Category: Theatre

1-2-3: Summer’s Not Over And Get Ready to Conga With The Cast Of On Your Feet!

9 Works Theatrical, in partnership with Rockwell, is thrilled to announce the powerhouse cast for the highly anticipated Southeast Asian premiere of On Your Feet! The Story of Emilio & Gloria Estefan.

The hit Broadway and West End musical will ignite the stage at The Proscenium Theater at Rockwell for a limited run from July 10 to August 2, 2026.

Alternating as the unstoppable Queen of Latin Pop Gloria Estefan are Molly Langley and Kayla Rivera.

Molly Langley a Filipino-British singer and actress who trained at Performers College in the UK. Molly’s theater credits include RENT, Side Show, The Wild Party, Spring Awakening, and most recently A Christmas Carol. She is a seasoned international performer with Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruise Lines. She was recently part of the sixth season of the singing competition GMA’s The Clash where she made it to the final Top 6.

Kayla Rivera is a Filipino-Canadian singer, actress, and radio personality who first gained national recognition as a grand finalist on ABS-CBN’s reality singing competition Star Power. Following her professional theatrical debut in the local adaptation of In the Heights, she established a celebrated stage career, earning multiple Best Actress nominations for her performances in acclaimed musicals such as Carrie and Side Show.

They will be joined by a stellar lineup of veteran actors including Ayen Laurel as her mother, Gloria Fajardo; Pinky Marquez as her grandmother, Consuelo Garcia; John Joven Uy as her father, Jose Fajardo; Vien King as Young Jose Fajardo; Jani Magadia as her sister, Rebecca Fajardo; and Anyah de Guzman as Rebecca Fajardo in certain performances, and as Robin.

Ayen Laurel makes her theater comeback in On Your Feet!. She is an award-winning actress, singer, and producer whose distinguished career spans more than three decades. On stage, Ayen has been seen in numerous productions such as Grease, A Chorus Line, Once on This Island, and LIVES. Beyond the stage, Ayen has an extensive body of work in television and film, including shows such as Amaya, Temptation of Wife, Born for You, Can’t Buy Me Love, and Never Say Die; and films such as Sigwa, Here Comes the Bride, and Ang Huling Henya.

Pinky Marquez is a veteran Filipina singer, actress, and musical theater educator whose extensive career spans decades across stage, television, and film. A vocalist for the band Music Making Company, she has built a celebrated theatrical repertoire, starring in prominent productions like Disney’s Newsies, The Graduate, Little Women, and The Sound of Music, as well as the internationally touring musical Marco Polo: When You Find Your True Love. Beyond her stage work and live musical performances, she is a familiar face on Philippine television with notable roles in series such as Zorro and Ang Probinsyano.

Multi award-winning performer and Entertainment Director John Joven Uy also joins the cast of On Your Feet!. He brings his WCOPA World Champion pedigree (Broadway Category, 2006) to this production fresh from his 2025 Global Trends Leadership Award win. He was recently seen in GMA’s Encantadia and ABS-CBN’s Pamilya Sagrado, as well as international productions such as Miss Saigon (Germany), Song of Joseph (Broadway), and most recently in A Christmas Carol and The Bodyguard.

Philippine theater’s sought-after leading man Vien King has won Best Actor in a Musical (Gawad Buhay, LEAF Awards) for Passion. He’s since wowed audiences as Ibarra in Liwanag Sa Dilim, in Rama Hari, tick, tick…BOOM!, Side Show, and most recently in The Bodyguard. He also starred onscreen in Partners in Crime and Love at First Stream.

Jani Magadia is a singer and live performer known for her collaborative work across various musical ensembles in the Philippines. She has showcased her vocal talents as a member of the Manila Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) Singers and as a backup vocalist for the pop and jazz band 13th BLVD.

Anyah de Guzman is a Filipino-American singer, dancer, and actress who honed her musical theater training at the Osceola County School for the Arts, and at the University of Santo Tomas. She built her early stage repertoire in Florida, earning recognition for her performances in productions such as Guys & Dolls and West Side Story. She was recently seen in A Chorus Line.

The roles of Little Gloria and Young Emilio will be alternated by child theater prodigies Reese Iso and Althea Ruedas, and Elian Santos and Manolo Villalva respectively.

Rounding out the cast are is the dynamic ensemble who will bring the vibrant energy of the streets of Little Havana and the Miami Sound Machine to life through explosive choreography and dazzling vocals: Lorenz Martinez as Chris; Meliza Reyes Uy as Sonia; Neo Rivera as Phil; Antonio Valdez as Kiki; Altair Alonzo as Marquito; Roxy Aldiosa as Belen; Rica Laguardia as Lori; Matthew Barbers as Big Paquito; Carmelle Ros as Amilia; Winchester Lopez as Soldier (and as the show’s Dance Captain); Cheska Quimno as Lucia; Richardson Yadao as Kenny; Macel Dofitas-Yadao as Andrea; Gerhard Krysstopher and Lord Kristoffer Logmao as Marcello; Jacqui Jacinto and Gianna Hervas as Rachel; and Roni Paderes as DJ.

Directed by Robbie Guevara, with musical direction by Daniel Bartolome, and choreography by Nunoy van den Burgh, On Your Feet! features a book by Academy Award winner Alexander

Dinelaris, and music produced and recorded by Emilio & Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine. The musical charts the Estefans’ monumental journey from their humble beginnings in Cuba and Miami to international superstardom, overcoming immense career hurdles and a life-threatening tragedy along the way.

Also joining the artistic team Raul Montesa as assistant director, Mio Infante as scenographer; Toma Cayabyab as vocal supervisor; Gabo Tolentino as lighting designer; Aron Roca as sound designer/engineer; Justin Santiago as video and projection designer; Sheik Completado as technical director, Elliza Aurelio as hair and makeup designer, and Charles Villaruz as photographer.

Heading the 9 Works Theatrical production team is managing director and executive producer Santi Santamaria; with Anna Santamaria as operations and finance director; Charyl De Guzman as production manager; Jonjon Martin and Loreta Arroyo as PR managers; GM Hernandez III and Mariella Laurel as marketing managers; Vinz Cantillo as marketing & digital content head; and Pachot Festejo as production stage manager.

On Your Feet! The Story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan will run on all weekends, from July 10 until August 2, 2026, at 8:00 PM on Fridays and Saturdays, and 3:00 PM on Saturdays and Sundays, at the Proscenium Theater, Rockwell Center in Makati City. Tickets are now available on TicketWorld outlets and online, and at the Power Plant Mall Cinema.

For more information, updates, partnerships & bulk buying inquiries, follow us on FB • Instagram (@ProsceniumTheater) and (@9WorksTheatrical).

