M. Butterfly

JHETT TOLENTINO and Frontrow Entertainment proudly present M. Butterfly, the 1998 Tony Award winner for Best Play, by David Henry Hwang until Sept. 30 at the Maybank Performing Arts Theater, BGC Arts Center in Taguig City. Directed by Kanakan-Balintagos, the story follows René Gallimard, a member of the French embassy in China. René is mild mannered and considers himself to be poor with women. He meets and falls in love with Chinese opera star Song Liling, a woman he considers to be the embodiment of the perfect woman, Madame Butterfly. For tickets and schedules, contact TicketWorld (ticketworld.com.ph, 891-9999).

A Doll’s House Part 2

RED TURNIP Theater presents A Doll’s House Part 2 written by Norwegian writer Henrik Ibsen until Oct. 7 at the Zobel de Ayala Recital Hall, BGC Arts Center in Taguig City. Directed by Cris Villonco, the show stars Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo as Nora and Carlitos Siguion-Reyna as Torvald. For tickets and schedules, contact TicketWorld (ticketworld.com.ph, 891-9999).

Rapunzel: A Very Hairy Fairy Tale

REP THEATER for Young Audiences and the City of Makati present Rapunzel: A Very Hairy Fairy Tale until Jan. 27 at Onstage Theatre in Greenbelt 1, Makati City. For tickets and schedules, contact TicketWorld (ticketworld.com.ph, 891-9999).

The 39th Manila International Book Fair

THE MANILA International Book Fair (MIBF), the country’s biggest and longest-running book fair, returns for its 39th year until Sept. 16 at the SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City, with over 100 exhibitors ranging from local indie publishers to big bookstore chains. There is also an exciting lineup of events to highlight this year’s fair, like book signings, book launches, meet and greets, storytelling sessions for kids, special contests, workshops, and other activities to cater to bookworms both young and old. Co-located at this year’s MIBF is the very first POP HUB: Comic Splash x Fandom Fest Vol. 1, which will be held at the SMX Function Room 3 on Sept. 15 and 16. For details, call 896-0661 or 896-0682, e-mail bookfair@primetradeasia.com, or follow @ManilaBookFair on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Comedy nights

COMEDY MANILA presents Funny Fridays: Endless Laughter on Sept. 14, 8:30 p.m., at the Teatrino at Promenade, Greenhills Shopping Center, San Juan. For tickets (P500), visit TicketWorld (ticketworld.com.ph, 891-9999).

Sembreak workshops with G-Force

THE G-FORCE Project 2018 Sembreak Dance Workshop will be held at the G-Force Dance Center, Expansion Wing of Festival Mall, on Sept. 15, 16, 22, 23, 29, and 30 for Batch 1, and Oct. 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, and 21 for Batch 2. The workshops from all participating G-Force branches will culminate in a dance concert on Oct. 31 in The Theatre at Solaire. Enrollment fee is P8,500 for six sessions of one type of class (except the #WhiteShirtLove class), inclusive of performance at the concert in The Theatre at Solaire. Returning students who present their previous G-Force Project ID and students taking two or more types of classes will receive discounts. For more information, download the G-Force Dance Center app on Android and iOS.

Mexican film Saturdays

INSTITUTO Cervantes and the Embassy of Mexico invite the public to La Literatura en el Cine Mexicano, a showing of Mexican films based on classic literary works, every Saturday at the new Intramuros branch of the Spanish cultural center, located at Casa Azul, Plaza San Luis Complex. The Sept. 15 program features Doña Bárbara directed by Fernando de Fuentes. Based on screenwriter and Venezuelan author Rómulo Gallegos’ classic novel, the film zeroes in on the encounter between the titular character and a young lawyer Doña Bárbara is a woman who, after a dark past, becomes a powerful and wealthy landowner. She takes out her hostilities on the weaker male sex in her country. Meanwhile, a young man returns after studying law in Caracas to recover and take charge of his property in the Venezuelan plain controlled by his ruthless, seductive and mysterious neighbor Doña Bárbara. She falls in love with him and tries to make him hers at any cost. All films are in Spanish with English subtitles. Admission is free on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, visit the Instituto Cervantes’ website (manila.cervantes.es) or Instituto Cervantes Facebook page (facebook.com/InstitutoCervantesManila).

Side Show

ATLANTIS Theatrical Entertainment Group presents the musical Side Show until Sept. 23 at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza, Makati City. Nominated for four Tony Awards including Best Musical, Side Show is about love, loss, sisterhood, and what it truly means to be unique. Gab Pangilinan and Kayla Rivera star as the conjoined twins Daisy and Violet Hilton. For tickets and schedules, contact TicketWorld (www.ticketworld.com.ph, 891-9999).

Balag at Angud, a Musical

THE Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) and Tanghalang Pilipino present Balag at Angud, a Musical until Sept. 16 at the CCP Little Theater. Directed by Audie Gemora and written by Layetta Bucoy, the play is an original Filipino musical based on the struggles and challenges in the life of Filipino sculptor Junyee. For tickets and schedules, contact TicketWorld (ticketworld.com.ph, 891-9999).

Beautiful Strangers

THE Ikarus Theater Collaborative and Storyboard Junkies present two-time Palanca Award winning playwright Jay Crisostomo IV’s play Beautiful Strangers on Sept. 15 and 16, 7 p.m., at DITO: Bahay ng Sining on J. Molina St., Concepcion Uno, Marikina City. It is a story about five people with varying states of beauty and ugliness. For ticket inquiries and reservations, send a message to (0917) 8632364, or e-mail ikarusbeautifulstrangers@gmail.com.

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