Robert Encila-Celdran
Born and raised in Cebu, Philippines, Robert Encila is a professional singer, actor, and certified teacher. An alumnus of the University of Arizona, he taught high school and college theater in his beloved Tucson where he also founded Studio Connections, a non-profit theater company and arts organization for children and youth. Since 1994, he has directed over a hundred productions, including some of his favorites: Chicago, Noises Off, Man of La Mancha, JB, A Man of No Importance, Pippin, America Hurrah, and Sunday in the Park with George. Robert returns to Manila with his daughter, Maya, a budding triple-threat performer who currently stars in Repertory Philippines' Beauty and the Beast. Robert is a proud member of the Actors’ Equity Association.
BWW Review: Eheads Fan or Not, Find Time to Watch ANG HULING EL BIMBO
BWW Interview: Acclaimed Film-Stage Director Kanakan-Balintagos Talks M. BUTTERFLY; Show Premieres 9/13
BWW Review: OBRA NI JUAN Delivers Devastating, Moving Homage to Tragic Hero
BWW Review: A CHRISTMAS CAROL Is Big-Hearted In Many Aspects
RWM Places Its Bet on Family-Friendly Musical CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG
In the Spotlight: Philippine Stagers Foundation's Widespread Appeal Among School-based Audiences
BWW Interview: Cara Barredo Talks Career Path, The Legacy of HAIR
BWW Review: BLACKBIRD Disturbs, Asks The Most Urgent Questions
BWW Review: Eheads Fan or Not, Find Time to Watch ANG HULING EL BIMBOAugust 2, 2018
Whether you're up for it or not, jukebox musicals are back in full swing. The genre assumes a new swagger--aimed not merely to regale, but ostensibly to prove artistic legitimacy.
BWW Interview: Acclaimed Film-Stage Director Kanakan-Balintagos Talks M. BUTTERFLY; Show Premieres 9/13July 31, 2018
A prolific dramatist, Tennessee Williams proved most succinct in declaring an ironic dictum: A play does not exist until it's on the stage.
BWW Interview: SPAMALOT's George Schulze Talks Life As An ActorApril 9, 2018
He bears the countenance of an artist on a mission and speaks with the fluency of a refined gentleman. You might infer his self-assurance as a product of rigorous training, but George Schulze has been exuding cool confidence long before his introduction to the theater.
In the Spotlight: Philippine Stagers Foundation's Widespread Appeal Among School-based AudiencesMarch 25, 2018
It's in the spirit of the arts as a conduit for education that I found myself drawn to the theater for young audiences, with a particular interest in the work of Atty. Vincent Taada and the Philippine Stagers Foundation (PSF). Taada's work--as it relates to the current demands for the arts in schools--will be my main focus of this discussion.
BWW Review: SILENT SKY Gathers Women With Requisite Blend of Grace and FerociousnessMarch 7, 2018
Chalk it up to antiquated gender politics that a woman must shatter a glass ceiling to validate her achievement. Despite a long history of injustice, the establishment is relatively unscathed and rarely accountable.
Globe LIVE, 9 Works Theatrical Bring Back A CHRISTMAS CAROL, 12/7-27December 27, 2017
In upholding the Christmas tradition, the Philippines is without peer among nations. Let the world tend to its business while local radio begins the celebration with a Yuletide playlist--on the first of September.
BWW Review: A CHRISTMAS CAROL Is Big-Hearted In Many AspectsDecember 16, 2017
If it's true about Christmas being the most wonderful time of the year, Manila's theater fans may add to their list of good tidings a promising new tradition courtesy of Globe LIVE and 9 Works Theatrical.
Globe LIVE, 9 Works Theatrical Bring Back A CHRISTMAS CAROL, 12/7-27November 16, 2017
In upholding the Christmas tradition, the Philippines is without peer among nations. Let the world tend to its business while local radio begins the celebration with a Yuletide playlist--on the first of September.
BWW Interview: Cara Barredo Talks Career Path, The Legacy of HAIRNovember 14, 2017
Cara Barredo is one such player who comes prepared for artistic challenges, whose work inspires the artistic circle and the audiences who get to see her in action. Granted, an actor's protest is buffered by a certain aesthetic distance, but Cara, the woman behind many roles, is quick to affirm her passion for an ideal world order.
