IT HAS BEEN happening a long time ago, Goddamnit.
This casting of popular stars from the movies and television in stage plays, what else?
Let’s bring back the hands of time.
Popular silent movie star Honorata de la Rama, also known as Atang de la Rama, now National Artist for Theater, blazed the trail of transitioning to film then back to theater, shuttling again to the movies from her royal theater beginnings as Queen of the Zarzuela in the American period.
Filmmaker and now National Artist for Film Lamberto Avellana after directing films in the 50s and 60s went back to theater and brought his wife film actress Daisy Avellana to his Barangay Theater Guild.
Famous screen actresses Lolita Rodriguez, Charito Solis and Rita Gomez appeared onstage in the vernacular version of “Portrait of the Artist as Filipino,” “Larawan.”
Known for the moniker The Great Profile, cinema icon Leopoldo Salcedo had performed onstage with the same play by Nick Joaquin in Filipino.
If vaudeville or “bodabil” was considered legitimate theater especially during the Japanese occupation, then Rogelio de la Rosa, Anita Linda, among others were pop screen idols, who had to perform in live entertainment during WWII.
Hilda Koronel and Phillip Salvador
The sixties, seventies, eighties also gave rise to film stars starring in theater mounted particularly by the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA), some of them, Bembol Roco (“Hanggang Dito na Lamang at Maraming Salamat”), Robert Arevalo (“Bayaning Huwad”), Laurice Guillen and Phillip Salvador (“Flores Para Los Muertos”), Lirio Vital (“Pilipinas Circa 1907”), Hilda Koronel and Phillip Salvador (“Pusa sa Yerong Bubong”) etc.
At the Repertory Philippines, movie and television stars were tapped to perform in the early years of the company like Vic Silayan, Johnny Wilson, Tita Munoz etc. Later, Lea Salonga, Monique Wilson, Jamie Wilson etc. transitioned from stage to TV to movies and back.
In the days of student theaters, screen idols Nino Muhlach, Ernie Garcia, Alan Paule, Anne Villegas, Toby Alejar, among others, were active touring around the country in stage performances.
It is commendable that Virgin Labfest, through a partnership with the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) and Tanghalang Pilipino (TP), has continued the tradition of employing film, TV and other multimedia stars to star in their one-act plays.
Jackie Lou Blanco and Angel Aquino
In this year’s edition of the festival, among the popular names from television and movies in the roster are Bong Cabrera (“Balos”), Noel Rayos (“Tengang Kawali”), Phil Noble (“Haram”), Angel Aquino, Jackie Lou Blanco and Iana Bernardez (“Lualhati”), Dennis Marasigan, Rafa Siguion-Reyna and Carlos Siguion-Reyna (“Elehiya”), Glaiza de Castro (“She’s Electric”), Elijah Canlas and Meryll Soriano (“Footprint”), Mosang and Christian Bables (“Taksyapo”), Soliman Cruz (“Mga Tatsulok”), Peewee O’Hara and Jamie Wilson (“Manang”) and Paul Jake Paule (“Ang Huli”).
In the Fact Sheet provided by CCP to the press, there are a lot of names on the creative side. I might underestimate them for they might be popular to some which I don’t keep track of.
It is also shortsightedness on the part of the press that lesser-known stage actors and actresses are not given enough publicity.
It is the responsibility of the media to popularize them especially if they are newsworthy.
12 “virgin” plays
Anyway, twelve (12) “virgin” plays highlighted by their playwrights will be presented from June 3 to 28, 2026 at 2 p.m. matinee and 8 p.m. gala, while its educational components are slated at 5 p.m. at the Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez, namely Anthony Kim Vergara’s “Password123, Pilipinas” directed by Director Norbs Portales; “Human Rights Story of the Year” directed by Nelsito Gomez; Floyd Scott Tiogangco’s “Patayin ang mga Surot” directed by Lhorvie Nuevo-Tadioan; Neil Arkhe Azcuna’s “Balos” directed by Cholo Ledesma; Alab Usman’s “Haram” directed by Mark Daniel Dalacat; Gab Mactal’s “Lualhati” directed by Mara Paulina Marasigan; Dustin Celestino’s “Elehiya” directed by Ron Capinding; Ron Evangelista’s “She’s Electric” directed by JP Habac; Faith Ferrer Lacanlale’s “Betamax” directed by Sheenly Gener; Jerom Canlas’ “Footprint” directed by Mikko Angeles; John Lapus’ “Taksyapo” directed by Tuxqs Rutaquio and Gerald Manuel’s “Buhaghag” directed by Tess Jamias.
In addition to the new plays, “VLFXXI: Hubo’t Hubad” revisits three stories from last year’s edition: Ade Valenzona’s “Polar Coordinates,” Rolin Cadallo Obina’s “The Late Mr. Real” and Siege Malvar’s “Presidential Suite #2.”
According to the Cultural Center of the Philippines Corporate Communications, true to its core of celebrating both budding and veteran playwrights, “VLFXXI: Hubo’t Hubad” continues to nourish its garden of talent through its educational components: Staged Readings, Writing Fellowship Program and Showcase, Theater Talks and Playwrights’ Fair.
CCP-CC said that script submissions from VLFXXI come to life through stripped-down reading performances in Staged Readings. Jose Victor Torres’ “Mga Tatsulok,” M. Manalastas’ “The Devoured,” Dingdong Novenario’s “Manang,” Rafael Jimenez’s “Suor,” Juan Ekis’ “Kasal(anan)” and Jay Fernandez’s “Ang Huli” take the stage.
Glen Sevilla Mas and Rody Vera
It also informed that the VLF Writing Fellowship Program, a two-week mentorship on dramatic writing for the stage headed by award-winning playwright Glenn Sevilla Mas, culminates in a thrilling showcase. The Taiwan International Play Reading Festival (TIPR) will also hold a special staged reading of Ihot Sinlay Cihek’s “How Romantic: A Guide to Modern Pangcah Life, alongside the National Art Centre’s “Prison Dancer.”
Likewise, a forum series on the creative processes behind theater, Theater Talkswill feature TIPR with speaker Cheng-Han Wu. Jin Yim and Cui Yin Mok of the Asian Producers’ Platform share their insights, together with Shizuoka Performing Arts Center’s Takuya Maehara.
Meanwhile, VLF founder and Palanca-awardee Rody Vera, Liza Magtoto, and Glenn Sevilla Mas host Playwrights’ Fair, peeking into the minds of veteran playwrights. Guest speakers Tanya Lopez, Dessa Quesada-Palm, and Sari Saysay explore the essence of Visayan theater, herstories, and settings in the nation’s current artistic landscape.
With all these names and showcases associated with literature and the performance arts, what’s wrong with labeling theater as showbiz?
Anyway, they’re not complaining but for those who would question why theater is equated or stands side-by-side with showbiz, maybe we can take a look at the etymology of the word and its context.
Simply show business
It simply means show business.
Showbiz as a term and as a social field is an endeavor for art and business to thrive as television, film, live performances like stage plays, concerts, fellowships etc. with corresponding capitals—human, financial, environment etc. and profits or end-results.
Sadly, showbiz has gained notoriety or condescension from critics and cynics as they associate it with cheap thrills, being kitschy, sensationalized, hollow, overboard, gossipy etc. which isn’t at all true.
Let’s all be happy that theater, after all these years, has been good to movies, television and other multimedia platforms to cast pop stars.
They say that TV and film have no discipline compared to theater.I disagree because pop culture has also its regulatory measures to erring members.