The overseas Filipino worker (OFW) is often called a “modern-day hero,” but heroes are usually treated as symbols rather than people. Dulaang UP is changing that narrative as it closes its 48th theater season with Ang Kaliitan ng Kasaysayan (The Smallness of History). Written and directed by Palanca-winning playwright Arlo Deguzman, the play moves past the headlines to look at the emotional bruises left by migration.

Running from 12 to 29 March, at the IBG-KAL Theater in UP Diliman, the production explores the central question of the season: “Paano umuwi nang may pagpapasya? (How do we come home with purpose?).” It positions this work as part of a conversation that has been explored in film and news but is less common in the world of theater.

The human side of labor

The play focuses on the struggles of a family divided by distance. Instead of focusing on the money sent home, it looks at the hearts left behind. The audience meets a father worn out by the pressure of remittances, a mother trying to justify her years away, a sister negotiating separation, and a son carrying a burden in silence. It presents these realities as lived experiences rather than abstract concepts.

Through a mix of movement, puppetry, and lyrical storytelling, the production turns a common national experience into an intimate drama. By focusing on the emotional landscape of homesickness and family obligation, the play gains urgency in a country that continues to rely heavily on migrant labor.

A director’s homecoming

This story is deeply personal for Arlo Deguzman. Before being named the new artistic director of Dulaang UP, Deguzman spent 15 years working as an OFW across various nations. This background is central to the production, as the work is rooted in actual diasporic experience and written in honor of his fellow workers abroad.

His return to the university mirrors the themes of the play itself — a homecoming filled with intention. As a returning alumnus now serving as artistic director, Deguzman leads a production that reflects both a personal return and an institutional one for the company, which is currently approaching its 50th theater season.