Synopsis and Write Ups SET A KUDETA! KUDETA! A coma patient and a disgruntled fallen angel join forces in a plot to remove Lucifer from power. It’s good versus evil and all the grays in between. About the playwright Jimmy Flores is a freelance graphic designer who dabbles in filmmaking. He has written scripts for indie productions such as Auraeus Solito’s Tuli and Boy, Lawrence Fajardo’s Raket ni Nanay and X-Deal, and just recently, Supremo and Mariposa Sa Hawla ng Gabi for Richard Somes. Kudeta! Kudeta! is his first foray into stage plays. About the director Ariel’s (ARIEL S.R. YONZON) love for the theatre grew through a chiaroscuro of different arts in the palette of his life – good literature, appreciation of fine music of the masters, excellent grasp of language, among others, that all blended beautifully together in his journey, first at the MET (Manila Metropolitan Theater) in the early 80’s and, later, on to campus theatre at the University of the Philippines, through the U.P. Anak-Tibawan, as actor and stage manager. But, his reverence for the arts was bound to bring him to the country’s Cultural Center of the Philippines, where some of the world’s best artists perform. As one who has had the privilege of climbing up the ranks, first as Theatre Usher (as he was then a working student), then, as Project Coordinator (for the CCP Musical and Dramatic Arts Divisions), and, finally, as Head of the CCP Theatre Operations Department, he brings a unique understanding of theatre production work, grasping fully what every facet of theatre entails and giving both artists and stage personnel all that is necessary to give the audiences stellar productions. As a Director, his exposure of 27+ years to CCP performances has given him the expertise to brave innovative ways of presenting abstract artistic concepts to discriminating audiences, in a meandering manner, here and abroad. Among his outstanding works include various advocacies, ranging from environmental impact mitigation (Earth Day Events), to cultural diplomacy/foreign relations (Arts Across Borders), cultural showcases for State Visitors, cultural attaches and the DFA-ASEAN Affairs, international conference galas (Breathe! for Pulmonary Medical Practitioners; Asian Development Bank Governors’ Meeting, Baro: A Cultural Review and Earthen Harvest for the DOF and the World Expositions (Two Rivers, One Heart in Shanghai, People’s Republic of China in 2010; and, Connected Diversities in Yeosu, Republic of South Korea last year) for the DOT as well as various awards conferments (Orden ng Pambansang Alagad ng Sining/National Artists Awards, Gawad CCP, Cinemalaya and the Civil Service Commission Honor Awards). He is currently the Associate Artistic Director of the CCP Production and Exhibition Department and is also a member of the Philippine Association of Theater Designers and Technicians (PATDAT). 1 KAPIT In a bedroom, an older woman berates a younger man much like a mother reminding her son of his future. In the course of the conversation, their relationship becomes more than what it seems revealing how the ties that bind them together is being unfettered. Kapit is a story of the attachments people make, what makes them hold on to the things that they ought to let go. About the playwright George is a playwright, director and actor working as a corporate events writer and director. For the Virgin Labfest, Kapit is his second play and Ang Unang Regla ni John is the fifth play he has directed and the first that has been revisited making him a revisited virgin. IMBISIBOL The play is set in 1992 on an ordinary Sunday in Tokyo. Two Filipino friends, Benjie and Manuel, both illegal workers in Japan, gather at the house of their Filipina friend, Manang Linda, to collect the letters their families send to fictional names they created to hide their true identities. At the middle of the happy lunch, Rodel, another young Filipino illegal worker, barges in declaring he had just killed a man who threatened to report him to the police. His friends suggest that he moves deeper underground by moving to another prefecture, finding a new day job, cutting ties with his family and friends, keeping a low profile, changing his name, and staying hidden for good. Would Rodel choose to stay invisible not only to the police but also to his family and friends to keep his freedom and continue working for his family’s sake? Herlyn Alegre is a Filipino playwright and fictionist who writes in both English and Filipino. She graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s Degree in Creative Writing at the University of the Philippines-Diliman. She was a fellow of the 1st Palihang Rogelio Sikatfor the one-act play category. She is now finishing her MA in Asian Studies (major in Japanese Studies) at the University of the Philippines-Diliman and will be pursuing further studies at Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan as a research student this coming