Broadway Hit “Seminar” Stages Asian Premier in Cebu

With the Queen City of the South’s burgeoning arts community, and with increasing dedicated individuals who aim the greater growth of the theater arts movement in Cebu,  GoGo Heart Productions, a theater company headed by New York theater veteran and International Academy of Film and Television (IAFT) Acting Director Alex Murphy, will stage the broadway hit “Seminar” in Cebu.

The upcoming production, which is by widely produced American playwright and author Theresa Rebeck, is its Asian premier. It will be held next month, September 13 (Invitation Only show), 14, 15, 20, 21 and 22 at The Chillage, Mezzanine Floor, Adnama Building in North reclamation Area (next to Cebu Doctor’s University).

Portraying the role of the lead character is Murphy who will play as “Leonard”, a novelist and an international literary figure who is recklessly brilliant and unorthodox in his instructions. Four Cebuano  actors will join Murphy, playing the roles of aspiring novelists who sought for a writing class with Leonard (Murphy). They are Eli Razo who will play as “Martin”, Eden Villarba as “Kate”, Jett Pe as “Douglas” and Sam Booc as “Izzy”.

Razo was the Best Actor 2012 winner for the short film, “Feeling the Faith”, while Villarba is an award-winning actress and producer of the acclaimed indie film, “Ang Damgo Ni Eleuteria”. Thespian Pe of “The Vagina Monologues” on the other hand co-directed and stage managed the said local production on its staging last 2011, and Booc is a rising feature film actress who will make her feature film debut in a lead role in the international feature, “Hello Forever”.

The synopsis of “Seminar” is, Leonard is an indiscriminately relentless teacher who believes he write a book on what makes an author great—and his four writing students get the schooling of their lives. As stated in the production synopsis: “They came for a class in writing. They got a lesson in survival.”  “Seminar”, which played its final Broadway performance on May 6, 2012, is a provocative comedy from Rebeck, who is a Pulitzer Prize nominee and who is the creator of the NBC drama, “Smash”. “Seminar” was directed by Obie Award winner Sam Gold, and starred Academy-award winner Alan Rickman as the lead actor.

Rebeck has also her other playwrights, “NYPD Blue”, Spike Heels”, “Our House”, and “Gossip” among many others. She is a member of the Dramatists Guild, a Contributing Editor to the Harvard Review, an associate Artist at the Roundabout Theatre Company, and has taught at Brandeis University and Columbian University.

The executive producer, director and playing lead actor “Leonard” of upcoming “Seminar” in Cebu, Alex Murphy.

Murphy on the other hand, has a professional acting career in film, television and theater which spanned in the United States, Europe, and Asia. He graduated Bachelor of arts in Theater/Performance at the University of South Florida. He has done several short films in the Philippines and is currently working on a full length play. Murphy is a big follower of the author Rebeck, and in his stint as IAFT’s acting director,  he has been dodging of a good play as well to feature to Cebuanos. When he came across the “Seminar” literary and found his favorite author’s name with it, he did not have second thoughts of doing it. Murphy is the executive producer and director of the scheduled broadway play.

For tickets and inquiries, call The Chillage at (032) 2360027 loal 103 or email marketing@thechillage.com A share of the play production’s ticket sales will go to the Albert Schweiter Children’s Haven Orphanage in Cordova, Cebu. (With Press Release)