#TheaterPH - The Virgin Labfest Set C - Kinalburo: A Tapestry of Stories That Linger
The Virgin Labfest has long been a haven for untested, unfiltered narratives that challenge, provoke, and resonate. Set C - Kinalburo is no exception, offering a trio of plays that weave together themes of survival, mental health, and the weight of human connection.
MGA MAGINDARA SA SIYUDAD - The Illusion of Escape
Chris Joseph Junio’s Mga Magindara sa Siyudad is haunting meditation on performance and survival. Maureen and Maylene, dubbed “sirenas” in a traveling perya, live within the fragile walls of their makeshift stage—plywood, yero, kawayan—an apt metaphor for the precariousness of their existence. Their songs, once alluring, now struggle to captivate an audience that has moved on. The play asks: How long can one sustain a dream that no longer sustains them? It’s a quiet tragedy, one that mirrors the plight of many artists who find themselves trapped in the roles they once embraced.
ANG PROBLEMA SA TROLLEY - The Weight of a Choice
Imuthis’ Ang Problema sa Trolley is a gripping exploration of mental health, framed within the literal and metaphorical journey of three strangers crossing a bridge. The tension builds as a mall consignor contemplates jumping into the Pasig River, forcing his companions—a psychology student and a trolley pusher—to confront their own fears and responsibilities. The set design is particularly striking, with the railway tracks serving as both a physical and emotional threshold. The play doesn’t offer easy answers, but instead forces the audience to sit with the discomfort of choice—who do we save, and at what cost?
THE LATE MR. REAL - The Echoes of Love and Loss
Rolin Migyuel Obina’s The Late Mr. Real is a masterclass in banter and emotional restraint. Boyet and Raquel, long separated, find themselves in adjacent rooms in an isolation facility, forced to confront their past and the future of their son, Carl. The pandemic setting adds an eerie layer to their conversations—distance and proximity playing a cruel game. The dialogue is sharp, laced with humor that makes the heartbreak even more palpable. It’s a story about holding on and letting go, about the quiet devastation of realizing that love, sometimes, is not enough.
Set C - Kinalburo is a testament to the power of storytelling. Each play, though distinct, shares a common thread—the struggle to move forward when the past refuses to loosen its grip. Whether it’s the sirenas clinging to a fading dream, the strangers on a bridge grappling with life and death, or the estranged couple navigating the wreckage of their love, these narratives remind us that survival is not just about endurance, but about finding meaning in the journey.
The Virgin Labfest 2025 is happening from June 11 to June 29 at the Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez (CCP Black Box Theater) This year's festival, titled Virgin Labfest XX: Hinog, marks its 20th anniversary and features a lineup of 12 new scripts alongside three returning plays.
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