Cover Alexa Ilacad receives her first Gawad Buhay award nomination for her portrayal in ‘Walang Aray’ (Photo: Adi Bontuyan)
Alexa Ilacad receives her first Gawad Buhay award nomination for her portrayal in ‘Walang Aray’ (Photo: Adi Bontuyan)
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The Philippine Legitimate Stage Artists Group (Philstage) has released its full set of nominees for the 14th Gawad Buhay, selecting productions from the 2023 season of its 16 Manila-based professional companies
The Philippine theatre landscape fared through the pandemic that some professional theatre companies were brave enough to reopen the theatres with exciting productions in 2022. However, the so-called ‘revenge theatre’ followed in 2023 as more theatrical productions opened and avant-garde companies emerged. We’ve seen university-based theatrical groups returning onstage, as well as the resurgence and continuous flourishing of theatrical culture outside Metro Manila. Leading the charge were the Metro Manila-based professional theatre companies, 16 of which are members of Philstage.
Philstage, the alliance of some Metro Manila-based professional theatre companies, includes 9Works Theatrical / The Sandbox Collective, Actors’ Actors, Inc / The Necessary Theater, Ballet Manila, Barefoot Theatre Collaborative, Culturtain Musicat Productions, Full House Theater Company, Gantimpala Theater Foundation, Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA), Philippine Opera Company, Repertory Philippines, Stages, Tanghalang Pilipino, Trumpets, Twin Bill Theater, Upstart Productions, and Theatre Titas. Alice Reyes Dance Philippines, the new ballet company founded by National Artist Alice Reyes, recently joined the alliance.
For its 14th Gawad Buhay, the alliance’s main award-giving programme, PETA’s Walang Aray is the most notable with 19 nominations.
Read also: 14th Gawad Buhay winners announced: PETA’s ‘Walang Aray’ wins 8 awards
Above Tanghalang Pilipino’s production ‘Nekropolis’ by Guelan Luarca (Photo: Gab Bohol)
Tanghalang Pilipino’s production ‘Nekropolis’ by Guelan Luarca (Photo: Gab Bohol)
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An independent jury tapped by Philstage trimmed the 2023 season (productions mounted mid-year up to the fourth quarter of the year) to a list of productions deserving of Gawad Buhay’s recognition.
Guelan Luarca’s Nekropolis and Mikaela Regis’s Unica Hijas are the nominees for Outstanding Original Script.
Nekropolis is the third work of Luarca’s set of Philippine dystopic plays that tackle, explore, and go beyond the possibilities of socio-political discord prevalent during the last years of former President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration. Although not directly referencing the political leaders of the time, the issues and context that Ardor (mounted by Tanghalang Ateneo), the Palanca Award-winning Dogsblood, and Nekropolis (mounted by Tanghalang Pilipino) were contemporary and very much pressing. Meanwhile, Unica Hijas is a new play written by Regis for Barefoot Theatre Collaborative’s twin-bill production during last year’s Pride Month. Tackling gender identity, the play navigates the blossoming and complications of same-sex relationships among teenagers, particularly of two students in an all-girls Catholic school. Unica Hijas has additional music and lyrics by Nica del Rosario, the lesbian singer-actor-songwriter behind Rosas, which became popular during the presidential campaign of former Vice President Leni Robredo.
Read more: “This isn’t a revolution, this is war”: A review on Tanghalang Pilipino’s ‘Nekropolis’
Above Reb Atadero and Sab Jose in Duncan Macmillan’s ‘Lungs’ (Photo: Gab Bohol)
Reb Atadero and Sab Jose in Duncan Macmillan’s ‘Lungs’ (Photo: Gab Bohol)
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For Gawad Buhay’s Outstanding Book of a Musical, the jury has solely nominated the acclaimed playwright-director Rody Vera for his libretto work in the musical Walang Aray, a contemporised version of Severino Reyes’s Walang Sugat. Together with Vince Lim, they were also nominated for Outstanding Original Score for the same production.
Lim has also been nominated for Outstanding Musical Direction, but he is vying for the title with one of the music industry’s reputable directors, Rony Fortich. Fortich has been nominated for his work in The Last Five Years. Adapted by the Barefoot Theatre Collaborative, the Drama Desk Award-winning musical showcased a simple romance story and its pitfalls. As a sung-through musical, its director, Topper Fabregas, leveraged its songs for storytelling and stage direction, making Fortich and his band an integral element in the production rather than merely being the accompaniment.
