Virgin Labfest Turns 21 With Its Boldest Edition Yet
As the Virgin Lab Fest returns for its 21st year, it only seems fitting that the country’s premier theater festival goes even bolder—and not just because of its theme this year, Hubo’t Hubad.
Extending the festival to a full month for the first time is a huge step and easily accomplishes two things: it allows the VLF to breathe by spreading out its offerings—from forums and stage readings to the main plays—and it likewise gives audiences more opportunities to watch as many shows as they can.
The philosophy that makes it one of the most eagerly anticipated theater events every year remains the same: to give emerging and established playwrights, directors, actors, and designers a stage to showcase storytelling that defines the Filipino voice and spirit.
Cultural Center of the Philippines Vice President and Artistic Director Dennis Marasigan used the word “cornerstone” to describe the VLF, adding that many plays produced through the festival have won prestigious awards such as the Palanca, while others are considered part of the canon, required reading in schools, or have even been adapted into films.
“Ito ay hindi na lamang naging isang piyesta ng mga manunulat at direktor kundi na rin isang taunang pagkikita-kita, pagsasama-sama ng mga manggagawa sa teatro dito sa Pilipinas lalong lalo na iyong mga galing sa iba’t-ibang pangkat,” Marasigan, who is making his debut as an actor in one of this year’s main plays, said.
VLF-worthy
Of the almost hundreds of submissions yearly from aspiring playwrights all over the country, how exactly does one make the cut?
VLF founding artistic director and Palanca award-winning writer Rody Vera says he lets his tambiolo (or lottery drum) at home decide.
But kidding aside, Vera shared that since the VLF began, he has already read some 2,000 submissions, making it a challenging yet exciting experience.
He added that selection sometimes depends on the timeliness or social relevance of the story.
While he is only one of the four decision-makers when it comes to the yearly submissions, Vera said he is particularly interested in how playwrights tell their stories—whether through experiences he may not have encountered before or narratives rooted in history that have yet to be explored onstage.
“Pero nagiging interesado din ako kung maganda iyung pagkakasulat ng dialogue,” Vera said.
Marco Viaña, co-festival director of the VLF alongside Toni Go-Yadao, added that while many submitted scripts may tackle similar subject matters, the ones that offer fresh insight are often the ones that stand out.
Viaña pointed to Human Rights Story of the Year by Elijah Felice Rosales, which tackles extrajudicial killings from the perspective of a journalist, and Taksyapo! by John Lapuz, which explores mental health with a touch of comedy.
Coming of age
The VLF at 21 really does feel like it is coming into its own, and as one of the CCP’s centerpiece events, its educational components are growing alongside it.
Throughout the month of June, VLF-goers can also enjoy other features such as Staged Readings, the Writing Fellowship Program and Showcase, Theater Talks, and the Playwrights’ Fair.
Script submissions for VLFXXI come to life through stripped-down reading performances in Staged Readings. Mga Tatsulok by Jose Victor Torres, The Devoured by M. Manalastas, Manang by Dingdong Novenario, Suor by Rafael Jimenez, Kasal(anan) by Juan Ekis, and Ang Huli by Jay Fernandez will take the stage.
The VLF Writing Fellowship Program, a two-week mentorship on dramatic writing for the stage headed by award-winning playwright Glenn Sevilla Mas, culminates in a showcase. The Taiwan International Play Reading Festival (TIPR) will also hold a special staged reading of How Romantic: A Guide to Modern Pangcah Life by Ihot Sinlay Cihek, alongside the National Arts Centre’s Prison Dancer.
A forum series on the creative processes behind theater, Theater Talks will feature TIPR speaker Cheng-Han Wu. Jin Yim and Cui Yin Mok of the Asian Producers’ Platform will likewise share their insights, together with Takuya Maehara of the Shizuoka Performing Arts Center.
Meanwhile, Rody Vera, Liza Magtoto, and Glenn Sevilla Mas will host the Playwrights’ Fair, offering audiences a peek into the minds of veteran playwrights. Guest speakers Tanya Lopez, Dessa Quesada-Palm, and Sari Saysay will explore the essence of Visayan theater, herstories, and settings within the nation’s current artistic landscape.
“The Cultural Center of the Philippines is immensely proud to be the home of Virgin Labfest, the country’s premier theater festival of untried, untested, and unstaged one-act plays since 2005,” said Kaye C. Tinga, president of the CCP. “[The playwrights] serve as testaments to what Virgin Labfest has bloomed into: a talented community of individuals devoted to nourishing our nation’s cultural tapestry. To everyone working behind the scenes and on stage, thank you.”
VLFXXI: Hubo’t Hubad will run from June 3 to 28, 2026, at the Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez (CCP Black Box Theater). Tickets are priced at P1,200 (Premium) and P1,000 (Regular) and are available for purchase via TicketWorld, Ticket2Me, and the Cultural Center of the Philippines Box Office.
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