Repertory Philippines (REP) clinched nine major awards in various categories in the recent 10th Philstage Gawad Buhay Awards. It was indeed a Golden Year for REP with all its 2017 productions winning major awards. REP had garnered 36 nominations.
REP’s murder mystery in a convent, Agnes of God, starring Becca Coates, Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo, and Pinky Amador, emerged as the big winner of the annual awards ceremony that is the country’s equivalent of Broadway’s Tony Awards. Agnes of God took home the honor of Outstanding Production of Existing Material for a Play, and Coates received the Outstanding Female Featured Performance In a Play award for portraying the titular role of Agnes. Joey Gonzalez-Mendoza bagged the Outstanding Set Design award; John Batalla was recognized with the award for Outstanding Lighting Design; and Jethro Joaquin claimed the trophy for Outstanding Sound Design.
Also among the winners are Joshua Spafford, who received the Outstanding Male Lead Performance in a Play award for In the Next Room or The Vibrator Play; and Roselyn Perez, Outstanding Female Lead Performance in a Play for Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike.
Ejay Yatco was named for Outstanding Musical Direction in REP’s grand musicale Hair, while Bonsai Cielo was awarded for Outstanding Costume Design for her work on In the Next Room or The Vibrator Play.
The Philstage Gawad Buhay Awards was established in 2008 and is known as the country’s first industry awards exclusively for the performing arts. A select panel of jurors —members of the press and the academe—is tasked to watch all productions of Philstage member companies. After careful deliberation, the jurors come up with a set of nominees and finalists.
The Philstage organization is comprised of the leading professional theater and dance companies in the Philippines, which includes REP.
For updates and show schedules, log on to www.repertoryphilippines.ph, like and follow repertoryphilippines on Facebook and Instagram, and follow @repphils on Twitter.
