Red Turnip presents the Asian premiere of Nick Payne’s romantic odyssey CONSTELLATIONS

Fresh off the success of their critically heralded hit 33 VARIATIONS and the launch of their “0.5 Series” with their hyperkinetic staging of THIS IS OUR YOUTH, Red Turnip presents the Asian premiere of Nick Payne’s romantic odyssey CONSTELLATIONS.

The New Yorker calls it “a singular astonishment”. CONSTELLATIONS breaks the conventions of your usual boy-meets-girl story by presenting a “multiverse” where “several outcomes can co-exist momentarily”; different variations of a singular love story play out over the course of this playful and intelligent piece.  An explosive and unusual play about love and its infinite possibilities, CONSTELLATIONS begs the question – “Can one word alter the course of your life?”

CONSTELLATIONS first premiered in London to rave reviews back in 2012, winning Best Play at the Evening Standard Theater Awards. It premiered on Broadway early this year with a star-studded, sold-out run featuring Jake Gyllenhaal and Ruth Wilson. It received Drama League Award nominations for Best Play, Best Actor and Best Actress, as well as another Best Actress Tony Award nomination for Ruth Wilson.


The Asian premiere stars actress/singer Cris Villonco and rising star JC Santos as the two lovers.  Rem Zamora steps back into the director’s chair after taking over the reins for Red Turnip’s COCK and TIME STANDS STILL.

Dubbed as Philippine theater’s newest “leading lady”, Cris Villonco is an Aliw Award winner and three-time Gawad Buhay Award winner for Best Actress. She has essayed a multitude of roles over the course a career that includes acclaimed turns on stage, in television and film. She has portrayed roles in almost every genre of the legitimate stage. Coming off a successful run as the iconic Lavinia in “Bituing Walang Ning ning, The Muscial”, CONSTELLATIONS also marks her return to the contemporary straight play after a breakout performance as the stripper Alice in Red Turnip’s CLOSER back in 2013.

JC Santos is a recent Gawad Urian Best Actor nominee for the independent film “Esprit De Corps”.  A regular in the independent film circuit, he has steadily been gaining popularity thanks to supporting turns on television in “Magpakailanman” and “Ipaglaban Mo”. He was most recently seen on stage in the critical darling “Games People Play” and the mega-hit “Kung Paano Ako Naging Leading Lady” earlier this year.

Rem Zamora: “There was no question that Cris Villonco was absolutely right for this role. She is a wonderful and intelligent actress of unparalleled range. She really is at the top of her game. I couldn’t think of any other young actress who would be able to navigate this very rich, complex script as she can. She also has a very easy chemistry with JC. The play can’t come to life if you don’t believe in these two characters and their relationship. I auditioned a lot of potential leading men for this role, and JC simply stood out because of his natural sensitivity and charm. He is an exciting new talent and I can’t wait for everyone to see what these two actors are going to bring to the table.”

CONSTELLATIONS also marks another exciting shift for Red Turnip Theater. Aside from exploring new material, Red Turnip continues to explore new avenues for expression. The Power Mac Spotlight Theater at the newly opened Circuit, Makati will be host for the play’s Asian Premiere. An intimate black box theater located in what promises to be the new entertainment hub in Makati, The Power Mac Spotlight Theater is a fitting addition to Red Turnip’s list of new performance homes.

Ana Abad Santos: “Our original vision for Red Turnip was to find out-of-the-box performance venues around the city. We made our first official move with THIS IS OUR YOUTH when we staged it at A Space_Gallery last November and we were overwhelmed by the wonderful response we got from a lot of our audience members.

They were just as excited as were to be in a brand new venue. We figured we’d keep this excitement going with CONSTELLATIONS. The Power Mac Spotlight Theater is a gorgeous new black box in a very accessible area in Makati. I couldn’t be happier to be finally getting around to what we had always wanted for our company. We are constantly evolving and are grateful for an audience that embraces our dynamic and unpredictable choices with open arms.”

CONSTELLATIONS opens February 12 and runs weekends until March 6 at the Power Mac Center Spotlight Theater in Circuit, Makati. Level 2, Circuit Lane, A.P. Reyes Ave., Makati City

Tickets are available through TicketWorld (891-9999 or www.ticketworld.com.ph) or Red Turnip Theater (redturniptheater@gmail.com or https://www.facebook.com/RedTurnipTheater)

Lighting Design / Technical Direction: John Batalla, Set Design: Ed Lacson, Jr.,Costume Design: Marta Lovina,Sound Design: Teresa Barrozo