The 2012 National Theater Festival (NTF) at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), which will run from Nov. 8-18, will feature 16 theater groups from across the nation.

Sure to attract curious viewers is “Living La Vida Imelda,” the one-man show of celebrity tour guide  Carlos Celdran, which is loosely based on his famous tour of the controversial former first lady’s buildings. The tour has been fashioned into a theater performance, first staged at Silver Lens Gallery, and dubbed “a delicious mix of history, gossip and commentary” by the New York Times, delivered in Celdran’s provocative style.

The NTF  will also be your last chance to watch the late director Mario O’Hara’s acclaimed last work, “Stageshow,” as well as Dulaang UP’s “Orosman at Zafira,” Peta’s “William,” “Kakarong” by the Barasoain Kalinangan Ensemble, and “Uwahig,” a musical based on a Bukidnon water legend, among other shows. Get your tickets at the CCP now, and patronize some homegrown theater.