BWW Review: OBRA NI JUAN Delivers Devastating, Moving Homage to Tragic HeroSeptember 9, 2017
You'd be hard-pressed to find a busier man in the industry than Vince Tanada. Now in his 16th year as the president and founding artistic director of the Philippine Stagers Foundation (PSF), he also serves as the company's creative heartbeat--writing and directing productions with a history of reaching far-flung viewers. Just when you think he's due for a well-deserved sabbatical, Tanada is back with a major theater project as though he was checking a mere deadline from his law office (yes, he's still an attorney). From the looks of it, there's no sign of the playwright letting up; in fact, 'Obra ni Juan' shows all the signs of another critical renown.
BWW Review: BLACKBIRD Disturbs, Asks The Most Urgent QuestionsSeptember 3, 2017
Most of us probably harbor an old skeleton or two, though we see no urgent reason to empty that closet before we can go about our business. Secrets are part of the dubious norm we share.
RWM Places Its Bet on Family-Friendly Musical CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANGAugust 28, 2017
If timing is everything, wisdom is the impulse to tighten the cue or the restraint to yield the appropriate pause. It's one of the hallmarks of a seasoned thespian.
BWW Review: NEWSIES Is Exceptionally Entertaining, Bursting With Raw Energy!July 18, 2017
Disney's Newsies is a Tony Award-winning musical derived from the motion picture of the same title. Produced for the first time in Manila, it has commanded the day's headlines and kept a viewing public abuzz with excitement. We can assume Disney's ubiquitous brand had preceded its product, given the film's relative failure to draw critical and commercial acclaim in the early '90s. Considering its cult following after the release of the home video, it makes sense to bring musical theater back to its logical milieu where live performance of a Broadway musical is unparalleled. This production has been every bit as advertised: it's electric, witty, and poignant.
BWW Review: SISTER ACT Comes Bearing Gifts of Joyful NoiseJuly 2, 2017
Sister Act was a Hollywood blockbuster in the early 1990s, pegged as a family comedy that cashed in on the sheer star power of Whoopi Goldberg. A quarter of a century later, Whoopi remains at the helm--this time as a producer of the Broadway incarnation. While her illustrious charm sells almost everything she's in, Sister Act the motion picture doesn't begin to compare to the polished genius of this stage adaptation.
Repertory Philippines: Preserving, Enhancing Philippine Theater For Years to ComeJune 18, 2017
After 50 years, 443 productions, and a consummate adherence to professional theater, Repertory Philippines (REP) has set a remarkable new benchmark for prestige and excellence.
BWW Review: REP Scores a Stunning Winner With IN THE NEXT ROOM, OR THE VIBRATOR PLAYApril 1, 2017
Sara Ruhl is arguably the most inventive young playwright to emerge in recent years. Exploiting a genre that thrives on the fringes, she graces the mainstream with narratives that fuse realism and sundry whimsical elements. She has a shrewd sense of humor to boot, demonstrated in her 2009 Broadway hit and Pulitzer Prize nominee for Drama: In the Next Room, or the Vibrator Play, now playing to titillating cheers at Repertory Philippines (REP).
BWW Interview: Jerry Sibal Talks His Latest Take on NOLI ME TANGERE, The OperaJanuary 24, 2017
While many of us are caught in heavy traffic--or out and about consuming pop culture--Jerry Sibal has been conjuring the most elaborate production ever conceived at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP).
Director Jerry Sibal Revisits Old Binondo, Manila in 'Noli Me Tangere, The Opera'December 18, 2016
For better or worse, Filipino identity is shaped by a legacy of mixed heritage. For Jerry Sibal--a Filipino of Chinese descent living in Manhattan--returning to his native Manila is a source of pride and creative renewal.
BWW Review: Ballet Meets '70s Disco PopDecember 5, 2016
It's no fluke that Ballet Philippines' 47th season is titled 'Wings.' In its latest display of creativity, the company dazzles with a unique production and exhibits the intrepid capacity for flight away from convention.
BWW Review: REP's 'A Little Princess' Pulls Out All The StopsNovember 29, 2016
Repertory Philippines' (REP) 49th season culminates with a musical adaptation of A Little Princess, Frances Hodgson Burnett's 1905 children's novel. Just in time for the holidays, REP's offering comes in a mixed bag of splendor and disenchantment.
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