Negrense playwright and cultural researcher Rocky Nicor won third prize in an international playwriting competition organized by the International Playwrights’ Forum (IPF) of the International Theatre Institute (ITI).
Nicor, who has roots in Sagay City and is based in Bacolod City, received the recognition for his play “The Legend of Sugarcane” in the global competition titled “Multicultural Folktales and Children Plays in a Changing World,” whose winners were announced by the ITI on Nov. 6.
The competition recognized original, unpublished plays reflecting the historical, social, and artistic cultures of their authors’ countries of origin.
According to the international jury, Nicor’s play explores workers’ rights, poverty, and class structures through the experiences of a child and adult characters.
The jury commended the play for its treatment of social issues through personal relationships, as well as its strong dialog, clear structure, and use of a chorus.
The judges particularly noted how the perspective of a child provided another dimension to the social realities presented in the work.
Nicor is a playwright, poet, screenwriter, and cultural researcher whose works frequently explore the social conditions, history, and cultural identity of Negros Occidental.
He currently serves as a faculty member and Assistant Program Head of the BA Communication program at the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos (UNO-R) in Bacolod City.
He is also pursuing a master’s degree in Culture and Arts Studies, majoring in Performance Studies, at the Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology.
Nicor previously wrote “Sin-o ang Naglansang kay Kristo”, a Hiligaynon play exploring the intersection of politics and religion, which was selected for the inaugural Visayan edition of the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Virgin Labfest in Bacolod City in 2023.
He also wrote “Tinawo”, the inaugural production of Sagay City’s Lamharon Repertory, which premiered in April 2026 and explored themes of memory, loss, and identity.
A former performing arts scholar of Colegio San Agustin-Bacolod, Nicor has participated in local and international theater festivals and has been involved in community-based theater initiatives in Negros Occidental.
He has also served as executive director of Dagiaw Experimental Theater and has undertaken cultural research involving indigenous communities and regional performance traditions.
Meanwhile, first prize in the international competition went to Iranian writer Hamed A. Nadoshan, based in the Netherlands, for “King-Serpent”, while second prize was awarded to Iranian writer Mina Hemmati for War with “Silent Demons”.
The competition’s international jury consisted of theater practitioners from North Macedonia, the United States, Bangladesh, Israel, and Switzerland.*
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