unSAULicited

Here's a quick backgrounder: La Ronde (French for "round"), the play from which Laro is adapted, was originally written Arthur Schnitzler in 1897. It exposes the provocative sexual encounters of different members of society across different social classes. There are ten interconnected scenes that consists of two of the characters. One of the characters becomes part of the next scene, to be paired with a new actor. That new one becomes part of the next scene until the last character is paired up with one of those in the very first scene. Basically, Scene 1 has A and B, Scene 2 has B and C, and so on until J and A ends the play. In 2004, the ever-talented Floy Quintos adapted the play to reflect what realities in the gay community in Manila. In the same format, 10 familiar members of this world interact in pairs. Expect power struggles, people winning and losing in their chances at love. The best part for me is how well the actors are. Playing the multiple roles...

“I can do this, you see? Choose me.” First staged in the Philippines by New Voice Company in 2003, “Stop Kiss” tells the story of two women, Callie and Sara, who are assaulted after sharing a kiss. The show returns after 16 years with the same actresses playing different roles — this time, Aliw Award winner Missy Maramara is Callie, and Gawad Buhay award nominee Jenny Jamora is Sara. New York traffic reporter Callie is comfortable with her routine of working from a helicopter and occasionally getting together with like-minded friends. Her life turns upside down when she meets Sara, who has just moved to New York to teach in the Bronx. Their warm friendship blooms into a surprising, tentative romance that leads both women to unexpected places. “Stop Kiss” is an oftentimes funny and moving exploration of what it means to choose love. Joining Maramara and Jamora in the cast are Tarek El Tayech as George, Gabe Mercado as Peter, Robbie Guevara as Detective Cole, Jay Valencia-Glorios...

by Gerone Baladhay When word came out that Floy Quintos’ critically acclaimed play “The Kundiman Party” will once again roost on the theater stage, this time finding home at PETA, murmurs and whispers scattered with both big expectations and unease. Big— because such a well-crafted and thought-provoking story brought a huge impact on its first run a year ago at UP Diliman’s Wilfrido Guerrero Theater, though memorable there is looming uneasiness on its restaging, not in a discomforting kind of way. Rather, an apprehension on how its theme will reach out this post-midterm election period when the country’s political climate is seemingly brewing a storm stronger than before. But the preview show had first-time watchers heavily entertained with the humorously solid lines, soul-touching singing, and relatable connections. Watchers of the first run were pleasantly surprised with the rewriting of several aspects, aptly taking the story to a new level of relevance both as a message and a pe...

The 11th Philstage Gawad Buhay Awards is all set on May 28, Tuesday at 8 p.m. at Onstage Theater, Greenbelt 1, Makati City. It will be open to the public on a first-come, first-serve basis. The awards show, with the theme “Generations,” will be hosted by Carlo Orosa and Kakai Bautista, and will feature an original song aptly titled “Buhay na Buhay,” jointly composed by veteran writer-director Freddie Santos and musical director Ejay Yatco. Philstage President Audie Gemora, who is directing the event, says, “The dream of the founding members of Philstage companies — the likes of Zeneida Amador—was to build a thriving performing arts industry. That dream is now a reality, with several theater companies having been established in the last decade. Workshops are teeming with youngsters while theaters in the campuses are vibrant. The influx of Broadway touring companies in Manila has not put a dampener on the local theater scene. And in 2018, we saw groups that usually stage ...

Ephesus Teatron Group Inc. proudly presents “ REMINISCENCES " - A celebration of 121 Years of Philippine Independence featuring TRIBU. The tribute concert will be held on June 11 (Tuesday) at 7 p.m. June 12 (Wednesday) at 3 pm and 7 pm at the Carlos P. Romulo auditorium, RCBC Plaza, Makati City. REMINISCENCES will feature a repertoire of unforgettable patriotic songs of freedom, love and inspiration to commemorate the 121st Anniversary of Philippine Independence. Songs like Bayan Ko (My Country), the intensely patriotic Sa Mahal Kong Bayan (To My Beloved Country) by Lucio San Pedro, and to with even more patriotic fervor Pilipinas Kong Mahal (My Beloved Philippines) by Francisco Santiago, among many other songs that depict Filipino heroism, will relive the music and celebrate the heroes and brave people who made this country possible and those who defend our way of life. These songs will be performed with passion and energy by TRIBU, a cast of world-class ar...

SHAKESPEARE’S ROSE THEATRE today announces full casting and creative team for its week-long Manila season of Macbeth/A Midsummer Night’s Dream, following a hugely successful inaugural run at its original site in York in 2018. The plays have been selected from across the genres, offering something for everyone, and will be performed in repertory by two companies of actors. Making up the 19-strong Macbeth/A Midsummer Night’s Dream company at Blenheim Palace are Nana Amoo-Gottfried (Ross & Lysander), Alex Avery (Macbeth & Snug), Ellie Burrow (Lady Macduff/Young Siward & Fairy Queen/Peaseblossom), Charlie Cameron (Witch 3/Murderer 2/Scottish Doctor & Puck), Christopher Chilton (Witch 1/Murderer 1/Messenger & Snout/Fairy), Suzy Cooper (Lady Macbeth & Peter Quince), Claire Cordier (Hecate/Gentlewoman/Messenger/Seyton & Hippolyta/Oberon), Maria Gray (Donalbain/Witch 2/Murderer 3 & First Fairy/Cobweb), Paul Hawkyard (Macduff & Bottom), Adam Kane (Mal...

