PHILSTAGE’s Gawad Buhay! Nominees Bared, CCP Awards Rites Set on February 18

Ballet Philippines’ productions of New Beginnings and Coppelia romped off with seven major nominations in the fourth quarter citations list released by the jury of the 2008 Gawad Buhay! The PHILSTAGE Awards for the Performing Arts. New Beginnings earned the jury’s nod for outstanding dance production, ensemble performance, choreography (Max Luna III and Alan Hineline), and set design (Gino Gonzales). Coppelia was cited for ensemble performance and set design (Mio Infante).

Tanghalang Pilipino’s Ang Mga Gerilya ng Powell Street earned citations for ensemble performance, male lead performance (Joe Gruta and Dido dela Paz) and featured performance (Mailes Kanapi).

Ballet Manila’s Tatlong Kuwento ni Lola Basyang was cited for costume design.

Gawad Buhay! is the first industry awards conferred for outstanding achievements in the performing arts by member-companies of the Philippine Legitimate Stage Artists Group, Inc. (PHILSTAGE). The PHILSTAGE Board of Directors is composed of Tanghalang Pilipino’s Fernando Josef, president; PETA's Melvin Lee, vice president; Ballet Philippines’ Sandy Hontiveros, secretary; Repertory Philippines Gidget Tolentino, treasurer; Actors Actors’ Leonardo Lim, Ballet Manila's Susan Macuja, Gantimpala Theater Foundation’s Tony Espejo, Organisasyon ng Pilipinong Mang-aawit’s Mitch Valdes, TRUMPET's Joel Reyes as Board Members, and PHILSTAGE Executive Director Elmar Beltran Ingles.

While PHILSTAGE administers the awards, the final recipients will be chosen by an independent Jury Panel selected by the PHILSTAGE Board of Directors from a roster of critics, performing artists, cultural researchers and scholars, and the general public.

The public is invited to watch the final awards rites to be held at the CCP Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino (Little Theater) at 7:30 p.m. on February 18, 2009. Invited to present the awards are the country’s foremost theater personalities.

Below is the complete list of nominees:

Outstanding Production of a Play: Ang Bayot, ang Meranao, at ang Habal-Habal sa Isang Nakababagot na Paghihintay sa Kanto ng Lanao del Norte (Tanghalang Pilipino/Virgin Labfest 4); Batang Rizal (PETA); Ellas Inocentes (Tanghalang Pilipino/Virgin Labfest 4); Golden Child (Tanghalang Pilipino); Hamlet (Repertory Philippines) ; Ang Kalungkutan ng Reyna (Tanghalang Pilipino/Virgin Labfest 4); Kudeta (Tanghalang Pilipino); and Three Sisters, A Noh Play (Tanghalang Pilipino/Virgin Labfest 4).

Outstanding Musical Production: Altar Boyz (Repertory Philippines) ; and Skin Deep (PETA).

Outstanding Dance Production: La Revolucion Filipina(Ballet Philippines) ; Latin Heat (Ballet Philippines) ; and New Beginnings (Ballet Philippines) .

Outstanding Stage Direction: Loy Arcenas (Golden Child); Chari Arrespacochaga (Altar Boyz); Nor Domingo (Skin Deep); Jose Estrella (Three Sisters), Floy Quintos (Ang Kalungkutan ng Reyna); Floy Quintos (Kudeta); Tuqxs Rutaquio (Ellas Inocentes), and Dudz Teraña (Batang Rizal).

Outstanding Original Choreography: Bam Damian (Latin Heat); Alan Hineline (New Beginnings); Agnes Locsin (La Revolucion Filipina); Alden Lugnasin (Latin Heat); Max Luna III (New Beginnings); and Jason Zamora (Altar Boyz)

Outstanding Original Play: Christine Bellen (Batang Rizal); Rogelio Braga (Ang Bayot, ang Meranao, at ang Habal-Habal sa Isang Nakababagot na Paghihintay sa Kanto ng Lanao del Norte),

Layeta Bucoy (Ellas Inocentes ); and Floy Quintos (Ang Kalungkutan ng Reytna)

Outstanding Ensemble Performance: Altar Boyz (Repertory Philippines) , Ang Bayot, ang Meranao, at ang Habal-Habal sa Isang Nakababagot na Paghihintay sa Kanto ng Lanao del Norte (Tanghalang Pilipino/Virgin Labfest 4); Ang Mge Gerilya ng Powell Street (Tanghalang Pilipino); Batang Rizal (PETA); Coppelia (Ballet Philippines) ; Ellas Inocentes (Tanghalang Pilipino/Virgin Labfest 4); Golden Child (Tanghalang Pilipino); Hamlet (Repertory Philippines) ; Kudeta (Tanghalang Pilipino); La Revolucion Filipina (Ballet Philippines) ; Latin Heat (Ballet Philippines) ; Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang (PETA); New Beginnings (Ballet Philippines) ; and

