PHILSTAGE AWARDS FOR PERFORMING ARTS Seeks Jury Members

The Philippine Legitimate Stage Artists Group (PHILSTAGE), the country's only organization of professional performing arts companies, invites critics, educators, researchers and regular audiences of theater, music and dance productions to seek Jury Panel membership slots for the 2008 PHILSTAGE Awards for the Performing Arts.

Conceived as peer awards similar to many of the performing arts industry awards abroad, the PHILSTAGE Awards are conferred for outstanding achievements in the performing arts by PHILSTAGE member-companies such as Actors Actors, Inc. (AAI), Ballet Manila (BM), Ballet Philippines (BP), Gantimpala Theater Foundation(GANTIMPALA), Organisasyon ng Pilipinong Mang-aawit (OPM), Philippine Education Theater Association (PETA), Repertory Philippines (REP), Tanghalang Pilipino (TP), and Triumphant People's Evangelistic Theater Society, Inc. (TRUMPETS).

Awards shall be given for outstanding achievements in production or performance, stage direction, original script/concept, musical direction, choreography, theater performance (individual), musical performance (individual), dance performance (individual), production design, outstanding costume design, and lighting design.

While PHILSTAGE administers the awards, the final recipients will be chosen by an independent Jury Panel selected by the PHILSTAGE Board of Directors from a roster of respected critics, performing artists, cultural researchers and scholars, and the general public.

An initial list of invited jury members has been drawn up while a limited number is open to application by the general public. Confirmed jury applicants and invited jury members shall serve a one-year term of office starting January 2008. They shall enjoy the the privilege of watching all PHILSTAGE productions for the given year, to which tickets will be issued gratis. Only those who have watched all the productions identified for awards consideration may participate in the selection of quarterly citations and final nominees and awardees come January 2009.

The PHILSTAGE Board of Directors is composed of TP's Dennis Marasigan, president; PETA's Melvin Lee, vice president; BP's Sandy Hontiveros, secretary; REP's Gigette Tolentino, treasurer, AAI's Leonardo Lim, BM's Susan Macuja, Gantimpala's Tony Espejo, OPM's Mitch Valdes, TRUMPET's Alvin Dela Pena, and PHILSTAGE Executive Director Elmar Beltran Ingles.

Interested parties may email their curriculum vitae to philstage@tri-isys.com with a cover letter stating their qualifications to serve as Jury Member. Applicants from the audience sector may come from any professional, student, government or NGO sector who have manifested a sustained patronage of cultural productions in the performing arts. They should include in their CV a list of productions watched over the past three years.

Deadline of emailed application is on January 2, 2008. Successful applicants will be notified not later than January 3, 2007 and should be available for the Jury briefing and orientation to be held on January 5, 2008, 3 p.m. at the Tanghalang Pilipino Office at the CCP Production Design Center (back of CCP Main Building).

TANGHALANG PILIPINO PRODUCTIONS AND ARTISTS AMONG THE YEAR'S BEST

Gibbs Cadiz has completed his yearly citations of the best in Philippine Theater for 2007, and we are proud to see several Tanghalang Pilipino productions and their artists in the list.

Leading the list are "Ellas Inocentes” (written by Layeta Bucoy and directed by Tuxqs Rutaquio), an entry in the 3rd Virgin Labfest, which is cited as the year's Best One-act Play, and "Insiang" (by Mario O’ Hara, directed by Chris Millado) for Best Full-length play.

"Ellas Inocentes" is described as "A hypnotic, heartbreaking portrait of a pair of warped childhoods, featuring astonishing performances and astute direction. Simply the most compelling entry in this year’s Virgin Labfest."

"Insiang," in turn, is a reworking of Lino Brocka's film into "a brilliant piece of contemporary social realist theater, redolent of the fetid air of lives trapped in shantytown hell. A definitive production, and a triumph for everyone concerned. "

For the performers, citations are a-plenty.

Mailes Kanapi is honored as Best Actress in a play for her portrayal of "Pacing" in "Insiang." As Gibbs writes: "A tour de force. Playing a woman numbed beyond measure and aged beyond her years, Kanapi refused to play her character for sympathy, thereby drawing more of ours with her sensual, bone-chilling performance. "

Also for "Insiang," Mae Paner is named Best Featured Actress in a play. "A gale force of gritty, artless acting, Paner delivered her opening monologue with the grace of a sonic boom, and from there never let go of the audience until the bloody finale."

Two other actors in "Insiang" won nods, though for different productions: Ricky Davao is the year's Best Actor for "Art", while Paolo O'Hara is Best Featured Actor for his performance in "As You Like It."

