The Virgin Labfest (VLF) is now accepting submissions for its 22nd season, inviting Filipino playwrights to submit new, original one-act plays.
Since its establishment in 2005, The Virgin Labfest has served as a launchpad for original Filipino storytelling. The festival has grown to become known for championing fresh voices, with works that challenge, question and engage with contemporary social realities. The festival focuses on new and untested works, allowing emerging artists in the local theatre scene to develop and refine their practice. 12 new plays will be selected from this open call. The final lineup will be announced after the closing night of Virgin Labfest 21 in June 2026, with the selected works scheduled for staging in 2027 at the Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez, also known as the CCP Blackbox Theater.
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Submission Guidelines
Playwrights must submit their entries on or before February 28, 2026, at 11:59 PM.
Submissions are open only to Filipino citizens. Scripts must be unpublished, untested, and written as one-act plays with a running time of 40 minutes, or approximately 25 to 35 pages.
Works must not have been published in book form or staged for more than two performances in a show run. Readings and one-time workshop productions are allowed.
Plays may be written in Filipino or English. Scripts in Cebuano, Hiligaynon, Ilocano, or other Filipino languages are also accepted, provided they include a Filipino translation. These submissions will be reviewed based on the availability and capability of performers.
Entries that have received a literary or drama prize from any major competition on or before the closing day of VLF 21 on June 28, 2026 will not be considered.
Scripts must be submitted in .doc, .docx, or .pdf format. They must be sent via email to [email protected]. Google Docs files or links will not be accepted.
The Virgin Labfest is a partnership project of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, The Writer’s Bloc, and Tanghalang Pilipino Foundation, Inc. Visit the CCP website at www.culturalcenter.gov.ph, and follow the official CCP social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok for more updates.
Photos courtesy of the Cultural Center of the Philippines.
