Inspiring hope through plays

POZON and Fernando “Tata Nanding” Josef, artistic director of Tanghalang Pilipino, announce visits to selected Manila schools by the Virgin Labfest Campus Tour. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

While many Filipinos have not lost hope despite loss of lives, homes, livelihood and infrastructure due to all kinds of calamities and tragedies that have hit the country, many have started to despair.

Pioneer Insurance, through its Stories of Hope Playwriting Competition, aims to bring hope to those people who have started to believe that all is lost.

The competition is open to college students, ages 15-24. Entries must be original one-act plays in English, Filipino or Taglish, in any genre, fiction or nonfiction, that tell stories of hope.

Deadline for submission is Nov. 6 and the winner will be announced on Dec. 14.

Grand prize is P25,000 in cash plus insurance coverage by Pioneer.

Criteria for judging are theme (adherence to the theme of hope, demonstration of hope and optimism), 30 percent; plot (clear and engaging story line), 30 percent; characterization (proper development of the characters), 20 percent; and originality and creativity, 20 percent.

The competition is one of Pioneer’s initiatives to support the arts.

Last year, it conducted the Stories of Friendship Video Competition, which was won by Ateneo de Davao’s “My Friends Who Ran.” The contest encouraged participants to share a three-minute video on friendship.

Pioneer also sponsored plays like “Miss Saigon,” “The Little Mermaid” and “Peter Pan.”

This year, with Tanghalang Pilipino, resident drama club of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), and Writer’s Bloc Inc., Pioneer brings the Virgin Labfest Campus Tour to Manila colleges and universities.

The tour will allow students to meet winning theater directors and actors in CCP’s Virgin Labfest, an annual showcase of original works by new playwrights.

The award-winning plays were “When Sam Met Joe” by Job Pagsibigan, audience choice; “Dalawang Gabi” by Maynard Manansala, “Si Maria Isabelle at ang Guryon ng mga Tala” by Eljay Castro Deldoc, and “Birtwal” by Jose Garcia, academe’s choice; and Juan Miguel Severo’s “Hintayan ng Langit,” Pioneer’s Choice for “excellent portrayal of hope.”

“Through this partnership, we want to spark the curiosity and understanding of the theater community, as well as heighten the appreciation of Filipino culture among students,” said Pioneer marketing head Len Pozon.

The Labfest tour will visit Lyceum of the Philippines University on Sept. 23; University of Santo Tomas, Sept. 30; University of Makati, Oct. 5; and De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, Oct. 13.

For submission procedures, visit www.storieslab.ph. Call 8127777 loc. 455.