On Your Feet! The Story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan is a 9 Works Theatrical production, presented by ROCKWELL, together with MAC Cosmetics as official make-up partner. Special thanks to Pitchworks Inc., Power Mac Center, PilotTV, and The People Diary PH by Myra Ho.

On Your Feet! The Story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan is presented through special arrangement with Theatrical Rights Worldwide.

#OnYourFeetAtRockwell #OnYourFeetMNL

June 4, 2026
THEATER REVIEW: Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo Delivers a Powerhouse Performance as Maria Callas in Philippine Opera Company Production of ‘Master Class’

Terrence McNally’s play Master Class is an imagining of one of the sessions of famed opera diva Maria Callas’ master class, which she held a few years before she died, after her voice had given out and her retirement. It is a fictional account of what a master class would be like with someone so important and revolutionary in the world of opera that her teachings would give way to asides that would talk about art, discipline, fame, and her own personal life. It is funny and brutal, it’s casual and accessible and yet it reaches out and engages thoroughly with the sophisticated world of an elite art practice. In efforts to demystify and humanize Callas, McNally allows humour – formed by Callas’ self-confidence and belief in herself and her brutally honest and frank way of critiquing the students and anybody else who catches her attention – into the script and interweaves it with explorations of what it takes to truly express the truth in art while also wrestling with Callas’ own personal demons.

The Philippine Opera Company’s latest staging of Master Class has Jaime Del Mundo in the director’s chair, and he strips away the theatrics of the Carlos P. Romulo Theater at the RCBC Plaza and turns the stage into a rather simple venue for a master class.

Terrence McNally’s Master Class by The Philippine Opera Company | Photos by Myra Ho

There’s a piano, a high chair with a music stand, and a table filled with books at the back. Before the start of the play, a projection of Maria Callas is screened on the backdrop, a textured screen that remains dormant until the finale, which gives way to the only spectacle Del Mundo allows for this play.

Terrence McNally’s Master Class by The Philippine Opera Company | Photos by Myra Ho

There are no theatrics here. The spectacle is the performance of Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo as Maria Callas, a force of nature walking in from the audience’s side who, through sheer aura and stage presence alone, grabs all of our attention.

Terrence McNally’s Master Class by The Philippine Opera Company | Photos by Myra Ho

Lauchengco-Yulo does not try to mimic or imitate Callas. Instead, she takes all of the opera diva’s essence and truth and presents it in her line delivery, her posture, and her facial expressions. It’s a commanding role, with the majority of the play’s two acts centered around her. Callas knows she’s a star and that this class is filled with people who want to be like her, and Lauchengco-Yulo runs with it but, at the same time, is hiding something deep inside.

Terrence McNally’s Master Class by The Philippine Opera Company | Photos by Myra Ho

This is presented in moments while her students are singing; she enters into her own interiority, and delivers a gut-wrenching monologue that mines all of the character’s emotional struggles into a powerful moment for Lauchengco-Yulo.

Terrence McNally’s Master Class by The Philippine Opera Company | Photos by Myra Ho

She does this twice – once before the end of act one and a second time before the end of act two – and it’s really the highlight of the show.

Terrence McNally’s Master Class by The Philippine Opera Company | Photos by Myra Ho

The cast surrounding her – her accompanist on the piano, Manny (Louie Angelo Oca), the three students, Sophie de Palma (Alexandra Bernas), Anthony Candolino (Arman Ferrer), and Sharon Graham (Angeli Benipayo), and a stagehand (Nelsito Gomez) – feels directed to play in total contrast to Lauchengco-Yulo’s Callas.

Terrence McNally’s Master Class by The Philippine Opera Company | Photos by Myra Ho

As she is grounded in emotion, the supporting cast feel exaggerated and hyper-real; as Callas is striving for truth, the people around her are playing to people’s expectations.

Terrence McNally’s Master Class by The Philippine Opera Company | Photos by Myra Ho

The contrast is apparent, and the magic really happens when Ferrer and Benipayo have to sing, with Lauchengco-Yulo, in character, directing them through the songs. I grew up listening to opera arias when my dad would play them while working. I know very little about it, but I could hear the shifts and tones when Ferrer and Benipayo began to imbibe Callas’ teachings.

Terrence McNally’s Master Class by The Philippine Opera Company | Photos by Myra Ho

They are singing difficult pieces – one from Turandot and the other from Verdi’s MacBeth – and they are acting through them. The largeness of their spoken scenes is given nuance and texture as they sing their arias and learn how to find truth in the performance. By the time they exit the stage, Ferrer and Benipayo have changed their approach and Callas has done her work.

Terrence McNally’s Master Class by The Philippine Opera Company | Photos by Myra Ho

Maria Callas, as a character, is not easy to like, though you can admire her. She’s abrasive and self-possessed and we can hang on to her story because she has lived a truly remarkable life. Lauchengco-Yulo plays her head on, without begging for sympathy, and the result hits like a hammer to the head. It’s a bravura performance from Lauchengco-Yulo that realises the full extent of McNally’s play, but it also makes the piece feel somewhat inaccessible unless you truly love the practice of art like I do. There were people around me who couldn’t grasp the full nature of the show; taking the master class tone and setting to mean they were not in the theater, they began talking incessantly from the middle of the first act.

My Rating: 3.5 Stars

Driven by a commanding, bravura performance from Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo, this production is a must-see for true lovers of the craft. Don’t miss the final weekend of Terrence McNally’s award-winning masterpiece, Master Class. The final shows will run on May 30 at 3 PM and 8 PM at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza, Makati. You can secure your tickets now by calling 09176452946 or by visiting Ticket2Me.

May 30, 2026
THEATER REVIEW: Dance Theater Takes a Big Leap Forward with Mari Dance’s Restaging of ‘A Dance in a Day in a Dance’

I’m a huge fan of contemporary dance. I love how expressive and emotional the movements are; it takes a lot of skill to make these seemingly random motions of the body look beautiful, but it always requires a level of storytelling and performance. Having not seen a contemporary dance ballet in a while, I’m thrilled that Mari Dance is bringing it back in a big way by pushing the medium forward and bringing it into the realm of theater. In dance theater, the narrative structure of a play is at work, but the story is communicated entirely through movement. It replaces spoken language with kinetic energy, requiring the audience to let go of the need for words to communicate and instead trust their eyes and ears to pick up the feelings of the story through the performance.

Composed of five short, choreographed pieces by JM Cabling, A Dance in a Day in a Dance tracks the harrowing story of a rigid, abusive dance instructor and choreographer. Played by the terrific Al Bernard Garcia, as he uses capital punishment in the dance studio and terrorizes his students. This framing narrative serves as the transition points that link the five choreographed pieces together.

