16th Virgin Labfest goes online amid COVID-19 pandemic

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 15) – As theaters are still closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the annual Virgin Labfest (VLF) adjusted to the new normal and went virtual for its 2020 run.

VLF production manager Nikki Garde-Torres said every cast and staff of the show had to learn new skills in dealing with the rehearsals of the plays, given the Internet connection problems and space issues as cast members are practicing on their homes.

“We have to pull in more people who are experts in online work. We have to get an online technical director and people familiar with Zoom. Everything changed,” Torres told CNN Philippines’ Rico Hizon.

Despite the said limitations, Torres emphasized they need to push VLF which is an annual affair every June at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

VLF director JK Anicoche added the virtual runs of the theater festival helped reach a wider audience.

“Audiences in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao and even across the country or across the world, nakakanood na po sila (they can now watch),” said Anicoche.

Anicoche noted the online staging of VLF has given them a huge responsibility to think more innovative ways in engaging the audience in their platform.

“We are re-thinking ways on how we can engage our audiences, how we can put so much context to the works our artists do. And at the same time how we can generate more substantial conversations among artists and audiences alike,” he said.

The VLF 2020 director also emphasized the theater festival has become an avenue for now to unite the theater artists, having been affected by loss of jobs during the pandemic.

“Labfest serves as a support community not just for artists but also for our audiences especially during these precarious times and precarious conditions. A lot of our events and means of earning money were lost because of the pandemic. But now because we’re capacitated we continue telling stories,” Anicoche said.

The Virgin Labfest 2020, which started last June 10, will run until June 28. It features performances of nine new works, a virtual staging of three revisited works, and staged readings of six new works. Further details of the event can be viewed on their Facebook page.