Philippine Concerts

Tag: Puregold Teatro Panalo

  • Puregold Teatro Panalo unveils goundbreaking lineup for historic inaugural festival


    Philippine theater history is in the making!


    After months of anticipation, excitement, and speculation, the stage is finally set for the inaugural Puregold Teatro Panalo! From a total of 373 submissions nationwide, only 12 exceptional works have emerged as the festival’s historic first batch of finalists.


    Some of the biggest names in Philippine theater have meticulously reviewed hundreds
    of entries, searching for the most compelling stories, freshest voices, and boldest creative visions. Now, the chosen 12 are ready to take center stage and usher in an exciting new chapter for Filipino theater.


    The highly anticipated announcement took place during a special live event at Cinema
    16 of Gateway Mall on October 14. The selected playwrights stepped into the spotlight
    to receive their ₱100,000 talent fees, officially marking the beginning of their journey as
    pioneers of the first-ever Puregold Teatro Panalo.
    Ivy Hayagan-Piedad, Puregold Teatro Panalo Festival Chair, expressed her excitement
    over the historic lineup and the extraordinary response from Filipino theater artists
    across the country.


    “It was encouraging to see how many Filipino storytellers are eager to share their work,
    and it made choosing only 12 plays especially difficult. They remind us how much Filipino theater has to offer; how live experiences offer authentic connections, and how important it is to create more opportunities for these stories to find their audience,” said Hayagan-Piedad. “With Puregold Teatro Panalo, we hope to give these works the stage they deserve and, in our own way, help Philippine theater continue to grow.”


    The 12 finalists—eight straight plays and four musicals—of the inaugural Puregold
    Teatro Panalo are:


    ● “The Girl Scout Law” by Rhain Arabella Alcoriza
    ● “True to Life” by John “Sweet” Lapus
    ● “Trahedya ng Kamote” by Marjay S. Manalastas
    ● “The Boy Foretold By The Stars (One Act Play)” by Dolly Dulu
    ● “Nothing But Dreams” by Ricardo C. Novenario
    ● “Youngstunna” by Jerom Andrei M. Canlas ● “Walang Maliit na Bagay” by Joshua Lim So
    ● “@HOME” by Edralin Cabrera, Kathlyn Castillo, Michael Ian Lomongo, Marjorie
    Lorico, Maria Teresa Jamias, Wenah Nagales, & J Victor Villareal
    ● “Ang Maayong Balita Sumala Kang Bibo Bautista” by Jude Thaddeus M.
    Gitamondoc
    ● “Baka mali ang Tamaraw” by Emmanuel Benbinuto Antonio
    ● “Manang-Mana Nga!” by Steven Hotchkiss and Jay Pangilinan
    ● “The Fourth Wall Has Fallen” by Heber Justin P. O’Hara


    Behind this landmark selection is an impressive assembly of some of the country’s most
    respected theater luminaries: NCCA SUDI National Music Awardee and multi-award-winning composer and playwright, Festival Director Vincent A. DeJesus; two-time Philstage Gawad Buhay! Award-winning director and accomplished actor Jenny Jamora; five-time Palanca Award-winning playwright Liza Magtoto; actor, award-winning film director, and producer Marlon Rivera; and theater artist, lyricist, and
    Palanca Awards Hall of Famer Atty. Nicolas Pichay.


    Joining the team as Screening Committee members are multiple Palanca Award
    winners Dr. Layeta Bucoy and Allan Lopez, who screened the festival submissions and
    shortlisted the entries. Providing invaluable expertise and creative guidance to the
    festival is its Artistic Adviser, National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts Ricky Lee.


    With such an extraordinary roster of artists behind the selection process, the inaugural
    lineup represents a powerful showcase of the creativity, imagination, and storytelling talent thriving in the Philippines today. And this is only the beginning!


    All 12 finalists will receive comprehensive development and production support from
    festival organizer Wishbone Collective Inc., transforming their winning concepts into
    fully staged productions. Audiences will finally get to experience these exciting new works when Puregold Teatro Panalo runs from February 20 to March 14, 2027.


