NEXT FALL Opens Repertory Philippines’ 75th Season, 1/13-2/5

Co-written by Precious C. Lee Cundangan

Manila, Philippines, December 17, 2011 – Repertory Philippines (Rep.), the country's premier English-speaking theater company, is celebrating 45 years in business by opening its 75^th season with New York University Tisch School of the Arts alumnus and playwright Geoffrey Nauffts' Broadway dramedy Next Fall, a moving story of a gay couple whose religious differences add tensions and contradictions to their five-year romantic relationship.  Rep.'s staging of Next Fall runs from January 13 to February 5, 2012 at Onstage, Greenbelt 1, Makati City; evening performances are on Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m., and matinee performances are on Saturdays and Sundays at 3:30 p.m.

Audie Gemora, who recently won a Best Direction citation at the Aliw Awards for his work on the original Filipino musical Noli Me Tangere, directs Next Fall, his second straight play directorial job for Rep. after Equus.

Leading Next Fall's cast is theater stalwart Bart Guingona, who plays Adam, a cynical atheist whose non-committal, no-nonsense take on religion is challenged when his partner meets an accident; co-starring with Guingona is David Bianco, an actor from Theatreworks USA, who plays Luke, Adam's boyfriend, an aspiring thespian and a devout born again Christian.

Also in the cast are Liesl Batucan, who plays Holly, Adam and Luke's common friend, and owner of the candle shop where the couple works; Niccolo Manahan, who plays Brandon, Luke's gay Christian friend; Juno Henares, who plays Arlene, Luke's eccentric mom; and Miguel Faustmann, who plays Butch, Luke's religious father and Arlene's former husband.

Next Fall premiered as an Off Broadway play, produced by Nauffts' Naked Angels, at Peter Jay Sharp Theatre in the summer of 2009; the sold-out performances and rave reviews that the production earned that summer prompted a Broadway transfer to Helen Hayes Theatre in March 2010.

"[Next Fall's] the little play that could," according to New York critic David Cote, garnered several awards and nominations, among them were the 2010 Outer Critics Circle Awards' John Gassner Award for Nauffts; 2010 Drama Desk Award nominations for Best Outstanding Play, Best Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play for Sean Dugan; 2010 Tony Award nominations for Best Play, Best Direction of a Play for Sheryl Kaller); and 2010 Outer Critics Circle Award nomination for Outstanding New Broadway Play.

For tickets to Rep's production of Next Fall, call (632)571-6926 or 571-4941 or email info@repertory.ph; tickets are also available at TicketWorld, call (632) 891-9999 or visit www.ticketworld.com.ph.

The play is presented through special arrangement with Creative Artists Agency.

Photo by David Fabros