Onyl Torres

Imbisibol essays the lives of four Filipino migrants in Japan – Linda, Benjie, Manuel and Rodel – who are toiling in a foreign land to give their families in the Philippines a better quality of life. The story revolves around the joys and struggles of Linda, a Filipina married to a Japanese salaryman who is torn between helping undocumented Filipinos stay in Japan by renting out rooms to them and succumbing to the demands of her husband to evict the Filipinos and save their marriage; Benjie, an undocumented worker who has been jumping from one odd job to another in the last 17 years and desires to go home already and be with his children; Manuel, an aging male entertainer who is struggling with his insecurities and his addiction to gambling; and Rodel, an idealistic newcomer who encounters a rising tension and rivalry with another Filipino at work.

Philip and Bastian are lovers. Philip has taken the responsibility to help his older brother’s family in the slums. However, when Bastian pursues painting and can no longer provide for Philip, Philip resorts to hustling in order to help his brother’s family. When Bastian catches Philip being picked up by a gay man in a car, he decides to keep everything inside. Can Philip and Bastian’s love prevail despite the odds?

Laura accepts the role in this play to rebel against her mother. The director pushes her to bring out her vulnerability and anger, hoping they will show these emotions on stage.

A year after college, seven friends Diane Villaruel, Ricky Salveron, Ese Aragon, Joey Fajardo, Gina de Leon, Garry Ballesteros, Melani Suntay, and Brian Lorenzo get together to take a memory down the lane and attempt to relive the past filled with challenges, victories and problems. Things are not anymore as they seemed to be as each of them treads on different path to self-discovery and accomplishment. Gina and Gary are preparing for their wedding when they learn about Gina’s troublesome reproductive system. On the other hand, just when Melanie finally gave her yes to Brian, the latter met an accident and fell in coma. Ese and Joey learned to be sweeter with each other until Joey got his dream car. And lastly, Ricky, who has been long waiting for his Diane lacked the enough courage to confess when Diane came in.

Amid drought and famine in Cupang, a young woman named Elsa claims to have seen the Virgin Mary and been blessed with the ability to heal the sick. As people flock to witness her powers, the village becomes consumed by faith, prosperity, greed, and deceit. Is Elsa a true symbol of hope in a world desperate for salvation? “Isang Himala” is a rousing adaptation of “Himala” (1982), written by National Artist Ricky Lee.