SISID to Stage Five Original Radio Plays in ‘Palatuntunan’ This November
SISID will present five original radio plays in Palatuntunan: Dulang Panradyo, the third iteration of its Sketches & Ladders: Performance Lab program, on November 14 and 21 at two venues in Quezon City.
The program explores radio drama as a form of storytelling that relies on voice, sound, and the listener’s imagination. Long established in the Philippines, the medium allows stories to unfold without visual elements, ranging from everyday experiences to more fantastical narratives.
Sketches & Ladders provides local artists with a space to develop and present prototypes or excerpts of their performance projects. This year’s edition features five radio plays presented live, with Nina Torralba and Sof Fuentes serving as hosts.
The featured works are:
To Live is to Love, and Vice Versa
Written by Faith Ferrer Lacanlale
Directed by Nina Torralba
Cast: Jake Collado, Darl Alba, Joy Delos Santos
Ella wakes up to the loud shouting of two seemingly familiar strangers outside her hospital room. Oddly enough, they are arguing about her personal life and romantic pursuits, introducing themselves as her “guardian angel” and her “cupid.”
Amid their endless bickering, Ella gets to process her own judgment and feelings. She finds herself standing at the classic crossroads between love and living, gaining eye-opening insights from these individuals claiming to be her bantay and her kupido.
Palabasin Mo Ako ng Cavite
Written by Markus Aserit
Directed by Gerald Manuel
Cast: Vino Mabalot, Phoebe Lina, Christian Paul Baña, Chris Soc, Jesuh Espina, Earl Decena
Mahirap mag-commute palabas ng Cavite. Punuan ang mga sasakyan, matrapik, at delikado ang mga dadaanan. Kailangang makahabol ni Lucas sa isang importanteng client meeting dahil nakasalalay dito ang trabaho niya.
Pero mamamatay ang aircon ng sinasakyan niyang UV Express, at maiipit siya sa trapik. Sa pagpikit nang sandali, pagdilat niya, wala na ang UV Express, ang trapik, at ang ingay ng kalsada. Nakatayo siya sa isang di-pamilyar na lugar, na parang galing mula sa isang masamang panaginip.
Balat, Balahibo
Written by Gio Potes
Directed by Gerald Manuel
Cast: Jaime Monserrat, Nina Torralba, Vino Mabalot, Darl Alba, Joy Delos Santos, Phoebe Lina, Chris Soc, Jesuh Espina
Balat, Balahibo” is a radio drama inspired by Jack Finney’s The Body Snatchers, set late on Valentine’s Day inside the main booth of 105.5 Radyo Cinco. DJ Marki, a pansexual late-night host of the advice segment HeartTalk, takes calls while an ominous alien invasion quietly unfolds across the city.
As callers like “Iris” (Marki’s ex-partner, Sari) report strange, pod-like plants transforming loved ones into emotionless impostors, Marki grapples with personal romantic trauma. Despite Sari’s desperate warnings that her abusive partner Bryan has been replaced by a pod clone, Marki chooses the illusion of comfort over harsh reality, ultimately yielding to the entity outside the booth.
Mga Kwento sa Biyahe
Written by Ian Roman Odtohan
Directed by Gerald Manuel
Cast: Jake Collado, Phoebe Lina, Christian Paul Baña, Chris Soc, Jesuh Espina, Earl Decena, Vino Mabalot, Robert Jimenez
Inspired by real stories of travelling around Metro Manila, Mga Kwento sa Biyahe is a collection of three comedy sketches, centering around the theme of various experiences to be had in modern Philippine transportation.
One Last Caller
Written by Reign Righteous
Directed by Reign Righteous
Cast: Sof Fuentes, Faith Quintela
Set in 2012, during a midnight advice program on a local radio station, DJ Mama receives a call on the final night of her radio show from a woman who goes by the alias Virgo Girl, a fresh graduate who has recently passed the board exam.
As their conversation unfolds, a story of regret, love, and words left unspoken slowly comes to light. Throughout the night, long-buried memories resurface and unresolved emotions must be confronted before the line is finally disconnected.
Established in 2024 by independent producer and theater artist Gerald Manuel, SISID is a collective that creates spaces for artistic collaboration and experimentation across writing, performance, visual art, and other disciplines. Its previous projects include Sketches & Ladders: Projects in Progress, ESPASHOW: Open Mic Sessions, and HALO-HALO: Artmaking Festival.
Palatuntunan: Dulang Panradyo will have three performances:
November 14, 6 PM to 9 PM – Gedli Coffee, 59 Mahiyain Street, Diliman, Quezon City
November 21, 12 PM to 3 PM – Motherland Studio, 33-A Malingap Street, Diliman, Quezon City
November 21, 4 PM to 7 PM – Motherland Studio, 33-A Malingap Street, Diliman, Quezon City
Tickets are priced at ₱850 for regular admission and walk-ins, and ₱650 for early-bird purchases until November 16 and discounted admission for students, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities. Reservations can be made through the group’s Google Form.
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