unSAULicited

Tanghalang Ateneo, the longest-running theater company of the Loyola Schools of Ateneo de Manila, will be showcasing in its 44th Theater Season, Reformatio | Pagbabagong-hugis, a full-length adaptation of the classic theatrical comedy Tartuffe o Ang Manloloko as translated by National Artist Rolando S. Tinio, and directed by seasoned director Ron Capinding Tartuffe follows the story of the pious fraud Tartuffe’s growing influence over socially-conscious Orgon and his mother, Madame Pernelle, which leads Orgon’s family to make the pair discover his hypocrisy and pretentious divine authority. However, a series of events unintentionally embed Tartuffe, once a vagrant, well into the family that they risk losing everything if he gets his way. Together, Orgon’s family tries to unravel the reality within Tartuffe and escape their family’s impending disgrace and dispossession. In line with Tanghalang Ateneo’s 44th season aptly themed Reformatio | Pagbabagong-hugis, the retelling of thi...

Are you ready to watch the latest musical theater treat from Ateneo Blue Repertory (blueREP)?  Presented by Rizal Library, and Co-Presented by Areté, Zsazsa Zaturnnah the Musical... 'Yun Lang! is a cult classic comedy based on the graphic novel by Carlo Vergara, with Music and Lyrics by Vincent A. De Jesus, and Stage Adaptation by Chris Martinez.  The show deals with otherworldly proportions about what it means to be queer in the Philippines. Sometimes, in the end, it takes something out of this world to bring you the truth of who you are, the range of what you can do, and the love that's been right beside you this whole time. The cast includes award-winning performer, singer, actress, entrepreneur, and social media influencer Kim Molina as Zsazsa; Phi Palmos, Adrian Lindayag, and Shaun Ocrisma as Ada; Joshua Cabiladas, Almond Bolante and Robert Bradley Hao as Didi;  Juan Carlos Galiano, Jude Matthew Sevilla and Elian Dominguez as Dodong; Kakki Teodoro, Anyah de Guzman as...

Broadway International Group and Broadway Asia are pleased to announce that Karylle Tatlonghari and Markki Stroem will join the International Touring cast for its Manila Season of The Sound of Music. Karylle Tatlonghari is taking on the role of Baroness Elsa von Schraeder, the beautiful, cosmopolitan woman with her eyes set firmly on the Captain. Markki Stroem will play the handsome Rolf, the delivery boy with his eyes on the attractive Liesl in “Sixteen Going On Seventeen.” “We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Karylle and Markki into the company.” says producer Marc Routh, “Having done many shows in Manila over the years with stars like Lea Salonga in Cinderella, Filipinos are known around the world over for their spectacular talents - so we when the opportunity for us to cast two roles out of the Philippines, how could we say no?” he continues, “...we are so excited to see them both step into these iconic roles. We have so much confidence in their abilities as performers and we are...

QUEZON CITY, Philippines – Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) makes a big comeback to live performances with an all-new original Filipino musical,  Walang Aray. Playwright Rody Vera reveals that  Walang Aray  was initially written in 2007 as a screenplay commissioned by Jun Reyes, the award-winning filmmaker, veteran advertising director, and founder of the top creative content agency Indie.Go Media. Fittingly so, Reyes is the great-grandson and creative heir of Severino Reyes, who wrote the famous 1898 zarzuela  Walang Sugat , on which  Walang Aray  is based.  The Indie.Go Media film project, however, did not push through as initially planned. Vera says, “I had so much fun writing the screenplay, but unfortunately, the cost of doing such a wonderful musical film was much too high. The piece was shelved, and for more than ten years, it remained in the ‘baul.’” In 2018, Vera presented  Walang Aray  to PETA, and Artistic Director...

Broadway, the West End, and even the Manila theater scene are worlds away from theater kids in Laguna. Whatever theater exposure they have usually comes in the form of YouTube videos or Spotify albums on repeat. So what do you do when the theater bug bites you? Xavier School Nuvali, the youngest Jesuit school in the Philippines, is the latest breeding ground for the future of Philippine theater. The Jesuits, known for their affinity for the arts - especially drama - are seriously investing in honing the talent of their students. As face-to-face schooling comes back, so do the curtains rise in Xavier Nuvali. Almost every day of the week, the school is abuzz with student actors singing, dancing, and acting in the corridors. Apart from the daily grind of academics, which each student-actor prioritizes, the excitement of after-school theater programs is a favorite of many a Xaverian. This year, Xavier School Nuvali’s theater clubs are slated to usher in the return of in-person perfor...

What started as a story of desperation has turned into a beautiful transformation. Mindanao Gold Star Daily columnist David Haldane shares his adventures as he uproots himself and his wife, Ivy, to the magical Philippine Island of Siargao in a new book entitled A Tooth in My Popsicle. The story recalls Haldane’s journey of leaving his life in Los Angeles, California, to move to his wife’s hometown on the famous but oh-so-foreign island paradise. This book is a compilation of essays about his experience, from first inviting his now-wife to America for a new life to the beauty of hope with two young children. “I wrote this book to tell the story of a transformative adventure, sometimes frightening, often frustrating, occasionally hilarious, but always, I hope, entertaining,” Haldane explained. “I hope A Tooth in My Popsicle motivates other dreamers to pursue what their hearts truly desire.” Haldane is a former Los Angeles Times staff writer with over twenty years of experience at t...