Robust laughter and resounding applause have been rocking the PETA Theater Center in Quezon City as the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) — long known for championing original, socially resonant works — brings back its runaway hit Walang Aray (Without Pain) for another run. The production opens PETA’s fifty-eighth theater season, which carries the theme “Love and Power.”

The musical has grown crisper in rendition, evergreen and ever evolving with new cast members. It breaks ground in inclusivity and proves, once again, that laughter can be revolutionary.

Revisiting the sarsuwela

Walang Aray is an adaptation of the classic sarsuwela Walang Sugat (No Wounds) by Severino Reyes, author of the beloved Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang who is deemed the “Father of the Tagalog Sarsuwela.” The sarsuwela is the Filipino adaptation of the Spanish zarzuela, brought to the archipelago in late 19th century by touring troupes from Spain. It became very popular in the first two decades of the 20th century. Following performance conventions and plot formulas, it was light and didactic, and usually told stories of star-crossed lovers. Before long, Filipino writers began creating original zarzuelas, and Walang Sugat, first staged on 14 June 1902 at the Teatro Libertad in Manila, is one of the earliest sarsuwelas written in Tagalog.

Walang Sugat became so popular that it helped established the sarsuwela as the dominant form of entertainment in Manila. However, the sarsuwela’s popularity declined during the American period until it faded into nostalgia. In recent years, restaging and original works have emerged sporadically. Walang Sugat, which was last staged in 2010 by Tanghalang Ateneo, is among the few classic sarsuwelas that are reimagined and reinvented. Written by playwright Rody Vera, Walang Aray is at once parody and homage. The result is a delirious spectacle that feels both rooted in history and unmistakably of the present moment.

The musical was originally written as a screenplay in 2007, commissioned by filmmaker and advertising director Jun Reyes, the great-grandson of Severino Reyes, for a film to be produced by his creative content agency Indie.Go Media. Walang Sugat has actually been adapted into a movie three times — in 1913, 1939 and 1957. However, this latest project did not push through due to prohibitive production costs.

More than 10 years later, in 2018, Vera presented Walang Aray to PETA to be transformed and produced as a musical incorporating existing pop songs. Then artistic director Maribel Legarda, however, suggested the use of original music instead.

Walang Aray was first staged in a PETA Lab show in 2018 and 2019 under the direction of Ian Segarra, with original music and musical direction by Vince Lim.

The musical’s first full run took place from 17 February to 14 May 2023, spanning 41 shows, serving as PETA’s inaugural production when it returned to live performances in 2023, after a two-year hiatus brought about by lockdowns and restrictions imposed to curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The original cast included KD Estrada, Alexa Ilacad, Gio Gahol, and Marynor Madamesila in the lead roles. Due to insistent public demand, a second limited run, with 17 shows, was mounted from 6 to 22 October 2023, featuring Gahol, Madamesila, Shaira Opsimar and Jon Abella as leads.

Story and style

Walang Aray retains the core plot of Walang Sugat. It follows the story of secret lovers Julia, a rising star of the zarzuela stage, and Tenyong, a freedom-loving youth. Their affair is known only to their loyal confidants, Monica and Lucas, who also become lovers.