It begins with Nothing Special, a piece about finding one’s voice amid a culture of silence, performed by featured dancer Michael Que, which mirrors the students trying to process the dance instructor’s abusive ways.

A Dance in a Day in a Dance | Photo by Cesar Morales

At the midpoint, the company delivers a stunning performance of Ang Lihim ni Lea, an adaptation of Augie Rivera’s children’s book about a young girl who discovers she can walk through walls but the origins of this ability comes from a scary, dark place.

A Dance in a Day in a Dance | Photo by Cesar Morales

Performed by Janine Arisola-Cabrera as Lea, this powerful piece features where the dancer actually goes through the walls of her home, which is realised by a frame wrapped in fabric with holes cut through them.

A Dance in a Day in a Dance | Photo by Cesar Morales

The show then transitions to Bent, excellently executed by Arnel Sablas and Sheanne Montecarlos, about an accidental hook up between two dancers. It finishes with Nothing Special, performed by Garcia and Jenris Bernard Garcia, about a man rediscovering and reconciling with his younger self. It is the piece that leads to the transformation of Garcia’s problematic dance instructor that allows him to seek redemption withhis students.

A Dance in a Day in a Dance | Photo by Cesar Morales

Under Mikko Angeles’s astute direction and JM Cabling’s inventive choreography, the production transitions seamlessly between the world of the narrative to the world of the individual pieces, ensuring the emotional connection is carried through.

A Dance in a Day in a Dance | Photo by Cesar Morales

D Cortezano’s lighting design is exquisite, dynamically shifting colour temperatures and brightness to highlight the emotional spectrum of each scene. In one particular sequence, Cortezano manages to keep Garcia in the spotlight as he dances throughout the entire stage, while the rest of the company of dancers shifts rhythmically in darkness behind him. It had such a powerful effect.

A Dance in a Day in a Dance | Photo by Cesar Morales

Complementing this is Wika Nadera’s set design involves panels on wheels so they can be dragged around, with one side made to look like doors and the other to look like artsy walls. The dancers would move them around to change the scene, using whichever side is best for the story at that moment.

A Dance in a Day in a Dance | Photo by Cesar Morales

The emotional ride of the entire production is matched by its production savvy and elevated by a host of incredible dancers. Led by Al Bernard Garcia, the ensemble and featured dancers are so strong. Their lines were beautiful. Their technique showed but each one was able to convey the story so well.

A Dance in a Day in a Dance | Photo by Cesar Morales

For me, the night’s true standouts, aside from Garcia who really anchored the whole production, were Arisola-Cabrera, whose portrayal of Lea is intricate and nuanced, and Montecarlos, whose performance in ‘Bent’ really showcased her talent and training and she brought in a lot of charm.

A Dance in a Day in a Dance | Photo by Cesar Morales

Among the ensemble, Evan Joe Asuela stood out for his grace and strength. He was just part of the ensemble, but his stage presence was so strong that I couldn’t stop watching him dance during the big numbers.

A Dance in a Day in a Dance | Photo by Cesar Morales

If you’re looking to get into watching ballet or contemporary dance, Mari Dance’s A Dance in a Day in a Dance is a wonderful starter show and its theatrical structure keeps it familiar.

My Rating: 5 Stars

Don’t miss this breathtaking leap forward in local dance theater! A Dance in a Day in a Dance runs until May 31 at the Doreen Black Box Theater, Areté, Quezon City. Experience the magic live, secure your tickets NOW at maridance.com!

May 22, 2026
THEATER REVIEW: ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’: A Very Modern Superstar

Director Timothy Sheader’s concept for the revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s Jesus Christ Superstar is an interesting interplay of 1970s rock opera with a lot of modern sensibilities, reimagining Jesus Christ as a sort of disinterested celebrity. The stage design is sparse and foreboding: on stage right stands a two-story structure made to look like wood, while on the left, a massive platform in the shape of a cross serves as a makeshift table or an elevated stage for other characters to come through. While lighting designer Lee Curran does wonders in shaping the atmosphere, it is Tom Scutt’s set design that truly makes you feel like something bad is about to happen.

Jesus Christ Superstar Manila Production | Ricardo Afonso and the Jesus Christ Superstar Company | Photo by Zeus Martinez Photography

The play pulls from Gospel passages to explore – entirely through rock music – Jesus’s relationships with his disciples and followers as his rising influence begins to frighten the Pharisees and priests. Told primarily from the point of view of Judas, who remains faithful yet deeply wary that Jesus is rocking the boat too much, it tracks his eventual betrayal leading up to Jesus’ crucifixion.

Jesus Christ Superstar Manila Production | Luke Street, Ricardo Afonos, and the Jesus Christ Superstar Company | Photo by Zeus Martinez Photography

Completely sung-through, the musical relies on clarity of words and and the power of the emotions as told through song so the story and its emotional weight relies heavily on the performers and the way they interpret each song. Some treat the show like a concert – singing beautifully but losing out on the narrativity of the music – while others successfully carry the story through.

Jesus Christ Superstar Manila Production | Javon King and Grant Hodges | Photo by Vitt Salvador

On the gala night, Javon King’s Judas was an instant standout , singing magnificently while still breathing into the songs Judas’ anger, resentment, guilt, and pathos into the role. Meanwhile, Joshua Bess’ Jesus Christ struggled through the first act but found his voice in the second; however, he was ultimately outshined by many of his co-stars, tilting the production even more towards Judas’ story.

Jesus Christ Superstar Manila Production | Joshua Bess, Gab Pangilinan, and the Jesus Chris Superstar International Tour Company | Photo by Vitt Salvador

The imagery of Sheader’s revival places Jesus and his disciples in gray sweatpants and hoodies – making them look like Millennials or even Gen Zers – evoking the vibe of social media radicals changing the world through Jesus’ progressive teachings. Bess’ Jesus has a tendency to mope and cast his anxiety onto his disciples, frequently reproaching them and complaining that none of them truly care for him. He comes off as a popular influencer who has grown exhausted by fame and the burden of leading his flock.

Jesus Christ Superstar Manila | Jesus Christ Superstar International Tour Company | Photo by Vitt Salvador

On the other hand, Judas constantly pushes Jesus to be less radical, aware of how he is ruffling feathers, especially among the Pharisees and the priests. Dressed as they are, singing to rock music against a bleak, bare stage design, the production feels like a direct commentary on today’s society: the way that the youth are trying to bring down the old ways while the old guard does whatever it takes to stay in power.

I really appreciated this tone and imagery. Drew McOnie’s demanding choreography is very hard-hitting and intensely physical, using ripple-effect movements that begin with a single dancer and then copied by one performer to the next. This creates a visual metaphor, making the energy of Jesus’ words feel infectious, moving from one person to the next.

