One-act play with political commentary stars Filipino folkloric creatures

Matakot Ka Sa…, a one-act play on the Philippine political landscape through the lenses of Filipino folkloric creatures, will be available on view this month in-person and online.

The one-hour-and-20-minute show transports the audience into the iconic Puno ng Balete in Baler, Aurora, where a Tikbalang, Nuno sa Punso, and Numputul gather in an unusual supernatural support group.

In this safe space, the three mystical beings find themselves in a confession of their deepest fears and struggles which reflect human lives. They likewise unravel the main reasons for their recent silence as they discover evil that goes beyond their own strength.

A metaphor for the Philippine political climate, it invites audience to distinguish good from evil. It also presents how generational gap affects one's morals and beliefs in the contemporary world. The production sheds light on the persisting issue on red-tagging and tackles how power play shapes the way people perceive and uphold justice.

Matakot Ka Sa… is written by young artists Virginia Reign Juego, Charlyn Ann de Leon, and Camille Sicam. It is directed by Virgin Labfest Writing Fellow Mikaella Yoj Sanchez.

The play is created by by:THEATER, a production house founded by the students from the Theater Arts and Production Design Programs of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde.

Open to the public, it will be staged live on 7 and 13 December, 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. at the sixth-floor Blackbox Theater of Benilde Design and Arts Campus. The pre-recorded performances will be available online from 14 to 21 December via Ticket2Me.

Tickets are available for P350 at forms.gle/b19VHhy5qzgdanyk9 for the live stage and P250 at ticket2me.net/e/36064 for the online show. For more information, visit the official Facebook Pages of by:Theater on www.facebook.com/bytheater.ph and Benilde Theater Arts on www.facebook.com/benildetheaterarts.