Just how busy was the theater scene in 2023?

So busy that, as late as 21 December or four days before Christmas, a new play – Guang Ming College's Ang Paraan ng Paglipad – was just having its gala performance, following a full season of varied productions. (The Buddhist school in Tagaytay has an active campus theater run by Dulaang UP alumni.)

The last time a local theater production ran right through the Christmas season – traditionally a time when theater companies take a rest, with audiences' attention distracted elsewhere by the holiday rush and festivities – was in 2016 yet, when 9 Works Theatrical's A Christmas Carol played at the BGC until 27 December.

But 2023 was no ordinary year. It was the year, after all, of revenge theater, when performing arts companies bounced back with a vengeance after the punishing pandemic restrictions of the last three years, which had shuttered all manner of live performances.

Productions big and small popped up all over the metropolis, sometimes lasting no more than a weekend, as artists and theater companies gave in to the urge to once again create, perform and reconnect with audiences.

The roundup below of the best theater experiences we will take away from 2023 comes with a caveat: It's an incomplete list, because the uncommonly crowded season, the traffic and disparate venues meant we had to miss some shows (Artist Playground's micro-productions, Tanghalang Ateneo's Ang Mga Pag-Ibig nina Elias at Salome, Teatrong Mulat's Prinsipe Bahaghari, the varying cast configurations of Repertory Philippines' Snow White and the Prince and Teatro Kapamilya's Tabing Ilog, The Musical, Langgam Performance Troupe's Pangulong Bangaw). What a happy, if also frustrating, problem for theatergoers — which shows to watch first?

Another caveat: We've not included names and productions already cited/awarded in previous editions of this annual roundup, such as Bart Guingona and his restaging of Red, Jef Flores and Tanya Manalang revisiting their roles in Tick, Tick… Boom!, and Sab Jose for Lungs.

That said, majority of this year's shows are covered here, and the bumper comeback harvest is well worth celebrating. Here goes:

BEST PLAY (ONE-ACT)

Ang Awit ng Dalagang Marmol (Andrew Estacio, playwright; Nazer Salcedo, director). Heralding a fresh voice in Philippine theater, first-time Virgin Labfest playwright Andrew Estacio audaciously refashioned an academic exploration of the origins of "Jocelynang Baliwag," long held as the "Kundiman of the Revolution" against Spain, into an ambitious meta-exploration of history, myth-making, idealization and memory — a buoyant delight as mounted by director Nazer Salcedo and an on-point cast, with an out-of-nowhere gut punch ending that tied up the whole affair wondrously.

Honorable Mentions:

The Impossible Dream (Guelan Luarca; Melvin Lee, dir.); Dominador Gonzales: National Artist (Dingdong Novenario; George de Jesus III, dir.); Room 209 (Zheg Arban; Delphine Buencamino, dir.); O'Donnell (Jerry O'Hara; Issa Manalo Lopez, dir.)

BEST PLAY (FULL-LENGTH)
No citation

Honorable Mentions:  Laro (Floy Quintos; John Mark Yap, dir.); Sidhi't Silakbo (Maynard Manansala and ensemble; Issa Manalo Lopez and Tess Jamias, dirs.)

BEST ACTOR, PLAY

JC Santos, Red. The role of the young artist apprenticing to the temperamental abstract expressionist Mark Rothko in John Logan's play Red was originally categorized as a featured part (Eddie Redmayne won a best featured actor Tony in 2010 for it). But JC Santos' sensational turn was an utterly persuasive argument that the role was toe-to-toe a full equal to Rothko (Bart Guingona, reprising the part from 10 years ago) in this electric two-hander — hence this corrective commendation.

Honorable Mentions: Reb Atadero, Lungs; Joel Saracho, Dominador Gonzales: National Artist; Ron Capinding, The Impossible Dream; Romnick Sarmenta, The Impossible Dream; Rikki Benedicto, Dominador Gonzales: National Artist; Adrian Lindayag, Regine: The Fairy Gaymother; Gio Gahol, Laro; Phi Palmos, Laro; Jojo Cayabyab, Laro; Jao Catarus, Room 209; Bombi Plata, 10 to Midnight; Jeremy Mayores, Laro

BEST ACTRESS, PLAY

Glecy Atienza, Indigo Child. Rody Vera's harrowing memory play about the torture experienced by a young woman during martial law, originally played with blazing intensity by Skyzx Labastilla in 2016, became a softer, more haunting version in Ateneo Entablado's take on the material, with Atienza as an older, frailer survivor whose bent frame and a mind now flecked with patchy memories testified to the lasting shadow of indescribable trauma.

