Vlad Bunoan

Elehiya’ by Dustin Celestino. Kiko Cabuena

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<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1780913920691VLF XXI 2026 SET-C &#x27;SHE&#x27;S ELECTRIC&#x27; (Kiko Cabuena) (2).JPG" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>Glaiza de Castro in &#x27;She&#x27;s Electric.&#x27; Kiko Cabuena</div>Virgin Labfest XXI opened with a bang. Its first set of one-act plays delivered exactly the kind of provocative, politically charged theater audiences have come to expect from the Cultural Center of the Philippines&#x27; annual festival of new works. Set A featured three hard-hitting political dramas that tackled difficult subjects with urgency and conviction, setting expectations high for the rest of the season.As the festival progressed through Sets B, C and D, however, those expectations became increasingly difficult to sustain.Following last year&#x27;s milestone 20th edition — and perhaps even since the festival&#x27;s return to live performances after the pandemic in 2023 — Virgin Labfest XXI ultimately felt like one of the weaker lineups in recent memory. While VLF XX lacked a singular breakout masterpiece, it was still generally marked by a consistently compelling slate of works. This year, several emerged as outright disappointments.Yet the season also produced one of the most emotionally devastating and artistically accomplished plays the festival has seen in years.But VLF’s significance today may no longer be confined to the plays themselves. After more than two decades, the festival has firmly established itself as one of Philippine theater&#x27;s most important institutions.What was once primarily a gathering place for Metro Manila&#x27;s theater community has evolved into a cultural event that draws artists from across disciplines. Different theater companies, creative cliques and generations continue to converge at VLF, reinforcing its role as a central meeting ground for the industry.This year, however, another trend became impossible to ignore: the festival&#x27;s growing appeal to mainstream film and television talent.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1780914140875Set-D Taksyapo (16).JPG" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>Christian Bables in &#x27;Taksyapo.&#x27; Orly Daquipil/CCP</div>Last year, much of the attention centered on actress Angelica Panganiban&#x27;s VLF debut. This year, her close friend Glaiza de Castro followed suit. The lineup also includes Elijah Canlas in his first VLF appearance, alongside Meryll Soriano in “Footprints,” Angel Aquino and Jackie Lou Blanco in “Lualhati,” and Christian Bables in “Taksyapo” — performers whose careers have largely been associated with film and television but who brought considerable star power to the festival.The attraction extends beyond actors. Comedian John Lapus finally makes his VLF debut as a playwright with “Taksyapo” after several previous attempts. Acclaimed filmmaker JP Habac, best known for &quot;I&#x27;m Drunk, I Love You,&quot; stepped into the festival as a director with &quot;She&#x27;s Electric&quot; starring Glaiza de Castro. Actor Jerom Canlas expanded his theater repertoire by debuting as a playwright with &quot;Footprints,&quot; which stars his brother Elijah.Family connections also emerged as a recurring theme. Veteran filmmaker and occasional actor Carlitos Siguion-Reyna shared the stage with his son Rafa for the first time in “Elehiya,” while Angel Aquino appeared alongside her daughter Iana Bernardez in &quot;Lualhati.&quot;Taken together, these developments reflect how VLF has become an increasingly attractive gateway into theater for mainstream artists. The festival&#x27;s one-act format, relatively brief rehearsal period and limited performance schedule offer an accessible entry point for performers interested in exploring the stage without the demands of a full-length commercial production.That growing visibility is undoubtedly good for Philippine theater. The challenge moving forward is ensuring that the increasing attention is matched by equally rigorous curation. If Virgin Labfest is to continue serving as the country&#x27;s premier incubator for new dramatic writing, the strength of the plays themselves must remain the festival&#x27;s primary focus.Among this year&#x27;s offerings, here are my four top picks, in order:<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1780914179796VLF XXI 2026 SET-C &#x27;ELEHIYA&#x27; (Kiko Cabuena) (7).JPG" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/> ‘Elehiya’ by Dustin Celestino. Kiko Cabuena</div><div>1. ‘Elehiya’ by Dustin Celestino</div>No play left a deeper impact than Dustin Celestino&#x27;s &quot;Elehiya.