Ticket prices, synopses, schedule: Here's what to know about this year's Virgin Labfest

Mark your calendars, theater fans! Virgin Labfest is back on the live stage.  

The annual event is back for its 18th year showcasing Filipino talent in theater and telling stories that matter by mentoring young artists and playwrights since its establishment in 2005.  

This year, festival directors Tess Jamias and Marco Viaña will spearhead the 18th year with the theme “Hitik.” It started on June 7 and will run until June 25 at the Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez (CCP Black Box Theater), from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. 

The theater audience can expect collaborations between veteran and virgin directors, designers, and actors in four sets of one-act plays namely Adulting 101 (Set A), REBELasyon (Set B), Y.O.LO. (Set C) and Muwang (Set D). They will also feature one set of revisited plays and two sets of staged readings.  

Plays and then some

In addition to the plays, the festival also offers a variety of other activities and events that provide opportunities for attendees to learn more about the performing arts, develop their own skills, and network with other artists.

Select scripts from the VLF18 submissions will be read during the Staged Readings on June 11 & 18, 2023  at 5 p.m.

The Theater Talks is a curated forum series with select speakers, theater actors, practitioners and enthusiasts. This will be on June 9, 16, and 23, 2023 at 5 p.m. at the Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez Basement.

For those looking to learn about the process of playwrights, there's The Playwright's Fair featuring artistic director Rody Vera. It's happening on June 10, 17, and 24, 2023 at 5 p.m. at the  Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez Basement.

A Writing Fellowship Program Showcase will also take place on June 25 at 5 p.m. This will feature indivuduals who joined the 2-week mentorship program under mentor Glenn Sevilla Mas and program showcase director Dennis Marasigan.

Ticket prices

The tickets for the plays are priced at P500. Senior citizens, PWD, government and military personnel, and national athletes are entitled to a 20% discount.

Set play passes can be bought online or through [email protected] when availing of group discounts.

If you want an upgraded experience of this year’s festival, you may also avail of Festival Passes, which allow you five viewing credits for four main features and one revisited play. Repeat viewing is allowed, but it will be deducted from the five viewing credits.

Festival Pass holders are also entitled to a priority lane entrance to the show and a complimentary souvenir.

The said passes are priced at P2,000 for regular and P3,000 for premium.

The availing of the premium passes is currently on hold, but you may bookmark this form and standby for the re-opening of the regular passes.  

You may check the full schedule and play synopses here.