10 Years of
The Sandbox Collective
Discovering our Roots and Wings
The Sandbox Collective’s early years ushered in a period of discovery—of finding our identity and audience, testing our limits and pushing boundaries, and ultimately, figuring out our place in the local theater industry.
Our maiden production Dani Girl: A New Musical was our way of throwing our hat into the ring. A brand new musical at that time, the material was considered unexplored and untested territory, what with its premise of a precocious 9-year-old battling an aggressive form of leukemia, and embarking on a magical journey to reclaim her hair. The production was well-received by critics and audiences alike, and The Sandbox Collective was well on its way to exploring its identity and testing its limits.
Shortly after Dani Girl, The Sandbox Collective produced Imaginarium: A Festival of the Absurd featuring presentations, and collaborations of various media, including film, fashion, dance, visual arts, improv, spoken word, music, food and beverage and theater.
In the same year, The Sandbox Collective continued to push boundaries by producing staged readings of Pillowman and The Boy in the Bathroom during the Manila Fringe Festival at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.
2014
Dani Girl
Directed by Toff De Venecia
Music by Michael Kooman
Book and Lyrics by Christopher Dimond
2015
Imaginarium: Festival of the Absurd
Curated by Toff De Venecia, PJ Rebullida, Ren Aguila, Don Jaucian, Raymond Ang, and David Ong.
Boy in the Bathroom
Director: Toff De Venecia
Book & Lyrics by Michael Lluberes
Music & Additional Lyrics by Joe Maloney
The Pillowman
Directed by: Ed Lacson, Jr.
Written by: Martin Mcdonagh
Curiosity
Didn’t Kill The Cat
In its 2nd year, The Sandbox Collective continued to push creative boundaries by mounting its first original monologue cycle entitled No Filter. Featuring the written works of Manila’s young and vibrant community of writers and a millennial mix of television, film and theater stars, No Filter went on to become a critically-acclaimed box office hit. Due to its success, No Filter had a second run and was eventually picked up by Summit Books and published in book format in 2016. After a brief hiatus, the company returned with its first foray into original Filipino material with its production of National Artist Ricky Lee and Vincent De Jesus’ Himala: Isang Musikal. To date, the musical remains the company’s most awarded production.
2015
No Filter 1.0 & 2.0
Directed by: Toff De Venecia
2018
Ricky Lee and
Vincent A. De Jesus’
Himala: Isang Musikal
Directed by Ed Lacson, Jr.
Book and lyrics by National Artist Ricky Lee
Music and lyrics by Vincent A. De Jesus
A Moment
of Clarity
In its 5th year, one could say the collective already hit its stride and knew, more or less, who it was and where it wanted to go. In 2018, The Sandbox Collective staged the Philippine premiere of Duncan Macmillan’s Lungs. The following year, the company produced another Macmillan piece entitled Every Brilliant Thing. These two shows, in particular, ultimately led us to pursue our advocacies for mental health and environmental sustainability, and to reflect on the larger impact that theater has on its audiences and important conversations.
2018
Lungs
Directed by Andrei Nikolai Pamintuan
Written by Duncan Macmillan
2019
Every Brilliant Thing
Directed by Jenny Jamora
Written by Duncan Macmillan with Jonny Donahoe
The Long Interval
Days before what would be a 3-year interval, The Sandbox Collective opened Sandbox Fest 2020 (featuring Duncan Macmillan’s Lungs and Every Brilliant Thing). However, the production was quickly shut down due to the lockdown restrictions and what would eventually be declared a global pandemic. This long intermission (for our company and the industry at large) allowed us to take stock of things, to recalibrate, and to assess whether the company would still be able to get back on its feet.
2020
Sandboxfest 2020
Director: Jenny Jamora (EBT);
Andrei Nikolai Pamintuan (Lungs)
Returning Home
In 2023 — 3 years after borders and entire industries shut down — the company finally reopened its doors to audiences by picking up where we left off: Sandbox Fest. Featuring Duncan Macmilan’s Lungs and Every Brilliant Thing in twin-bill format, the festival also introduced Bawat Bonggang Bagay, the Filipino-translated staging of Every Brilliant Thing by Guelan Luarca. Much like returning home after a period of isolation and distance, there was an air of uncertainty over how audiences would receive the festival, and whether the company still had enough steam to continue the voyage we started back in 2014. As it turned out, audiences eagerly awaited the theater's return and we were met with the warmest of welcomes. We were finally home and breathing life back into the theater.
2023
Sandboxfest 2023
Director: Jenny Jamora (EBT);
Caisa Borromeo (Lungs)
Bawat Bonggang Bagay
Directed by Jenny Jamora
Written by Duncan Macmillan
with Jonny Donahoe
Translated by Guelan Luarca
Now and Ten
As the collective celebrates its 10th year—a milestone that reinforces that we have come of age—we aim to continue evolving with the times, and to continue growing alongside the local theater industry and our ever-changing audience. Join us this season as we usher in a period of REDISCOVERY.
