Three weekends of love

MANILA, Philippines – Attention, one-act play buffs. There are six one-act plays, three straight and three musicals all about the various aspects of love, to be presented by Dalanghita Productions.

There are stories about lovers separated by traffic, and girl meets boy who does not believe in romance. There are those who are in love but are afraid to show their feelings, one wants to kill herself, and so on.

This was announced in a lively press conference at Sikat Studios in Quezon City, presided over on a long table by a gaggle of directors, actors, playwrights and songwriters. Singer-actor RJ Santillan and playwright-songwriter Juan Miguel Severo performed songs from the musicals.

The production is titled Tatlong Linggong Pag-ibig and will run for three weekends from Nov. 11 to 27 at Power Mac Center Spotlight, Circuit Makati (the former Santa Ana Racetrack). Connect with @dalanghitaprod or call 891-9999.

Playwright-songwriter Juan Miguel Severo

There are matinee and evening performances, with the six playa clustered into Set A and Set B. Set A starts on Nov.  12, 3 p.m. with the following productions: Isang Libong Taon by Pertee Brinas with music by Ejay Yatco and direction by Guelan Luarca; Mula sa Kulimliman by Carlo Vergara and directed by Hazel Gutierrez; and Malapit Man, Malayo Rin by Chris Martinez with direction by Melvin Lee.

Set B starts on Nov. 11, 8 p.m. and the three productions are Corazon Negro by Layeta Bucoy with music by Joel Balsamo and direction by Tuxqs Rutaquio; Rom.Com with George de Jesus III as playwright and director; and Ang Una at Comeback Album ni Pete, with Juan Miguel as playwright and with music by him, and direction by Mara Paulina Marasigan.

A young man goes back to his hometown in Palawan to be reunited with his beloved, but is confronted by “irrational” matters of the heart. A housewife discovers a shocking truth about her husband. We have an odd couple of sorts between a woman who is a hopeless romantic and a male graphic artist who is a cynical realist. During the Spanish period a Filipina teacher falls hopelessly in love with — gasp — a grave digger. And there’s Pete, a former child star caught in the highly- competitive world of show business.

Malayo Man Malapit Din “is inspired by everyday events,” said director Melvin. “One lives in Makati and the other in Valenzuela, so how do they spend time together? They decide to meet halfway in Cubao. But the traffic is so real and it affects their relationship.”

Tatlong Linggong Pag-ibig promises to be a smorgasbord of love, in all its comic and melodramatic elements.