Lord of the Flies

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A group of preadolescent boys are the only survivors of a plane crash that maroons them on an uninhabited island. Blonde boy Ralph and his fat companion, whom he names Piggy, find a shell and use it as a horn to call the other boys. Ralph becomes their “chief” as he stresses the importance of maintaining a smoke signal which they will accomplish by making fire. Accompanied by a silent boy named Simon and red-haired Jack, Ralph manages to start a fire on top of the mountain by using sunlight and Piggy’s glasses. Later on, Jack gains popularity as the main hunter of the group, providing meat to everyone by hunting pigs that abound on the island. As wants and needs are either ignored or met, loyalties waver. A tug-of-war of power begins between Ralph and Jack, further fueled by rumors of a beast roaming the island. Will these boys make it through until they are finally rescued?

VIRGIN LABFEST 20: Set A - Bubot

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ANG BATA KAG ANG ILAGA - Orphan boy Isaac (Rigel Hechanova) is always teased by his playmate Dom (Kizabelle Lopez Aromin) for not having parents. He was left at the orphanage one evening and has lived there ever since. Isaac considers Sister Mercy (Ina Azarcon-Bolivar) and Joana (Aubrey Savet) as his mothers. Life at St. Jerome’s Home for Children is simple and the children make do with what they have. While exploring the basement, Isaac finds a little rat that he wants to take in as his pet, even though he knows that nobody would agree. He spends most of his time at the basement with his new friend, until one day it is nowhere to be found.

And then there is always one entry that is just so unique. The main character of ANG BATA KAG ANG ILAGA is a puppet controlled by three women: two puppeteers and a voice actor. The dialogues are a mix of Hiligaynon and English, and there are no subtitles, which I find fascinating. The pet rat, along with flashback scenes, are depicted via shadow play using an overhead projector, which gave me serious high school nostalgia. Overall, this entry is a work of art and easily stands out. Just don’t expect much from the storyline, though, because the premise is that of childhood innocence and how harsh realities of life are processed by a child by virtue of imagination. The play is far from exciting, but poignant and original nonetheless.

Ironheart - Episode 3

3. We in Danger, Girl

The gang’s next target is biotech company Heirlum, but John is hesitant. Even then, Parker gets his way. Heirloom’s HQ is composed of multiple greenhouses that activate an alarm upon detection of anything metal, which means Riri’s suit is a no-go. Police find her in her mother’s house for questioning regarding the death of the gang’s former tech guy, and she becomes paranoid. Joe invites Riri over to his house and she discovers that his real name is Ezekiel and is actually Stark Industries’ ex-COO Obadiah Stane’s son. She borrows his biomesh tech to sneak in a piece of metal device at Heirlum HQ so she could covertly extract a patch of Parker’s hood and analyze its energy signature. The CEO of Heirlum refuses to be blackmailed and is killed by Parker. Riri gets a patch of Parker’s cloak but the alarm is triggered, trapping everyone. John finds Riri with a piece of the cloak and a fight ensues. N.A.T.A.L.I.E. in control of the suit rescues everyone except John who is left to suffocate in one of the greenhouses. Riri drops and leaves Ezekiel’s tech behind, probably incriminating him.

Ironheart - Episode 2

2. Will the Real Natalie Please Stand Up?

Parker introduces Riri to his crew: drag queen and once Madripoor-based hacker Slug (Shea Couleé); pyrotechnics specialist Clown (Sonia Denis); brawny siblings Jeri (Zoe Terakes) and Roz (Shakira Barrera); and Parker’s cousin John (Manny Montana) who is good at throwing knives. Riri is still adjusting to Natalie being her new AI and is also trying to find prospective lab owners through the black market which leads her to Joe (Alden Ehrenreich), whom she blackmails and leads her to his covert lab under a silo storage space. There, Riri completes her new suit and Natalie forces herself to be its AI after a jailbreak operation from Riri’s laptop. The gang’s first mission with Riri is to hack and disrupt the test run of a tunnel car transport system under Chicago run by the company TNNL. The CEO is blackmailed by Parker after he glimmers into her car and forces her to sign an agreement putting all of them in the company’s payroll with monthly six figure salaries. Natalie warns Riri about Parker’s energy which she cannot pin down to any found on Earth.

