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Mio Infante

Jude Cartalaba

<p>From intimate dramas to large-scale musicals, Mio Infante has spent decades shaping how stories are seen and felt on the Philippine stage. </p><p>A master scenographer and protégé of National Artist Salvador “Badong” Bernal, Infante’s body of work reflects a deep commitment to collaboration, research and emotional storytelling — most recently evident in Rockwell and 9 Works Theatrical’s staging of &quot;A Christmas Carol,&quot; which continues his tradition of creating theatrical worlds that resonate across cultures.</p><p>The local production, first staged twice before the pandemic, has seen Infante return this year to bring his signature touch once again. </p><p>This marks his third time working on &quot;A Christmas Carol&quot;— he previously did the costumes for Repertory Philippines in 2008 and for 9 Works Theatrical with Globe Live! at the Globe Amphitheater in BGC.</p><p>“This is my [only] second time designing sets for Christmas Carol,” he clarified.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1765932195217Mio Infante solo.jpeg" style="width:960px;display:block;height:auto" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Mio Infante is the associate artistic director and scenographer of 9 Works Theatrical. "/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Mio Infante is the associate artistic director and scenographer of 9 Works Theatrical. </span></span></span>In &quot;A Christmas Carol,&quot; he succeeded in depicting a joyful celebration that could be representative of both British and Filipino cultures.</div><p>Guided by Pamela Howard’s principles in &quot;What is Scenography,&quot; Infante believes “the key really is a healthy collaboration with my director and the other creatives — lighting, music, costume, choreography, makeup and wigs, projections, etc.”</p><p>“Bouncing off with my co-creators, our concepts, we discuss (and most often explain, and sometimes justify) how and why we reached those ideas. Text and music (if musical theater) are the main sources,&quot; he said.</p><p>“I&#x27;m really fond of research, and I usually try to check the author’s intent (if the author is available, conversations with him are key).</p><p>“I also get to speak with the producer about his intent to stage the production. Checking the physical space, visiting the venue is vital.”</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1765932768660From bustling Victorian streets to a joyous, heartwarming finale.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Mio Infante is the scenographer of &#x27;A Christmas Carol.&#x27; This is his second time designing the sets of the musical. "/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Mio Infante is the scenographer of &#x27;A Christmas Carol.&#x27; This is his second time designing the sets of the musical. </span></span></span></div><div><strong>Destined to be in theater</strong></div><p>Coming from a family of artists, Infante grew up in a creative environment at homen and in school. His first-ever role was one of the princes in &quot;The King and I,&quot; directed by the late Peque Gallaga in Bacolod.</p><p>“I was always participating in drawing competitions as well. I joined Rep acting workshops in high school and got a taste of professional theater in the summer of 1986 via &#x27;Evita&#x27; as part of the crew,&quot; he said.</p><p>“By the time I moved to Manila. I rejoined as a Rep actor while studying at the UP College of Architecture. It was Tita Bibot (Zenaida) Amador who challenged me to design the sets in 1989, for &#x27;When Did You Last See Your Trousers,&#x27; which incidentally was the directorial debut of the late Junix Inocian as well.”</p><p>From then on, he became the resident set designer at Rep, and he also assisted Celia Diaz-Laurel in the big musicals at the Meralco Theater.</p><p>“At that time, I would still be acting and designing (add do poster design) for Rep, but after college, I decided to pursue Interior Design (I shifted along the way) and got a day job in an architectural firm,”he said.</p><p>Then he learned about the auditions for Ryan Cayabyab’s musical version of &quot;El Filibusterismo&quot; at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) and joined the original cast, and eventually designed for Tanghalang Pilipino and Ballet Philippines.</p><p>“It was there that I met the late National Artist Badong Bernal, who prodded me to take further studies. It was then that I considered specializing in Scenography, and my performing would take a back seat,&quot; said Infante, who has worked with other theater companies like Trumpets, New Voice, and Actors Actors, Inc., as well as concerts, music videos, and TV commercials.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Bernal and Eduardo Varela Sicangco</strong></div><p><strong></strong>At that time, Bernal was also the founding Philippine Association of Theatre Designers and Technicians (PATDAT), and he was generous with his time and advice.