Two Manila Theater Productions Explore Family, Memory and What Makes Us Human

September’s Manila theater scene brought audiences two very different productions united by questions about memory, love and the forces that shape human behavior. Tanghalang Pilipino’s “Sayaw ng mga Ilaw”, staged from September 18 to October 11 at Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez in the CCP Complex, adapts Cheeno Marlo Sayuno’s children’s story through dance, family drama and Philippine history. The play follows young sisters Kala and Laya as their fascination with pandanggo sa ilaw becomes connected to courage, grief and resilience. Adapted for the stage by Juan Ekis, the production places the family story against the period surrounding the Manila Film Center tragedy, using the beauty of traditional dance to contrast with painful historical experiences.

Across Metro Manila, CAST PH’s “The Effect” approached human experience from a completely different direction. Lucy Prebble’s play follows Connie and Tristan, two volunteers in a clinical trial for an antidepressant, as they develop feelings for each other and begin questioning whether their connection is genuine or chemically induced. Sue Ramirez and Brian Sy returned as Connie and Tristan after performing the roles in CAST PH’s 2025 staged reading, joined by Cathy Azanza-Dy as Dr. Lorna James and Dean Daniel Rosen as Dr. Toby Sealy. Directed by Sarah Facuri, the fully staged production ran from September 19 to 27 at the Doreen Blackbox Theater in Areté, Ateneo de Manila University. Its deliberately restrained staging placed much of the attention on dialogue, acting and the increasingly difficult questions surrounding love, depression, science and personal choice.

Though one production looks toward Philippine history and the other toward neuroscience and relationships, both use intimate stories to make larger subjects feel personal. Sayaw ng mga Ilaw turns dance and family loss into an entry point for discussing memory, history and resilience, while The Effect asks whether emotions can ever be neatly separated from biology and circumstance. They also show two different strengths of contemporary Philippine theater: one reworks local literature and cultural traditions for younger audiences, while the other brings an internationally acclaimed play into a distinctly Manila theatrical setting. Both September runs have now ended, but their themes—how people remember, love, suffer and find meaning—extend far beyond the stage.

Which kind of theater stays with you longer: stories rooted in history or plays that challenge how we understand our own emotions? Share your thoughts on LifeNavi.