The jury is in

For the Art & Culture section of the Philippine Star, May 26, 2008.

I posted the Philstage press release here on this blog already, but since the paper didn't run it, I thought I'd get it printed by using it in an article. I just added a short introduction.



I’ve been writing about theater for this paper for a short while, less than a year in fact, but in this brief time I’ve discovered what a vibrant art form it is right now. Its got vim and vigor, but you wouldn’t know it by the amount of attention it gets in the mainstream media.

Another thing lacking: a credible awards-giving body. I’m told we now have more than ten groups giving out prizes for achievements in film and video, but hardly any for theater, and none dedicated exclusively to theater. Now we have one: the Philippine Legitimate Stage Artists Group, or Philstage. The awards, dubbed the Gawad Buhay! (accent on the second syllable), will be given out at the end of the year. But every quarter the independent panel of jurors will come together and put out a citation list noting remarkable work by its member groups, lists from which the year-end awardees will be chosen.

Since this is the first year of the Gawad Buhay! Awards, some rough patches are to be expected. A few prominent production companies (most notably Atlantis Productions and New Voice Company) have not joined the group, and since only the productions of member-companies will be considered for prizes, the work of these other companies, excellent though they may be, will not appear in the citation lists. Also, some very creative work is being done by theater companies allied with the academe, but since these are not professional groups, their work will likewise be ineligible for awards.

Still, this is a beginning to celebrate. Below is the press release from Philstage announcing the jury’s citations for the first and second quarters of 2008. My congratulations to all!

(Oh, if anyone thinks up a clever nickname for the award — the Gabby? — let me know.)

Philstage Jury Announces Gawad Buhay! Citations

Productions by Tanghalang Pilipino (TP), Repertory Philippines (Rep), Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) and Ballet Philippines (BP) dominated the first and second quarterly citations of Gawad Buhay!, the performing arts awards program organized by the Philippine Legitimate Stage Artists Group (Philstage).

Tanghalang Pilipino’s Kudeta romped off with a total of nine citations while Rep’s Hamlet and PETA’s Skin Deep tied with six citations each. Ballet Philippines’ Latin Heat placed a close third with five citations.

A Filipino translation of Mustapha Matura’s black comedy about a coup that toppled a country’s president, TP’s Kudeta was cited for outstanding play, stage direction (Floy Quintos); ensemble performance (cast of Kudeta); male lead performance in a play (Mario O’Hara); featured performance in a play (Bong Cabrera and Riki Benedicto); adaptation/translation (George De Jesus III); sound design (Janice Dee); lighting design (Dennis Marasigan); and set design (Tuxqs Rutaquio).

Rep’s Hamlet, a futuristic take on the William Shakespeare classic, was cited for outstanding play; ensemble performance (cast of Hamlet); featured performance in a play (Cris Villonco); sound design (Jethro Joaquin); lighting design (Martin Esteva); and costume design (Faust Peneyra).

Billed as a musical comedy on ordinary people’s search for beauty and happiness, PETA’s Skin Deep was cited for outstanding musical, stage direction (Nor Domingo); ensemble performance (cast of Skin Deep); male lead performance in a musical (Robert Seña); female lead performance in a musical (May Bayot, Gail Guanlao Billones and Isay Alvarez); and original libretto (Vince De Jesus).

Ballet Philippines’ Latin Heat earned five citations for outstanding dance production, ensemble performance (cast of Latin Heat); original choreography (Bam Damian and Alden Lugnasin); male lead performance in a dance production (Biag Gaongen); and featured performance in a dance production (Camille Ordinario-Joson). Another TP production, EJ: Ang Pinagdaanang Buhay nina Edgar Jopson at Evelio Javier, was cited for outstanding male lead performance in a musical (Jett Pangan and Juliene Mendoza) and sound design (Jethro Joaquin).

Other citations include Jose Mari Avellana for outstanding male lead performance in a play (Rep’s Tuesdays with Morrie) and Lisa Macuja Elizalde for outstanding female lead performance in a dance production (Ballet Manila’s Le Corsaire).

