, who handled VLF for 12 years, she shared some interesting facts that even the most ardent fan of the festival might not know or have forgotten.
Do you know who the oldest playwright to join VLF is?
It was the late National Artist F. Sionil Jose. He was 81 when he submitted his play Dong-Ao, which was featured in VLF 2008. Dong-Ao, which means a traditional Ilokano funeral ceremony where relatives and friends pay tribute to the deceased, was set during the funeral of Pepe Samson, one of the lead characters in his Rosales Saga novels. As people pay respect, the divergent views of the play’s characters depict a fragmented nation, teetering between complete collapse and newfound hope and direction.
And, who is the youngest? Reya Laplana was only 15 years old when her first play, Sa Lilim, was performed in VLF 2014.
Do you remember who were the featured playwrights who kicked off the first ever run of VLF in 2005? Let’s refresh your memory.
VLF’s debut run showcased works by Allan Lopez who submitted his 2004 Palanca Award-winning play Anatomiya ng Pag-ibig; the late Elmar Ingles who wrote Serbis; Debbie Ann Tan entered Fate’s Line; VLF Writing Fellowship Workshop mentor Glenn Mas Sevilla with his Rite of Passage; J. Dennis Teodosio whose play Gee Gee at Waterina later turned into a short film; Vincent de Jesus sent his Ateng; Eugene Evasco and Chris Martinez who co-wrote Ars Poetica; and Lani Montreal and her Sister-Out-Law.
And while most of the featured plays are either performed in Filipino and/or English, there were six VLF plays written in regional languages – Rite of Passage (Kinaray-a), Pagsubli by Aizel Cabili (Iloko), Chipline by Dominique La Victoria (Cebuano), Bata Sa Drum by Dominique La Victoria (Cebuano), Ang Mga Puyong by Ryan Machado (O Han), and Ang Sugilanon ng Kabiguan ni Epefanio by May Cardoso (Cebuano).
There are 11 VLF plays that have been adapted from the page to the stage. They are: First Snow of November by Alvin Dacanay, based on The Day the Dancers Came by Bienvenido N. Santos; Suor Clara by the late Floy Quintos, inspired by Dr. Jose Rizal’s famous novel Noli Me Tangere; Hindi Ako Si Darna by Maynard Manansala and U Eliserio Andoy Ranay, inspired by the characters of Mars Ravelo’s Darna; Rite of Passage, adapted from Ma. Milagros Geremia Lachica’s Kinaray-a short story; Pragress by Dulaang Sipat Lawin, differently spelled out from F. Sionil Jose’s Progress; Ang Bertday ni Guido by Rene Villanueva, based on an unspecified story for children; Three Sisters: A Noh Play by Yoji Sakate, inspired by Anton Chekov’s play Three Sisters.
Other plays inspired by literary works include: Bru-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha, Bru-hi-hi-hi-hi-hi by Argel Tuazon, an adaptation of a children’s short story by Ma. Corazon Remigio; Uuwi Na ang Nanay Kong si Darna by Job Pagsibigan, based on Edgar Samar’s short story for children; Jose’s Dong-Ao, a sequel of sort to his novel Mass; Si Maria Isabella at ang Guryon ng mga Tala by Eljay Castro Deldoc, was inspired by Kite of Stars by Dean Francis Alfar; and Lumbay ng Dila by Genevieve L. Asenjo, loosely based on her and her co-writer’s work Ang Nanay Kong Ex-NPA.
With the success of VLF through the years, some of its featured plays have graced the big screen: Hubad by Liza Magtoto and Rody Vera; Paigan by Magtoto (screened as David F, directed by Emmanuel Q. Palo); Imbisibol by Herlyn Alegre; Changing Partners by Vincent de Jesus; and Séance by Oggie Arcenas.
Continuing the success of VLF, Kung Paano Ako Naging Leading Lady by Carlo Vergara even became a musical which ran back in 2015.
Do you know that there are 29 main features and five staged readings which won the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature, one of the most prestigious literary awards given to any Filipino writer?
This year, the Virgin Labfest has planted the seeds for a bountiful harvest with works coming to full bloom, ready to burst (pintog) onstage. Creating a safe environment, the festival remains a platform for unique storytelling and a venue for playwrights, directors, theater practitioners, and stage managers to hone their artistic and creative talents and skills.
Co-produced by the Cultural Center of the Philippines, Tanghalang Pilipino Foundation Inc. and The Writer’s Bloc, VLF 19: Pintog features 12 new plays and 3 revisited plays, with narratives dealing with the complex layers of human experience.
VLF 19: Pintog runs from June 12 to 30, at the Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez (CCP Blackbox Theater).
For more details on the schedule and ticket prices, visit the official social media accounts of CCP, Tanghalang Pilipino, and Writers’ Bloc on Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok.
(With report by Lia de Jesus)