From A Bottle Of Beer To A Spanish American War Off-Broadway Play

The beginning draft of the play The Court Martial of Almirante Montojo wrote itself deep within Filipino playwright Dennis Posadas's psyche one day as he was having a beer near Manila Bay several years ago. Since then his play, a historical courtroom drama about Spanish Contraalmirante Patricio Montojo's post Battle of Manila Bay trial in Madrid in 1899 after his loss to Admiral George Dewey at Manila Bay has been edited and rewritten so many times. "I first pitched the story to a newly opened science museum in Manila several years ago but we did not come to an agreement. So the story slept for a while in my hard drive, Posadas said.

Then a conversation with the grand dame of Philippine theatre, Cecile Guidote Alvarez, led him off-Broadway. "Cecile and her politician husband Sonny described how they put on off-Broadway plays during their Martial Law exile in New York during the Seventies," Posadas said.

Posadas went through the very slow process of fund raising. "Everyone thought it was too crazy and audacious," he said. More editing and more rewrites followed.

Then in 2017 came four independent awards from the LA, NYC, Barcelona, Hollywood contests. The script won 1st Place Historical at the Los Angeles Screenplay Contest and Special Jury Prize at the Barcelona International Film Festival.

Finally despite all the difficulties he encountered, some donors helped him get a reading done off-Broadway last 2017. "I was actually surprised that a lot of the audience members who gave feedback at the end of the 2017 reading were women. One, a New York theatre professional, said she was moved by the reading," said Posadas. The initial rush helped fuel more edits and rewrites.

Fortunately for Posadas, a few sponsors helped him organize a one night performance of The Court Martial of Almirante Montojo this coming December 8, Saturday at the Manhattan Repertory Theatre on 17-19 West 45th Street #301, NYC.

"This December 8 off-Broadway play will be the culmination of several years of hard work. My hope is that this play finally breaks out of its shell," he said.

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