Skin Deep (PETA)

Outstanding Male Lead Performance in a Play: Arthur Acuna (Golden Child); Jose Mari Avellana (Tuesdays with Morrie); Dido de la Paz (Ang Mga Gerilya ng Powell Street); Joe Gruta (Ang Mga Gerilya ng Powell Street); Mario O'Hara (Kudeta); Joey Paras and Arnold Reyes (Ang Bayot, angMeranao, at ang Habal-Habal sa IsangNakababagot na Paghihintay sa Kanto ng Lanao del Norte); and Jonathan Tadioan (Pamantasang Hirang).

Outstanding Female Lead Performance in a Play: Lovely Balili (Ellas Inocentes); Liesl Batucan (Golden Child); Shamaine Centenera Buencamino (Ang Kalungkutan ng Reyna); Tina Chilip (Golden Child); Jenessa Roque (Ellas Inocentes); and Irma Adlawan Marasigan (Golden Child)

Outstanding Male Lead Performance in a Musical: Red Concepcion (Altar Boyz); Juliene Mendoza (EJ: Ang Pinagdaanang Buhay nina Evelio Javier at Edgar Jopson); Jett Pangan (EJ: Ang Pinagdaanang Buhay nina Evelio Javier at Edgar Jopson); and Robert Seña (Skin Deep)

Outstanding Female Lead Performance in a Musical: Isay Alvarez (Skin Deep); May Bayot (Skin Deep); and Gail Guanlao Billones (Skin Deep);

Outstanding Male Lead Performance in a Dance Production: Biag Gaongen (La Revolucion Filipina) ; and Biag Gaongen (Latin Heat)

Outstanding Female Lead Performance in a Dance Production: Lisa Macuja Elizalde (Le Corsaire)

Outstanding Featured Performance in a Dance Production: No citation

Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play: Riki Benedicto (Kudeta); Bong Cabrera (Kudeta); Willy Casero (Batang Rizal); Nor Domingo (Tosca); Mailes Kanapi (Ang Mga Gerilya ng Powell Street); Raffy Tejada (Tosca) and Cris Villonco (Hamlet);

Outstanding Featured Performance in a Dance Production: Camille Ordinario-Joson (Latin Heat)

Outstanding Original Libretto: Vincent De Jesus (Batang Rizal); and Vincent De Jesus (Skin Deep)

Outstanding Translation/ Adaptation: George de Jesus III (Kudeta); and Dennis Marasigan (Golden Child)

Outstanding Musical Direction: Vincent De Jesus (Batang Rizal); and Jojo Malferrari (Altar Boyz)

Outstanding Set Design: Loy Arcenas (Golden Child); Mel Bernardo (Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang); Gino Gonzales (New Beginnings); Mio Infante (Coppelia); Mio Infante (La Revolucion Filipina); Tuxqs Rutaquio (Kudeta)

Outstanding Costume Design: Ron Alfonso (Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang); Faust Peneyra (Hamlet); Gino Gonzales (Golden Child); Jonathan Janolo (Tatlong Kuwento ni Lola Basyang); and Victor Ursabia (La Revolucion Filipina)

Outstanding Lighting Design: Katsch Catoy (La Revolucion Filipina); Martin Esteva (Hamlet); Dennis Marasigan (Kudeta); and Barbi Tan-Tiongco (Golden Child)


Outstanding Sound Design: Janice Dee (Kudeta); Jethro Joaquin (EJ: Ang Pinagdaanang Buhay nina Evelio Javier at Edgar Jopson); Jethro Joaquin (Hamlet); Shima Takesi (Tosca); and

Gidget Tolentino (Altar Boyz); and J. Victor Villareal (Golden Child)

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PHILSTAGE Launches Performing Arts Awards, Invites Jury Members

ANNOUNCEMENT:
PHILSTAGE Launches Performing Arts Awards,
Invites Jury Members

PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT

PHILSTAGE launches performing arts awards, invites jury members

The Philippine Legitimate Stage Artists Group (PHILSTAGE), the
country's only organization of professional performing arts
companies, invites critics, educators, researchers and regular
audiences of theater, music and dance productions to seek Jury Panel
membership slots for the 2008 PHILSTAGE Awards for the Performing
Arts.