fall semester under the Japanese Government Scholarship. At present, she is employed as a writer and researcher in a government institution. SET B ISANG DAAN (A HUNDRED, OR A ROAD) Ting has a Katipunero hero for an ancestor. In fact, a street is named after him. He wants his Fil-am daughter to feel that Pinoy pride by showing her that. The bad news is that the street will soon give way to a highway which is being built through a mayor's initiative. Ting's Fil-am daughter Bituin couldn't care less, but Ting wants to preserve the legacy of his great-grandfather. An informal settler and an NGO worker also seem to have reasons to stop the mayor from building this highway. What's in this street anyway that they have to fight for it? Perhaps a quest for immortality, survival or something else? About the playwright Liza Magtoto is a freelance scriptwriter for the theater, television, radio, film and video and occasionally a feature writer, editor and artist-teacher. An active senior member of the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA), she wrote the libretto for Care Divas and Rated PG. Her plays have been included in anthologies published by NCCA, UP, UST and CCP. A founding member of The Writer's Bloc, Inc., her plays in the VLF include Hubad and Paigan. Her plays Despedida de Soltera, Agnoia, Nay Isa, Paigan, Tamala and Rated PG won the Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature. Liza also wrote for PETA’s book called Birthings, a collective journal about the company’s nationwide tour of Libby Manaoag Files. For television, she co-wrote Ang Relikaryo, a TV movie which won the 1997 Star Awards for Best Telesine. She also co-wrote the 2012 cinemalaya entry Sta. Nina and will also have another screenplay (David F.) included in the 2013 cinemalaya festival. CHIPLINE SYNOPSIS: The simple, quiet lives of three children in Bukidnon are shaken when they hear that a Zipline park is going to be constructed in their beloved playground. 2 About the playwright Vix is currently a senior studying Creative Writing in the Ateneo de Manila University and is planning to double major in Theater Arts. She is an active member of Ateneo ENTABLADO and occasionally acts, directs and does production work for the stage. She hopes to finish her thesis painlessly and acquire more hats. About the director Charles Ivan Ramirez Yee graduated BS Communication Technology Management and is currently finishing his double degree in BFA Theater Arts in the Ateneo Fine Arts Program. He has received the Loyola School Award for the Arts in Theater. Some of his most recent directorial work include Kataksilan, an adaptation of Harold Pinter's Betrayal, with Ateneo Fine Arts Program, and Laot-Lungsod-Langit: Mga Kuwentong Sama-Dilaut, with Tanghalang Filipino integrated, and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). He has also been seen acting on stage in Sintang Dalisay as Datu Pian-Dao and Taupan, What You Will (Twelfth Night) as Feste, and Lysistrata as Kinesias, all recent productions of Tanghalang Ateneo. OWELL Owel's medical examination unlocks a story of loss, romantic petition, and gender discussions. Sexual innuendos, mentions of heartbreak, and personal strife are juxtaposed against the clinical atmosphere of an infirmary in Makati. Two ex-lovers attempt closure over stool samples and urine examinations staying true to the genre of black comedy plays. About the playwright Eljay Castro Deldoc earned his degree in Communication Arts from the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB). He has been writing for stage since 2009. In 2011, UPLB SamaSining produced his stage adaptations of Ricky Lee's Para Kay B and Jose Rizal's Junto Al Pasig. He also penned several original plays, which include Tanikala, Articulo Mortis, Dahil Iisa Lang ang Mundo, and Ang Favorite Book ni Jude. He is currently working as a full-time copywriter but still finds time to write stage plays for various theatre groups. As one of his cultural advocacies, he is a founding member of Tabsing Kolektib, a Manila-based theatre guild that envisions educating people through the collaborative approach on performing arts. SET C PAMAMANHIKAN Pamamanhikan narrates the friendship of Ibyang and Ester as the latter is faced with the cross of motherhood. Her youngest daughter, Ces, is coming home along with her partner and Ester is confronted with the predicament of how to deal with her daughter’s lover. The story takes place while Ester and Ibyang are preparing all the ingredients of her daughters favorite dish. With the help of Ibyang who is an expert in concocting not just complicated dishes but also that of the most complex emotions, will Ester eventually find the exact recope that compments her own feelings? About the playwright Bernadette Villanueva Neri is a faculty member of the Departamento ng Filipino at Panitikan ng Pilipinas in the University of the Philippines, Diliman where she also pursues her Ph.D.