The Philstage Gawad Buhay Awards is the culmination and recognition of the last theater season’s best works. Here are this year’s nominees

 

2023 was a big year for Philippine theater, as it marked full and packed seasons from Manila’s major production companies. We’ve seen numerous original works as well as iconic restagings—so much that 2023 was also regarded as a year of “revenge theater,” picking up from its long pause during the pandemic. According to Philstage, the alliance of professional theatrical companies in Manila, the past year also “broke records in both audience turnout and number of shows produced.”

While the current theater season appears to be shaping up to be as vibrant and eventful as the last, Philstage recognizes 2023’s productions through its annual Gawad Buhay Awards. The eligible productions considered for this 14th annual awards are all produced by Philstage’s member companies and were deliberated upon by an independent jury.

This year, PETA’s comedy musical “Walang Aray” leads the nominations with 19 nods, followed by Tanghalang Pilipino’s “Nekropolis” and “Sandosenang Sapatos” with eight nominations each. The full list of nominees are:

 

Outstanding Original Script:

Guelan Luarca (“Nekropolis”)
Mikaela Regis (“Unica Hijas”)

 

Outstanding Book of a Musical:

Rody Vera (“Walang Aray”)

 

Outstanding Original Score:

Vince Lim and Rody Vera (“Walang Aray”)

 

Outstanding Musical Direction:

Rony Fortich (“The Last Five Years”)
Vince Lim (“Walang Aray”)

 

Outstanding Choreography:

Gio Gahol (“Walang Aray”)
Stephen Viñas (“Sandosenang Sapatos”)

 

Outstanding Costume Design:

Jaylo Conanan (“Walang Aray”)
Marco Viaña and Paw Castillo (“Sandosenang Sapatos”)

 

Outstanding Lighting Design:

D Cortezano (“Nekropolis”)
Gabo Tolentino (“Red”)
Meliton Roxas Jr. (“The Last Five Years”)

 

Outstanding Sound Design:

Jose Buencamino (“Red”)
Happy Constantino (“Walang Aray”)
Arvy Dimaculangan (“Nekropolis”)

 

Outstanding Set Design:

Mark Daniel Dalacat (“Red”)
Julio Garcia (“Walang Aray”)
Joey Mendoza (“The Last Five Years”)
Tata Tuviera (“Nekropolis”)
Tata Tuviera (“Unica Hijas”)

 

Female Lead Performance in a Play:

Joy delos Santos (“Unica Hijas”)
Ash Nicanor (“Unica Hijas”)
Justine Peña (“Lungs”)

 

Male Lead Performance in a Play:

Reb Atadero (“Lungs”)
JC Santos (“Red”)

 

Female Featured Performance in a Play:

Mitzi Comia (“Nekropolis”)

 

Male Featured Performance in a Play:

Jojo Cayabyab (“Laro”)
Gio Gahol (“Laro”)
Phi Palmos (“Laro”)
Ross Pesigan (“Laro”)

 

Female Lead Performance in a Musical:

Alexa Ilacad (“Walang Aray”)
Marynor Madamesila (“Walang Aray”)
Felicity Kyle Napuli (“Sandosenang Sapatos”)
Shaira Opsimar (“Walang Aray”)
Gab Pangilinan (“The Last Five Years”)
Wincess Jem Yana (“Sandosenang Sapatos”)

 

Male Lead Performance in a Musical:

Jon Abella (“Walang Aray”)
Gio Gahol (“Walang Aray”)
Khalil Ramos (“Tick, Tick… Boom!”)
Myke Salomon (“The Last Five Years”)

 

Female Featured Performance in a Musical:

Kiki Baento (“Walang Aray”)
Neomi Gonzales (“Walang Aray”)
Kayla Rivera (“Tick, Tick… Boom!”)

 

Male Featured Performance in a Musical:

Reb Atadero (“Tick, Tick… Boom!”)
Bene Manaois (“Walang Aray”)
Johnnie Moran (“Walang Aray”)
Floyd Tena (“Sandosenang Sapatos”)

 

Outstanding Ensemble Performance for a Play:

“Laro” (Barefoot Theatre Collaborative)
“Nekropolis” (Tanghalang Pilipino)

 

Outstanding Ensemble Performance for a Musical:

“Sandosenang Sapatos” (Tanghalang Pilipino)
“Tick, Tick… Boom!” (9 Works Theatrical)
“Walang Aray” (PETA)

 

Outstanding Stage Direction for a Play:

Pat Valera (“Unica Hijas”)
John Mark Yap (“Laro”)
Charles Yee (“Nekropolis”)

 

Outstanding Stage Direction for a Musical:

Topper Fabregas (“The Last Five Years”)
Ian Segarra (“Walang Aray”)
Jonathan Tadioan (“Sandosenang Sapatos”)

 

Outstanding Production of Existing Material for a Play:

“Laro” (Barefoot Theatre Collaborative)
“Red” (The Necessary Theatre)

 

Outstanding Play – Original or Translation/Adaptation:

“Nekropolis” (Tanghalang Pilipino)

 

Outstanding Production of Existing Material for a Musical:

“The Last Five Years” (Barefoot Theatre Collaborative)
“Tick, Tick… Boom!” (9 Works Theatrical)

 

Outstanding Musical – Original or Translation/Adaptation:

“Walang Aray” (PETA)

 

Outstanding Production for Children:

“Sandosenang Sapatos” (Tanghalang Pilipino)

 

There are no nominations for outstanding translation or adaptation, and outstanding video and projection design.

The 14th Gawad Buhay awarding ceremony will be held on July 9 at the PETA Theater Center.