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Lhorvie Nuevo-Tadioan

Leah C. Salterio

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1751019076420510619729_1140624451432682_1272731196687951024_n.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Lhorvie Nuevo-Tadioan (fifth from left) joins the cast of ‘Mommy G’ during curtain call. Handout MANILA — After 12 years of training and acting with Tanghalang Pilipino, theater actress Lhorvie Nuevo-Tadioan is taking on a new challenge: directing. Her directorial debut is the comedy “Mommy G,” one of the plays in this year’s Virgin Labfest (VLF).</div>Earlier this year,  festival co-director Marco Viaña casually asked her if she was interested in directing a play in the VLF’s main lineup.“I told him I’d love to,” she told ABS-CBN News. “But I wanted to read the script first before committing.”“When I read ‘Mommy G,’ I took a few days to sit with it, and on Feb. 7, I said yes. The material stayed with me, and I knew it was something I wanted to take on.”As one of this year&#x27;s “virgin” directors, Nuevo-Tadioan made it a point to talk with playwright Jobert Grey Landeza before starting work on “Mommy G,” part of Set D “Manibalang.”“Jobert and I had several online meetings and chikahan even before we met face-to-face during the VLF phot shoot,” she shared. “We talked about what inspired him to write ‘Mommy G,’ and fortunately, we really connected on how we both envisioned the play being staged.”She added, “It was exciting to find that we were aligned — not just in tone, but in intention. It also helped a lot that Jobert is deeply connected to the story he wrote. That kind of clarity and emotional grounding gave me a strong foundation to work with as a director.”<div>From staged reading to full production</div>Last year, Nuevo-Tadioan directed a staged reading for the VLF, “Patayin ang mga Surot,” written by Floyd Scott Tiogangco.“I really enjoyed the entire process from assembling the team, finding the stage manager and actors, to working with other collaborators,” she said.“But what I loved most was being in the rehearsal room, diving into the material, guiding the actors and applying everything I had learned from my 12 years of training with the Tanghalang Pilipino Actors Company (AC),” Nuevo-Tadioan noted.“It was inspiring and fulfilling in a different way from acting. That experience gave me the courage to say yes again this year. Directing ‘Mommy G’ is my way of challenging myself further and continuing to learn and grow in this craft that I love.”“Mommy G” features five actors, led by veteran actress Sherry Lara as Gina and Jonathan Tadioan as Ben.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1751019239195509603079_1140624461432681_5439827748102035102_n.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>(From left) Sherry Lara, Manok Nellas, Jonathan Tadioan and Sheenly Gener in a  scene from &#x27;Mommy G.&#x27; Handout</div>“Honestly, casting wasn’t the most challenging part,” Nuevo-Tadioan admitted. “When Kuya Marco and I began discussing ‘Mommy G,’ we already knew we wanted an all-AC cast, with Ms. Sherry Lara as our lead actress. Fortunately, everyone’s schedules aligned, and everything fell into place.”Other cast members include Sheenly Gener as Sofie, Manok Nellas as Toni, and Gelo Molina as Ramon.“I really enjoyed working with our actors,” Nuevo-Tadioan said. “Discussing the play with them was an enriching process, especially with a cast like Ms. Sherry Lara, Tad, Sheenly, Manok and Gelo, whom I deeply admire.”She added, “What helped a lot was the fact that I had the chance to work with them prior to ‘Mommy G.’ That familiarity made a big difference. We all come from the same company, Tanghalang Pilipino, and we share a common foundation in terms of acting technique and discipline.”“There was already a level of trust in the room, so it felt like we were speaking the same language [artistically and instinctively]. That made the work collaborative, focused and joyful.”<div>Working with her husband</div><div>Working with her husband, Jonathan Tadioan, known as “Tad” in the theater circuit, on the same set proved advantageous for Nuevo-Tadioan.<img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1751019499573PortraitsbyPaw_Tad&amp;Lhorvie-159.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div>Jonathan and Lhorvie Tadioan. Paw Castillo“Tad and I have always known how to separate our personal and professional lives,” she said. “We’ve always been each other’s support system, especially when taking on new challenges.”<div> </div>“Tad and I are always each other’s biggest support and also, each other’s honest critique,” Nuevo-Tadioan added. “But we’ve learned how to balance it. We know when it’s time to talk about work and when to take off our actors’ hats and just be partners.”“He knows when I need a break, or when I’m feeling overwhelmed or frustrated with my work, and he always seems to know exactly what to say or do. That kind of understanding is so important in this line of work, where things can be intense, exhausting, and unpredictable.”“So yes, being in the same work environment is truly a bonus. It’s not just convenient, it’s a gift. Because we get to understand, support and grow with each other in a space we both love.”<div>A dream collaboration and initial nerves</div>Lara is actually the couple’s godmother. “It’s always been a dream of mine to work with her again,” said Nuevo-Tadioan. “The last time we shared the stage was in ‘Coriolano’ back in 2019. So to have her as the heart of ‘Mommy G’ was incredibly special.”Nuevo-Tadioan admitted she was initially “nervous,” as any first-time director would be.“I knew it wasn’t going to be easy,” she said. “And part of me felt like every rehearsal would be a thesis defense. But that became a gift.”“Every session was full of meaningful conversations and valuable questions that pushed the work forward and deepened our clarity on the material,” she explained.“Sir Dennis Marasigan’s script analysis class with the Actors Company was also a huge help to me in navigating this process.”“I learned so much from this ensemble. I’m incredibly thankful for their trust and support in my first directorial work, and I truly hope this won’t be the last time I get to collaborate with them.”<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1751019815349PortraitsbyPaw_Tad&amp;Lhorvie-59.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Lhorvie Nuevo-Tadioan. Paw Castillo</div><div>The laughter of &#x27;Mommy G&#x27;</div>When “Mommy G” was first staged in VLF’s open dress rehearsals, the play proved hilarious for the audience.“It was our first time running the show to a full house, and honestly, I was surprised,” said Nuevo-Tadioan. “Punchline after punchline landed so well.”“The audience’s laughter kept rolling, and it pushed us way beyond our projected runtime, that’s why we had to tighten the material. We didn’t anticipate that kind of response, and it was overwhelming in the best way.”“Of course, that also presents a challenge moving forward: how to keep the rhythm crisp and the choices fresh for every show. Comedy is all about timing and honesty, and our job now is to maintain that energy while staying grounded in truth.”Nuevo-Tadioan knows the work doesn’t stop after opening a show; it continues until the curtain closes.<div> </div><div>Virgin Labfest XX Hinog runs until June 29 at the CCP’s Blackbox Theater (Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez).</div>

After over a decade with Tanghalang Pilipino, Lhorvie Nuevo-Tadioan makes a confident leap into directing with ‘Mommy G’, a laugh-out-loud yet grounded comedy featured in this year’s Virgin Labfest.

After over a decade with Tanghalang Pilipino, Lhorvie Nuevo-Tadioan makes a confident leap into directing with ‘Mommy G’, a laugh-out-loud yet grounded comedy featured in this year’s Virgin Labfest.

Lhorvie Nuevo-Tadioan wows in her directorial debut 'Mommy G'

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Lhorvie Nuevo-Tadioan wows in her directorial debut 'Mommy G'

Leah C. Salterio

Published Jun 28, 2025 08:00 AM PHT

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