Altar Boyz, Repertory Philippines’ production of an off-Broadway musical about a Christian boy band, was the lone qualified entry for the second quarterly citation cycle. The production garnered citations for outstanding musical, stage direction (Charri Arrespacochaga), ensemble performance (cast of Altar Boyz), male lead performance in a musical (Red Concepcion), choreography (Jason Zamora), musical direction (Jojo Malferrari), and sound design (Gidget Tolentino).

Philstage President Dennis Marasigan explained that Gawad Buhay! honors outstanding accomplishments in theater, dance and music among Philstage member-companies. Quarterly citations, nominations, and winners are juried by an independent panel of performing arts practitioners, critics, academicians and enthusiasts invited or selected by the Philstage Board of Directors.

“The jury members are required to watch all productions of Philstage members and only those who have watched all productions are allowed to cast their final votes for the quarterly citations, nominations and winners,” Marasigan stressed. The jury meets quarterly for the citations from which will be culled the nominees qualified to vie for the annual award to be announced and honored in fitting ceremonies during the National Arts Month in February 2009.

Philstage groups together the country’s leading and established performing arts companies which include Actors Actors, Inc. (AAI), Ballet Manila (BM), Ballet Philippines (BP), Gantimpala Theater Foundation (GTF), Organisasyon ng Pilipinong Mang-aawit (OPM), Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA), Repertory Philippines (REP), Tanghalang Pilipino and the Triumphant Peoples’ Evangelical Theater Society (TRUMPETS). It can be reached via email at philstage@tri-isys.com.

Complete Gawad Buhay! citations for the first and second quarters of 2008

Outstanding Play: Hamlet (Repertory Philippines), Kudeta (Tanghalang Pilipino)

Outstanding Musical: Altar Boyz (Repertory Philippines), Skin-Deep (PETA)

Outstanding Dance Production: Latin Heat (Ballet Philippines)

Outstanding Stage Direction: Chari Arespacochaga (Altar Boyz), Nor Domingo (Skin-Deep), Floy Quintos (Kudeta)

Outstanding Ensemble Performance: Altar Boyz (Repertory Philippines), Hamlet (Repertory Philippines), Kudeta (Tanghalang Pilipino), Latin Heat (Ballet Philippines), Skin-Deep (PETA)

Outstanding Male Lead Performance in a Play: José Mari Avellana (Tuesdays with Morrie), Mario O’Hara (Kudeta)

Outstanding Male Lead Performance in a Musical: Red Concepcion (Altar Boyz), Jett Pangan and Julienne Mendoza (EJ: Ang Pinagdaanang Buhay nina Evelio Javier at Edgar Jopson), Robert Seña (Skin-Deep)

Outstanding Male Lead Performance in a Dance Production: Biag Gaongen (Latin Heat)

Outstanding Female Lead Performance in a Play: [No citation]

Outstanding Female Lead Performance in a Musical: May Bayot, Gail Guanlao Billones and Isay Alvarez (Skin-Deep)

Outstanding Female Lead Performance in a Dance Production: Lisa Macuja Elizalde (Le Corsaire)

Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play: Bong Cabrera and Riki Benedicto (Kudeta), Cris Villonco (Hamlet)

Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical: [No citation]

Outstanding Featured Performance in a Dance Production: Camille Ordinario-Joson (Latin Heat)

Outstanding Original Script of a Play: [No citation]

Outstanding Original Libretto: Vincent de Jesus (Skin-Deep)

Outstanding Translation/Adaptation: George de Jesus III (Kudeta)

Outstanding Original Choreography: Bam Damian and Alden Lugnasin (Latin Heat), Jason Zamora (Altar Boyz)

Outstanding Musical Direction: Jojo Malferrari (Altar Boyz)

Outstanding Set Design: Tuxqs Rutaquio (Kudeta)

Outstanding Costume Design: Faust Peneyra (Hamlet)

Outstanding Lighting Design: Martin Esteva (Hamlet), Dennis Marasigan (Kudeta)

Outstanding Sound Design: Janice Dee (Kudeta), Jethro Joaquin (EJ: Ang Pinagdaanang Buhay nina Evelio Javier at Edgar Jopson), Jethro Joaquin (Hamlet), Gidget Tolentino (Altar Boyz)