‘Shorts & Briefs’ Festival to Feature Six New 15-Minute Original Musicals
Update, 8/19/24: The show dates as well as the venue have been moved to October 24-25, 8pm and to October 26-27, 2pm and 7pm at the Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez (Black Box Theater).
The Shorts & Briefs (SNB)Theater Festival by Eksena PH, an independently produced theater festival of short and brief plays that features only first time theater-makers and performers, returns this September.
Celebrating its 10th anniversary, this year’s festival expands its platform to spotlight not only playwrights, directors, and performers but also newbie songwriters. The festival will present six original musicals at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. With just one ticket (P600), audiences can see the work of six new composers, six new directors, six sets of actors, and six original musicals.
Thirty aspiring songwriters, with a combined total of 80 compositions, were invited to submit their songs. From these, only one song per composer was selected by six new directors. These selections formed the foundation for the creation of six 15-minute musicals. Each musical was further developed with the addition of performers, chosen from 70 auditionees. Mentoring them in the process are composer and sound designer/engineer TJ Ramos, and playwright Juan Ekis. Previous iterations of the festival showcased original short and brief straight plays that ran for 10 to 12 minutes each.
The 6 featured musicals include:
1. KARLO & MIGUI MORENO’s Sakto Lang
Love finally blooms when Daniel and Vanessa bumped into each other again while waiting for a ride. Back in college, both unknowingly harbored romantic feelings for each other.
Performed by Daniel Santos and Vanessa Dulay
2. WIBOMIBO & AARON VINCENT JIMENEZ’s Ang Kwento ng Bubuyog at Paru-paro
A bee and a butterfly, two insects of the Animal Kingdom, strike an unlikely romance in the forest.
Performed by Bubuyog (Mateo Oladive) and Paro-paro (Radleigh)
3. MARTIN SARMENTA & JIEZEL VIRMY CHUA’s Tala
Corporate slaves Ella & Katherine work overtime on a Friday night when they should be elsewhere pursuing their dreams.
Performed by Francel Go (Ella) and Pamy Villa (Katherine)
4. AXL DIEGO & RAY RAÑA’s Disyembre
Enzo suffers from short term memory loss. Miguel, his lover, brings him to the UP Lantern Parade, where they first met, with hopes of regaining his full memory.
Performed by Gerard Caldejon, EJ Nantes, Kaye Ann Diana, with Erhik Gonzaga and Luis Orbeso as understudy
5. GERARD DE LEON & HAZEL MADRONERO’s Nakasilip na Bituin
Kay has willingly set aside her own dreams to support her brother John. Now, an irresistible opportunity has risen to pursue her own agenda.
Performed by Kaith Lawrence Espinosa, Samantha Renee Tan (Kay), Mark Jhonsen Bognot (John)
6. JOHN CUSTER & RENNEL SHANE AYONG’s Kasloy (Bisaya Musical)
Musician-friends Rain and River’s struggle to finish a song as their painful past, unspoken present & uncertain future come into play.
Performed by Dave Feril, Dan Gigantone, Mario Alcoriza
The SNB Theater Festival will run from September 20-29, 2024 at the Liwasang KaLIKHAasan, Cultural Center of the Philippines (Subject to change).
Showtimes:
September 20, 21, 27, 28 at 8 PM
September 22, 29 at 7 PM
Tickets are P600. You can reserve them through 0954-3953902.
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