&quot;A meditation on fathers, sons and forgiveness, the work feels like the playwright&#x27;s most personal and emotionally mature piece to date. In his previous plays, Celestino has repeatedly grappled with evolving notions of Filipino masculinity and family. Here, those concerns find their fullest expression.Directed with remarkable sensitivity by Ron Capinding, &quot;Elehiya&quot; transforms deeply personal material into a moving ensemble work. The production embraces a minimalist aesthetic while capturing the emotional distances and connections that define father-son relationships.The casting of Carlitos and Rafa Siguion-Reyna as father and son adds an additional layer of poignancy, while Yan Yuzon delivers what may well be his breakthrough performance. His climactic monologue is among the most powerful moments of this year&#x27;s festival, bringing the play&#x27;s emotional themes into devastating focus.While plays regularly hope to move audiences, &quot;Elehiya&quot; leaves instead a lasting wound.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1780914224195VLFXXI 2026 SET-A &#x27;HUMAN RIGHTS STORY OF THE YEAR&#x27; (Kiko Cabuena) (50).JPG" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>‘Human Rights Story of the Year’ by Elijah Felice Rosales. Kiko Cabuena</div><div>2. ‘Human Rights Story of the Year’ by Elijah Felice Rosales</div>Although the drug war serves as the backdrop, Elijah Felice Rosales&#x27; &quot;Human Rights Story of the Year&quot; is ultimately less concerned with tokhang than it is with journalism itself.The play follows an award-winning reporter preparing to leave for an overseas fellowship after receiving recognition for her article on the widows of the drug war. During a despedida, she reconnects with a former colleague who has since joined government service. Their encounter evolves into a tense and intellectually stimulating confrontation about authorship, ethics, credit and the ownership of truth.Rosales tackles a subject rarely explored onstage and crafts a conflict rooted in professional realities that feel authentic and specific. The play raises difficult questions without offering easy answers, allowing audiences to wrestle with its moral ambiguities long after curtain call.Director Nelsito Gomez&#x27;s restrained staging keeps the focus squarely on the writing and performances. Justine Peña and CJ Navato deliver finely calibrated performances, with Navato continuing to demonstrate impressive range beyond the musical theater work for which many audiences now know him.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1780913839274VLF XXI Hubo&#x27;t Hubad Set-B &#x27;&#x27;Balos&#x27;&#x27; (35).JPG" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>‘Balos’ by Nik Azcuna. Orly Daquipil/CCP</div><div>3. ‘Balos’ by Nik Azcuna</div>Set during the 2017 Marawi siege, Nik Azcuna&#x27;s &quot;Balos&quot; begins with a seemingly straightforward medical dilemma: a suspected terrorist is brought to a hospital for treatment. What follows is a gripping examination of prejudice, faith, politics and professional ethics.While the healthcare setting provides the immediate conflict, the play&#x27;s larger concerns lie in the tensions that emerge when deeply held beliefs collide under extreme circumstances. Azcuna successfully balances these competing perspectives without reducing any of them to simplistic caricature.Vincent Pajara anchors the production with a deeply humane performance, while director Cholo Ledesma once again demonstrates why he is among the most promising young directors working today. Following last year&#x27;s standout &quot;Unang Araw,&quot; Ledesma delivers another assured and compelling production.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1780913809655VLF XXI Hubo&#x27;t Hubad Set-B &#x27;&#x27;Lualhati&#x27;&#x27; (173).JPG" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>‘Lualhati’ by Gab Mactal. Orly Daquipil/CCP</div><div>4. ‘Lualhati’ by Gab Mactal</div>Among this year&#x27;s new voices, none announced themselves more confidently than Gab Mactal.An integeral part of the translation team behind Tanghalang Ateneo&#x27;s acclaimed production of &quot;Emilia,&quot; Mactal now makes an impressive VLF debut with &quot;Lualhati.&quot;The play follows a nun and a teacher who first met as postulants and reconnect years later. What could have easily become a familiar exploration of faith and sexuality instead emerges as a thoughtful, nuanced and deeply human work.Mactal approaches questions of religion, identity and desire with uncommon maturity, avoiding both sentimentality and polemic. The result is a play that feels authentic, compassionate and emotionally resonant.Director Mara Marasigan provides a solid production framework, but the strength of the piece rests primarily on the writing and Angel Aquino&#x27;s commanding performance. Even when engaging with explicitly queer themes, &quot;Lualhati&quot; ultimately transcends labels to become a moving reflection on love, faith and the choices that shape our life.

For all of Virgin Labfest XXI's inconsistencies, these four plays offered compelling reminders why the festival remains indispensable.

For all of Virgin Labfest XXI's inconsistencies, these four plays offered compelling reminders why the festival remains indispensable.

Theater review: 4 must-watch plays from Virgin Labfest 2026

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Theater review: 4 must-watch plays from Virgin Labfest 2026

Vlad Bunoan,

ABS-CBN News

Published June 09, 2026 05:16 PM PHT

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