By Brontë H. Lacsamana, Reporter

Theater ReviewShorts and Briefs Theater Festival

THE Shorts and Briefs Theater Festival (SNB) returns each year to present one-act plays by theater first-timers to a live audience. For its 10th year, the festival upped the ante by accepting musicals helmed by first-time playwrights, directors, actors, andnewbie songwriters.

This year, the songwriters were asked to present compositions which the six new directors perused to find a match. Once a director chose a song, a partnership was then forged for the two to create a 15-minute musical, under the mentorship of composer TJ Ramos and playwright Juan Ekis.

On Oct. 26 and 27, festivalgoers filled the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez to see what musicals were created by the six director-songwriter duos.

“We’ve put up shows in many small spaces over the years, including on stairs, just to showcase Shorts and Briefs. Somehow we’ve made it to 10 years and we’re here now thanks to CCP!” said festival director Karl Alexis Jingco at the penultimate show on the last day.

“This is a festival that celebrates the beauty of being a first-timer. It’s scary, but that’s the beauty of it. We celebrate the fear, that leap,” he said.

The curtain opened that day on the endearing romance Sakto Lang, directed by Migui Moreno with music by Karlo Guevarra. It follows Daniel (Daniel Santos) and Vanessa (played by Vanessa Dulay), who unknowingly harbored romantic feelings for each other back in college and now have the chance to reconnect while waiting for a ride home from work.

Its strength is the clever use of the minimal set and props to convey the two leads’ emotions. With decent songs filled with drama powering the story forward, both actors utilized the space around them well as they performed a gentle tug of war of hidden feelings for each other.

The second play, Ang Kwento ng Bubuyog at Paru-paro, directed by Aaron Alsol with music by Aaron Vincent Jimenez, provided a dark tonal contrast. With a pastel-colored poster, a children’s book title, and its main actors coming in dressed in fluffy bee and butterfly costumes, the last thing the audience expected was a rap-style star-crossed gay lovers’ tragedy.

Minimal stage design gave actors Mateo Oladive as Bubuyogand Radleigh as Paru-paro, much work to do for the mix of whimsy and grit to be convincing, but they played their parts well. The music also lent more desperation, sadness, and power to their romance, its beats and drops leaving an impact.

“I chose to work with rap music kasi sabi ko gusto ko na astig ’yong love story (because I said I wanted the love story to be cool),” Mr. Alsol, the director, told BusinessWorld after the show.

“It also breaks the stereotype na rap, sa mga straight lang ‘yon (that rap is just for straight guys),” he said.

Following the subverted expectations of Bubuyog at Paru-paro was Tala, a grounded tale centered on corporate slaves Ella (Francel Go) and Katherine (Pamy Villa). Directed by Jiezl Virmy Chua with music by Martin Sarmenta, it follows two office workers revealing dreams and frustrations as they work overtime.

Both actresses gave commendable performances, especially Ms. Go whose idealistic fervor shone through even as her mic went out. Her portrayal of a young woman chasing her dreams clashed perfectly with Ms. Villa’s of an older woman whose dreams have already been broken. The songs accompanying this story were beautifully matched to their respective moments.

After a brief intermission came the nostalgic UP Diliman-set Disyembre, directed by Ray Raña with music by Axl Diego. It tells the story of Serine, who brings her boyfriend Enzo to the UP Lantern Parade to help jog his memory and reverse the short-term memory loss he suffered from an accident.

While the story itself isn’t new, the execution was seamless, with Kaye Ann Diana and Luis Orbeso as the leads playing friends-who-are-actually-a-couple without a hitch. Notably, the music suits every heartfelt scene.

Continuing the melodrama was Nakasilip sa Bituin, directed by Hazel Madronero with music by Gerard De Leon. It centers on Kay (Kaith Lawrence Espinosa) and John (Mark Jhonsen Bognot), a sister and brother struggling financially to make ends meet.

While its spoken parts were much stronger than the musical sections, their chemistry as siblings sold the story of them trying to stay strong for each other despite their faults. The set was also the most detailed and polished of all of the plays in the festival.

Finally, Kasloy, directed by Paulito Del Mundo with music by John Custer, served as a solid, poignant finish. It follows Rain (Presh Capistrano) and River (Lev Vergara) as close friends and fellow songwriters who go up to the mountains to compose music together.

Like the other musicals in the set, the drama played out by its actors was impeccable, especially in its well-timed twist. Kasloy, also the title of the song provided by Mr. Custer, was undoubtedly the best of the night, inducing tears in quite a few audience members.

“The responsibility of directing your first piece of musical theater is huge, but it helps that we’re guided by mentors and our collaborators,” said director Mr. Del Mundo after the show. “We’re all proud of our work.”

Shorts and Briefs’ 10th year marked a high note for the festival. Every musical had emotions and insights to impart, with room for improvement for all of them but even more potential filling the theater with energy.

SNB was organized by Eksena PH, which had Filipino Sign Language interpreters for the Deaf community in the audience. For more information on their upcoming events, visit their social media pages.