"KUDETA" LEADS CITATIONS FOR FIRST GAWAD BUHAY!

"KUDETA" leads with the most nominations in the quarterly citations for the first GAWAD BUHAY! organized by the Philippine Legitimate Stage Artists Group (PHILSTAGE).

The full PHILSTAGE release follows.

PHILSTAGE Jury Releases GAWAD BUHAY! Citations


Productions by Tanghalang Pilipino (TP), Repertory Philippines (Rep) and the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) and Ballet Philippines 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.

A Filipino translation of Mustapha Matura's black comedy about a coup that toppled a country's president, Kudeta romped off with citations for outstanding play, stage direction (Floy Quintos); ensemble performance (cast of Kudeta); male lead 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's 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 Sena); 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 Malfrrari), 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 a 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 in fitting ceremonies during the National Arts Month in February 2009.

PHILSTAGE is an alliance of 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 philstage@tri-isys.com.

The complete list of 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 Original Libretto: Vince De Jesus (Skin Deep)

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

Outstanding Stage Direction: Chari Arrespacochaga (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: Jose Mari Avellana (Tuesdays with Morrie); Mario O’Hara (Kudeta);

Outstanding Male Lead Performance in a Musical: Red Concepcion (Altar Boyz)), Jett Pangan and Juliene 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 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 Dance Production: Camille Ordinario-Joson (Latin Heat)

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

Outstanding Musical Direction: Jojo Malferrari (Altar Boyz)

Outstanding Set Design: Tuxqs Rutaquiio (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)

LAST WEEKEND FOR KUDETA!

A coup has toppled the government and the President is held captive in an undisclosed location. Young military officers consolidate their position by trying to get the President to sign a document confessing to crimes he has committed against the nation. To regain power, the President must use everything in his possession.

Futuristic news headlines from the Philippines?

It’s an independent Trinidad and Tobago, the setting for Tanghalang Pilipino’s 2008 opening salvo, KUDETA! (The Coup), a “wickedly funny play” written by Mustapha Matura and directed by Floy Quintos from the Filipino translation by George de Jesus III.

Celebrated actor/writer/director Mario O’ Hara returns to the stage to star as President Eddie Jones, now facing the very same officers he sent for training in the Sandhurst Royal Military Academy. The Tanghalang Pilipino Actors Company comprise the ensemble that play the coup plotters as well as the characters from past and present that inhabit the President’s life and dreams.

Playwright Mustapha Matura was born in Trinidad in 1939 and moved to London in 1961. In 1974, he was named The Most Promising Playwright by the Evening Standard and is now considered as one of the leading theater figures in Britain.

“The Coup” was commissioned by the Royal National Theater of Great Britain in 1991, enjoying great acclaim, with critics calling it an “untidy and intermittently very funny play about an evidently untidy and intermittently funny country,” making for a “knowing, affirmative and fun evening.”

KUDETA! (The Coup), written by Mustapha Matura with Filipino translation by George de Jesus III, will have its final weekend run with 8pm performances on Friday(February 1) and Saturday(February 2) and 3pm matinees on Saturday(February 2) and Sunday(February 3). The cast is headed by Mario O’Hara as President Eddie Jones, with the Tanghalang Pilipino Actors’ Company. Production Design by Tuxqs Rutaquio, Lighting Design by Dennis Marasigan, Sound Design by Janice Dee, and Direction by Floy Quintos.

Tickets at P500 (regular) and P250(student) are available at Ticketworld (891-9999), CCP Box Office (832-3704) and Tanghalang Pilipino (832-3661/832-1125 locals 1620 and 1621.) Visit the Tanghalang Pilipino website www.tanghalangpilipino.com.