"Kung Paano Ako Naging Leading Lady": My First Play

Well, not exactly my first play. I had written a full-length play in the late nineties and submitted it to a competition in Singapore. I'm glad it didn't win. I saw a copy of it some time back, and it was horrendous.

Last April, I took a risk. Before my month-long trip to New Zealand, I spent a little over a week writing this one-act play, "Kung Paano Ako Naging Leading Lady," and sent it to the screening committee of The Virgin Labfest, a festival of untested plays organized by Tanghalang Pilipino and The Writer's Bloc. I was lucky enough to get a slot among the ten that were chosen to be staged this coming June.

This play is a bit of a reunion of sorts. The director chosen for the play was Chris Martinez, whom you know as the talented man behind such films as "I Do Bidoo Bidoo" and "Here Comes the Bride." But he's also the guy who adapted my Zaturnnah graphic novel for the musical stage.

Also, part of the cast is Skyzx Labastilla, who played Nora A. in the Zaturnnah musical. Also appearing in the play are Kiki Baento and Hans Eckstein.

Now on its ninth year, The Virgin Labfest will take place in late-June to early-July at the Tanghalang Huseng Batute of the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Apart from that, I tweaked the script for a comics adaptation and found an artist to do the illustrations. (I couldn't do the art myself, given how much I'm swamped these days.) My publisher is gunning for release late this year at the Komikon. (Crossing fingers on that one.)

Here's the "poster" for the play. The design will also be used for the cover of the comics adaptation.