{"id":49161,"date":"2019-10-19T11:00:42","date_gmt":"2019-10-19T03:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/blog\/?p=49161"},"modified":"2019-10-31T15:45:35","modified_gmt":"2019-10-31T07:45:35","slug":"repertory-philippines-to-combine-the-familiar-and-the-new-for-its-83rd-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/blog\/2019\/10\/19\/repertory-philippines-to-combine-the-familiar-and-the-new-for-its-83rd-season\/","title":{"rendered":"Repertory Philippines to Combine the Familiar and the New for Its 83rd Season"},"content":{"rendered":"

Even after more than five decades,\u00a0Repertory Philippines (REP)<\/strong>\u00a0remains at the forefront of the country’s theatrical scene.<\/p>\n

One major aspect of this may be its countless shows that have become a venue for the audience to not only experience artistic mastery but also to see the world in a different light.<\/p>\n

And just last October 14, 2019<\/strong>, at the Onstage Theater in Greenbelt 1<\/strong>, the\u00a02020 season\u00a0line-up was finally revealed. Now, people may already expect to witness\u00a0stories that are both familiar and unique for REP’s 83rd season<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Further, audiences can expect a fresh perspective on REP’s creative\u00a0spirit with\u00a0Liesl Batucan<\/strong>\u00a0as the company’s new artistic director.<\/p>\n

It\u00a0will remain faithful to REP’s legacy while bringing it further with a brilliant ensemble of creatives including directors making their debut, thespians who will be on the REP stage for the first time, and REP veterans who will make their theater homecoming.<\/p>\n

The audience also got a glimpse of what to expect from REP’s thrilling 2020 season through a presentation of the plays’ excerpts.<\/p>\n

\"\"Liesl Batucan, new artistic director of Repertory Philippines<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Marking the start of the 2020 season will be Stage Kiss\u00a0<\/strong>by Sarah Ruhl, which is The New York Times’ Critic Pick of 2014. The romantic comedy takes audiences to the backstage of a theater company and follows two actors who find themselves cast as lovers in a 1930s melodrama after sharing a romantic history together.<\/p>\n

REP’s Stage Kiss will star Missy Maramara, Tarek El Tayech, Andres Borromeo, Justine Narciso, and Mica Pineda. Directed by celebrated filmmaker\u00a0Carlos Siguion-Reyna, they play will run from\u00a0February 7\u00a0<\/strong>to\u00a0March 1, 2020.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"REP’s Stage Kiss preview<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Next in line is the Pulitzer Prize-winning\u00a0Anna in the Tropics<\/strong>\u00a0by the playwright Nilo Cruz\u00a0<\/strong>that will be staged from\u00a0March 13\u00a0<\/strong>to\u00a0April 5<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Set in Florida in 1929, Juan Julian accidentally brings change to a Cuban cigar factory where he works as a lector. As Juan reads from\u00a0Anna Karenina,\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>the factory workers soon find the story creeping into their lives and influencing their decisions. The stage play paints a portrait of laborers and lovers who go against tradition while showing how powerful literature can be.<\/p>\n

Anna in the Tropics will be directed by\u00a0Joey Mendoza\u00a0and will star\u00a0Ana Abad Santos, Jake Macapagal, Paolo O’Hara, Brian Sy, Gab Pangilinan, Gie Onida, and Madeleine Nicolas.<\/p>\n

\"\"REP’s Anna in the Tropics preview<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

REP will also breathe new life to Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Broadway musical\u00a0Carousel<\/strong>\u00a0through\u00a0Nikki Gil\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0Gian Magdangal.<\/p>\n

The musical follows Julie Jordan and Billy Bigelow\u2014a poor young couple who loses both their jobs amidst their whirlwind romance. After everything goes wrong, Billy is given the chance to make things right.\u00a0The musical is the ideal example of how the character’s heartbreak and complexities make them human.<\/p>\n

Carousel\u00a0will be directed by\u00a0Toff de Venecia and will run from\u00a0May 1<\/strong>\u00a0to\u00a024<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"\"REP’s Carousel preview<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Notably, Snow White and the Prince\u00a0<\/strong>by Janet Yates Vogt and Mark Friedman will be 2020’s season-ender.<\/p>\n

This children’s musical is under the REP Theater for Young Audiences (RTYA) and brings back the same writers of REP’s hit 2018 production\u00a0Rapunzel, Rapunzel, A Very Hairy Fairytale.\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>The musical is set to showcase an exciting take on the beloved classic as it runs from\u00a0September 12\u00a0<\/strong>to\u00a0January 31, 2021<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

To be directed by\u00a0Joy Virata, Snow White and the Prince follows the titular princess as she meets her prince at the ball where they fall in love. It is expected to be a fun re-telling of the classic fairytale that reminds the audience that people united in the name of goodness are far powerful than the forces of evil.<\/p>\n

\"\"REP’s Snow White and the Prince preview<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

The launch also revealed a new staging concept called\u00a0REP Unplugged<\/strong>. This alternative theater will be separately staged from the rest of the season and will be performed in unconventional spaces.<\/p>\n

REP Unplugged will be directed by\u00a0Ed Lacson Jr.\u00a0and will be launched in June 2020 during the interval between REP’s first three stage plays and the RTYA production.<\/p>\n

\"\"REP Unplugged preview<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Notably, it was also revealed that REP Unplugged was inspired by a power interruption during a performance that the company experienced for one of their 2019 season shows\u2014definitely something that the company and its audience won’t forget anytime soon.<\/p>\n

While individual tickets for the shows are not yet available, audiences can now become season subscribers and get up to 30% off on their purchases. The tiers are as follows:<\/p>\n