The madness is hers: Andoy Ranay stars in BOGT Philippines’ 13th of September as it closes the Mondial du Théâtre in Monaco

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On the last night of the festival, a woman sits in a chair.

Her name is Mary Girard—or what’s left of her. Around her swirl memories, phantoms, furies. Her mind, fragmented. Her voice, unraveling. Her body, still.

But the moment? Alive.

This August, BOGT Philippines makes history as it debuts 13th of September at the 18th Mondial du Théâtre in Monaco—the Philippines’ first-ever entry in the prestigious quadrennial festival since its founding in 1957. It’s not just an arrival. It’s a reckoning. One of the final performances of the entire global festival, staged in the gilded halls of the Princess Grace Theater, belongs to us.

And at its center: Andoy Ranay—actor, director, provocateur—playing a woman once deemed mad, now rising in defiance.

The madness reimagined

13th of September is not a retelling. It’s a resurrection.

Adapted by Eljay Castro Deldoc from Lanie Robertson’s The Insanity of Mary Girard, this reimagined staging stretches the one-act original into a searing examination of memory, injustice, and voice. In Deldoc’s version, Mary is 56—older, weathered, and preparing for her last night inside Pennsylvania Asylum. Her past, fractured across decades, descends around her: a mother’s abandonment, a husband’s betrayal, a daughter lost to silence.

But even through trauma, there’s ritual. And in this ritual, there’s rage.

Directed by Riki Benedicto, whose work has garnered both ALIW and LEAF awards, the staging dares to explore the quiet horror of being unheard—and the explosive beauty of finally speaking. This isn’t just Philippine theater. This is Philippine memory, cracked open on a global stage.

A cast built for impact

Andoy Ranay, long known for his electric direction in television dramas like Dirty Linen and Pamilya Sagrado, now turns inward—taking the lead role of Mary Girard in a performance already whispered about for its raw, transformative power. This isn’t a gendered casting. It’s a choice of energy—unpredictable, volatile, exacting.

Joining him are Lao Rodriguez, a stalwart of Tanghalang Pilipino and frequent Virgin Labfest standout (Amoy Pulbos, Mga Alikabok sa Ilalim ng Tren), and Drew Espenocilla, a theater artist from Sorsogon whose advocacy for decolonial storytelling breathes ground into the myth.

Behind the scenes, BOGT’s core team is once again the engine:
🎭 Katreen Dela Cruz – Production and Stage Manager
🎭 JayLo Conanan – Production Designer
🎭 Roldan Lozano – Lighting Designer
🎭 Ces Valera – Projection Designer

They’re not just bringing a play to Monaco. They’re carrying an entire nation’s theatrical vision, etched in fury and grace.

The stakes of the stage

For BOGT Philippines, this is their third international showcase—after Canada (Mont-Laurier, 2019) and Germany (Theaterwelten, 2021 & 2022). But Monaco is something else.

This is Mondial du Théâtre. This is Princess Grace Theater. This is the last slot on the final night, sharing billing with national companies from Lithuania and Morocco.

And in that final act, 13th of September will close the curtains not just on a festival, but on a centuries-old narrative about silence and sanity.

The power here isn’t in spectacle. It’s in stillness. In the quiet act of placing a brown-skinned Mary Girard on a European stage, and letting her burn.

The gesture of gratitude

BOGT’s journey is fueled not by profit, but by passion—and supported by partners who understand the vision:
✨ Fire and Ice Studio
✨ Beyond Concepts Photo Studio
✨ The Office of the First Lady
✨ The Cultural Center of the Philippines

These are more than logos. They are lifelines for a small but daring company that believes Philippine stories deserve to echo across continents.

Follow the journey on Instagram @bogtphl or Facebook /BOGTphl. And if you're reading this from anywhere in Europe this August, get on a train. Find your seat at the Princess Grace Theater.

She’ll be there. Still in the chair. Still speaking.

#sep13mberMONACO #theaterwithoutborders #mondialduthéâtre #philippinetheater

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