Puregold’s New Theater Festival ‘Teatro Panalo’ Opens Call for Filipino Plays and Musicals
Puregold has launched Teatro Panalo, a new theater festival that aims to discover, develop, and stage original one-act plays and musicals by Filipino playwrights.
Presented by Puregold and produced and organized by Wishbone Collective, Inc., the company says that “… the incubation theater festival is a platform where original works can evolve from script to stage with professional dramaturgical support, production resources, and valuable audience engagement.”
The festival will select 12 original works, consisting of eight straight plays and four musicals, for full production. Each selected playwright will receive ₱100,000 in financial compensation.
Following the festival, one straight play and one musical will also be awarded full-length development grants for further development and potential commercial production.
Festival Director Vincent A. DeJesus says that Teatro Panalo is intended to nurture playwrights while developing new material for the stage.
“We’re looking for authentic voices, fresh perspectives, and stories that deserve to be seen on the stage,” he says. “The festival is designed to help playwrights realize the full potential of their work through collaboration with experienced theater practitioners, while also giving audiences the opportunity to encounter exciting new Filipino stories.”
Submissions are open to amateur and professional Filipino playwrights aged 18 and above. Entries may be written in Filipino or English and must be original one-act straight plays or musicals intended to run for approximately 35 to 40 minutes. Adaptations, translations, and AI-generated creative works are not eligible.
Applicants must submit a completed one-act script, synopsis, logline, playwright’s development vision, and other supporting documents. Musical submissions must also include demo recordings.
The deadline for submissions is September 11, 2026 at 11:59 p.m.
A shortlist of 16 straight plays and eight musicals will be announced on October 6. Shortlisted applicants will then be invited to present their works to the Selection Committee from October 14 to 16.
The final lineup of eight straight plays and four musicals will be announced on October 16. Selected playwrights will participate in Wishbone’s incubation program, which includes dramaturgical guidance and production support leading up to the staging of their works before live audiences.
The inaugural Teatro Panalo festival is currently scheduled to run from February to March 2027.
“Original stories have always shaped communities, reflected generations, and inspired change,” says DeJesus. “With Puregold Teatro Panalo, the next great Filipino play may be waiting behind an unopened script. Puregold is inviting playwrights from across the country to bring those stories to the stage.”
Ivy Hayagan-Piedad, Senior Marketing Manager of Puregold, says the initiative is part of the company’s efforts to support Filipino artists and create opportunities for audiences to encounter new work.
“Through Teatro Panalo, we hope to be present in another meaningful way by creating spaces where people can come together, exchange new ideas, and see Filipino artistry come to life on stage,” she says.
Complete festival mechanics, eligibility requirements, and application details are available through the official Puregold Teatro Panalo submission form.
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