Bullet Points for Virgin Labfest 4, CCP

Tanghalang Pilipino, Writer's Bloc and Cultural Center of the Phils. in collaboration with National Commission for Culture and the Arts, Japan Foundation, Boysen Paints and Ms. Mae Paner proudly brings you VIRGIN LABFEST 4 - untried, untested, unpublished and unstaged plays - featuring theater artists from different theater companies, student artists among other artists from various fields.

Festival artistic director Rody Vera culminates these materials on center stage from June 25 - July 6, 2008 at the CCP.



June 25 Wednesday

(Re-Staging)

ANG OBRA NI MAESTRA.
Strengths:
Actors Abby Gonzales, Nympha Gonzales and Cashlyn Cuarez. Costuming.
Weaknesses:
Unsurprising. Dragging. Niel De Mesa’s uninspired direction. Niel De Mesa’s written text. Multi-media set design.

ELLAS INOCENTES.
Strengths:
Riveting. Appropriate pacing. Actors Ness Roque and Lovely Balili. Layeta Bucoy’s text. Set design. Costumes.
Weaknesses:
'thrust' staging.

THREE SISTERS: A NOH PLAY. (Most Powerful of the three)
Strengths:
Engaging. Histrionic. Costumes. Jose Estrella’s elegant direction. Yoji Sakate’s powerful dramatic material. Actors Mailes Kanapi, Marj Lorico, Bong Cabrera and Cheryl Ramos.
Weaknesses:
Set design.

June 26 Thursday

(New Plays)

LAS MENTIRAS DE GLORIA. ( Good )
Strengths:
Poignant. Tuxqs Rutaquio’s intense direction. Layeta Bucoy’s dramatic text. May Bayot’s performance.
Weaknesses:
Set design. Bart Guingona’s performance. 'Thrust' staging.

ANG MGA HALIMAW.
Strengths:
Hilarious. Ensemble performance of JK Anicoche, Amihan Ruiz, Kristine Balmes, Alvin Obillo, Nar Cabico, Isab Martinez and Oscar Garcia. Paolo O’Hara’s actor’s perspective in direction. Set Design.
Weaknesses:
Costumes. Carlo Garcia’s weak points in the dramatic text.

AMOY NG LANGIT.
Strengths:
NONE
Weaknesses:
Tedious. Tiresome. Monotonous. Wearisome. Dull. Toshiisa Yoshida’s mind-numbing direction. Hase Hirochi’s uninteresting material. Set and Costumes. Dreary performance of the cast.


June 27 Friday

PAMANTASANG HIRANG.
Strengths:
Nicco Manalo and Jonathan Tadioan’s performance.
Weaknesses:
Obvious. Inert. Tim Dacanay’s material text. Hazel Gutierrez’s slapdash direction. Set axis.

MASAGANANG EKONOMIYA.
Strengths:
Profound. Deep-seated. Victor Villareal’s formless direction. Incorporation of peculiar techniques and devices connected to theater images and stage directions.
Weaknesses:
Unclear. Fuzzy. Allan Lopez’s nebulous dramatic material.

DONG-AO.
Strengths:
Assertive. Star-studded ( Bembol Roco, Nanding Josef, Carme Sanchez, Tommy Abuel, Dido de la Paz, Monica Llamas and Gigi Escalante ). Stand-out performances of Nanding Josef, Tommy Abuel and Gigi Escalante.
Weaknesses:
Set design. Loud-mouthed ending. F. Sionil Jose’s over-ambitious text for a laboratory theater festival. Chris Millado’s go-ahead stage direction.

June 28 Saturday

ANG KUWENTO NG MENGINGA NG NEW YORK CITY NA KAMUKHA NG BEE-STUNG LIPS NI JULIA ROBERTS.
Strengths:
George De Jesus’ stage direction. Ricci Chan's theatrical presence and clarity in delivery.
Weaknesses:
Superfluous. Unessential. George Kabrisante’s excessive material. Ricci Chan’s occasional clown-around performance. Set design. Too long.

ANG BAYOT, ANG MERANAO AT ANG HABAL-HABAL SA ISANG NAKABABAGOT NG PAGHIHINTAY SA KANTO NG LANAO DEL NORTE.
( Good )
Strengths:
Mirthful. Fastidious. Joey Paras’ uproarious performance. Arnold Reyes’ believable Muslim-accent performance. Rogelio Braga’s opinionated dramatic text.
Weaknesses:
Nick Olanka’s appalling direction. Unimaginative set and costume design. Too long.

GUMAMELA.
Strengths:
Authentic. Dennis Teodosio’s non-toxic theater script. Roobak Valle’s coherent direction. Set. Chrome Cosio, Riki Benedicto and Russell Legaspi’s credible performances.
Weaknesses:
Phil Noble’s poor vocal energy. Slow-paced rhythm. Too long.

June 29 Sunday

MGA BABAENG TOO BRIGHT
Strengths:
NONE
Weaknesses:
Inane. Debbie Tan’s convoluted plot. Ana Valdez Lim’s unvarnished directorial approach.

ANG KALUNGKUTAN NG MGA REYNA ( Outstanding )
Strengths:
Shamaine Buencamino. Tuxqs Rutaquio. Floy Quintos’ spotless direction. Floy Quintos’ valiant dramatic text. Set. Costumes. Music.
Weaknesses:
NONE

ANG DALAWA NIYANG LIBING
Strengths:
NONE
Weaknesses:
Leo Rialp’s dull direction. Ensemble’s distressing performances.

July 6 Sunday 3pm

BRU-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA, BRU-HI-HI-HI-HI
Strengths:
NONE
Weaknesses:
Argel Tuazon's amateurish script. Mayen Estanero's awful direction. Bea Sara.

UUWI NA ANG NANAY KONG SI DARNA
Strengths:
Job Pagsibigan's light but substantial text. cast.
Weaknesses:
weak technical cues. Catherine Racsag's direction.

TERENGATI
Strengths:
colorful. Niel De Mesa's direction.
Weaknesses:
Niel De Mesa's predictable adaptation.