‘13th of September’ Holds Fundraising Send-Off Show For Monaco Debut

Eljay Castro Deldoc’s emotionally riveting play held a fundraising performance on August 10 to support its upcoming participation in the 18th Mondial du Théâtre in Monaco later this month.

Words Ysmael Suarez
Photo courtesy of BOGT Philippines
August 19, 2025

Third time’s a charm. BOGT Philippines’ lauded production of the ‘13th of September’ is heading abroad once again to captivate international audiences. This time, it will showcase the work of three-time Palanca awardee Eljay Castro Deldoc in Monaco for the 18th Mondial du Théâtre. 

The production previously staged the show internationally at the Festival International de Théâtre de Mont-Laurier in Canada in 2019, at Theaterwelten in Germany in 2022, and participated digitally in 2021.

To support the production’s delegation to Monaco, a fundraising send-off show was held on August 10, 2025, at the Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez (Black Box Theater), CCP Complex, Pasay, with performances at 3 PM and 7 PM.

The poster for 'The 13th of September'

Deldoc’s reimagining of Mary Girard

‘13th of September’ is an adaptation by Eljay Castro Deldoc of Lanie Robertson’s ‘The Insanity of Mary Girard.’ It features reimagined staging under the direction of ALIW and LEAF awardee Riki Benedicto.

The play delves deeply into intense themes of the human condition, tackling issues of injustice, power dynamics, and the complexities of sanity. It tells the story of Mary Girard, preparing for her last night in the Pennsylvania Asylum. Now in her fifties, her age weighs heavily on her after more than two decades in the asylum, where she is trapped, revisiting memories of her life. Throughout the play, her past is reawakened, triggering memories and traumas she has yet to reckon with—and perhaps, for a moment, reaching lucid sanity.

Andoy Ranay, a seasoned film and theater actor and director, will play the lead role of Mary Girard during the production’s run in Monaco. His recent credits include headlining the acclaimed Presidential Suite #2 at this year’s Virgin Labfest 20, held at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP).

The history of the Mondial du Théâtre

The Mondial du Théâtre is a unique international festival that celebrates amateur and community theater from around the world. Founded in 1957 in Monaco, it is held every four years. Also known as the International Festival of Amateur Theatre, one of its defining features is that each participating country’s production is performed in its native language.

The participation of the ‘13th of September’ marks only the second time the Philippines will take part in the quadrennial festival. The Philippine High School for the Arts (PHSA) was the first to represent the country at the Mondial du Théâtre in 1997, the year the festival reached its peak number of participating countries at 24—a number that has since become the festival’s standard.

Their production of Labaw Donggon, a dance-drama based on the Visayan epic, featured music by Joey Ayala, direction and choreography by National Artist for Dance Agnes Locsin, a script by Dr. Nicanor Tiongson, and was led by Tanghalang Pilipino’s Artistic Director, Nanding Josef.

For this year’s 18th Mondial du Théâtre, which runs from August 20 to 27, ‘13th of September’ will close the festival with performances on the 26th and 27th at the Princess Grace Theater, alongside productions from Lithuania and Morocco.