Read more: Rediscover the joys and pains of love in ‘The Last Five Years’ musical
Above Gab Pangilinan in Barefoot Theatre Collaborative’s adaptation of ‘The Last Five Years’ (Photo: May Celeste)
Gab Pangilinan in Barefoot Theatre Collaborative’s adaptation of ‘The Last Five Years’ (Photo: May Celeste)
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Fabregas has also been nominated for Outstanding Stage Direction for a Musical. Similarly, Walang Aray’s director, Ian Segarra, is nominated for the same award. Another contender in this category is Jonathan Tadioan for Sandosenang Sapatos.
Segarra’s Walang Aray maximised the stage of PETA to reimagine the Teatro Zorrilla’s stage, backstage, and dressing rooms and assigned extended stages for other settings of Vera’s play. Shifting from zarzuela to modernised scenes with contemporary references, and using the ensemble’s versatility to sometimes become props, Segarra’s direction was absurdly ingenious.
Read more: PETA shakes the dust off the beloved ‘Walang Sugat’ zarzuela by Severino Reyes
Above PETA’s ‘Walang Aray’ (Photo: Adi Bontuyan)
PETA’s ‘Walang Aray’ (Photo: Adi Bontuyan)
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Tadioan’s re-staging of Tanghalang Pilipino’s Sandosenang Sapatos was perhaps one of the most anticipated in 2023. Based on a short story by Luis Gatmaitan, this Layeta Bucoy-penned musical is one of many theatre lovers’ favourites among the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ resident company’s repertoire. Tadioan brought it to the stage with many colours, charging from the material’s fantasy elements, realist message, and uplifting choreography.
Both Walang Aray and Sandosenang Sapatos are head-to-head for Outstanding Choreography and Outstanding Costume Design categories. For choreography, Gio Gahol for Walang Aray and Stephen Viñas for Sandosenang Sapatos. Marco Viaña and Paw Castillo for their costume design work for Sandosenang Sapatos, while Jaylo Conanan for Walang Aray.
Above Khalil Ramos receives his first Gawad Buhay award nomination for his portrayal in ‘Tick, Tick... Boom!’ (Photo: Adi Bontuyan)
Khalil Ramos receives his first Gawad Buhay award nomination for his portrayal in ‘Tick, Tick... Boom!’ (Photo: Adi Bontuyan)
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For Outstanding Lighting Design, the nominees are D Cortezano for Nekropolis, Gabo Tolentino for Red, and Meliton Roxas for The Last Five Years.
For Outstanding Sound Design, the nominees are Jose Buencamino for Red, Happy Constantino for Walang Aray, and Arvt Dimaculangan for Nekropolis.
For Outstanding Set Design, the nominees are Mark Daniel Dalacat for Red, Julio Garcia for Walang Aray, Joey Mendoza for The Last Five Years, Tata Tuviera for Nekropolis and Unica Hijas.
Actors’ Actors Inc’s / The Necessary Theater’s Red was a powerful adaptation of John Logan’s work since its Asian premiere in February 2013. Featuring the abstract expressionist artist Mark Rothko at the height of his career, played by Bart Guingona, Red allowed audiences to view the artist through the lens of his assistant Ken, played by JC Santos.
Above Ash Nicanor in Mikaela Regis’s ‘Unica Hijas’ (Photo: Jaypee Maristaza)
Ash Nicanor in Mikaela Regis’s ‘Unica Hijas’ (Photo: Jaypee Maristaza)
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Santos has been nominated for the Male Lead Performance in a Play award against Reb Atadero, who portrayed the unnamed male character in Duncan Macmillian’s Lungs, which was staged by The Sandbox Collective.
Meanwhile, the nominees for the Female Lead Performance in a Play award are Joy delos Santos and Ash Nicanor for Unica Hijas, and Justine Peña for Lungs.
Lungs is a one-act play that starts with an argument between two characters who plan to have a baby yet are conflicted by today’s problematic modern world.
Read more: Duncan Macmillan’s ‘Lungs’ and ‘Every Brilliant Thing’: An intimate theatrical experience
Above Joy delos Santos in Mikaela Regis’s ‘Unica Hijas’ (Photo: Jaypee Maristaza)
Joy delos Santos in Mikaela Regis’s ‘Unica Hijas’ (Photo: Jaypee Maristaza)
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Mitzi Comia is the sole nominee for the Female Featured Performance in a Play for her portrayal in Nekropolis. Meanwhile, some members of the ensemble cast of Floy Quintos’s Laro are vying for the title of Male Featured Performance in a Play, namely Jojo Cayabyab, Gio Gahol, Phi Palmos, and Ross Pesigan. Laro is Quintos’s Filipinised and modernised adaptation of Arthur Schnitzler’s La Ronde.
