Star Powerhouse

Fresh off the critical success of their last outing, the family comedy-drama Tribes, Red Turnip Theater is ready to take audiences into a different theater experience with the sci-fi thriller THE NETHER. Ever since making their debut four years ago, Red Turnip has already made quite the dent in the local theater scene. By sticking to their vision of producing contemporary straight plays, this young company has almost single-handedly paved the way for the straight play to find equal footing in a landscape formerly dominated by the musical. Younger companies have sprouted and followed suit and there are now more text-driven plays getting produced than ever before. Each of the Red Turnip’s eight productions has gone on to top critics’ lists and garner awards and nominations from both the Aliw and Gawad Buhay Awards, making this company the go-to for outstanding plays that both entertain and move.

M akati, Philippines – Last August 4, I was invited to watch a theatrical play entitled “Tribes” inside Power Mac Center Spotlight in Circuit Makati. A play produced by Red Turnip and directed by Topper Fabregas.

M akati, Philippines – Last August 4, I was invited to watch a theatrical play entitled “Tribes” inside Power Mac Center Spotlight in Circuit Makati. A play produced by Red Turnip and directed by Topper Fabregas.

Redturnip Theater Artistic Staff and the Cast of Constellations What if. Perspectives. Parallel Universe. Three different concepts. Each with individual theme. Seamlessly intertwined in a story that would challenge one's view about love (and everything else in between). This is what Red Turnip's season ender is all about. Constellations, penned by Nick Payne, invites the audience to journey with the characters (perfectly brought to life by acclaimed theater thespians Cris Villongco and JC Santos) across a myriad of what-ifs. This is a love story that perfectly mixes science and intimacy.

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 Aw...

Background about the story: “This is our Youth” is a play in 1996 by American screenwriter & director Kenneth Lonergan. The play is a combination of a comedy & drama theme in which you can feel the intensity of the emotion subsequently balanced by the comical punch line on the side.

Fresh off the critical success of the Pulitzer Prize winner RABBIT HOLE, Red Turnip is rounding off its second season with another heralded play from Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Donald Marguilles, TIME STANDS STILL. What is Red TurNip Theater? Who are the people behind it? Staying true to their promise to bring more straight plays to the metro, Red Turnip founders Ana Abad Santos, Topper Fabregas, Jenny Jamora, CrisVillonco and Rem Zamora are excited to add TIME STANDS STILL to their growing list of productions. The first season productions, COCK and CLOSER, redefined the theater experience with their biting scripts and clever, innovative staging. RABBIT HOLE’s quieter approach garnered acclaim for its stellar cast and astute direction.

"Cock" centers around a man (John) who must choose between his gay lover (M) and the woman (W) he's slowly falling in love with. Adding confusion to the mix is M's father (F) who is hell-bent on preserving his son's homosexual relationship. The four decide to meet for an ill-fated dinner and that's when all hell breaks loose. The show has been hailed as "a 90 minute whirlwind of language and deft theatrics, a human battle royale..." (The Philippine Star) The "year's fiercest quartet of actors" (Philippine Daily Inquirer) have returned to reprise their critically heralded performances. Topper Fabregas is John, Niccolo Manahan is M, Jenny Jamora is W, and Audie Gemora completes the cast as F.

In the span of a year, Red Turnip Theater has made its mark in the Philippine theater scene. The band of five actors that make up Red Turnip (Ana Abad Santos, Topper Fabregas, Jenny Jamora, Cris Villonco and Rem Zamora) wanted to come up with a maiden season that would re-introduce Philippine audiences to the straight play while putting their own stamp on the theatrical experience. Their first production, “Closer”, was a bruising and honest take on modern day relationships and their follow-up, “Cock”, was a biting comedy about sexual identity. Both productions went on to acclaim with critics and audiences alike. The five are back with their second season and are excited to unveil their line-up.              Jenny Jamora: We are still reeling from the overwhelming response generated by our first season. When we got together to form Red Turnip, we knew it was gonna be a risky venture. But we also knew there was an audience...

“The search for love becomes so complicated by all our assumptions about it. Our tendency for gauging relationships, self-probing; our obsession over proper communication casts a dark shadow over the experiential aspects of the relationship. Just because we can analyze something endlessly doesn’t mean we should.”

The New York Times calls COCK “a terrific, tense little comedy” while The Huffington Post hails it as “a terrific contemporary play that puts much of other theatre to shame”. This critical darling is the perfect bookend to Red Turnip’s maiden season. That’s the central conceit behind Red Turnip Theater’s second offering, COCK by Mike Bartlett. A sold-out hit when it first premiered in London in 2009 and subsequently during its off-Broadway run a year later, COCK revolves around a gay couple whose rocky relationship derails when one of them sleeps (and falls in love) with a woman. Debates over one’s sexual identity explode when all three decide to sit down and “duke it out” over dinner. Hilarity ensues when another unexpected guest turns up and loyalties are put to the test. As one character puts it, “It’s the ultimate bitch fight”. Fresh off the success of their critically-acclaimed CLOSER last October at Whitespace, Red Turnip promises another unique, in your face theatrical ex...