Honorable Mentions: Missy Maramara, Uncle Jane; Shamaine Centenera-Buencamino, Sidhi't Silakbo; Shamaine Centenera-Buencamino, Tuloy ang Palabas; Rissey Reyes-Robinson, Tuloy ang Palabas; Kiki Baento, Kung Paano Nanalo sa Karera si Rosang Taba

BEST FEATURED ACTOR, PLAY
No citation

Honorable Mention: Joaquin Placides, Indigo Child; Ron Capinding, Regine: The Fairy Gaymother; Gino Ramirez, Room 209

BEST FEATURED ACTRESS, PLAY

Lhorvie Nuevo, Ang Pag-uusig. Playing Elizabeth Proctor in Tanghalang Pilipino's Filipino staging of Arthur Miller's The Crucible, Nuevo not only delivered a moving rendition of the character but achieved a rare acting trifecta as well: perhaps the only actress hereabouts (in the world?) to have played all three pivotal female characters in Miller's retelling of the Salem witch trials — as the vixen Abigail and the naïve Mary Warren in previous stagings, and now as John Proctor's stalwart wife. Talk about range.

Honorable Mentions: Adrienne Vergara, Ang Awit ng Dalagang Marmol; Tex Ordoñez-De Leon, Regine: The Fairy Gaymother

BEST MUSICAL (ORIGINAL FILIPINO MATERIAL)

Walang Aray (book/lyrics by Rody Vera, music by Vince Lim; Ian Segarra, dir.) Simultaneously retooling and paying homage to the sarswela, the Philippine Educational Theater Association's new original musical was a rousing demonstration of inventive flair (Rody Vera's witty script and Ian Segarra's playful staging), madcap comedy (by a terrific ensemble) and the year's most exhilarating, eclectic musical score (by Vince Lim), all of which, not surprisingly, made for yet another runaway PETA blockbuster.

Honorable Mention: Tabing Ilog, The Musical (book by Eljay Castro Deldoc, music and lyrics by Vince De Jesus)

BEST MUSICAL (NON-FILIPINO MATERIAL)

The Last Five Years (music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown; Topper Fabregas, dir.). An elegant, poignant production, with a shimmering, full-bodied soundscape courtesy of Rony Fortich's musical direction, a pair of potent performances from Gab Pangilinan and Myke Salomon (in the case of Salomon, tremendous), and the classiest staging one saw in quite a while by way of Topper Fabregas' feather-light direction and Joey Mendoza's sublimely unfussy set design.

Honorable Mention: Tick, Tick… Boom! (book, music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson; Robbie Guevara, dir.)

BEST ACTOR, MUSICAL

Myke Salomon, The Last Five Years (See Best Musical [Non-Filipino Material] above)

Honorable Mentions: Vino Mabalot, Tabing Ilog, The Musical; Adrian Lindayag, ZsaZsa Zaturnnah The Musical; Anthony Rosaldo, Ang Huling El Bimbo; Gio Gahol, Walang Aray; Phi Palmos, ZsaZsa Zaturnnah The Musical; Jon Abella, Walang Aray; Shaun Ocrisma, ZsaZsa Zaturnnah The Musical; Jude Hinumdum, Tabing Ilog, The Musical; Nel Gomez, Breakups and Breakdowns; Arman Ferrer, Rama Hari

BEST ACTRESS, MUSICAL

Shaira Opsimar, Walang Aray. Her modern-day Julia in Peta's update of the Severino Reyes sarswela Walang Sugat was a sparkling creation — sassy, zany and sympathetic in all the right places and with a captivating voice to match, altogether making the show a celebration of smart, strong, maverick womanhood. A true star turn.