The culmination of a superhero saga nearly two decades in the making is upon us when 20th Century Fox’s take on Marvel’s “X-Men: Dark Phoenix” opens in Philippine cinemas on June 5. The spectacular new blockbuster is part science-fiction thriller, part character-driven drama, posing intriguing questions about identity and destiny. The emotional story of a divided hero, a divided family and a divided world, “X-Men: Dark Phoenix” stars James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Sophie Turner, Tye Sheridan, Alexandra Shipp and Jessica Chastain. The film was written and directed by Simon Kinberg and produced by Simon Kinberg, Hutch Parker, Lauren Shuler Donner and Todd Hallowell. It’s the question at the heart of one of the most enduring storylines in the decades-long history of the X-Men comic books, the Dark Phoenix saga. Written by industry legend Chris Claremont and illustrated by artist John Byrne in 1980, the story in many ways represents the ulti...

Mheco Manlangit, Miguel Suarez, Matteo Teehankee, Johann Andra, and Paul Dominique Galvez join its 50 strong cast. Manila, Philippines--In its 50th anniversary, the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) and J&S Productions Inc. are thrilled to welcome new cast additions to the smash-hit NOLI ME TANGERE, THE OPERA's limited return engagement at the CCP Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo from June 21 to 23, 2019. Lyric soprano Mheco Manlangit joins the cast as Maria Clara; boy sopranos Miguel Suarez, Matteo Teehankee, and Johann Andra to play Basilio, and tenor Paul Dominique Galvez to play Albino. Based on National Hero Dr. Jose Rizal's 1887 classic novel of the same name, NOLI ME TANGERE, THE OPERA, which premiered in 1957 and features the music and libretto by National Artists Felipe Padilla De Leon and Guillermo Tolentino, respectively, broke box office records at the CCP with three sold-out performances last March, which prompted this mid-year rerun. The p...

by  Rizelle Bernadette Dela Cruz Have you ever wondered what it's like to see what happens behind the scenes during a play production? Well, wonder no more because The Dresser gives us a glimpse of what it is like to be at the background of a said production. The Dresser is a play by Ronald Harwood. It is about an aging actor and his dresser who need to deal with the daily trials and tribulations of theater life during World War II. With a star-studded cast, one can't help but be drawn to the interaction of each character as they grapple with each of their desires. The actors superbly portrayed the different faces of devotion: one who has had a taste, one who has had a taste and wants more, one who wants to do it over and over but is hindered by external factors, one who is weary of everything but at the end of the day thinks it has been worth it, one who loves it but now abhors it, and one who always thinks that it is always worth it but is under appreciated. Other t...

Sophie Turner ups the stakes in the most radical and female-led movie ever made in the X-Men universe in 20th Century Fox’s “X-Men: Dark Phoenix” that will open in Philippine cinemas on June 5. In “X-Men: Dark Phoenix”, the team was sent to a life-threatening mission in outer space, Jean Grey (Turner) is nearly killed when she absorbs a cosmic entity that leaves her with powers far beyond anything she or any other mutant has ever possessed. Once she returns home to Earth, she struggles with these near-godlike abilities, but the force inside her is too overwhelming to contain. Spiraling out of control, Jean hurts the ones she loves most. Her actions tear the X-Men apart, and the heroes find themselves deeply compromised at a time when they must face their most dangerous enemy yet—one of their own. At its core, this is a tale of a woman struggling with her personal demons, and only the love of her family—the X-Men—can save her soul, and the world. “This movie’s very different fro...

MUSICA FEUROPA, Far Eastern University’s annual choral competition and festival with the European Union in the Philippines as its principal partner, grows in size and stature every year. The key criterion of MUSICA FEUROPA is that each choir has to perform two songs: one song of their choice written in an official European Union language, and one piece written in any Filipino Language. From just four choirs in 2009 mostly from the City of Manila, the number rose to an all-time high of thirty one choirs hailing from all over the Philippines. What used to be a competition for college choirs expanded to two categories: High School and Open including but not limited to university, church, company, government and other ensembles. Musica FEUROPA has become one of the definitive choral competitions in the Philippines. As Musica FEUROPA begins its second decade, some notable changes will be implemented to intensify the competition. The High School Category expands to a Teen Category to...

By Gerone Jan P. Baladhay Floy Quintos thought that last year’s staging of his acclaimed political masterpiece: The Kundiman Party, was done and done. But this year, just few days after the upcoming national election, the latter find itself rooting a new home atop the PETA stage. The revival will bring us back the beloved ensemble of Shamaine Centenera-Buencamino as Maestra Adela, Rica Nepomuceno as Melissa, Missy Maramara as Tita Mitch, Jenny Jamora (Tita Mitch alternate), Frances Makil Ignacio as Tita Mayen, Stella Canete-Balucas as Tita Helen and Miah Canton as Antoinette, who are part of the original cast. Something to look forward to is the casting of Gabriel Paguirigan who will be making his acting debut as Ludwig, the Maestra’s pianist and colleague; Boo Gabunada as Bobby Valderama and Mr. Nonie Buencamino playing Senator Juancho Valderrama, and who in real life is Shamaine’s husband. Interesting interaction as this couple will have a pivotal scene where the two will b...