It’s shaping up to be a full weekend for theatergoers, with three productions opening almost at the same time — each one offering a different kind of story, but all circling around familiar themes like work, power, and survival.
At the PETA Theater Center in Quezon City, “Endo” returns in a new form nearly two decades after its Cinemalaya debut. Originally a film written and directed by Jade Castro, this stage version is adapted by Liza Magtoto and directed by Melvin Lee, running from April 10 to May 10.
The story itself has also evolved. What used to center on contractual labor now feels even more relevant in the context of today’s gig economy, where stability is less certain and workers move from one job to the next under constant pressure. At the heart of it are Leo and Tanya, a couple trying to hold their relationship together while dealing with financial strain and exhaustion.
Over in Makati, Encore Theater is staging “Miranda & Yolanda,” a twin bill of two one-act plays by the late Floy Quintos. The production runs from April 11 to May 3 at the Power Mac Center Spotlight Blackbox Theater in Ayala Malls Circuit.
The two plays — “Evening at the Opera” and “Ang Kalungkutan ng mga Reyna” — both focus on women in positions of power, but peel back the layers to show what’s happening underneath. In one, a political family’s carefully maintained image begins to crack during a major public event. In the other, set inside a presidential palace after the declaration of Martial Law, a leader navigates the psychological weight of authority while preparing to take on the role.
What makes this restaging especially interesting is how these works, originally written years ago, still feel connected to current conversations about leadership, image, and the personal cost of holding power.
Meanwhile, back at the PETA Theater Center, “Control + Shift: Changing Narratives” returns for its third edition from April 10 to 19. Organized by the Philippine Educational Theater Association, the festival features four productions developed through its Artist-Teacher Training program, split into two sets.
The lineup includes “Cleaners,” which follows senior high school students whose graduation depends not just on meeting requirements, but on how they respond when power and pressure enter the picture. There’s also “Monit-oh! Monit-ah!”, a workplace satire that looks at how systems of favoritism quietly take shape.
Set B features “At Nagkatawang-Tao ang Verbo”, which explores faith within an urban fishing community along the Tullahan River, and “Baga ng Gumuguhong Langit,” a story about orphaned children trying to survive in a war-torn world.
Three very different shows, but all asking versions of the same question about how we live within the systems around us. If you were picking just one to watch this weekend, what would you go for?
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