Conceived as peer awards similar to many of the performing arts
industry awards abroad, the PHILSTAGE Awards are conferred for
outstanding achievements in the performing arts by PHILSTAGE member-
companies such as Actors Actors, Inc. (AAI), Ballet Manila (BM),
Ballet Philippines (BP), Gantimpala Theater Foundation (GANTIMPALA) ,
Organisasyon ng Pilipinong Mang-aawit (OPM), Philippine Education
Theater Association (PETA), Repertory Philippines (REP), Tanghalang
Pilipino (TP), and Triumphant People's Evangelistic Theater Society,
Inc. (TRUMPETS).

Awards shall be given for outstanding achievements in production or
performance, stage direction, original script/concept, musical
direction, choreography, theater performance (individual) , musical
performance (individual) , dance performance (individual) , production
design, outstanding costume design, and lighting design. While
PHILSTAGE administers the awards, the final recipients will be chosen
by an independent Jury Panel selected by the PHILSTAGE Board of
Directors from a roster of respected critics, performing artists,
cultural researchers and scholars, and the general public. An initial
list of invited jury members has been drawn up while a limited number
is open to application by the general public.

Confirmed jury applicants and invited jury members shall serve a one-
year term of office starting January 2008. They shall enjoy the the
privilege of watching all PHILSTAGE productions for the given year,
to which tickets will be issued gratis. Only those who have watched
all the productions identified for awards consideration may
participate in the selection of quarterly citations and final
nominees and awardees come January 2009.

The PHILSTAGE Board of Directors is composed of TP's Dennis
Marasigan, president; PETA's Melvin Lee, vice president; BP's Sandy
Hontiveros, secretary; REP's Gigette Tolentino, treasurer, AAI's
Leonardo Lim, BM's Susan Macuja, Gantimpala's Tony Espejo, OPM's
Mitch Valdes, TRUMPET's Alvin Dela Pena, and PHILSTAGE Executive
Director Elmar Beltran Ingles.

Interested parties may email their curriculum vitae to philstage@tri-
isys.com with a cover letter stating their qualifications to serve as
Jury Member. Applicants from the audience sector may come from any
professional, student, government or NGO sector who have manifested a
sustained patronage of cultural productions in the performing arts.
They should include in their CV a list of productions watched over
the past three years. Deadline of emailed application is on January
2, 2008. Successful applicants will be notified not later than
January 3, 2007 and should be available for the Jury briefing and
orientation to be held on January 5, 2008, 3 p.m. at the Tanghalang
Pilipino Office at the CCP Production Design Center (back of CCP Main
Building).

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PHILSTAGE Marks 10th Year, Elects New Officers

Tanghalang Pilipino Artistic Director Dennis Marasigan leads the new
set of officers as President of the Philippine Legitimate Stage
Artists Group, Inc. (PHILSTAGE) following its recent election for
Board of Directors for 2007-2010. Other elected officers include
PETA's Melvin Lee, Vice President; Ballet Philippines' Sandy
Hontiveros, Secretary; and TRUMPETS' Alvin Dela Peòa, Treasurer.

The rest of the new Board Members include Actors' Actors' Leonardo
Lim, Ballet Manila's Susan Macuja, gantimpala Theater Foundation's
Dolly Bunoan, Organisasyon ng Pilipinong Mang-aawit's Mitch Valdes,
and Repertory Philippines' Gigette Tolentino. PHiLSTAGE Executive
Director Elmar Beltran Ingles is ex-officio Board Member.

Since its establishment in 1997, PHILSTAGE has launched a series of
performing arts festivals in Shangrila Plaza Mall, Subic Bay Arts
Center, and various venues in Metro Manila and suburban areas. In
2003, it became the country's only alliance of professional
performing arts companies registered with the Philippine Council for
NGO Certification. Together with the National Commission for Culture
and the Arts, PHILSTAGE has launched the Theater Appreciation
Program offering opportunities for free viewing of plays, musical
and dance performances to public school students and teachers.
Previous programs also included touring the regions with its
Performing Arts Programming and Management workshop series in
cooperation with the NCCA's Institute for Cultural and Arts
Management.

PHILSTAGE plans to launch a website and quarterly publication on
cultural issues and events, a theater awards program, fellowship
activities and collaborative productions, cultural education
advocacy programs, and a pioneering compact disk recording of well-
loved Filipino theater musicales under the compilation BUHAY!: Mga
Himig at Awit ng Dulaang Filipino.

For enquiries on sponsorship and program information, please contact
the PHILSTAGE Secretariat at Unit 24PB, The Eisenhower Condominium,
Eisenhower Street, Greenhills, San Juan, Metro Manila or through
telephone. numbers. 7231845 and fax 7217229 or email philstage@tri-isys.com.

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