Ironheart - Episode 1

1. Take Me Home

After her “internship in Wakanda” Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne) goes back to MIT to continue her studies. While the inspiration is there, the cash just isn’t. She sells fully-working projects to other tech students to fund her own tech projects, something the academic community does not tolerate. Riri is expelled and heads back to Chicago flying in the Iron Man inspired suit she made on her own. The machine falls apart just as she is about to land, and her mother’s coming-home welcome is that of mixed disappointment and concern. As she is haggling for scraps at the local junk shop, she is recruited by some neighborhood thugs working for gang leader Parker Robbins (Anthony Ramos), who easily convinces her when he dangles a wad of cash from a box. His modus operandi is petty theft and burglary, and the team needs Riri to replace their tech guy. As Riri creates another Iron Man suit from scratch in her mom’s kitchen, an overnight brain scan produces N.A.T.A.L.I.E. (Lyric Ross) as her in-suit AI, modeled after her dead best friend.

VIRGIN LABFEST 20: Set D - May Asim Pa

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ANNIVERSARY - Lesbian grandma May (Bibeth Orteza) visits the grave of her wife Anne Marie every year, bringing some beer cans along with her. After all, she is in her 70’s, so who’s going to stop her? This year is different as she is scandalized by Rob (Jamie Wilson), the husband of the woman buried next to her wife, pointing a gun to his head as she arrives for her annual visit. What could’ve been a suicide is prevented and the two strangers become once-a-year friends, relishing the memories of their departed loved ones. However, Rob still brings his gun with him year after year. Will the next one be the time he finally shoots himself?

Death is a predominant theme in this year’s Labfest. I thought ANNIVERSARY would be another May-December story, so I was pleasantly surprised to find out that it is more of a narrative about friendship, the kind you never expect to find. At a cemetery, of all places. This play sticks out like a sore thumb because the dialogues are in English, with just a mild smattering of Taglish here and there. The play is well-acted; the ending, poignant but predictable. The narrative enters philosophical territory but does not delve deep, which is good, because the audience seemed appreciative. Just the right amount of feels and prompt for reflection.

The Scarlet Letter

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In mid-1700’s Puritan Boston lives a young woman named Hester Prynne who gains notoriety by giving birth to a child whose father remains unknown. Hester crossed the Atlantic as a married woman, but her husband is believed to have been lost at sea. She is led to the gallows for public shaming and forced to wear a scarlet letter A, which stands for Adultery, embroidered on her clothing for the rest of her life. She also refuses to name the man who sired the child, despite constant harassment from the townsfolk. In prison, she is visited by a physician named Roger Chillingworth whom she eventually recognizes as her long lost husband assuming a new identity. She also refuses to name her lover when he asks and the two strike a deal to not reveal one another’s secrets. As Chillingworth worms his way into the household of church minister Arthur Dimmesdale, he gets closer to finding the answers to his many questions about his wife.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

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Neuro-diverse Christopher John Francis Boone is 15 years old and has been told that his mother died of a heart attack at a hospital. He lives with his father Ed in Swindon. His favorite color is red and he abhors yellow and brown, which causes some difficulties when it comes to toilets and food choices. Christopher is very good at Math and is planning to take A-Levels at his school, he being the only one to be able to do so. One night, Christopher takes a walk and strays towards their neighbor Mrs. Shears’ lawn where he finds her dog Wellington dead with a pitchfork to the stomach. Christopher is initially blamed for the crime and detained by police for questioning. When his name is cleared after clarifications from his father, Christopher gets obsessed with Wellington’s murder and makes a promise to himself to investigate and seek justice for the dog despite his father’s pleas for him to stop meddling in their neighbors’ business.