Jesus Christ Superstar Manila Production | Gab Pangilinan | Photo by Vitt Salvador

Other standouts included Gab Pangilinan as Mary Magdalene, who managed to find the right balance between the production’s message and the music’s over-the-topness.

Jesus Christ Superstar Manila Production | Luke Street & Gab Pangilinan | Photo by Zeus Martinez Photography

She just melded quite well into Sheader’s vision and sang my favourite songs from the musical.

Jesus Christ Superstar Manila Production | Gab Pangilinan and Joshua Bess | Photo by Vitt Salvador

The other stand out is Erick W. Schleck as King Herod. His lone number was a show-stopper with Herod in spectacular gold frock that feels very much like a drag queen, performed with such bravura that it rightfully deserved the thunderous applause that followed.

Jesus Christ Superstar Manila Production | Ricardo Afonso and the Jesus Christ Superstar Company | Photo by Zeus Martinez Photography

On a personal level, Jesus Christ Superstar is not my favourite of musicals. Having grown up on the music of Neil Young, David Bowie, The Rolling Stones, and other 1970s rock bands, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s brand of 1970s rock doesn’t quite hit the mark for me – though I have always loved all of Mary Magdalene’s numbers. Because the show is entirely sung-through, the musical is dependent on the performers really carrying the story through the singing and if someone doesn’t do their part, the show struggles.

But it is a spectacular show. With King, Pangilinan, and Schleck on stage alongside a powerhouse ensemble – there’s a lot to see and enjoy. Sheader’s direction, especially of his striking treatment of Judas’ suicide and how he blocks and envisions the ending, is quite a theatrical feat. Ultimately, listen to the music and if 1970s rock opera is your jam, then this is a show you will enjoy.

My Rating: 3.5 Stars

Catch Jesus Christ Superstar on stage until May 31! Don’t miss this sleek, hard-hitting reinvention of a theater classic. Whether you’re a lifelong fan of the rock opera or looking to experience its brilliant modern staging for the first time, this production is a must-watch spectacle. Don’t miss the phenomenon, grab your tickets now at Ticketworld.

May 17, 2026
REP taps Nelsito Gomez to Direct Nonie Buencamino’s Musical Theater Comeback in Man of La Mancha

Repertory Philippines (REP) enlivens the local theater scene as it brings the inspiring and beloved story of literary hero Don Quixote to the stage in the much-anticipated production of the seminal classic Man of La Mancha.

With a limited four-weekend run from June 5 to 28 at the REP Eastwood Theater, the 2026 staging of Man of La Mancha not only harks back to REP’s legacy but also offers a revitalized take for today’s theatergoers. The musical will be brought to life by young director Nelsito Gomez, known for his fresh, creative, and relevant (and mostly lauded) takes on the masterworks of literary pantheons, from Shakespeare to Goethe. With him at the helm, one can expect this Cervantine musical about one man’s refusal to give up his impossible dream to be even more impactful and meaningful to the new generation.

Fittingly, this REP staging stars 2025 Gawad Buhay Best Actor in a Play awardee Nonie Buencamino, who makes his grand comeback into musicals as Alonso Quijano / Don Quixote, a man on a dedicated mission to restore honor, justice, and beauty to a world tainted by cynicism and hatred. Buencamino is known for his versatility, having appeared in various films, television shows, and theater productions throughout his decades-long career.

“We are deeply honored to bring Man of La Mancha back to the REP stage—a production that remains very close to my heart as one of my all-time favorite musicals. In a moment when it’s easy to grow weary or guarded, Don Quixote invites us, in his quirky ‘quixotic’ manner, to hold fast to courage, imagination, and the possibility of something better. Guided by an extraordinary team led by Nelsito Gomez and Nonie Buencamino, we’ve shaped a production that feels both intimate and urgent, and I’m truly excited to share it with our audiences,” says Mindy Perez-Rubio, REP President and CEO. “This is a theater experience you simply have to see.”

Considered as one of the world’s most popular musicals, Man of La Mancha is a soul-stirring and powerful musical experience featuring a fictionalized version of the famed writer Miguel de Cervantes, who is thrown into prison by the Spanish Inquisition and must defend himself against his fellow prisoners. As he takes the persona of Don Quixote through a play, the tale of imagination, chivalry, and heroism transforms and touches the people around him. It’s inspired by the Cervantes’ novel “The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha,” often hailed as the “best novel of all time” and the “best and most central work in world literature.”

The musical premiered on Broadway in 1965 and won five Tony Awards including Best Musical, with book by Dale Wasserman, music by Mitch Leigh, and lyrics by Joe Darion. Man of La Mancha is known for introducing the standard, “The Impossible Dream,” the principal song of the show that has become an anthem of hope. With a Spanish-infused score, the musical also features the timeless classics, “Dulcinea”, “I, Don Quixote,” and “I’m Only Thinking of Him”. Man of La Mancha is a favorite among REP audiences, having been previously staged in 1987 at the Insular Life Theater and in 2005 at Onstage Greenbelt.

Acclaimed classical singer and actress Katrine Sunga plays Don Quixote’s muse Aldonza, while Marvin Ong, known for his lauded lead performance in I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, plays the iconic Sancho Panza. Rounding out the stellar cast are Tarek El Tayech as Governor/Innkeeper, Alfredo Reyes as Duke/Carrasco, Mikkie Bradshaw-Volante as Antonia, Sarah Facurias Housekeeper, Steven Hotchkiss as Padre, Julio Laforteza as Pedro/Male Dancer, Dippy Arceo as Jose, Jasper Jimenez as Juan/Barber, Ralph Oliva as Paco, Khalil Tambio as Anselmo, Liway Perez as Maria/Female Dancer, and Rafa Sumilong as Captain. JV Fulgencio joins the cast as the Male Swing and Aly Wijangco as the Female Swing.

The artistic team of REP’s Man of La Mancha includes Musical Director Farley Asuncion, Vocal Coach Arman Ferrer, Choreographer Jim Ferrer, Set and Props Designer Julio Garcia, Costume Designer Hershee Tantiado, Sound Designer Kabaitan Bautista, and Lighting Designer and Technical Director D Cortezano.

REP’s Man of La Mancha is running only for four weeks from June 5 to 28 at the REP Eastwood Theater in Eastwood City Walk 2, Quezon City.

Tickets are available now for ₱3,000 for Orchestra Center and ₱2,500 for Orchestra Side. Book your seats now, check out Ticketworld via tinyurl.com/REPMLM2026-TW or Ticket2Me via tinyurl.com/REPMLM2026. Special rates are also available to Megaworld Titanium VIPs through tinyurl.com/REPLAMANCHAVIP, while Eastwood residents, tenants, and employees can claim their special discount at the REP Box Office, 4F Eastwood Mall near SuperPark and Red Mango

For updates and show schedules, visit www.repertoryphilippines.ph, or like and follow @repertoryphilippines on Facebook and Instagram.

