Manila, PHILIPPINES —After a three-year hiatus, The Sandbox Collective is set to revive the spirit of Sandbox Fest with the highly anticipated SANDBOX FEST 2023. This month-long festival, dedicated to showcasing the works of renowned English playwright Duncan Macmillan, promises to captivate audiences again. Featuring the plays Every Brilliant Thing and Lungs, this twin-bill experience aims to breathe new life into the Manila theater scene.
Unlike its predecessor, SANDBOX FEST 2023 will exclusively offer a twin-bill experience, providing theater enthusiasts with a unique opportunity. Purchasing a single ticket will grant access to both shows on the same day, promising an awe-inspiring and unforgettable experience. The performances will be presented consecutively, with a brief 20-minute interval between them. While twin bills are not entirely novel in the world of theater, the idea of spending three hours immersed in a theatrical journey may be unfamiliar to some Manila theatergoers.
Toff de Venecia, managing artistic director of The Sandbox Collective, is excited about the upcoming festival and hopes that SANDBOX FEST 2023 offers audiences a fresh perspective on theatrical experiences. De Venecia says, “I’m very excited for the twin-bill experience of Duncan Macmillan’s works and see how these award-winning one-act plays will resonate with each other, adding to how the world has changed dramatically since we first staged them in 2018 and 2019, thereby impacting the audience’s overall experience and takeaway.”
As Lungs prepares to take the stage again, The Sandbox Collective's creative team faces a new set of questions that resonate current state of our society. In it are discourses on pressing concerns such as the world we leave for future generations and the daunting prospect of bringing children into a troubled world. In the wake of recent events, these questions have gained even greater emotional weight as the world has undergone the changes the play's characters feared.
LUNGS, which received seven Gawad Buhay nominations during its original run in 2018, including a nomination for Female Lead Performance in a Play for Sab Jose, will feature a talented cast for SANDBOX FEST 2023. Joining Sab Jose is Reb Atadero, a Gawad Buhay-nominated theater actor known for his remarkable performances in BREAKUPS & BREAKDOWNS and ANG HULING EL BIMBO. Additionally, theater actors Brian Sy and Justine Peña will step into the anxiety-ridden shoes of Lungs' characters. Justine's recent portrayal in UNCLE JANE earned her praise from both critics and theatergoers, while Brian's exceptional performance in CORIOLANO earned him the prestigious Gawad Buhay Award for Best Male Featured Performance in 2020. Taking the helm as the director for Lungs is Caisa Borromeo, a Gawad Buhay Awardee who previously served as the show's assistant director in 2018 and 2020.
As the team prepares to bring Lungs back to the stage, they grapple with the significance of presenting a play that delves into the fears of a distant future in the midst of a present reality where many of those fears have become all too real. With a fresh perspective, a new cast and director, SANDBOX FEST 2023, aims to ignite insights and meaningful conversations about how we live our present in consideration of the inevitable future of the ever-changing world we live in.
In 2019, The Sandbox Collective took on a brave challenge with the premiere of EVERY BRILLIANT THING, hoping Filipino audiences were ready to embrace its powerful message of finding hope amidst mental illness. Now, as the Philippine theater industry navigates its recovery in a post-pandemic landscape, the significance of EVERY BRILLIANT THING's call to find joy in the ordinary and appreciate the beauty of everyday life has become even more profound.
Returning to the challenge of this one-woman show is the talented actress, model, and TV host Teresa Herrera, who will share the stage with theater actress, multimedia host, entrepreneur, and Gawad Buhay Awardee Kakki Teodoro (Outstanding Female Lead/EBT). Both Herrera and Teodoro received Gawad Buhay nominations for Outstanding Female Lead during the 2019 run of EVERY BRILLIANT THING.
Jenny Jamora will once again be stepping in as director, having directed all its previous runs and winning Outstanding Stage Direction for a Play at the 12th Gawad Buhay Awards.
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The Philippine theater landscape, like the rest of the world, has undergone significant changes since the last curtain call in 2020. Nonetheless, audiences are assured that the essence of both shows remains intact. SANDBOX FEST 2023, at its core, celebrates the inherent goodness within people, the resilience to overcome internal and external struggles, and the collective desire to heal ourselves and the world around us.
Completing the artistic team are Arvy Dimaculangan as sound designer, Miggy Panaganiban as lighting designer, and Krystal Kane as costume stylist. Leading the production team are The Sandbox Collective's managing artistic director Toff De Venecia, Anna Santamaria as operations & finance director; Sab Jose as marketing & PR director; and Maine Manalansan as design director. Joining the team are Salve Villarosa as marketing and PR manager, Loreta Arroyo as marketing and PR associate, Shai Libunao as promo and creatives associate, Marielle Filoteo as social media associate, Marcel David as production manager (Sandbox Fest 2023) and stage manager (EVERY BRILLIANT THING), and Pachot Festejo as stage manager (LUNGS).
SANDBOX FEST 2023 will run at the Zobel de Ayala Recital Hall, 2/F Maybank Performing Arts
Theater, 9th Avenue cor. 26th Street, BGC, Taguig City, from June 17- July 15, 2023.
Tickets are available at TicketWorld.com, or you can call The Sandbox Collective at +63 917 152 5560.
