“…(P)lays – whether straight plays or musicals – have consistently churned out more hits than the movies, making the past year the time for “revenge theater.”’
The theater scene was so alive in 2023 – and until now – that it has become an alternative entertainment to our people. And plays – whether straight plays or musicals – have consistently churned out more hits than the movies, making the past year the time for “revenge theater.”
Why so? It would probably be that after the pandemic, where people have been limited to the confines of their homes, plays have become their medium to interact with live artists and audiences, which prove to be very effective.
But 2023 was no ordinary year. As our friend Gibbs Cadiz, who is one of Gawad Buhay’s Jury again, said: “2023 was the year, after all, of revenge theater, when performing arts companies bounced back with a vengeance after the punishing pandemic restrictions of the last three years, which had shuttered all manner of live performances.”
He said: “Productions big and small popped up all over the metropolis, sometimes lasting no more than a weekend, as artists and theater companies gave in to the urge to once again create, perform and reconnect with audiences.”
Last Tuesday, the best of 2023 shows are covered in the 14th Gawad Buhay awards of PhilStage, the Theater Alliance, and the bumper comeback harvest is well worth celebrating.
Here are the winners:
Outstanding Original Script: Guelan Luarca (“Nekropolis”)
Outstanding Book of a Musical: Rody Vera (“Walang Aray”)
Outstanding Original Score: Vince Lim and Rody Vera (“Walang Aray”)
Outstanding Musical Direction: Rony Fortich (“The Last Five Years”)
Outstanding Choreography: Gio Gahol (“Walang Aray”)
Outstanding Costume Design: Marco Viaña and Paw Castillo (“Sandosenang Sapatos”)
Outstanding Lighting Design: Gabo Tolentino (“Red”)
Outstanding Sound Design: Arvy Dimaculangan (“Nekropolis”)
Outstanding Set Design: Joey Mendoza (“The Last Five Years”)
Female Lead Performance in a Play: Justine Peña (“Lungs”)
Male Lead Performance in a Play: JC Santos (“Red”)
Female Featured Performance in a Play: Mitzi Comia (“Nekropolis”)
Male Featured Performance in a Play: Phi Palmos (“Laro”)
Female Lead Performance in a Musical: Shaira Opsimar (“Walang Aray”)
Male Lead Performance in a Musical: Myke Salomon (“The Last Five Years”)
Female Featured Performance in a Musical: Neomi Gonzales (“Walang Aray”)
Male Featured Performance in a Musical: Reb Atadero (“Tick, Tick… Boom!”)
Outstanding Ensemble Performance for a Play: “Laro” (Barefoot Theatre Collaborative)
Outstanding Ensemble Performance for a Musical: “Walang Aray” (PETA)
Outstanding Stage Direction for a Play: John Mark Yap (“Laro”)
Outstanding Stage Direction for a Musical: Ian Segarra (“Walang Aray”)
Outstanding Production of Existing Material for a Play: “Red” (The Necessary Theatre)
Outstanding Play — Original or Translation/Adaptation: “Nekropolis” (Tanghalang Pilipino)
Outstanding Production of Existing Material for a Musical: “The Last Five Years” (Barefoot Theatre Collaborative)
Outstanding Musical — Original or Translation/Adaptation: “Walang Aray” (PETA)
Outstanding Production for Children: “Sandosenang Sapatos” (Tanghalang Pilipino)
Capping the celebration of thespians is the tribute to one great artist in Philippine theater whom we lost recently – the well-loved and well-respected Floy Quintos. His works, his words will forever be our guiding light. Floy said, “Good work done correctly, done with the right spirit and the right intention, will move two or three young people. Little by little, you’re building a future of young artists who will think alike, criticize alike, create alike. And as long as that’s there in the undercurrent of our culture, then, we’ve done our jobs.”
Job well done to our theater friends. Tuloy lang!
