Get Cultured: Must-Watch Plays this August
By Therese Aseoche
August is the perfect month to show elevated appreciation for Filipino talent and culture. So don’t stop with Cinemalaya 2016! Save up and watch these plays around the metro to get your Buwan ng Wika mood going!
8. Kabilang Ibayo
DLSU Harlequin Theater Guild challenges the ASEAN integration with its staging of Kabilang Ibayo written by 20th Palanca Hall of Fame Awardee and renowned playwright Nicolas Pichay. It is composed of three comedic plays that explore the relationships between countries, reminding us of current strains among nations. For tickets, contact Geordina Carla Uy at 0917 546 3401. Visit the Theater Guild’s Official Facebook Page for more details.
7. Tribes
Tribes tackles the sense of community and belonging that a deaf person must struggle with identifying, in a place where he needs it most—his home. Watch this play, and it might just inspire you to learn sign language in your free time! Buy your tickets at TicketWorld.
6. Florante at Laura
If your Filipino class back in high school wasn’t enough to spark your appreciation for this literary masterpiece, then watching this stage adaptation just might! For tickets, contact (02) 998 5622 or (02) 872 0261, and visit Gantimpala Theater Foundation’s Official Facebook page for more details.
5. The Normal Heart
In a country that hushes talk on the HIV-AIDS crisis, The Normal Heart becomes a relevant and must-see play. It narrates the early rise of the disease among the gay community of New York City in the 1980s, and how the majority are quick to judge and condemn. This play was staged last year and makes a comeback this August to remind us again of the similarities between the setting and our situation, and whether it’s enough to spark action. Get your tickets at TicketWorld.
4. Emperor’s New Clothes
Looking for a play your kids will appreciate? Take them to see Emperor’s New Clothes on the first weekend of the month at St. Scholastica’s College Manila. Staged by Kids Acts Philippines, it will both entertain and educate the young ones about the importance of forgiveness, honesty, and humility. Don’t worry; there won’t be any real nudity involved! Purchase your tickets at TicketWorld.
3. Love/Sick
Get a dose of feels in this one-act play of love and heartbreak. Love/Sick follows nine couples and the problems they face in their relationships ranging from the predictable to the not-so-typical. It’s light-hearted and funny at best; perfect for a Saturday evening date. Get your tickets at TicketWorld.
2. La Voix Humaine
La Voix Humaine (The Human Voice in English) is a one-act opera about a woman who contemplates suicide due to her failed relationship with a man who she suspects has moved on to someone else. The opera stars Kay Balajadia-Liggayu as Soprano, and Rudolf Golez on piano. Get your tickets for the August 28 and 30 showing at TicketWorld.
1. ANTology Night 2
If open mic, literary events suit your lifestyle more, attend ANTology Night 2 by Langgam Performance Troupe. It will be an evening full of poetry reading, monologues, performance art, spoken word, and more to either entertain you or smother you with hugot. For tickets, contact Jacq Nacu-Garcia at 0927 167 4225. Visit Langgam Performance Troupe’s Official Facebook page for more details.
Which plays are you excited to watch in August? Tell us in the comments below!
