MANILA, PHILIPPINES – Filipino playwrights, directors, and actors take to the virtual stage as the 16th edition of Virgin Labfest goes online from June 10-28, 2020 on the Facebook page and Youtube channel of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP).
Established in 2005, the Virgin Labfest is co-presented by the CPP, its resident theater company Tanghalang Pilipino, and the playwrights’ group Writer’s Bloc Inc.
Billed as “VLF 2020 KAPIT: Lab in the Time of Covid (A Virtual Labfest Lockdown Edition),” the three-week festival features 10 new works, three revisited works, and six staged readings.
Among the 10 new featured works are “Doggy” by Dustin Celestino, directed by Roobak Valle; “Pilot Episode” by Floyd Scott Tiogangco, directed by Giancarlo Abrahan; “Dapithapon” by Jay Crisostomo IV, directed by Sigmund Roy Pecho; “Papaano Turuan ang Babae Humawak ng Baril” by Daryl Pasion, directed by Erika Estacio; “BlackPink” by Tyron Casumpang, directed by Jethro Tenorio; “Multiverse” by Juliene Mendoza, directed by Fitz Edward Bitana; “Titser Kit” by Jobert Grey Landeza, directed by Adrienne Vergara; “Mayang Bubot sa Tag-araw” by Mark Norman Boquiren, directed by Mark Mirando; “Gin Bilog” by Luisito Nario, directed by James Harvey Estrada and Anthony Kim Vergara’s “The Boyboy and Friends Channel” directed by Joshua Tayco.
The Virgin Labfest Playwright’s Fair, which lends the spotlight to Filipino writers, will also be held online on June 11-14, 17-20, and 25-27 at 8:00pm.
Creating space for young aspiring playwrights, the Virgin Labfest 2020 Writing Fellowship Program takes place on June 16-28, 2020. The two-week mentorship program will culminate with an online staged reading of the fellows’ outputs on June 28.
For the full program, including other online events and discussions, visit the CCP website and the Virgin Labfest FB page.
