The staging of The Female Heart marks the end of the 3 year hiatus of UP Playwrights' Theatre, the directorial debut of the highly talented Banaue Miclat-Janssen, and the first time a Filipino-American is featured by the organization. Linda Faigao-Hall wrote a vivid image of how the female heart would do anything to make ends meet. It may transform. become resilient, and makes sure that family comes first. This is shown in how Adelfa puts her family first in practically every decision in her life. UP Playwright's Theatre is known for being housed in Teatro Hermogenes Ylagan (THY), a black box theater located in the Faculty Center. As it is currently not accessible, The Female Heart is being staged at the Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero theater next door, in Palma Hall. UP Playwrights' Theatre pays homage to THY by giving the audience an exhibit of the surviving materials of the previous productions prior to being led to your seat. The seating also resembles a black box t...

Every artist have dreams to pursue, but it is how one conquers those dreams that make a difference. Over the last couple of months, noted award-winning actor and classical / crossover artist AL GATMAITAN was quietly working on a dream project to further hone his craft in music and theater. To further widen his horizons, Al Gatmaitan embarked on a major decision --- a bold move that he has taken very seriously in the forthcoming production of Linda Faigao-Hall’s “THE FEMALE HEART” under the direction of Banaue Miclat-Janssen for the UP Playwrights’ Theater. Set in the late 1980's, the play follows Adelfa and her elder brother Anghel’s struggles as resident of the infamous mountain of garbage popularly known as Smokey Mountain. Confronted by extreme poverty and her brother's ailing health, Adelfa agrees to become a mail-order bride in the United States. When queried by Al’s peers about this challenging job as Anghel, he was straightforward to share his point of view and...

As a prelude to the forthcoming silver linings in the arts of multi-talented artist BANAUE MICLAT-JANSSEN next year, the stage is all set for her directorial debut for the UP Playwrights’ Theater production of Linda Faigao-Hall’s “THE FEMALE HEART.” The play shall open on July 1 and will run until July 10, 2016 at the Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero Theater, University of the Philippines Diliman. The cast of The Female Heart is composed of Chase Salazar as Adelfa, Al Gatmaitan as Anghel, Peewee O’Hara as Rosario, Sheryll Ceasico as Rosario (alternate), Mark McKeownas as Roger, and Ina Azarcon–Bolivar as young Adelfa. The Female Heart begins in the Smokey Mountains of Manila, a 170 acre garbage mound in which nearly 30,000 people scrape together a meager life. Anghel and his mother Rosario make ends meet by gathering and reselling scrap metal and other useful trash from the refuse that surrounds them. Anghel's sister, Adelfa, is one of the few teenagers in Smokey Mountain who i...

Careers come and go. It is how one makes or breaks it. As a prelude to the forthcoming silver linings of her career in the arts next year, multi-talented artist Banaue Miclat-Janssen has been connecting her heart, mind and soul into a wholistic process as part of her time capsule in order to become a much more meaningful artist. Having worked with many co-artists over the past two decades in Manila and New York, Banaue has been praised for her openness to communicate thoughts, views and ideas by explaining the purposes of her goals. With her high level of intelligence, excellent memory, charming mannerisms, sensitivity, innovativeness, imaginativeness and loving temperament, Banaue’s career will surely fall properly into its place spelling more successes in the near future. But even while others seem to have perceived Banaue for keeping a low profile in her career path, she has actually a very keen interest in its advancement. Quiet competence and consistency, that’s what she ...