While monitoring the Instagram posts of some Pinoy showbiz idols, we came across actor-game show host Dingdong Dantes’ posts about the Sandbox Collective play Tiny Beautiful Things: A Play About Life — In Letters.

The postings completely surprised and puzzled us since Dantes is not known to be a theatergoer. 

We had momentarily forgotten what the play is all about and who are in its cast. We googled and found out that it’s about a warm and emphatic advice columnist known as “Sugar” and the local staging has film actor Iza Calzado playing the lead character. 

The play is based on the book whose complete title is Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar. It is a self-help book by American writer and podcaster Cheryl Strayed (born in 1968). The book, published in 2012, is a collection of essays compiled from Strayed’s “Dear Sugar” advice column which she wrote anonymously in The Rumpus, an online literary magazine that exists to this day. 

The book was a bestseller, thus prompting stage actor Nia Vardalos to adapt it into a play with the shorter title Tiny Beautiful Things. Vardalos herself portrayed Sugar at The Public Theater in New York in 2016 December — with all runs sold out.

Strayed revived her Sugar persona in a podcast called “Dear Sugars,” which she hosted alongside “Dear Sugar” creator, Steve Almond. It ran for four years, the final episode airing in 2018 September. 

In April 2020, in response to an outpouring of requests from readers for her to revive her Sugar persona yet again, Strayed premiered her newest podcast, “Sugar Calling.” In each episode of this podcast, Sugar asks questions in conversation with a different author over the age of 60. The second podcast, recorded over Google Hangouts, is intended to provide relief during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Vardalos reprised her performance at The Public in September 2017 for an extended return engagement.

In June 2022, Hulu produced a TV series adaptation of the book, starring Kathryn Hahn. The miniseries premiered on 7 April 2023.

Going back to Dantes and Calzado, we soon remembered, too, that they are close friends since both are officers of Aktor Ph, an organization of Filipino actors, mostly from films and TV. 

The Sandbox Collective play is directed by stage actor Jenny Jamora and it has been showing at Spotlight Blackbox Theater in Circuit mall in Makati since 8 November and will go on till 8 December. 

Calzado may have requested Dantes to post about the play or the host of GMA7’s Family Feud could have decided on his own to plug the production. 

Also cast in the straight play are Rody Vera (yes, the award-winning playwright), Gabby Padilla, and Ketchup Eusebio with Gawad Buhay awardees Regina De Vera and Brian Sy as swing actors (portraying various characters) at certain performances. 

Friday shows of the play begin at 8 p.m. while Saturday and Sunday shows run at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. 

Calzado is mainly preoccupied with being a wife and mother to a daughter with businessman Ben Wintle. Calzado’s lead involvement in Tiny Beautiful Things is actually rare and should really be worth watching. The cast members are all seasoned actors, though some people think Gabby Padilla is a newbie. She’s really more of a stage actor though she tied with Marian Rivera as best actress in this year’s Cinemalaya film fest in August.