Short+Sweet Manila 2016 Festival Begins with 9 Promising 10-Minute Plays

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Who needs lengthy plays when a few minutes of thought-provoking ideas or hilarious situations could readily entertain or arouse us. Make that 9 consecutive 10-minute plays and it already could be an overwhelming and memorable experience especially when all of them somehow tickled our imagination.

I could not get enough of these bite-size theater masterpieces performed by young and talented artists, both amateur and professionals. For most of us, they all fared equally in our eyes since each and everyone did their best to provoke our senses.

While I fancy breaking the fourth wall performers from the Bob Gets Cast Out of Hell group and their humorous take on a discussion between God and the Devil, I was also amused with the Press Play group poking fun of the automated call answering machine integrated in praying to God. Both were not really new since I've seen so many similar ways to attract the interest of the crowd, but it is on their proper timing on punchlines and hilarious facial reactions and body movements which gives them an edge among others.

Objectum Sexuality was a weird love affair between a man and a rocking chair, but the psychiatrist's reactions and methods to convince the patient really made it a lot more entertaining. The end scene convinced me it was very sexually enticing as well. Lol! Seriously, this play needs a second chapter.

Transferring Kyle was more of a sci-fi take on life as if we could easily be replaced by a higher being when we are faulty with our ways. How I wish life was that easily rearranged, and that someone out there is monitoring our performance and would readily interfere and correct us even within the middle of our lifetime.

The Assignment

The Search

Narating Ko Ang Langit

How I Met Your Mother

Bob Gets Cast Out of Hell

Stargazers

Press Play

Objectum Sexuality

Transferring Kyle

Narating Ko Ang Langit tells the story of the "mystery" and the naughty reality towards priesthood as "boys will be boys" who will always be understandably curious of their manhood and sexuality. This is must be why there have been so many molestation issues thrown at priest because they had to keep their inner desires locked. Since not all of us are on our original intentions with regards to our career and decisions in life, priests could have experienced the same dilemma. I also wonder if they would have been more applauded if they did their play in English since there were many foreigners in the audience.

The Lady and the Tyger or How I Met Your Mother could have worked better if I didn't find the lengthy seated discussion quite tiring. I would have appreciated it more if I only I could zoom in closer on their faces showing their facial expressions and reactions. I was also waiting for the other two girls to say or do something other than look at their mobile phones and gulp their respective drinks. Hahaha, apparently they were merely part of the props.

Stargazers has another sci-fi theme showing a love interest between an alien and a human, and how the parent alien (father or mother?) tried to interfere. But still, love persisted since we all know it transcends beyond races, so why not even from planet of origin. I was getting distracted with the outfit of the Parent alien whose man-boobs were protruding. Lol!

The Assignment is all about a group of teens working on their stressful thesis that was nearing its deadline. It was quite a fortunate, or unfortunate, circumstance that a member suddenly dies so they could have an excuse to request for an extension. But what happens next is probably the punchline we were all patiently waiting for out from the lengthy arguments among each other. For me it was rather a long wait before I finally understood where all the discussion was leading to.

The Search will make you ask what your priorities are: Love life or Career, Wife or UFOs - making us dig deeper inside for somehow we do encounter this situation when we lose our sense of the real meaning of our existence in this Earth. Do we need the fame and recognition brought about by an undoubtedly turning point for our career by looking up to the far flung stars, or do we remain anchored on Earth by keeping in close contact with our own loved ones.

Watch out for more astounding 10-minute plays from Short+Sweet Manila 2016 on the coming batches for next week's offerings including the Wildcard shows, and finally teh finale where we will see the best among the best.

Watch our exclusive backstage interviews with the participants at our official YouTube channel at http://www.YouTube.com/user/wazzuppilipinas

There are also more photos at our official Facebook Fan Page at http://www.Facebook.com/wazzuppilipinas

If the first batch of the week were stunning, I'm pretty sure the next batches will try to outdo the performances of these talented theater artists. Catch them again at the Power Mac Center Spotlight located at Circuit Makati.

Wazzup Pilipinas will continue to support the theater - 10  minute or hours of play, it doesn't really matter. What we need is to support our Filipino artists so they would continue to be passionate with their respective crafts.

Break a leg to all the participants!