Would Virginia Woolf Contemplate Suicide if She Were Filipino?

Raunchy award-winning Montreal gay comedy kicks off Canadian tour at nation’s capital.

Inspired by the Boys’ Love phenomenon in Asia, Would Virginia Woolf Contemplate Suicide if She Were Filipino is a one-act play that tackles issues of intimacy, sexuality, and race through the eyes of two gay Filipinos in Montreal: Lemar, a fresh-off-the-boat migrant, and Warren, the son of rich immigrants.
After matching on Manhunter, they agree to meet one fateful evening at Lemar’s place. During this intimate encounter, games will be played and pants will be unbuckled. However, they soon realize they each have very different expectations for their evening together.
“[Revan Badingham III’s] Would Virginia Woolf Contemplate Suicide if She Were Filipino? is a thoroughly fresh new voice on the Quebec Drama Scene. Their dialogue crackles as a see-saw relationship ensues between two ex-pat gay Filipino men.” (Oren Safdie, Infinitheatre)

Would Virginia Woolf Contemplate Suicide if She Were Filipino? boasts a team of queer Filipino artists in the diaspora.

The script is written by Revan Badingham III. For over ten years, Badingham has been staging original plays that explore the breadth and depth of queer relationships. They recently released their debut novel To the Boys Who Wear Pink.

Director Dennis Gupa is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Theatre and Film, University of Winnipeg. He obtained his PhD in Applied Theatre at the University of Victoria as a Vanier scholar, MFA Theatre (Directing) at the University of British Columbia, and MA Theatre Arts at the University of the Philippines. His theatre projects have been exhibited in Malaysia, Cambodia, Manila, Indonesia, and
Canada.

Playing the role of Lemar is Mark Hrynioch. A multidisciplinary artist, he has appeared in films (Terror Train and The Race of Life), TV series (Being Human, District 31, Yamaska), and music videos (Rien pour moi). He played several lead roles by his favorite authors: Sacha Guitry, Jean Cocteau, Molière, Shakespeare, Tennessee Williams, and Edward Albee. He has also created his one-man show during the pandemic, Let’s talk about Sex, in English and French, which has been played over 50 times.

Opposite Hrynioch is Marc Ducusin, whose previous roles include the Pharaoh in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Côte-Saint-Luc Dramatic Society, Segal Centre), Enjolras in Les Misérables (Les Productions Coracole), the Arbiter in Chess (In the Wings Promotions), Kipps in The Woman in Black (Loewenport Productions, Mainline Theatre), and Benjy in Sauna: Le/The Musical (Acts to Grind Theatre, toured to Ottawa’s Arts Court and Toronto’s Buddies in Bad Times). He is also a veteran of several musical revues and cabarets with Full Circle Productions, including a recent performance at New York City’s 54 Below. Film credits include Jeff Erbach’s Soft Like Me (which screened at the Toronto and Vancouver Film Festivals) and Matthew Rankin’s The Twentieth Century. An ACTRA apprentice, he earned his PhD in English Literature at McGill University and is represented by Bellini Talent.

Awards

Winner, “Most Promising English Text,” 2022 Montreal Fringe Festival
Runner-Up, “Best New Play or Musical,” BroadwayWorld Montreal Awards
Honourable Mention, 2022 “Write-on-Q” Competition, Infinitheatre

Recognition

Canada Council for the Arts

Watch Video Trailer