Other citations for Tanghalang Pilipino productions and actors are:

Best Play (One Act), Honorable Mentions: “Three Sisters” (Yoji Sakate; José Estrella, dir.); “Mga Obra ni Maestra” (Niel de Mesa, writer/director);

Best Actor (Play), Honorable Mentions: Ricky Davao (“Insiang”); Ricky Rivero and Riki Benedicto (“My Padir Is an OFW”)

Best Actress(Play), Honorable Mentions: Sheenly Vee Gener (“Insiang”); Lovely Balili and Ness Roque (“Ellas Inocentes”); Kalila Aguilos (“Ang Mga Huwad”); Abbey Gonzales (“Mga Obra ni Maestra”)

Best Featured Actor(Play), Honorable mention: Paolo O’Hara (“Ang Mga Huwad”);

Best Featured Actress(Play), Honorable Mention: Peewee O’Hara (“Insiang”)

Best Musical, Honorable Mention: “Pilipinas Circa 1907” (musical direction by Chino Toledo, libretto by Nicanor Tiongson; Dennis Marasigan, dir.);

Best Actor(Musical) Honorable mentions: Nar Cabico (“ZsaZsa Zaturnnah”); Miguel Castro (“Pilipinas Circa 1907”);

Best Actress(Musical) Honorable Mentions: Ana Feleo and Lani Ligot (“Pilipinas Circa 1907”);

Best Featured Actor(Musical), Honorable Mentions: Nazer Salcedo and Bong Cabrera (“Pilipinas Circa 1907”);

Best Featured Actress(Musical),Honorable mentions: Jing Reyna, Wenah Nagales and Mia Bolaños (“Pilipinas Circa 1907”)

Read the complete list here.

AUDITIONS!

DAVID HENRY HWANGS’ “GOLDEN CHILD” AND ROCK MUSICAL “EJ” ON THE LIFE OF EVELIO JAVIER AND EDGAR JOPSON

Tanghalang Pilipino will hold open auditions for two forthcoming productions: the rock musical “EJ:Ang Pinagdaanang Buhay nina Evelio Javier at Edgar Jopson” scheduled in February and March 2008, and the Philippine premiere of David Henry Hwang’s “GOLDEN CHILD ” which will run from August to September 2008.

The rock musical “EJ: Ang Pinagdaanang Buhay nina Edgar Jopson at Evelio Javier” is written by Palanca Hall of Fame awardee Ed Maranan with music by The Dawn under the direction of Chris Millado. Auditions are scheduled from 5pm to 9pm on December 19 and 20, 5pm to 9pm, at the Bulwagang Pambansang Alagad ng Sining, 4th Floor, Cultural Center of the Philippines. Those interested must be prepared to perform a song of their choice and another song from the album “Tulad ng Dati” by The Dawn.

“GOLDEN CHILD” wll be performed in both English and Filipino under the direction of Loy Arcenas, who also directed “The Romance of Magno Rubio/Ang Romansa ni Magno Rubio.” Needed are actors and actresses adept in both languages and will be available for the run at the Cultural Center of the Philippines and provincial performances in Cebu and other cities. The roles to be cast as required are as follows:
ACTORS: 1) Asian, 30’s to 50’s. Must have a sense of humor.
2) English or can speak with a British Accent
ACTRESSES: 1) Dragon woman, very much with gravitas.
2) Dragon woman, very shrewd, scheming. Must have good and subtle comic timing
3) Ingenue. Tragic. Must carry emotional weight.
4) Girl who can pass for ten years old and speak with the voice of an 85-yr old woman.

Audtions for “GOLDEN CHILD” will be on Saturday and Sunday, December 15 and 16, from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the Bulwagang Amado Hernandez, Upper Basement, Cultural Center of the Philippines, with call backs on December 18 and 19 at 9:00 am. Sides in English and Filipino will be provided during the auditions.

The rock musical “EJ: Ang Pinagdaanang Buhay nina Edgar Jopson at Evelio Javier” is written by Palanca Hall of Fame awardee Ed Maranan with music by The Dawn under the direction of Chris Millado. Auditions are scheduled from 5pm to 9pm on December 19 and 20, 5pm to 9pm, at the Bulwagang Pambansang Alagad ng Sining, 4th Floor, Cultural Center of the Philippines. Those interested must be prepared to perform a song of their choice and another song from the album “Tulad ng Dati” by The Dawn.

For inquiries, please call Tanghalang Pilipino at telephone number 832-3661 or 832-1125 loc. 1620 or 1621. Visit the Tanghalang Pilipino website www.tanghalangpilipino.com or send an email to tanghalanwebsite@yahoo.com.