Honorable Mentions: Gab Pangilinan, The Last Five Years; Kim Molina, ZsaZsa Zaturnnah The Musical; Marynor Madamesila, Walang Aray; Felicity Kyle Napuli, Sandosenang Sapatos; Wincess Jem Yana, Sandosenang Sapatos; Alexa Ilacad, Walang Aray; Miah Canton, Tabing Ilog, The Musical; Nica Tupas, Rama Hari

BEST FEATURED ACTOR, MUSICAL

Floyd Tena, Sandosenang Sapatos. In a musical that, as in previous iterations, could teeter close to melodrama with its story of a girl coping with disability and devastating family loss (though this time director Jonathan Tadioan wisely applied a sensitive, restrained hand to the material), not a trace of treacle or mush marred Tena's tender performance as the girl's dying father. Opting always for the small gesture, he emerged a big, warm presence in both his child's and the audience's eyes.

Honorable Mentions: Reb Atadero, Tick, Tick… Boom!; Almond Bolante, ZsaZsa Zaturnnah The Musical; Elian Dominguez, ZsaZsa Zaturnnah The Musical; Johnnie Moran, Walang Aray; Jon Joven Uy, Ibarra The Musical; Carlon Matobato, Walang Aray; Joshua Cabiladas, ZsaZsa Zaturnnah The Musical; Raul Montesa, Silver Lining; Poppert Bernadas, Rama Hari

BEST FEATURED ACTRESS, MUSICAL

Kakki Teodoro, ZsaZsa Zaturnnah. Drop-dead fabulous as the glamazon alien leader Queen Femina Suarestellar Baroux, Teodoro brought to her part all the formidable skills she's accumulated as an accomplished actor — the supreme self-assurance, the wicked comic timing and line delivery, the effortless ad-libbing, the sheer unbridled joy in performing that bounded beyond the footlights and washed over the audience with every show.

Honorable Mentions: Kayla Rivera, Tick, Tick… Boom!; Katrine Sunga, Ang Huling El Bimbo; Neomi Gonzales, Walang Aray; Kiki Baento, Walang Aray; Katrine Sunga, Rama Hari

ARTISTIC AND TECHNICAL STANDOUTS

Setting the bar high early in the year, the set design (Mark Daniel Dalacat), costumes (Carlo Pagunaling) and lights (Barbie Tan Tiongco and Mykee Ababon) of Dulaang UP's Kung Paano Nanalo sa Karera si Rosang Taba;

Walang Aray's topnotch production values — sound design by composer Vince Lim and Happy Constantino, choreography (Gio Gahol), production design (Julio Garcia) and costumes (Jaylo Cunanan);

David Esguerra's consistently excellent lighting work for Walang Aray, Tabing Ilog, The Musical and Silver Lining;

Tuxqs Rutaquio and Julio Garcia's Pinoy gothic set for Tuloy ang Palabas and David Esguerra's endlessly mobile panels for Room 209, both in the Virgin Labfest;

Maynard Manansala and the ensemble's collective work on the script of Sidhi't Silakbo, which adapted and melded together monologues from Antigone, Medea and The Trojan Women into a galvanizing whole;

Nekropolis' technicals that helped build playwright Guelan Luarca's dystopian world — Tata Tuviera's production design, D Cortezano's lights and Joyce Garcia's projections;

Ditto for Luarca's other stab at dystopia this year, Ardor, with D Cortezano's set and Jethro Nibaten and Luis Sumilong's lighting design;

Vince De Jesus' musical and sound direction for Tabing Ilog, The Musical, plus Ohm David's storybook set, Tata Tuviera's costumes, Bene Manaois' video projections (that river on stage!) and Stephen Viñas' choreography;

For Tick, Tick… Boom!, Mio Infante's scenography, Shakira Villa Symes' lighting and Bam Tiongson's sound direction;

Infante's set and costumes as well, and Joed Balsamo's musical direction and orchestration of his own score, for Ibarra, The Musical;

Joey Mendoza's production design for The Last Five Years, along with movement design by Delphine Buencamino (also the director and movement designer for Room 209), lights by Meliton Roxas Jr. and musical direction by Rony Fortich;

Marco Viaña and Paw Castillo's production design, and Gabo Tolentino's lighting, for Sandosenang Sapatos;

John Batalla's lighting design for Snow White and the Prince;

and Nel Gomez's judicious contemporary adaptation of Chekhov's Uncle Vanya into Uncle Jane.