In a midnight livestream, Virgin Labfest (VLF) 2020 festival director JK Anicoche announced that the annual theater festival of the Cultural Center of the Philippines will migrate fully online.
The move is in response to the COVID-19 crisis, which has put Luzon under enhanced community quarantine and under stringent social distancing regulations. Because of this, many productions have been postponed and canceled, along with several other festivals.
[READ: The show cannot go on: Canceled theater shows this March]Dubbed #Kapit, a Virtual Labfest: Lockdown Edition, VLF 2020 will feature nine new works (from the originally slated 12), three revisited plays and six new staged readings.
Among the new works to be presented during the virtual theater festival are:
- Blackpink – written by Tyron Casumpang, directed by Jethro Tenorio
- Doggy – written by Dustin Celestino, directed by Roobak Valle
- Titser Kit – written by Jobert Grey Landeza, directed by Adrienne Vergara
- Mayan Bubot sa Tag-araw – written by Norman Boquiren, directed by Mark Mirando
- Multiverse – written by Juliene Mendoza, directed by Fitz Edward Bitana
- Gin Bilog – written by Luis Nario directed by James Harvey Estrada
- Dapit Hapon – written by Jay Crisostomo, directed by Sig Pecho
- Pilot Episode – written by Floyd Tiogangco, directed by Giancarlo Abrahan
- Papaano Turuan Ang Babae Humawak ng Baril – written by Daryl Pasion, directed by Erika Estacio
The three revisited plays for 2020 include “Anak Ka Ng,” “Wanted: Male Borders” and “Fangirl.”
Aside from the plays, VLF will also be having four roundtables featuring directors, designers, stage managers and prod managers, as well as a program called “VLF Cross-media: from page to stage to movies.”
The writing fellowship program and playwrights fair will also move online.
Anicoche says the plays staged virtually will also be included in next year’s lineup.
The Virtual Labfest is set to take place June this year.
Header image courtesy of Tanghalang Pilipino
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Writer: PAULINE MIRANDA
