Teatro Pinas | The stripped-down and special reading performances of VLFXXI: Hubot Hubad

Apart from the must-see main features, the Virgin Labfest (VLF) continues to expand its offerings with stripped-down staged readings of selected scripts from the VLFXXI: HUBO’T HUBAD submissions, reading performances of works from the diaspora, and a showcase from the VLF Writing Fellowship Workshop.

The staged readings are composed of three sets, each featuring two scripts selected from the VLFXXI submissions. For Set 1, Jose Victor Torres’ Mga Tatsulok and M. Manalastas’ The Devoured will take the VLF stage on June 12, 2026. Set 2 follows on June 19, 2026, featuring Dingdong Novenario’s Manang and Rafael Jimenez’s Suor. Set 3, meanwhile, will spotlight Juan Ekis’ Kasal(anan) and Jay Fernandez’s Ang Huli on June 26, 2026.

Mga Tatsulok follows the lives of three characters: Beng, a single mother struggling to cope with the death of her only son; Allan, her live-in partner who tries to keep their relationship together despite the tragedy; and Marky, Beng’s deceased son, whose memory continues to haunt her.

The Devoured centers on Raymond, a celebrated author and esteemed professor whose world is turned upside down when his wife, Gloria, reveals that she is leaving him.

Manang explores themes of domestic labor, gratitude, and the unspoken tensions within families.

Suor tells the story of Francis, an atheist conductor mourning the death of his grandfather, who meets Anna, a nun with a deep interest in music. As they grow closer, they begin to navigate and make sense of their intersecting worlds.

Kasal(anan) follows Xandra and Simon as they prepare for their wedding. The story explores the complexities of relationships, marriage, heartbreak, and love, suggesting that love is more than just an emotion—it is a decision that is not easy to make.

Ang Huli centers on a confrontation between Andy and Bene in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, exploring how the crisis reshaped their lives, intensified the struggle for daily survival, and left their situationship suspended in uncertainty.

The special staged readings will feature Ihot Sinlay Cihek’s How Romantic: A Guide to Modern Pangcah Life from the Taiwan International Play Reading Festival on June 10, 2026, and Prison Dancer from Canada’s National Arts Centre on June 21 and 24, respectively.

All staged readings will be held at 5 p.m. at the Bulwagang Roberto Chabet, 3/F Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez (CCP Black Box Theater). Admission is free to the public on a first-come, first-served basis.

Also part of the lineup is the culminating presentation of the VLF Writing Fellowship, a two-week mentorship program focused on the study and practice of writing for the stage under the guidance of award-winning playwright Glenn Sevilla Mas, with direction by Rafael Jimenez. The presentation is slated for June 28 at 5 p.m. at the TIG Bulwagang Roberto Chabet.

The VLFXXI: HUBO’T HUBAD main features are scheduled at 2 p.m. (matinee) and 8 p.m. (gala) from June 3 to 28, 2026, every Wednesday to Sunday. Tickets are priced at Php 1,000 (regular) and Php 1,200 (premium) and are available for purchase at the CCP Box Office and TicketWorld.

For more updates on the festival schedule and ticket sales, visit the official pages of VLF, CCP, Tanghalang Pilipino Foundation Inc., and Writers’ Bloc on Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok.