Cover Official poster for the Virgin Labfest in the Visayas (VLF Lab-As)
Official poster for the Virgin Labfest in the Visayas (VLF Lab-As)
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A festival of 7 new plays in the Hiligaynon language is running from November 15 to 18 at The Negros Museum’s Black Box Theatre.
Representation is of the utmost importance today, and it’s about time our Hiligaynon-speaking community receive the acknowledgement it deserves. To promote one of the most vital cultural facets of the Visayas—the Hiligaynon language, the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) sets the stage in Bacolod City for the Virgin Labfest in the Visayas (VLF Lab-As), showcasing seven unstaged one-act plays by both emerging and veteran Visayan playwrights.
In collaboration with Bacolod-based theatre company The Performance Laboratory (PerfLab) and Manila-based independent playwrights group The Writer’s Bloc, the festival runs from November 15 to 18 at the Negros Museum’s Black Box Theatre.
Festival director Tanya Lopez remarks Visayas boasts a vibrant, diverse and dynamic theatre scene, and it’s high time we spotlight this integral part of our rapidly growing creative industries.
More from Tatler: Shaun Ocrisma on passion versus practicality, and what it means to be an emerging actor in today’s theatre scene
Set A
Above Playwright Rolin Migyuel Obina
Above 'Ang pag-ulianon ni Olivia Menzon' dir. Rene Hinojales
Playwright Rolin Migyuel Obina
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'Ang pag-ulianon ni Olivia Menzon'
75-year-old Olivia Mendoza resides in a home for the elderly. While grappling with Alzheimer’s disease, Mendoza confronts painful memories of her dark past, including a turbulent relationship with the man she loves.
Above Playwright Fundador Tipon II
Above 'Sa Likod sang Maskara' dir. Milton Dionzon
Playwright Fundador Tipon II
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Sa Likod sang Maskara
At the annual celebration of the Electric MassKara Festival, two electricians, Taguy and Atan, attempt to troubleshoot a glitch in a giant mask decoration at the top of a high-rise hotel. Taguy’s fiancée, Sonia, eventually joins them, and together, they confront the overall dynamic of their friendship.
Above Playwright Jasper Villasis
Above 'Ang Sweatshop, Ang Aparador, kag ang Pinakatig-a nga Ismagol sa Bilog nga Kalibutan' dir. Rodolfo Reveche
Playwright Jasper Villasis
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Ang Sweatshop, Ang Aparador, kag ang Pinakatig-a nga Ismagol sa Bilog nga Kalibutan
A slave worker turned unionist, and his lover are reunited and discuss the tumultuous events revolving around the fire that decimated the slipper factory where he worked.
Set B
Above Playwright Venise Buenaflor
Above 'Dorm 425' dir. Mai Montelibano
Playwright Venise Buenaflor
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Dorm 425
Four incarcerated women sharing a single prison cell anticipate the long-awaited release of one of their own. In tackling secrets and personal dilemmas, the tension elevates when an unexpected incident forces each woman to confront their demons.
Above Playwright Vicente Garcia Groyon
Above 'Victim' dir. Jade Snow Dionzon
Playwright Vicente Garcia Groyon
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Victim
Consent and the politics of sexual violence come into question when a young woman and an older man cross paths. What happened between them, and what exactly is the cause for concern?
Set C
Above Playwright Rocky Nicor
Above 'Sin-o ang naglansang kay Kristo' dir. Alejandro Deoma
Playwright Rocky Nicor
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Sin-o ang naglansang kay Kristo
Conflict arises when a slate of Barangay officials in charge of celebrations for Holy Week organises a performance of Taltal, a religious tradition performed during Good Friday.
Above Playwright Roger Joshua Venzal
Above 'Kapoy na ko mangin Superhero' dir. Tanya Lopez
Playwright Roger Joshua Venzal
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Kapoy na ko mangin Superhero
A group of individuals with superhero abilities find themselves involved with a secret organisation dedicated to maintaining amity in the city. However, one of them begins to question if the sacrifice is worth the glory of hero-dom.
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Images: Courtesy of the Cultural Center of the Philippines
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About
Julianna has been interested in leading a literary life since she first read Frances Hodgson Burnett's A Little Princess at eight. Before working with Tatler, she was an archive intern at The Center for Fiction in Brooklyn, New York. She is a textbook Pisces who devotes most of her spare time to her crochet projects, watching classic films, and going through her never-ending pile of unread books. She studied creative writing, global literature and art history at Sarah Lawrence College, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2022. Toni Morrison, Nora Ephron, Clarice Lispector and Jia Tolentino are among her all-time favourite writers.
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Julianna writes about fashion, beauty, sustainability, and the arts. She is always keen on conducting interviews with talented women who are changing the game in their respective fields.
For event invites and story leads, hit her up at julianna.cabili@tatlerasia.com
