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Chari Arespacochaga, an associate professor and director of the MFA Directing Program at Florida State University School of Theatre, is set to return to her birthplace of Manila in the Philippines this August to lead a staging of “Into the Woods” for Theatre Group Asia.

Theatre Group Asia operates as a global theater company under the creative guidance of Tony Award laureate Clint Ramos, concentrating on presenting works driven by Filipino artists and showcased by performers of Filipino descent. The organization is devoted to engaging Filipino audiences while building relationships in the worldwide theatre landscape.

Arespacochaga is a celebrated director recognized for her contributions across theater, film, multimedia, special events, and concerts. Her directing achievements comprise “Rent” (which garnered the Musical of the Year title in Columbus, Ohio in 2023), “Kinky Boots,” and “Natasha Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812,” which was staged at FSU in 2024, among numerous others. Holding a BFA in film and audiovisual communication from the University of the Philippines and an MFA in theater directing from the University of Victoria in British Columbia, Arespacochaga has been part of FSU since 2018.

This will mark Arespacochaga’s first visit to the Philippines in a decade.

“It’s truly thrilling to return,” she remarked. “Many cast members are cherished friends and colleagues with whom I collaborated before departing Manila. Some are also former students who are now thriving in their respective careers and paving their own way in this creative sphere. I am in excellent company, and we are all eager to craft this world for everyone.”

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