Laro has been nominated for Outstanding Ensemble Performance for a Play, head-to-head with Nekropolis. Directors Pat Valera (Unica Hijas), John Mark Yap (Laro), and Charles Yee (Nekropolis) are vying for the title Outstanding Stage Direction for a Play.
Understandably, Laro and Red are the competing entries for the Outstanding Production of Existing Material for a Play, and Nekropolis is the sole nominee for Outstanding Play — Original or Translation/Adaptation. Starkly missing their nominations are Duncan Macmillian’s Every Brilliant Thing or its Filipino translation Bawat Bonggang Bagay by Jon Santos, which premiered together with Lungs.
Above JC Santos and Bart Guingona on the poster of Actors’ Actors Inc / The Necessary Theater’s ‘Red’ 2023 production
JC Santos and Bart Guingona on the poster of Actors’ Actors Inc / The Necessary Theater’s ‘Red’ 2023 production
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For the Female Lead Performance in a Musical award, television and film actor Alexa Ilacad, who made her theatre debut in Walang Aray, and other theatre ingenues Marynor Madamesila from Walang Aray and Wincess Jem Yana from Sandosenang Sapatos are nominated against seasoned actors Shaira Opsimar (Walang Aray) and Gab Pangilinan (The Last Five Years).
Another actor who just had his theatre debut, Khalil Ramos (Tick, Tick... Boom!), is also against some of today’s respected theatre actors for the Male Lead Performance in a Musical award. He is competing against Jon Abella (Walang Aray), Gio Gahol (Walang Aray), and Myke Salomon (The Last Five Years).
Read more: How ‘Tick, Tick... Boom!’ perfectly communicates the anxiety of time running out
Above Poster of the 2023 re-staging of Tanghalang Pilipino’s ‘Sandosenang Sapatos’
Poster of the 2023 re-staging of Tanghalang Pilipino’s ‘Sandosenang Sapatos’
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For the male and female categories of the Featured Performance in a Musical award, we have Kiki Baento (Walang Aray), Neomi Gonzales (Walang Aray), Kayla Rivera (Tick, Tick... Boom!), Reb Atadero (Tick, Tick... Boom!), Bene Manaois (Walang Aray), Johnnie Moran (Walang Aray), and Floyd Tena (Sandosenang Sapatos) as nominees.
For the Outstanding Ensemble Performance for a Musical, Tanghalang Pilipino’s Sandosenang Sapatos, 9Works Theatrical’s Tick, Tick... Boom!, and PETA’s Walang Aray are trying to clinch the title.
Above Gio Gahol and Phi Palmos in Floy Quintos’s ‘Laro’ (Photo: Jaypee Maristaza)
Gio Gahol and Phi Palmos in Floy Quintos’s ‘Laro’ (Photo: Jaypee Maristaza)
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The Last Five Years and Tick, Tick... Boom! are head-to-head for Outstanding Production of Existing Material for a Musical. The sole nominee for Outstanding Musical — Original or Translation/Adaptation is Walang Aray, and the sole nominee for Outstanding Production for Children is Sandosenang Sapatos.
Surprisingly, since many of these productions use video projection and projection design, there are no nominees for that category this year. The 14th Gawad Buhay awarding ceremony is slated for July 9 at the PETA Theater Center.
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Before assuming the Art and Culture Editor position, Franz has always had a penchant for visual and performing arts. He is passionate about exploring and writing about the local cultural scene and rediscovering the country’s storied past and rich heritage. Besides working on this luxury lifestyle magazine, Franz is an avid book reader, local traveller, museum-goer, chorister, and community theatre playwright.
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Franz earned a degree in Journalism from the University of Santo Tomas. He writes about local visual and performing artists and their craft; drinks wines, liquors, and spirits and talks about the creativity of their respective winemakers and master blenders; tries to learn more about business and investments; respects the tradition and artistry that go behind the making of watches and jewellery; and appreciates the genius of architecture and creative design.
As head of Tatler Philippines’ pool of writers, he helps them bring impactful and socially relevant stories to light.
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