May 11, 2026
VLFXXI: Hubo’t Hubad unwraps the human soul with 12 ‘virgin’ scripts

The Virgin Labfest (VLF) officially comes of age in its 21st edition, stripping down all pretense of innocence while showcasing the bold Filipino voice and spirit. As it nurtures emerging and established playwrights, directors, actors, and designers, it revels in the artistic and creative desires expressed through fearless storytelling.

Guided by the theme Hubo’t Hubad, this year’s VLF reflects on the many ways people reveal themselves. It invites audiences to engage with works that expose layers of identity, memory, and vulnerability.

Offering a deeper understanding of the human experience, the country’s theater festival of untried, untested, and unstaged one-act plays returns with 12 “virgin” scripts this June 3 to 28, 2026, at the Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez (CCP Black Box Theater).

Unrestrained tales of the human experience

Featuring new works by eight “virgin” playwrights and four returning playwrights, VLFXXI: HUBO’T HUBAD elaborates on the unbridled truths of humanity’s essence after blooming into a passionate community of untold narratives over the last two decades.

Anthony Kim Vergara’s PASSWORD123, PILIPINAS321 centers on Blackteam, an underground cyberspace operation disguised as a technical support center. With his cousin leading the team’s troubling methods, the lead character questions his chosen path as a cybersecurity expert and as a Filipino.

A reporter is about to receive an international award in HUMAN RIGHTS STORY OF THE YEAR by Elijah Felice Rosales. At her farewell party, a former colleague declares she does not deserve the recognition.

PATAYIN ANG MGA SUROT by Floyd Scott Tiogangco occurs on the last night of Rodrigo Duterte’s presidency. While an Oplan Tokhang operation unfolds, tension builds as a couple conducts their own extermination of bedbugs.

A wounded fighter stumbles into a small Marawi hospital in Neil Arkhe Azcuna’s BALOS. Because of his arrival, four medical workers must decide between staying silent to save lives and speaking up to risk everyone’s refuge.

In Alab Usman’s HARAM, three queer Muslims struggle to manage faith and love across borders and barriers.

A former nun turned Philosophy professor and Gab Mactal’s LUALHATI meet again. Their memories of faith and romance emerge on the last night of the wake held at the Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn convent.

Dustin Celestino’s ELEHIYA is an impressionistic montage of conversations of fathers and sons that could have taken place but did not.

A former womanizer meets the love of his life in SHE’S ELECTRIC by Ron Evangelista. However, his friends make a discovery that leads to an insightful discussion on the sexual and philosophical nature of relationships.

Faith Ferrer Lacanlale’s BETAMAX follows a woman who begins to see “human pigs” after a minor road accident. As she ascends to madness, the darkness surrounding her family is brought to light.

A grieving family turns back time with a virtual archive of memories in FOOTPRINT by JEROM CANLAS. While they scramble to make sense of a tragedy, their unspoken feelings inflict a much harsher truth.

Set in Tarlac, two strangers uncover an unexpected connection by exchanging tales of love and disappointment within the walls of a rage booth in John Lapus’ TAKSYAPO!.

Gerald Manuel’s BUHAGHAG follows a young lady who is haunted by a long-haired enigma that corners her into choosing between self-preservation and self-destruction.

In addition to the new plays, VLFXXI: HUBO’T HUBAD revisits three stories from last year’s edition: Ade Valenzona’s POLAR COORDINATES, Rolin Cadallo Obina’s THE LATE MR. REAL, and Siege Malvar’s PRESIDENTIAL SUITE #2.

Valenzona’s POLAR COORDINATES follows a confused student after he fails his Math exam. With the fate of his fragile family and strange feelings for his tutor piling on, he struggles to carve his own path.

Obina’s THE LATE MR. REAL takes place in an isolation facility during the COVID-19 pandemic. With a wall separating them, an estranged couple reexamines the clashing views that led to their marriage’s failure.

A senator is accused of money laundering in Malvar’s PRESIDENTIAL SUITE #2. While she recovers from a heart attack, her children rally for the best course of action to salvage their reputations.

Peeling off innocence and refining raw talent

True to its core of celebrating both budding and veteran playwrights, VLFXXI: HUBO’T HUBAD continues to nourish its garden of talent through its educational components: Staged Readings, Writing Fellowship Program and Showcase, Theater Talks, and Playwrights’ Fair.

Script submissions from VLFXXI come to life through stripped-down reading performances in Staged Readings. Jose Victor Torres’ MGA TATSULOK, M. Manalastas’ THE DEVOURED, Dingdong Novenario’s MANANG, Rafael Jimenez’s SUOR, Juan Ekis’ KASAL(ANAN), and Jay Fernandez’s ANG HULI take the stage.

The VLF Writing Fellowship Program, a two-week mentorship on dramatic writing for the stage headed by award-winning playwright Glenn Sevilla Mas, culminates in a thrilling showcase. The Taiwan International Play Reading Festival (TIPR) will also hold a special staged reading of Ihot Sinlay Cihek’s HOW ROMANTIC: A GUIDE TO MODERN PANGCAH LIFE, alongside the National Art Centre’s PRISON DANCER.

A forum series on the creative processes behind theater, Theater Talks will feature TIPR with speaker Cheng-Han Wu. Jin Yim and Cui Yin Mok of the Asian Producers’ Platform share their insights, together with Shizuoka Performing Arts Center’s Takuya Maehara.

Meanwhile, VLF founder and Palanca-awardee Rody Vera, Liza Magtoto, and Glenn Sevilla Mas host Playwrights’ Fair, peeking into the minds of veteran playwrights. Guest speakers Tanya Lopez, Dessa Quesada-Palm, and Sari Saysay explore the essence of Visayan theater, herstories, and settings in the nation’s current artistic landscape.

Uncovering new narratives charged with immense thirst for artistry, VLFXXI: HUBO’T HUBAD shows are scheduled at 2 p.m. matinee and 8 p.m. gala, while its educational components are slated at 5 p.m. from June 3 to 28, 2026. Tickets are priced at Php800 (regular) and Php1000 (premium), available for purchase at the CCP Box Office and Ticket World. For more updates on the festival schedule and ticket-selling, visit the official pages of VLF, CCP, Tanghalang Pilipino Foundation Inc., and Writers’ Bloc across Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok.