VIRGIN LABFEST 20: Set C - Kinalburo

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MGA MAGINDARA SA SIYUDAD - Maureen (Raf Pineda) and Maylene (Donna Cariaga) are taken in as children by the owner of a traveling circus. The duo form part of a spectacle, both of them portraying mermaids singing in costume as people in search of momentary distractions pay to get entertained. Decades later, Maureen is tired of the life they’ve always known and plans to sneak out to join a singing contest in the city. Maylene does not agree and reiterates what she considers as a privileged existence within the premises, with enough food despite the questionable lodging arrangements. Is it right for one to wish for more by leaving the other behind?

This is one of those dramas masquerading as a comedy. To be fair, MGA MAGINDARA SA SIYUDAD tries to be funny but the punchlines are few. Somehow, this works because it helps shift the focus to the gravity of the duo’s dilemma. I never really found out whether Maureen and Maylene were siblings, but the obvious theme here is that of choosing between pursuing one’s dreams and fulfilling an unwritten obligation toward someone. The ending suggests that abandonment was the choice, Maylene now being a solo act. And then the moral question: Was Maureen wrong to choose to live his life over taking care of Maylene?

Flower Girl

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Celebrity endorser Ena (Sue Ramirez) is a transphobe. Her gender philosophy is simple: You are a woman if you were born with a vagina. End of discussion. When she makes a stopover at some random gas station en route to a gender reveal party, she is scandalized when she finds a drag queen using the womens’ restroom. An argument ensues and the tranny playfully “puts a curse” on Ena, which the latter simply brushes off. The following morning begins with Ena’s boyfriend Robert (Martin del Rosario) getting ready to go down on her, except there’s something missing. Poochy is missing. Who TF is Poochy? Poochy is Ena’s pet name for her vagina. A confrontation at the same gas station toilet later on ends up with Ena receiving a magical flower. The catch? She must find someone to love her unconditionally despite her lack of private parts before the flower loses all of its petals. Otherwise, Poochy is gone for good.

Sharp Objects

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Camille Preaker has been living her life far away from home in Chicago as a police beat reporter for a newspaper that nobody really reads. She is forced to go back to Wind Gap and confront the ghosts of her childhood when news of two teen murders catch the attention of her editor. Both teenage girls were strangled and had all their teeth removed, some sort of modus operandi pointing to a possible serial killer. The townsfolk are quite convinced that Jon Keene, the older brother of one of the victims, is guilty of the crime. As Camille investigates, she goes back home to the family mansion and gets into a weird family reunion with her mother Adora, stepfather Alan as well as her 13-year-old younger half-sister Amma, who has grown up so fast she doesn’t even recognize her the first time they stumble upon each other around town. Camille struggles with her mental health as traumas of the past return, with a vengeance, to haunt her.

VIRGIN LABFEST 20: Set B - Manibalang

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MINATING NI MARIAH ANG MANTO NG MOMMY NI MAMA MARY - Once a scammer, always a scammer? Mariah (Lian Silverio) makes a living by scamming Americans until he repents and decides to adopt some kind of religious devotion by participating at a Lenten exhibit where he designs Mary Magdalene’s costume, with the aid of his fling/boyfriend Mentong (Esteban Mara). Trouble finds them when fellow devotee Monang (Mosang) claims that the costume was stolen from their parish’s own Mama Mary idol. Parish priest Mijares (George de Jesus III) arrives and tries to mediate.

There always seems to be an obligatory slapstick entry among the three entries in a set and this is definitely it for Set B. I don’t usually appreciate slapstick, but what MINATING NI MARIAH ANG MANTO NG MOMMY NI MAMA MARY also manages to do is initiate a discourse about religion. If everyone in a religious denomination is considered equal in the eyes of their god, then why do some of them feel “more worthy” to deem others “less worthy” of practicing their faith, in a way they see fit? It’s a good debate hidden not so deep beneath the kanal humor on the surface.

Only We Know

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Retired philosophy professor Betty (Charo Santos-Concio) muddles through her mundane everyday reality by applying what she is teaching to her daily life. She remains good friends with her ex-husband William (Al Tantay) who is now waiting for baby number four with his new wife. Across the street is young widower Ryan (Dingdong Dantes), whose grief for the sudden passing of his wife still hasn’t been totally processed even a year after the aneurysm that took her life. His friends try to persuade him to date anew so he can move on with his life, but he isn’t quite ready yet. Noticing one another’s existence for the first time in a while, Betty and Ryan start inviting each other for dinner and engaging in talks about life. They even agree to sign up for a dating app and begin dating their respective matches. A unique friendship and companionship blossoms.

