The Curtain Rises on Change: Toff De Venecia Takes a Hiatus, Sab Jose Steps In as The Sandbox Collective’s New Artistic Director

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In theater, timing is everything. And sometimes, a pause is not an end—it’s an overture to something new.

After 11 years of visionary stewardship, Toff De Venecia, co-founder and Managing Artistic Director of The Sandbox Collective, announces his formal hiatus from the company to pursue postgraduate studies abroad. As he prepares to take flight into deeper studies on innovation and public value, his final directorial offering—Side Show: The Musical—becomes both curtain call and love letter.

In his stead, the spotlight now turns to Sab Jose—an award-winning actress, grief educator, and longtime Marketing & PR Director of Sandbox—who formally assumes the role of Artistic Director. A theater woman through and through, Jose brings with her not only deep institutional memory, but a fresh creative pulse that promises to reimagine and realign the company’s trajectory.

Legacy and Lift-off

Toff’s name has long been synonymous with cultural advocacy, both in the theater and beyond it. Under his leadership, Sandbox mounted some of Manila’s most thoughtful, risk-taking productions—No Filter, Dani Girl, Next to Normal, F(r)iction, Carousel, The Boy in the Bathroom, A New Brain—shows that defied convention while deepening emotional resonance.

Beyond the black box, Toff was equally prolific: architecting the Anakbanwa Arts Residency Program, founding Galila Arts Festival in Pangasinan, and leading urban creativity projects like Placemaking Dagupan. His work with Buensalido Architects even earned international citation at the World Architecture Festival Awards for Ethics and Values.

On the policy front, he was instrumental in landmark national laws such as the Philippine Creative Industries Development Act, the Gabaldon School Buildings Conservation Act, the Philippine Space Act, and the One Town One Product Act—a constellation of legislation that reads more like a cultural roadmap.

His career bridges stage, state, and studio—a rare feat. And now, it bends again toward learning.

Sab Jose: Grounded Grace, Expansive Vision

Sab Jose is no stranger to transformation. Trained in Musical Theatre at the Guildford School of Acting (UK) and Marketing at Ateneo Graduate School of Business, she has worn many hats over her 15-year career: actress, director, marketer, acting coach, writer, grief counselor. And always, a quiet force behind-the-scenes.

As she steps into this new role, she brings with her both institutional continuity and a clear vision. “Sandbox has grown tremendously under Toff’s visionary leadership,” she shares. “I’m inspired to take on this new challenge while expanding our reach, deepening our work, and staying true to our DNA.”

For Sab, the coming season is about three things:
– Expanding the repertoire
– Diversifying the audience
– Centering arts education and advocacy

Sandbox, under her direction, will remain a platform for cultivating bold work—but also a playground for emerging talent and ideas. Her background in grief work, education, and musical theater gives her a uniquely layered lens—one that will shape Sandbox’s next act with grace and ambition.

Side Show: The Final Bow (for now)

It is poetic that Side Show: The Musical, which opens July 26, 2025 at Power Mac Center Spotlight, Circuit Makati, will be Toff’s final directorial offering for now. It’s the same show that launched his career 15 years ago.

“To be able to bookend this chapter with Little Shop last year and now Side Show is the stuff of dreams,” he shares. “This isn’t goodbye, just a soft pause. I’ll be back—with new ideas, sharper tools, and deeper perspectives.”

Tickets for Side Show are available via ticket2me.net/sandboxsideshow.
Licensing by Concord Theatricals.

Follow the Story

🎭 www.thesandboxco.com
📱 Instagram: @thesandboxco
📘 Facebook: The Sandbox Collective
🎵 TikTok: @thesandboxco

The Sandbox Collective enters a new chapter—braver, fuller, and deeply aware that endings are just beginnings in better lighting.

#TheSandboxCollective #SideShowMNL #ToffDeVenecia #SabJose #Sandbox2025 #TheaterPH #ArtsEducation #AdvocacyTheater #WomenInTheater #SupportLocalTheater

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