May 4, 2026
THEATER REVIEW: Marrying the Grounded With the Theatrical, PETA Plus’ ‘Endo’ Is Presented to Us as a Dark, Modern, Urban Fairy Tale

I never got to see the 2007 film ‘Endo’ by Jade Castro so I was coming in without preconceived expectations. I know that playwright Liza Magtoto made big changes in the premise when adapting and modernizing the material, focusing more on today’s gig economy rather than just on contractual workers.

Endo. The Stage Adaptation centers on Leo (played by Royce Cabrera or Esteban Mara), a rider juggling multiple odd jobs to provide for his father and younger brother. His girlfriend Candy (played by Iana Bernardez or Kate Alejandrino) quits her job to be a content creator, an ambition that ultimately leads her to a decision to break up with Leo.

PETA Plus’ Endo: The Stage Adaptation | Photo by Shella Toledo

Coincidentally, Leo keeps connecting with Tanya (played by Jasmine Curtis-Smith or Rissey Reyes-Robinson), a nursing graduate who does a multitude of jobs including online live-selling. Leo and Tanya catch feelings but their tenuous economic situation leaves very little room for planning a proper future. Tanya is more secured with an actual college degree and a plan, which runs counter to Leo’s own mindset of “just getting by” survivalist mindset.

PETA Plus’ Endo: The Stage Adaptation | Photo by Shella Toledo

While the play deals with grounded, such real-world themes, playwright Magtoto and director Melvin Lee choose to present this version of End as a hyper-realistic modern theatrical fantasy. Leo, Tanya, and Candy feel more like archetypes than fully fleshed out characters; the narrative never really sinks too deep into them. Instead, they feel like representations and by doing so, the play creates allowances for improbable coincidences, heightened drama, and a plot that is teetering into the edge of melodrama: because of course, Leo’s father is a diabetic and this will play out later or how every other character they meet are hustlers of every shape and form.

PETA Plus’ Endo: The Stage Adaptation | Photo by Shella Toledo

Director Melvin Lee also imbues the whole play with a bit of a ballet as transitions. An ensemble that acts as “proteans” constantly shifting to play various characters that they meet or becoming physical embodiments of the social and economic forces that keep Leo away from Tanya. In one dramatic scene, Leo tries to reach out for Tanya in a crowded street and the ensemble, as the crowd, suddenly picks up Leo and carries him away.

PETA Plus’ Endo: The Stage Adaptation | Photo by Shella Toledo

The set design is equally metaphorical: the whole center stage lifts up, buoyed by a spring that keeps it from ever feeling stable. It is definitely a metaphor on how unstable the lives of these characters are. Love scenes are portrayed as a choreographed duet between Leo and Tanya.

PETA Plus’ Endo: The Stage Adaptation | Photo by Shella Toledo

The overall effect of these theatrical techniques is that it takes this very grounded story and turns it into something like a dark, urban, modern fairytale. Leo, Tanya, and Candy are just characters in a story that is meant to show us how the system is failing these characters. This stylistic choice softens the inherent bleakness of the material – which it gets – making it more palatable and accessible to a larger audience rather than if it were a straight-up play in the realist mode.

PETA Plus’ Endo: The Stage Adaptation | Photo by Shella Toledo

As a “pretentious” lover of theater, I don’t mind the heavy-handed serious stuff, but I understand why they took this approach. It allows for a younger audience – maybe kids as young as Senior High School students – to be able to come and watch this show. As realistic as it gets, it still has moments of humor, of romance, and of hope.

PETA Plus’ Endo: The Stage Adaptation | Photo by Shella Toledo

The show I attended featured Royce Cabrera as Leo, Jasmine Curtis-Smith as Tanya, and Iana Bernardez as Candy. These are incredibly fine actors, and it took me awhile to realise that they were working on archetypes, playing out the most identifiable features of their characters rather than working on nuanced levels. They each synced with the tone and aesthetics of the play, which helped bring out the intention of the play.

PETA Plus’ Endo: The Stage Adaptation | Photo by Shella Toledo

Cabrera is a powerful presence on stage; capable of that tunnel vision of the typical Filipino male while also bringing out Leo’s vulnerability in the key moments. Curtis-Smith’s Tanya can appear looking very naive and Curtis-Smith is not afraid to put that on full display but there’s a strength that’s there inside which she is able to release at the play’s climax. Bernardez is all narcissistic, chaotic energy turning Candy into a storm that ruins Leo’s peace.

It is an interesting approach to the material, and one which I understand. It talks about the inability of people who are lacking in any real job security to dream and hope. By turning it into a theatrical modern urban fairytale, PETA Plus successfully draws a crowd, keeping them entertained while subtly forcing them to ponder the systemic failures that leave so many of our countrymen behind.

My Rating: 4 Stars

Come for the star power of Cabrera, Curtis-Smith, and Bernardez; stay for the powerful story that refuses to be ignored. Book your tickets for Endo. The Adaptation. The show runs until May 10! Get your tickets via: ticket2me.net/Endo

April 30, 2026
THEATER REVIEW: Class, Women, and the Politics of Floy Quintos Take Center Stage in Encore Theater’s Twin Bill Show, ‘Miranda & Yolanda’

There is a profound sense of genius in pairing Floy Quintos’ one-act plays, Evening at the Opera and Ang Kalungkutan ng mga Reyna, as a twin bill at this point in time. Played one after the other, director Dexter M. Santos reflects upon the insight that Quintos has on our political landscape: how class, social status, image and branding are all integral in our political landscape and, at the center of this, are women either struggling with power or at its periphery, supporting it, allowing it to shine.

The play opens with Evening at the Opera, where Miranda Beloto (Ana Abad Santos) is preparing to go out to watch an opera at the capitol. She engages in a dialogue with the spirit of her late mother (Frances Makil-Ignacio). Through their conversation, we can tell Miranda and her mother are “old rich” they are class, unapologetic elitists who come from a political dynasty and look down on Bingo’s humble origins and masa appeal of Miranda’s husband, Governor Bingo Beloto (Joshua Cabiladas).

Photo by Irvin Arenas | Encore Theater

Photo by Irvin Arenas | Encore Theater

When Bingo finally takes the stage, Cabiladas and Santos have created a composite of popular politicos who hail from “humble origins” and amplify their tough guy machismo imagery. The moment Cabiladas enters and speaks his first line in a very brusque, heavily accented Filipino, the audience erupts in laughter. They get the satirical representation.

Photo by Irvin Arenas | Encore Theater

But Miranda is not entertaining any of his games – or his excuses for being late. What begins as a petty domestic argument quickly escalates into a battle for control and an exercise of power.

Photo by Irvin Arenas | Encore Theater

Both Miranda and Bingo are far from being victims of the corrupt system into which they were born into, they are its most active participants. And it’s so fitting that the one to watch the proceedings is one who has already passed and is witnessing posthumously the effect of that corruption on her child.

