Manila Society of Theater Reviewers Aims to Strengthen Critical Discourse in Metro Manila
A new collective of longtime Manila theater critics has formally come together today with the launch of the Manila Society of Theater Reviewers (MSTR), a group positioned to deepen public conversation around the fast-expanding theater landscape in the capital.
The organization brings together reviewers whose bylines have shaped coverage across major print and digital platforms for years. Their shared goal: to provide a consistent, informed, and accessible body of criticism at a moment when productions have multiplied, new companies are emerging, and audiences are navigating an increasingly packed performance calendar.
While Metro Manila’s theater scene has surged in energy and scale, thoughtful discussion has not always kept pace. MSTR hopes to help fill that gap by championing reviews that offer context, clarity, and perspective—elements that make it easier for audiences to understand creative intent, trace artistic choices, and meaningfully engage with the work onstage.
“Our theater community is thriving, but meaningful engagement requires a reliable and diverse critical voice,” said MSTR founder Nikki Francisco. “We formed the Society to help ensure that productions, artists, and companies shaping our cultural life are met with thoughtful, publicly accessible reviews—reviews that treat this art form with rigor, respect, and perspective. A strong culture of criticism also empowers audiences: it helps them navigate an increasingly busy season, understand the intentions behind the work, and engage more deeply with what they’re seeing.”
Beyond simply cataloguing shows, MSTR sees criticism as a way of preserving the cultural memory of the moment. For the group, reviews function as both record and reflection: a means of capturing the creative risks, shifts, and patterns that define an era of theater-making.
“Manila’s theater ecosystem—dynamic as it is now—is not just a phenomenon of the ‘now’; it’s also history in the making, one show at a time,” said co-founder and convenor Vincen Gregory Yu. “By coming together as a community of reviewers, we hope to contribute to a more robust public conversation—one where reviews and analyses are seen not as gatekeeping, but as forms of care for the art and the people who make it.”
MSTR’s current members include: Vladimir Bunoan (ABS-CBN News Online), Gibbs Cadiz (Philippine Daily Inquirer), Christa De La Cruz (Esquire Philippines), Nikki Francisco (TheaterFansManila.com), Arturo Hilado (Independent), Emil Hofileña (TheaterFansManila.com / Independent), Ricky Toledo (Philippine Star), Chito Vijandre (Philippine Star), Vincen Gregory Yu (The Diarist / Independent)
The Society also plans to present annual awards recognizing outstanding productions and performances across the calendar year—an initiative intended to broaden visibility for the work happening across Metro Manila’s stages.
A central online hub, mstrawards.com, will host member information, updates, and published work as the group rolls out its initiatives. Follow Manila Society of Theater Reviewers (@mstrawards) on Facebook and Instagram for updates.
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