Twelve original works will compete for further development opportunities when Puregold Teatro Panalo holds its first festival in 2027, following a selection process that narrowed 373 submissions to a dozen finalists.
The festival will run from 20 February to 14 March, with Wishbone Collective Inc., its organizer, set to develop the selected scripts into full stage productions. Each finalist will receive a ₱100,000 talent fee.
The lineup, announced on 14 October at Gateway Mall in Quezon City, consists of eight straight plays and four musicals. At the festival’s conclusion, two works, one from each category, will receive additional grants to support their expansion into full-length productions.
A dozen scripts
The finalists include Rhain Arabella Alcoriza’s The Girl Scout Law, John “Sweet” Lapus’ True to Life, Marjay S. Manalastas’ Trahedya ng Kamote, and Dolly Dulu’s The Boy Foretold by the Stars (One Act Play).
Also selected were Ricardo C. Novenario’s Nothing But Dreams, Jerom Andrei M. Canlas’ Youngstunna, Joshua Lim So’s Walang Maliit na Bagay, and @HOME, credited to Edralin Cabrera, Kathlyn Castillo, Michael Ian Lomongo, Marjorie Lorico, Maria Teresa Jamias and J Victor Villareal.
The remaining finalists are Jude Thaddeus M. Gitamondoc’s Ang Maayong Balita Sumala Kang Bibo Bautista, Emmanuel Benbinuto Antonio’s Baka mali ang Tamaraw, Steven Hotchkiss’ Manang-Mana Nga! and Heber Justin P. O’Hara’s The Fourth Wall Has Fallen.
The selection panel
The entries went through a review process involving playwrights, directors, actors and other theater practitioners. Among those involved were Vincent A. De Jesus (Teatro Panalo festival director), Jenny Jamora, Liza Magtoto, Marlon Rivera and Atty. Nicolas Pichay.
Palanca Award winners Dr. Layeta Bucoy and Allan Lopez screened submissions and helped narrow the field. National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts Ricky Lee served as artistic adviser.
Festival chair Ivy Hayagan-Piedad said the volume of submissions made the final selection difficult, given the number of writers seeking opportunities to bring their work to audiences.
The festival’s next task is to move the 12 scripts into production. Its longer-term test will be whether the development support and grants can help selected works progress beyond the inaugural run and into subsequent productions.
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