<strong></strong></p><p>“He would design most of the shows I was in, and I remember him to be very direct and succinct. He wouldn’t mince words, especially if you were working under him. He expected perfection,&quot; Infante said. </p><p>&quot;I remember once when Gino (Gonzales) and I were designing &#x27;Hedda Gabler&#x27; for TP (directed by Nonon Padilla); I did the set, Gino did the costumes. He visited tech week, and called us out ‘coz our designs were all wrong.</p><p>“That time, we didn’t have many resources for research. But that was not an excuse.</p><p>Despite his exacting standards, Bernal was encouraging when it mattered. “He was the one who took me aside and said, “Mio, I think it&#x27;s about time you take your masters abroad”.</p><p>Another designer Infante respects is the late Eduardo &quot;Toto&quot; Varela Sicangco (1954-2023), who was a scenic designer, costume designer, and illustrator for Broadway, opera, musical theatre, ballet, film, television, arena spectaculars, cruise ships, and circuses. Like Infante, he was Bernal’s protégé at the CCP, where he designed &quot;Le Carnaval&quot; for Ballet Philippines.</p><p>“Manong Toto, as we would call him, designed the costumes and sets of the 1977 production of &#x27;The King and I &#x27;(the one that Peque directed in Bacolod). I remember being too fascinated with our costumes — meticulously and individually designed. And how he transformed the La Salle Gym into a multi-level stage that accommodated a full-scale musical,&quot; Infante recalled.</p><p>“I only chanced upon him when I was doing the Asian Cultural Council (ACC) grant in New York. I visited him at NYU (New York University). I also visited his apartment and saw his exquisite costume drawings and maquettes, which were in themselves works of art. Manong Toto was also generous, and we kept in touch until his passing.”</p><p>Despite Infante’s extensive work, he’s not bent on pursuing any work on Broadway. He sets his sights on projects that provide new challenges and collaboration with other practitioners here and abroad. He looks at opportunities in the UK, Europe, Australia, Canada, and the Asia-Pacific region instead.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1765932532619The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe Confrontation scene.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="&#x27;The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe&#x27; by Trumpets was also designed by Infante and was published by Oistat in 2014 alongside costume designs by Mark Higgins. "/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">&#x27;The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe&#x27; by Trumpets was also designed by Infante and was published by Oistat in 2014 alongside costume designs by Mark Higgins. </span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1765932633601The Little Mermaid scene with Octopus.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Infante depicts an underwater scene of &#x27;The Little Mermaid.&#x27; This Trumpets production is one of his favorites."/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Infante depicts an underwater scene of &#x27;The Little Mermaid.&#x27; This Trumpets production is one of his favorites.</span></span></span></div><p>He had an off-off-Broadway stint via MaYi Theater, and among his memorable local works were &quot;The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe&quot; and &quot;The Little Mermaid&quot; for Trumpets.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1765932331860Rak of Aegis scenography.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Infante designed the scenography for &#x27;Rak of Aegis&#x27; in 2014 for the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA). "/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Infante designed the scenography for &#x27;Rak of Aegis&#x27; in 2014 for the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA). </span></span></span></div><p>The other two favorite designs he did were &quot;La Revolucion Filipina&quot; for Agnes Locsin and Ballet Philippines and &quot;Rak of Aegis&quot; for Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA).</p><p>Infante’s latest production of &quot;A Christmas Carol,&quot; running until December 21, showcases his gift for highlighting family and community. His design beautifully captures the Cratchit family’s warmth amid hardship — a vision that resonates deeply with Filipino audiences.</p>

<p>rom intimate dramas to large-scale musicals, Mio Infante has spent decades shaping how stories are seen and felt on the Philippine stage.</p>

rom intimate dramas to large-scale musicals, Mio Infante has spent decades shaping how stories are seen and felt on the Philippine stage.

How Mio Infante builds worlds for the Philippine stage

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How Mio Infante builds worlds for the Philippine stage

Jude Cartalaba

Published December 17, 2025 02:25 PM PHT

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