Photo by Irvin Arenas | Encore Theater

Evening at the Opera is funny and scary in equal measure. While the trio on stage creates a great spectacle of emotion, it is Ana Abad Santos who truly anchors the piece together, servings as the focal point of the other two characters. She’s spinning a figurative web, luring in her prey who is physically stronger and more prone to violence. Abad Santos dances through shifts in language, physical proximity, silence, and sudden raised voices to prove that she has more than just skin in the game. In this political charade of a marriage, she isn’t just Bingo’s equal; she is Bingo’s match in terms of political cleverness and sheer force of will.

Photo by Irvin Arenas | Encore Theater

Photo by Irvin Arenas | Encore Theater

Following the intermission, the hilarious Ang Kalungkutan ng mga Reyna shifts the focus to Yolanda and Marcel. Marcel de Alba (Topper Fabregas) is a hairdresser who has been called to the presidential palace for a private meeting with President Yolanda Cadiz (Shamaine Centenera-Buencamino), who has just declared Martial Law just hours prior. Yolanda has a radical dream: transforming the Philippine political system into a constitutional monarchy with herself as its Queen. To achieve this, she needs Marcel, a man of refined taste who has styled on the hair of princes and princesses from across the globe, to remake her into the image of the perfect Filipina royal.

Photo by Irvin Arenas | Encore Theater

The dialogue between Yolanda and Marcel explores and tackles the landscape of the Filipino people’s obsession with hierarchy, royalty, and celebrity. It alludes to our history of subjugation and our need for symbolic leadership. Throughout this exploration of Filipino social structure and political branding, And Kalungkutan ng mga Reyna, in the hands of Dexter M. Santos is unabashedly gay and utterly mines it for all its comedic gold. Buencamino and Fabregas share incredible chemistry, working out the dynamics of a powerful woman at the cusp of change, filled with power, who finds a kindred spirit with an artist who understands and can execute her vision; who is also afraid of being executed as he stands.

Photo by Irvin Arenas | Encore Theater

Together, these two plays are unafraid to tear down and speak plainly about what we need to address when we talk about politics in the Philippines. It illustrates – from the vantage point of those in power, the twin bill illustrates how class, wealth, and sophistication is used to establish authority and position hierarchies within our social system. These figures are not just players; they are complicit and they use our illiteracy against the majority who can be easily swayed by such displays. It would be so painful and cruel if it were not so true and so funny in its execution. Miranda & Yolanda is a brilliant piece of work that showcases incredible Filipino theatrical talent at its best while highlighting the singular genius of Floy Quintos, a voice we lost far too soon.

My Rating: 4 Stars

Miranda & Yolanda is a sharp-witted, devastatingly accurate mirror held up to Philippine society. It is a masterclass in satire that honors the legacy of Floy Quintos while proving that his words remain as urgent as ever. Catch this limited run by Encore Theater, it is a rare opportunity to see power stripped bare and dressed up all at once. Get tickets here.

April 29, 2026
THEATER REVIEW: The Urgency of Tanghalang Ateneo’s ‘Emilia’ is Electric; an Incendiary Breakthrough for Director Sarah Facuri

Tanghalang Ateneo’s Emilia would have been a perfect fit for Women’s Month. The play is a translation of Morgan Lloyd Malcolm’s work of the same title, telling the story of the poet Emilia Bassano Lanier, who is suspected to be William Shakespeare’s “Dark Lady” in his sonnets. In 17th-century England, women were expected to serve their husband or the men in their lives, but Emilia was a writer and a poet who wanted her voice to be heard. Consequently, the patriarchy erased her story from history.

Translated by the TA Dramatist Collective’s Gab Mactal, Keith Bernas, and Meeka Sayaboc—with dramaturgy by Regina Manalo, Petes Castillo, Joyce Ann San Buenaventura, Thandie Alino, and PM Oliveros—the text is a vital adaptation. By utilizing deep Tagalog for the English aristocracy and modern Filipino slang for the common folk, the translation brilliantly bridges the social class divide and connects it to the Filipino lived experience. Through the impeccable direction of Sarah Facuri, the play manages to retain Emilia Bassano Lanier’s historical narrative while grounding it in real-world, modern Filipino class struggle. The effect is electric.

EMILIA | PHOTO CREDIT: MAY CELESTE

The story follows Emilia as she narrates her own life and the erasure of her legacy from the history books. As a young woman of the courts, she refuses to play the game in search of a husband, preferring instead to write poetry much to the displeasure of those around her. She eventually finds a suitor in Lord Henry Carey, who takes her in as his mistress. Through his support, she is able to be free of the shackles of society’s low measure of a woman and allows her to engage in her literary proclivities.

EMILIA | PHOTO CREDIT: MAY CELESTE

It is during this time that she captures the eye of William Shakespeare, her intellectual and literary arts match. They fall in love, but Shakespeare begins to use her in his works and writing about her. She also becomes a subversive, writing for women to empower them but is eventually betrayed. Stripped of her patron and her status, she finds refuge among a community of common folk women. She dedicated herself to teaching and empowering them until the weight of the patriarchy once again intervenes to silence her.

EMILIA | PHOTO CREDIT: MAY CELESTE

Facuri, who also designed the movement and the set, keeps the pace running quickly, there is never a dull moment in the play’s two-and-a-half-hour runtime (which includes a fifteen-minute intermission). Her blocking is superb, utilizing the full power of the ensemble to amplify every scene when needed and then empties it out for a dramatic duet to find its intimacy.

EMILIA | PHOTO CREDIT: MAY CELESTE

Like a conductor leading a symphony, Facuri orchestrates her performers to shift from drama to comedy effortlessly. This tonal shifts never break the play’s rhythm, instead, they surprise the audience without ever feeling jarring. In one standout scene, the play transitions into a musical number and it happens at just the right time that it doesn’t feel like it doesn’t belong, particularly as the song’s arrangement has a touch of the modern edge in its arrangement.

EMILIA | PHOTO CREDIT: MAY CELESTE

And what a cast she has assembled. Much like how, in Shakespeare’s time, where all the roles were originally performed by men – even the women parts – this production of Emilia features an all-female cast, including the male characters. Since the play serves as a direct attack on the patriarchy, the actors playing the male parts perform their roles as parodies of various types of toxic masculinity. The effect is both breathtaking and oftentimes funny. The intent feels as if to ridicule, and it reads right with the audience.

