MANILA -- Virgin Labfest, the Cultural Center of the Philippines' (CCP) annual theater event for "unpublished, unstaged, untested and untried" plays, will go online this year as the novel coronavirus pandemic continues.
In a statement, CCP said the 16th edition will feature 10 new works, three revisited plays, and six staged readings.
Billed as "VLF 2020 KAPIT: Lab in the Time of Covid (A Virtual Labfest Lockdown Edition)," it will run from June 10 to 28 on CCP's Facebook and YouTube pages.
From June 14 to 28, the shows will be streamed on ABS-CBN's iWant.
Check out the lineup, as described by CCP, below:
NEW WORKS
1. "Doggy" (live on June 10, 3 p.m. and June 26, 2 p.m.) is about a man's fiancee's sexual peculiarity that becomes his source of repressed anger.
2. "Pilot Episode" (live on June 13, 5 p.m. and June 24, 8 p.m.) shows a young gay man who just quit his job through a text message, and how his parents attempt to de-escalate his extreme manic-depressive episode.
3. "Dapithapon" (live on June 14, 3 p.m. and June 27, 5 p.m.) follows the story of three boys in senior high school who have to confront their greatest fears in a single day: flunking out of school, impossible parental expectations, and an unhealthy infatuation with a teacher.
4. "Papaano Turuan ang Babae Humawak ng Baril" (live on June 13, 3 p.m. and June 24, 2 p.m.) shows what happens when a man reunites with his pregnant wife upon returning home from an encounter against the NPA.
5. "BlackPink" (live on June 11, 5 p.m. and June 28, 8 p.m.) tells of a father's discovery that his youngest son who is a staunch fan of Blackpink was prohibited by his school principal to dance "Kill This Love" in their Family Day talent contest, and the only way for him to join the competition is if he finds other male students to dance with him.
6. "Multiverse" (live on June 14, 8 p.m. and June 26, 8 p.m.) reunites two estranged brothers -- a writer and a recovering alcoholic. The two reconnect through their mutual love of comic books.
7. "Titser Kit" (live on June 11, 3 p.m. and June 27, 2 p.m.) tells of a young student who gets into trouble in his new school and hides inside a dilapidated storage room, afraid of what punishment the principal might sanction him with. He feels safe until Titser Kit finds him there.
8. "Mayang Bubot sa Tag-araw" (live on June 12, 5 p.m. and June 23, 2 p.m.) is a painful tale of two Ayta children whose friendship is tested as they choose different paths.
9. "Gin Bilog" (live on June 12, 3 p.m. and June 25, 2 p.m.) focuses on old issues that are rehashed in a drinking session of family and friends.
10. "Boyboy and Friends Channel" (live on June 12, 8 p.m. and June 23, 8 p.m.) was written by Anthony Kim Vergara and is directed by Joshua Tayco. It tells the tale of friends who lost their jobs as production crew members after the timely untimely shutdown of their TV network and find successful making a new career as YouTubers. Now, Boy-boy with his buddies make a decision that forever changes their friendship.
REVISITED PLAYS
1. "Fangirl" by Herlyn Alegre, directed by Charles Yee (June 14, 5 p.m. and June 25, 8 p.m.)
2. "Anak Ka Ng" by U Z Eliserio, directed by Maynard Manansala (June 10, 8 p.m. and June 23, 5 p.m.)
3. "Wanted: Male Boarders" by Rick Patriarca, directed by George De Jesus III (June 10, 5 p.m. and June 27, 8 p.m.)
STAGED READINGS
1. "Jenny Li" by Buch Dacanay, directed by Nour Hooshmand (June 20, 5 p.m.)
2. "Dominador Gonzales - National Artist" by Dingdong Novenario, directed by Bunny Cadag (June 19, 5 p.m.)
3. "LadyMasters" by Rouchelle Dinglasan, directed by Joy Cerro (June 25, 5 p.m.)
4. "Matira ang Matibay" by Bernice Dacara, directed by Alon Segara (June 26, 5 p.m.)
5. "Bagahe" by Nicko de Guzman, directed by Joel Saracho (June 18, 5 p.m.)
6. "Mongoloida's Casa de Pun" by Claro delos Reyes, directed by Guelan Luarca (June 24, 5 p.m.)
Meanwhile, other Virgin Labfest events include an online edition of the playwright's fair, web discussions, and a writing fellowship program.
More details can be found on the website and social media accounts of CCP.
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