The Virgin Labfest (VLF), the nation’s first theater festival showcasing untried one-act plays, is back for its 21st edition with the theme Hubo’t Hubad. This theme explores raw, fearless, and truthful storytelling. Among the various relationships examined, few reveal vulnerability as profoundly as the parent-child bond. Viewing it through this perspective uncovers genuine emotions, unspoken truths, and lasting connections that define our shared human experience.
Mara Marasigan, director of ‘Lualhati’
Interestingly, several parent-child duos are featured in this year’s festival, with some performing together on the same stage.
Leading the list is Dennis Marasigan, Vice President and Artistic Director of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP). He plays Gardo in Dustin Celestino’s Elehiya, from Set C. As a highly awarded actor, writer, director, and producer, Marasigan has achieved a notable career across theater, film, and cultural leadership. He started his artistic path in theater and later held key roles at CCP, Tanghalang Pilipino (TP), and the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB).
Elehiya is a collection of monologues, or more precisely, dialogues between fathers and sons that never took place but should have.
His youngest daughter, Mara Paulina Marasigan, has also built her career in the industry as an actress, assistant director, and CEO of Moon Media Events. She returns to VLF as a director to lead Gab Mactal’s Lualhati (Set B), which depicts a nun and a former nun reconnecting after twenty years. As they revisit their shared history, they face questions of faith, love, loss, and healing.
Lualhati also features a genuine parent-child duo: renowned actress Angel Aquino and her daughter, Iana Bernardez. They depict different phases of the same character: Philosophy professor Jacinta and the younger Sister Jacinta.
Angel makes her theater debut with VLF, while Iana recently performed in PETA’s Endo. Angel’s role in Lualhati mirrors her personal journey, as she has openly discussed her experiences of loving women. Known for her versatility as an actress and fashion model, Angel adds depth and authenticity to the part.
Iana has established her reputation as an actress and producer. She received the Best Acting Ensemble award for her film debut in Gusto Kita with All of My Hypothalamus (2018). In a 2024 interview, she shared that acting with her mother had long been a dream. Thanks to Lualhati, that dream is now realized.
Another parent-child duo on stage is filmmaker Carlos Siguion-Reyna and his son, Rafa Siguion-Reyna, both performing in Elehiya. Carlos is well known as a filmmaker, actor, and advocate for Philippine cinema, and he currently chairs the Competition and Monitoring Committee of the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival.
Rafa is a television, film, and theater actor, singer, and event host. At the VLF press conference, he mentioned that although he had previously collaborated with his father, Carlos, he had always been his director. Elehiya is their first project together as actors. Their real-life relationship lends authenticity to a story that explores themes of fatherhood, masculinity, and unspoken emotional dynamics.
The festival also features another prominent parent-child duo: the O’Haras.
Veteran actress Pewee O’Hara stars in the staged reading Manang, where she plays a crucial role. The story follows Greg as he gets ready for the return of the ashes of the lifelong caregiver he loved deeply, more than his own mother. The play delves into themes of domestic labor, guilt, grief, and gratitude.
Her son, Paolo O’Hara, is directing the renewed play ‘Polar Coordinates’ by Ade Valenzona, which is part of Set E, along with the revisited productions ‘The Late Mr. Real’ and ‘Presidential Suite #2’. Before transitioning to freelancing, Paolo spent almost six years performing in Tanghalang Pilipino productions, developing a career that now includes both acting and directing.
As VLF reaches its 21st year, the festival has matured. It is now more than just a showcase for new works; it has become a space where artists and audiences come together to share raw, unfiltered stories – much like the conversations between parents and children that have long awaited expression.
See all fifteen (15) plays and three (3) sets of staged readings through June 28, with shows from Wednesdays to Sundays at the Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez (CCP Black Box Theater).
For the most recent updates on the festival schedule, ticket sales, and accredited showbuyers, check the pages of VLF, CCP, Tanghalang Pilipino Foundation Inc., and Writers’ Bloc on Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok.
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