    The stakes will rise even higher as the festival draws to a close. One straight play and one musical will each be awarded an additional development grant, giving their creators
    the opportunity to expand their works into full-length theatrical productions.


    More than a festival, Puregold Teatro Panalo is shaping up to be a major new platform for discovering Filipino talent, championing original stories, and creating opportunities for the next generation of theater makers. Twelve groundbreaking works. One historic inaugural festival. A bold new era for Philippine theater.


    The future of Filipino theater is ready to take center stage. And when the curtains rise in
    2027, audiences will witness the beginning of something truly extraordinary.

  • Spotlight shines on Puregold Teatro Panalo’s 26 shortlisted one-act plays

    Spotlight shines on Puregold Teatro Panalo’s 26 shortlisted one-act plays


    From 373 original entries, Puregold Teatro Panalo has officially announced its shortlist of 26 one-act plays.


    Straight plays and musicals were sent from a whole host of theatrical practitioners, be they respected veterans of the scene or exciting up-and-comers. All of them took the chance to be part of the first ever Puregold Teatro Panalo, and now only 26 have advanced to the next stage of the selection process.


    Festival chair and Puregold senior marketing manager Ivy Hayagan-Piedad spoke on the significance of the first ever shortlist. “We received a remarkable level of interest in the first Puregold Teatro Panalo,” Hayagan-Piedad said. “The volume and quality of submissions reflect the depth of Filipino talent and the continued vitality of the country’s theatrical community. Narrowing the entries down was a rigorous process, and the 26 represents a compelling mix of stories, perspectives, and creative voices with the potential to be brought to the stage.”


    The 26 shortlisted one-act plays of the Puregold Teatro Panalo include:


    STRAIGHT PLAYS


    ● “@Home” by Edralin Cabrera, Kathlyn Castillo, Michael Ian Lomongo, Marjorie
    Lorico, Maria Teresa Jamias, & J. Victor Villareal
    ● “Ang Huling Panawagan sa Pagdarasal” by Mubarak M. Tahir
    ● “Ang Pagbabalik ng Voltes V” by Neil Arkhe Azcuna
    ● “Mga Diwata IRL” by Jay M. Crisostomo IV
    ● “Nang Muli Kang Makakanta” by Ma. Angelica S. Chiuteña
    ● “Nothing But Dreams” by Ricardo C. Novenario
    ● “Palabas/Exit” by Angel Oclarit
    ● “Pax Silica” by Robert Arlou De Guzman
    ● “Silang mga Bayani’t Banal” by Anthony Kim Vergara
    ● “Soap Opera” by Jerry O’Hara
    ● “The Boy Foretold by the Stars” by Dolly Dulu
    ● “The Girl Scout Law” by Rhain Arabella Alcoriza
    ● “Trahedya ng Kamote” by Marjay S. Manalastas
    ● “True to Life” by John “Sweet” Lapus
    ● “Walang Maliit na Bagay” by Joshua Lim So
    ● “Youngstunna” by Jerom Andrei M. Canlas


    MUSICALS


    ● “Ang Maayong Balita Sumala Kang Bibo Bautista” by Jude Thaddeus M.
    Gitamondoc
    ● “At Bumaba Ang Mga Tala” by John Rey Tayag Magin
    ● “Baka Mali ang Tamaraw” by Emmanuel Benbinuto Antonio
    ● “City in Darkness: A Lockdown Musical” by Senedy Que
    ● “Feverish Time” by John Edrick R. Alcontado
    ● “Manang-Mana Nga!” by Steven Hotchkiss
    ● “Outside Looking In” by Timothy Carlo Racho & Michael Angelo Lopez
    ● “Tagpuan” by John Austin Perez
    ● “Tala” by Jiezl Virmy Chua
    ● “The Fourth Wall Has Fallen” by Heber Justin P. O’Hara


    Festival director Vincent de Jesus believes the shortlisted works demonstrate great
    promise for the festival.


