ELEVATING FILIPINO THEATER
Full House Theater Company was established to help uplift Philippine theater and performing arts through
its productions, backed by Newport World Resorts.
Learn More About
Full House Theater Company
Founded in 2014, Full House Theater Company has established itself as a leading theatre organization dedicated to nurturing Filipino talent and enriching the local performing arts scene.
By producing world-class theatrical performances, FHTC highlights the skills of Filipino actors and production experts, fostering a vibrant community dedicated to the arts.
How It All Started
The Story of FHTC
When Newport World Resorts opened in 2009 as the first integrated resort in the Philippines, one of its biggest attractions was the Newport Performing Arts Theater–an expansive entertainment space with an award-winning design. Making use of this world-class space, the company staged KAOS in 2010, an over-the-top special production that featured theater artists, dancers, acrobats, death-defying stunts and an actual white lion and white tiger. Since then, Newport World Resorts has been staging musicals at its theater every year, making it a household name among musical theater fans and live entertainment aficionados.
Inspired by its success, Newport World Resorts established Full House Theater Company in 2014, as it entered into the business of staging original musicals. Its first production was Bituing Walang Ningning, an adaptation of a popular Filipino movie based on an equally popular comics serial.
Within its first year, FHTC joined the country’s sole organization of professional performing arts companies, PHILSTAGE. Since then it has been pursuing its determination to help uplift the performing arts industry in the country. By nurturing a new generation of theater audiences and utilizing the best talents in staging world-class productions in an award-winning venue, FHTC significantly contributes to today’s local performing arts.
Meet Our Talented
Creative Team
FHTC is led by seasoned artists and production experts who have made their mark in Philippine theater, and continue to do so.
Artistic Director
Fondly known as the First Lady of Musical Theater, Menchu has been acting onstage since 1978. She is a multi-awarded theater actress and director, receiving critical acclaim for her role in the movie version of Ang Larawan. Some of her notable works include Ang Huling El Bimbo The Musical; Next to Normal; Sweeney Todd; Passion; Evita; Annie; Cinderella; Carrie; God of Carnage; Agnes of God; The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe; and The Band’s Visit. She has also conceptualized and directed major shows including CCP Gala’s Musikal II, and the concert version of South Pacific. She is a board member of Actor’s Actor Inc. and president of Original Pilipino Performing Arts (OPPA) Foundation.
Artistic Director
Michael has been an integral part of Philippine theater since 1983, with an extensive list of credits spanning over three decades. His journey started with Repertory Philippines, performing in classics, comedies, dramas, and musicals, with notable performances for Les Miserables, Man of La Mancha, and Jekyll and Hyde. He eventually directed productions for the same company. He was also part of the original London cast of Miss Saigon in the West End, and performed for Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The King and I also in the West End.
Artistic Director
Dexter M. Santos is an acclaimed director, choreographer, and educator whose body of work spans more than two decades and over 150 productions, including plays, musicals, live events, and digital performances.
His collaboration with Full House Theater Company began in 2018 with the landmark production of Ang Huling El Bimbo The Musical, which enjoyed multiple successful runs, including its return engagements in 2019 and 2023. He subsequently directed Buruguduystunstugudunstuy: The Parokya ni Edgar Musical, Delia D., and Shrek The Musical, helping shape some of the company’s most ambitious and celebrated productions.
At Dulaang UP, Dexter made his directorial debut with an intercultural adaptation of Francisco Balagtas’ Orosman at Zafira, a critically acclaimed production that enjoyed multiple runs. He has since collaborated extensively with renowned playwright Floy Quintos on notable works such as Grace, The Reconciliation Dinner, The Kundiman Party, Angry Christ, and Ang Nawalang Kapatid, among many others.
Beyond the university stage, Dexter has directed a diverse range of productions, including An Evening at the Opera, Ang Kalungkutan ng mga Reyna, Grace, and The Reconciliation Dinner for Encore Theater Company; Dirty Old Musical for Spotlight Artists Centre; A Little Princess for Repertory Philippines; and Maxie the Musicale for Bit by Bit Company.
Currently, he serves as a tenured Assistant Professor at the Department of Speech Communication and Theatre Arts of the University of the Philippines Diliman. As Artistic Consultant of Full House Theater Company, he contributes his experience and perspective to the company’s continuing artistic growth and creative endeavors.
Artistic Director
Rody is an award-winning playwright, screenwriter, and performer whose body of work includes over 70 plays and 35 screenplays. A Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature Hall of Fame awardee and two-time National Book Award recipient, he has also received the Gawad Pambansang Alagad ni Balagtas and the Gawad Dangal ni Balagtas for his contributions to Philippine drama.
His acclaimed stage works include Anak Datu, Under My Skin, Walang Aray, and Buruguduystunstugudunstuy: Ang Parokya ni Edgar Musical, while his adaptations of The Cherry Orchard, Twelfth Night, and Tokyo Notes have earned critical recognition. He has written for leading theater companies including Philippine Educational Theater Association, Tanghalang Pilipino, Repertory Philippines, and Full House Theater Company.
As a screenwriter, his credits include Quezon, Gomburza, Signal Rock, Die Beautiful, and Norte, Hangganan ng Kasaysayan, earning multiple screenplay awards.
A former Artistic Director of Philippine Educational Theater Association, Vera is also the co-founder of the Virgin Labfest and currently heads The Writer’s Bloc, Inc.
Join the Full House Experience
Know more about the company and our current and future productions.