The Importance of Being Earnest

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Young lad Algernon has maintained a friendship with a certain Ernest Worthing, who is revealed to be living a double life when Algy finds his cigarette case with the phrase "From little Cecily, with her fondest love to her dear Uncle Jack" engraved on it. Jack explains that he uses the pseudonym Ernest whenever he is in town. Algy admits to having the same modus operandi, revealing that he made up a sick friend named Bunbury so he can use him as an excuse whenever he is not in the mood to socialize with family and friends. Jack aims to propose marriage to Algy’s cousin Gwendolen, who falls in love with his name “Ernest” at first sight. The same thing happens to Algy when he pays his friend a visit and intends to propose marriage to his charge Cecily. He pretends to be “Ernest” and the young lady also falls in love with the name. Now both men have the same problem and attempt to resolve it by getting rechristened.

Delia D (Resorts World Manila)

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Drag queen Delia (Phi Palmos), who goes by the stage name Just Delia, has always dreamed of becoming a singer but hindered by the “lip-sync only” rule her drag mom Eme (John Lapus) enforces at the bar Drag & Tell which she operates and where she works. Opportunity finally knocks when a TV network launches a singing competition called Idols of the Galaxy. There, Delia goes head to head with other hopeful contestants: heartthrob Raymond (Omar Uddin); bully Phoebe (Chaye Mogg); singing couple Billy (Alfritz Blanche) and Sheryn (Nastasha Cabrera); and awkward power belter Kiki (Shaira Opsimar). When showrunner Sir T (Floyd Tena) rigs the competition in favor of Delia, his new ward is launched into superstardom as Delia D. As she navigates the path to greater success, she realizes that the view from the top is indeed awesome, but can also be lonely as principles and friendships are compromised to reach for a brighter star.

Ballerina

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A young girl grows up an orphan as she watches her father die in front of her after their residence is sieged by a group of men with a distinct tattoo on their forearms. New York Continental Hotel owner Winston Scott (Ian McShane) comes to her rescue and introduces her to the Director (Anjelica Huston) who operates a theater and trains everyone from ballerinas to assassins in the tradition of the Ruska Roma. Eve Macarro (Ana de Armas) grows up with vengeance in mind, moving on from one action-packed mission to another but desiring revenge on the person responsible for the death of her father. That person turns out to be the Chancellor (Gabriel Byrne), the leader of a 200 year old cult based somewhere around the Austrian alps. When Eve causes a ruckus in the small town, the Chancellor calls the Director and threatens the truce between their two clans. She sends John Wick (Keanu Reeves) to contain her ward.

Dekada '70

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Si Amanda Bartolome ay ina ng limang lalaking anak; nag-iisang babae sa kanilang tahanan. Mamumulat at magsisilakihan ang kanyang mga anak sa kasagsagan ng Martial Law na malaki ang magiging epekto sa buhay nilang lahat. Maayos naman ang buhay ng mga Bartolome. Isang magaling na engineer ang asawa ni Amanda na si Julian at masasabing comfortably middle class naman ang pamilya nila. Ang panganay na si Jules ay maagang mamumulat sa pagka-unfair ng mundo at sasama sa kilusan upang kalabanin ang gobyerno. Ang pangalawa na si Gani ay maagang mababaliw sa babae na magiging dahilan ng pagpapakasal niya ng maaga. Ang pangatlo na si Em naman ay mawiwili sa pagsusulat at tatahakin ang buhay ng isang peryodista. Ang buhay naman ng paborito ng ama na si Julian ay mapapariwara at maiuugnay sa bawal na gamot habang ang bunso namang si Bingo ang huling makakatapos sa pag-aaral. Sa gitna ng lahat ng ito ay mapapaisip ang isang Amanda Bartolome. Ano nga ba siya? Sino nga ba siya bukod sa pagiging ina at asawa?