EMILIA | PHOTO CREDIT: MAY CELESTE

While the entire ensemble is great, I have to commend the three actresses playing Emilia: Chloe Abella, Francesca Dela Cruz, and Maliana Beran – who play Emilia at the courts, Emilia as a young woman, and Emilia as an older woman, respectively. The trope of the child, the mother, and the crone in full view. As one Emilia plays the scene, the other two watch, sometimes commenting. They are witness to their own rise and fall. Each actress commands the stage and filled it with their presence.

The other standout in this extremely powerhouse cast is Joy Delos Santos, who doubles as Lord Henry Carey and Thomas Howard. As Carey, she is respectful, warm, and nurturing. He’d be the only decent man in the play if he wasn’t cheating on his wife. On the other side of the spectrum, Delos Santos’s Thomas Howard, the man who eventually persecutes Emilia for immorality, is the perfect English fop – effete, cowardly, and full of hot air. Through the Filipino translation, this character takes the form of either the evil Spanish friars in our colonial history or the soft aristocrat, almost feminine, hiding his weakness with his power and his gender.

EMILIA | PHOTO CREDIT: MAY CELESTE

The costumes by Hershee Tantiado are exquisite, a deconstruction of 17th-century style that allows the translation to harken back to that era while remaining “broken” enough to operate on a figurative level, like the modern Filipino sensibilities that seep into the play. The lighting design of Jethro Nibaten allows for the play to shift from the dramatic to the comic seamlessly while highlighting what needs to be seen and amplifying the emotions that are already there.

EMILIA | PHOTO CREDIT: MAY CELESTE

I cannot talk enough about how this production moved me; I haven’t stopped thinking about it since I watched it on its opening night. It is brash, daring, and bold, without sacrificing craft and nuance. Emilia is an incendiary piece of play that is a call to action for all women to reclaim their voices, the one that has been taken away – and continuously so – by the patriarchy. The final chant, with the ensemble speaking as one voice, sent shivers down my spine. Tanghalang Ateneo’s production of Emilia is one of the best shows I have ever seen.

My Rating: 5 Stars

Don’t let this story be erased again. Experience the raw, electric power of Tanghalang Ateneo’s Emilia before it closes. The production runs until April 26 at the Rizal Mini Theater, Ateneo de Manila University. Secure your seats now and witness what is easily one of the most vital shows of the season.

April 17, 2026
THEATER REVIEW: Scene Change’s ‘Ang Linangan,’ Directed by Guelan Varela-Luarca, Is a Deceptively Complex Study of Sibling Bonds

Scene Change is doing really groundbreaking work in theater, creating productions in alternative theater spaces to keep the tone intimate and compact. This approach allows itself to work on plays where the spectacle and theatricality are found in the nuances that thrive in such close proximity. Last year’s 3 Upuan does exactly this and Guelan Varela-Luarca does it again, directing Ang Linangan, a translation of The Farm by New York-based playwright Davis Alianiello. The production transforms the Joselito and Olivia Campos Interactive Room at the third floor of Ateneo’s Areté into a space seating roughly 30 to 40 people. The stage is just one tiny corner of the room with only a table, two chairs arranged to resemble a car’s driver and passenger side, along with a backdrop of photos with red thread, resembling that of detective boards in a police movie or series. With the ceiling removed to expose the plumbing above, the design is simple yet filled with texture as we watch two actors, playing siblings, skirt around difficult subject matters.

Brian Sy and J-mee Katanyag play siblings Tyler and Sasha. The play begins in the middle of winter as Sasha picks up Tyler in her car. Tyler has been away for a long time in a place called “Linangan,” which we realise, as they converse, is a cult. Tyler appears to be the troubled sibling, lost and without direction, while Sasha is the older, more serious type who seemingly has her life together. Running for approximately 90 to 100 minutes in a single act without intermission, the majority of this is just the two siblings catching up. They are avoiding difficult subject matters (but they do get into it), and being exactly like brother and sister.

PHOTO CREDIT: MAY CELESTE

At its heart, the play is simply just two people talking, yet the dramatic situation of the play is so interesting that you are caught up in the story. Sy and Katanyag manage to fully embody the sibling relationship so fully that I was brought back to my own exchanges with my own siblings. The shorthand way by which we speak, having a history together so that certain talking points can go by so quickly. There’s a lot of love and fear on that stage, and the two leads deliver the emotional weight of this play’s story in such a satisfactory way.

PHOTO CREDIT: MAY CELESTE

They are completely alone in that car, vulnerable and isolated and it is so interesting to watch because what has happened to Tyler is not something we encounter all the time. Sasha serves as our entry point into the narrative: do we react the way she does? How kind should we be? How badly do we want to call our sibling “stupid” for doing something so silly? But you know you can’t because there’s a deep emptiness there if your sibling thought joining a cult would be the best way to fill it.

PHOTO CREDIT: MAY CELESTE

The play is never loud or grand and Varela-Luarca is excellent at amplifying the little things that make this play pop. First, the way he had directed his actors to mine the scene for all its worth emotionally and theatrically. During their conversation, while Sasha is driving, Tyler would get up and stretch and walk around the car, yet we know he is still in it, telling his story, but as the audience we know he is finally relaxing. He is finally feeling comfortable and safe being alone in this space with his sister. The table and the chair that approximates the front half of the car suddenly becomes the whole stage; Varela-Luarca understands that when two people are on a drive and it’s just them, it’s a whole entire world there with just the two of them. D Cortezano’s lighting design punctuates these shifts, marking transitions as the characters go into flashbacks or imagined moments, while the symbolic yet grounded stage design further anchors the characters’ reality.

PHOTO CREDIT: MAY CELESTE

Even the sound design, when the two actors mime putting on their seatbelts, the recorded clicking of the buckle is timed perfectly with the actor’s movements. The first fifteen minutes transports you from the Joselito and Olivia Campos Interactive Room and into Tyler and Sasha’s private world, and the rest of the time, you are just transfixed in that moment with them. The play is dense, heady, and complex yet it’s also funny, touching and moving. While Sy is always a reliable actor, Katanyag is a total powerhouse, delivering a bravura performance that is unforgettable. In her, I saw flashes of myself, my sister, in other moments, and in some snippets of dialogue, she is my two older brothers. She just captures it.

I’m glad someone is doing these plays that are left-of-center and are creating full Filipino translations of Western plays that don’t adapt the material; it just makes it accessible to a wider audience. There are moments when I forgot that these characters weren’t originally written as Filipino at all. The naturalism of the language confused me, but they could very much well have been our own. This is the universality of a great theatrical production.

I am so excited to see what else Scene Change has in store for us this year.

My Rating: 5 Stars

Ang Linangan was an unforgettable study of sibling bonds that set a high bar for Philippine theater this year. Although the run concluded this past March, its impact remains. Support local, “left-of-center” theater by keeping Scene Change on your radar for the rest of the 2026 season.

April 3, 2026