Franz Xaver Kroetz's solo play Wunschkonzert (or Request Program) will play The Philippines this fall, playing Manila's Samsung Performing Arts Center in Manila beginning October 10. The "strictly limited engagement" will only continue for 20 performances.
Starring in the piece will be Filipino icons Lea Salonga and Dolle de Leon, who will alternate performances. Bobby Garcia is directing.
The work, titled Request Sa Radyo for this production, is a wordless portrait of working-class anxiety. Set to be staged in the round, the Manila production will center specifically on the realities of the Filipino working class.
“Blurring the line between theatre and performance art, Franz Xaver Kroetz’s wordless play speaks to the silent struggles of isolation and the deep human need for connection," says producers Clint Ramos, Garcia, Christopher Mohnani (for Ayala Land), and GMG Productions in a joint statement. "Through its minimalist approach and profound storytelling, grounded in a specific Filipino lived experience, this production invites audiences to find extraordinary meaning in the everyday and the invisible."
Ramos is also handling the production's scenic design, part of a creative team that also includes lighting designer Elizabeth Mak and sound designer Bradley Ward.
Wunschkonzert premiered in Germany in 1971, playing a Los Angeles engagement in 1986 and Off-Broadway at Brooklyn Academy of Music in 2016.
Tickets are available at RequestSaradyo.com.