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Manila Bulletin devider Entertainment devider Music and Concerts devider Search is on for standout Pinoy plays

Search is on for standout Pinoy plays

Published Aug 8, 2026 03:54 pm

At A Glance

  • Teatro Panalo, a new theater festival produced by Wishbone Collective and presented by Puregold, is now accepting original one-act plays and musicals from Filipino playwrights, with selected works set for full production in 2027.

A new theater festival is looking for Filipino playwrights with original stories to bring to the stage.

Teatro Panalo, an inaugural incubation theater festival produced and organized by Wishbone Collective, Inc. and presented by Puregold, is now accepting submissions for original one-act plays and musicals by Filipino writers.

The festival aims to give emerging and established playwrights an opportunity to develop their work with professional theater practitioners before seeing it performed for a live audience.

Twelve original works will ultimately be selected for full production: eight straight plays and four musicals. Each selected playwright will receive P100,000 in compensation.

The festival will also award full-length development grants to one straight play and one musical, giving the winning works a chance to undergo further development toward potential commercial production.

Festival Director Vincent de Jesus said the program is designed to find distinctive Filipino voices while giving writers the support needed to strengthen their material.

“We’re looking for authentic voices, fresh perspectives, and stories that deserve to be seen on the stage,” de Jesus said. “The festival is designed to help playwrights realize the full potential of their work through collaboration with experienced theater practitioners, while also giving audiences the opportunity to encounter exciting new Filipino stories.”

The call is open to amateur and professional Filipino playwrights who are at least 18 years old at the time of application. Entries may be written in Filipino or English and must be original one-act works, either straight plays or musicals.

Adaptations, translations and AI-generated creative works are not eligible. Submissions may explore any genre, style or theatrical form, provided the work is intended for approximately 35 to 40 minutes of stage performance.

Applicants have until 11:59 p.m. on September 11, 2026, to submit their entries. Requirements include the completed script, synopsis, logline, playwright’s development vision and supporting documents. Musical entries must also include demo recordings.

Sixteen straight plays and eight musicals will be shortlisted on October 6. The shortlisted playwrights will present their works to the Selection Committee from October 14 to 16, with the final lineup of eight straight plays and four musicals to be announced on October 16.

Selected playwrights will then enter Wishbone’s professional incubation program, receiving dramaturgical guidance and production support as their works are prepared for staging.

The inaugural Teatro Panalo festival is currently scheduled to run from February to March 2027.

For de Jesus, the program is ultimately about giving new Filipino stories a chance to find their audience.

“Original stories have always shaped communities, reflected generations, and inspired change,” he said. “With Puregold Teatro Panalo, the next great Filipino play may be waiting behind an unopened script.”

Related Tags

Teatro Panalo Filipino theater Philippine theater Filipino playwrights theater festival Wishbone Collective Puregold
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