The Virgin Labfest (VLF), the country’s pioneering theater festival of untried, untested, and unstaged one-act plays, returns for its 21st edition with Hubo’t Hubad, a theme that delves into layers of raw, fearless, and truthful storytelling.
Few relationships embody this kind of vulnerability more deeply than that between a parent and a child. Through this lens, the bond between generations reveals some of our most honest emotions, unspoken truths, and enduring connections.
Fittingly, several parent-child tandems are part of this year’s festival, with some even sharing the same stage.
Leading the list is the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ (CCP) very own Vice President and Artistic Director Dennis Marasigan, who portrays Gardo in Dustin Celestino’s Elehiya, from Set C. A multi-awarded actor, writer, director, and producer, Marasigan has built a distinguished career spanning theater, film, and cultural leadership. He began his artistic journey in theater before taking on significant roles at the CCP, Tanghalang Pilipino (TP), and later the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB).
Elehiya is a collection of monologues, or perhaps more accurately, conversations between fathers and sons that should have happened but never did.
His youngest daughter, Mara Paulina Marasigan, has likewise established herself in the industry as an actress, assistant director, and CEO of Moon Media Events. Returning to VLF as a director, she helms Gab Mactal’s Lualhati (Set B). which follows the reunion of a nun and a former nun who seek reconciliation after twenty years. As they revisit their shared past, they confront questions of faith, love, loss, and healing.
Also featured in Lualhati is another real-life parent-child pairing: acclaimed actress Angel Aquino and her daughter, Iana Bernardez. The two portray different stages of the same character: Philosophy professor Jacinta and the younger Sister Jacinta.
For Angel, VLF marks her theater debut, while Iana recently made her own stage debut as part of the cast of PETA’s Endo. Interestingly, Angel’s role in Lualhati reflects aspects of her personal journey, as she has openly shared her experiences of falling in love with women. Widely recognized for her versatility as both an actress and fashion model, Angel brings depth and authenticity to the role.
Iana, meanwhile, has built her own reputation as an actress and film producer. She earned a Best Acting Ensemble award for her film debut in Gusto Kita with All of My Hypothalamus (2018). In a 2024 interview, she revealed that acting alongside her mother had long been a dream. Through Lualhati, that aspiration finally becomes a reality.
Another parent-child tandem appearing together onstage is filmmaker Carlos Siguion-Reyna and his son, Rafa Siguion-Reyna, who both perform in Elehiya. Carlos is widely respected as a filmmaker, actor, and advocate for Philippine cinema, currently serving as chairman of the Competition and Monitoring Committee of the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival.
Rafa, on the other hand, is a television, film, and theater actor, singer, and event host. During the VLF press conference, he shared that while he had previously worked with his father, Carlos had always been his director. Elehiya marks the first time they appear together as fellow actors. Their real-life relationship lends an added layer of authenticity to a work that explores fatherhood, masculinity, and the emotional conversations often left unsaid.
The festival also brings together another notable parent-child pair: the O’Haras.
Veteran actress Pewee O’Hara takes on a key role in the staged reading Manang, which follows Greg as he prepares for the return of the ashes of the lifelong caregiver he loved more deeply than his own mother. The piece explores themes of domestic labor, guilt, grief, and gratitude.
Meanwhile, her son Paolo O’Hara directs the revisited play Polar Coordinates by Ade Valenzona, part of Set E, alongside the revisited works The Late Mr. Real and Presidential Suite #2. Before pursuing freelance opportunities, Paolo spent nearly six years performing in Tanghalang Pilipino productions, building a career that now spans both acting and directing.
As VLF enters its 21st year, the festival has come of age. More than a platform for new works, it has become a space where artists and audiences alike gather to embrace raw and unfiltered storytelling – much like the conversations between parents and children that have long been waiting to be heard.
Witness all fifteen (15) plays and three (3) sets of staged readings until June 28, with performances running from Wednesdays to Sundays at the Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez (CCP Black Box Theater).
For the latest updates on the festival schedule, ticket-selling, and accredited showbuyers, visit the pages of VLF, CCP, Tanghalang Pilipino Foundation Inc., and Writers’ Bloc across Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok.