    “It was difficult enough narrowing things down to 26 deserving one-act plays,” said de
    Jesus. “From this bunch, only the very best of the best will make it to the stage in February. The Puregold Teatro Panalo will be a showcase of the many talented Filipinos working in theater today and will be the breeding ground for many great works to come.”


    From the 26 shortlisted works, only 12 will be selected to form the inaugural festival’s lineup. Of those 12, there will be 8 straight plays and 4 musicals, all of which will be staged at the upcoming festival from February 20 to March 14, 2027.


    The selected playwrights will receive ₱100,000 in financial compensation on top of development and production support from festival organizers Wishbone Collective Inc.


    At the end of the festival, one straight play and one musical will receive development grants set to turn these one-act plays into full-length theatrical productions

  • From script to stage: Here’s how to join Puregold Teatro Panalo

    From script to stage: Here’s how to join Puregold Teatro Panalo

    For playwrights dreaming of seeing their masterworks on stage, Puregold Teatro Panalo may be their portal to the world of theatre.

    Puregold Teatro Panalo is now searching for original one-act plays and musicals from which selected entries will be professionally staged for its inaugural festival in 2027. Apart from featuring new work, the festival could propel these select few into full-length productions.

    Raring to submit a script? Here are six things you need to know.

    1. ANY GENRE, STYLE OR THEME IS WELCOME

    Puregold Teatro Panalo is open to amateur and professional playwrights aged 18 and above.

    Potential applicants have plenty of room to experiment. Entries may explore any genre, style or theme—from comedy and drama to experimental work and musical theater. Scripts may also be written in English or any Filipino language, although entries in regional languages must come with an English translation.

    The goal is simple: cast the widest possible net for stories that reflect the diversity of Filipino experiences and voices.

    2. ONLY 12 WORKS WILL MAKE IT TO THE STAGE

    Competition will be tight.

    From all submissions, the festival’s Selection Committee will choose just 12 works for the official lineup: eight straight plays and four musicals.

    All 12 will receive full production support and will be staged during the Puregold Teatro Panalo festival, which is set to run sometime between February and March 2027. The official venue will be announced separately.

    For the select playwrights, this means their scripts will actually be brought to life before an audience.

    3. AI-GENERATED WRITING IS OUT

    Puregold Teatro Panalo is drawing the line at Artificial Intelligence: the creative work must come from the playwright.

    The use of AI-generated plot, characters, structure, scenes, dialogue, lyrics, and other major creative elements is prohibited.

    AI may be utilized for non-creative assistance such as general research, fact-checking, organization, formatting and proofreading. But human authorship is strictly required for the script.

    4. EACH SELECTED PLAYWRIGHT GETS ₱100,000

    Funding goes with bragging rights.

    Each of the 12 chosen playwrights will receive a ₱100,000 fee for their work. Production costs for the festival run, including the professional fees of the cast and crew, will be shouldered by the festival. They may recommend a director for their production, but festival organizers will have the final say.

    5. PLAYWRIGHTS RETAIN OWNERSHIP OF THEIR WORKS

    Playwrights will retain ownership of their submitted works while granting Wishbone Collective the right to stage and produce them under the festival’s terms.

    The relationship could also extend well beyond the festival. Wishbone Collective reserves the right to further develop and stage selected works as full-length theatrical productions for up to five years after the festival run.

    This opens an intriguing possibility: a one-act play debuting at Teatro Panalo could eventually return as a bigger, fully developed production.

    6. THE DEADLINE IS 11:59 PM 0N SEPTEMBER 11

    Applications are being accepted online, with each playwright allowed to submit up to two entries. However, only one work from each applicant may ultimately be selected.

    Playwrights can submit their applications here: https://forms.gle/FxqLrDzivaqNwDx56. The complete festival mechanics are also available in the application form.

    For Filipino playwrights sitting on an unfinished draft—or perhaps an idea they’ve been waiting for an excuse to finally write—Puregold Teatro Panalo offers not just a competition but an actual path from page to stage.

    And for 12 playwrights, that one-act script may just be the beginning.