The theatrical adaptation of the Gian Abrahan film ‘Dagitab’ is a gorgeous work of theater. It’s a vivid and vibrant exploration of a marriage untethering and of youthful desire violently taking form. Adapted and directed by Guelan Varela-Luarca, the play makes full use of its space and the sparse (but striking) stage design by D Cortezano and the versatility and power of its cast. You are at the edge of your seat the entire time as these lives are unfurling before your eyes and its breathtaking to watch.

The story revolves around a married couple, Issey and Jimmy, who are sort of rockstar professors in UP. Issey teaches writing classes and a renowned poet while Jimmy is an anthropologist, working on a new book. There’s love there between them, obviously, but when the play begins, we are seeing the tear in the relationship in the way they converse and argue. Issey is leaving for a workshop while Jimmy is out to explore a mountain looking for a “sundang,” a mythical blade from his research and a sore spot for Issey.

In the writing workshop, Issey gets close to her 17-year old godson, Gab, who is a freshman in UP and a promising nonfiction writer. Soon, Gab falls for Issey and makes a move, which Issey tries to resist but her strained relationship with Jimmy becomes her excuse to give in. Complicating things further is Gab’s roommate at the workshop, Angelo, who is an older student and a “workshop veteran,” who falls for Gab.

What’s amazing about the play is how clear each character’s motivations are: how the script maximizes its 2 hour and 20 minute runtime for us to really see the struggles of each character as the actions they take are much more complicated than what they appear. As the narrative unfolds, Jimmy’s trek to the mountains is an attempt for closure of a personal matter of which Issey is aware of. This affects Issey’s own self-worth which manifests in the way she deals with Gab. For Gab, there’s a conflation between his physical attraction to his godmother and his own ambitions to be a writer of worth, which is mirrored by Issey’s own stature. Angelo plays counterpoint, someone who is aware of the boundaries and is careful on how to breach it, unlike the other three.

Valera-Luarca makes full use of Cortezano’s minimalist design. On stage, there’s only two tables and three stools but these become a car, rock formations in a forest path, a bar, the home of Issey and Jimmy, and bedroom shared by Gab and Angelo at the workshop. Off stage, there’s a huge tree and a mound made of paper, which correlates to Jimmy’s own journey into the mountains, and it has its own special moment.

The actors come to move the stools and tables to establish the scene, but it also mirrors the interior world of the characters. At the start of the play, the tables are filled with paper. As the story progresses, the paper starts to fall off and fill the floor, symbolic of how messy things are getting. All of this is further enhanced by the lighting design of Jethro Nibaten. With barely anything on stage, the light changes help clarify the scene changes.

But the space is further enhanced by Varela-Luarca’s direction allowing multiple characters on stage at any one time. When Issey is talking to Gab about her husband, Jimmy is on stage as well, acting out her story. If Issey and Gab have a fight, he storms off and sulks in a corner, while Issey and Jimmy act out the next scene while Gab is huddled in one corner, lost in his thoughts. It gives the impression that the imagined and the real are existing side-by-side and even if people are not present in the scene, their presence are there, just in the background occupying space. The mess these characters get themselves in keeps them always in mind.

And these characters are brought to life by a brilliant cast. Benedix Ramos is striking as Angelo. The way he hovers around Gab betrays his vulnerability despite his tough exterior as a “workshop veteran.” Angelo uses physical proximity to lure Gab in, and Ramos never plays it aggressively. He’s subtle. It’s quite enjoyable to watch. Jojit Lorenzo is always reliable, and you can see this in his portrayal of Jimmy. He’s a man living in two worlds, one with Issey and another in his past. He declares his love for his wife but there’s something in the back of his voice that betrays his inability to move on. It’s quite thrilling to see. Elijah Canlas is revelation on stage as he plays Gab. I’ve seen him in many movies and he’s such a chameleon. He transforms once again and manages to infuse Gab with the unrestrained passion of a 17-year-old. He’s naive and full of energy and you almost forget that he’s not 17. 

But this play becomes a showcase of Agot Isidro’s boundless talent. As Issey, she’s a force of nature. She fills up that stage with Issey’s verve and power. She loses herself dancing in one scene and then transitions to the next scene where’s suffering a hangover and it’s really there for you to see. Despite Issey’s strong personality, Isidro manages to let slip her vulnerable side too, one that Issey thinks she’s hiding but Isidro lets out in a gesture, a look, an inflection of her line delivery. This is some of the best work I’ve seen from her.

While the sound design by Carlos Hombrebueno creates an interesting soundscape that highlights the mood, my issues about the sound in the PowerMac Spotlight Black Box theater is still present. Sometimes the mics lose their volume, sometimes you’ll hear static. Oftentimes the musical score is louder than the actors. But it’s negligible and the actors power through.

‘Dagitab’ is just an incredible theatrical experience that also hits close to home as someone who has been to some of these writing workshops. The characters are familiar to me, and these stories are stories I’ve heard before. And how it comes to life on stage is such an enjoyable experience. People around me were crying, I was gasping and reacting strongly at every powerful line delivered. This is truly great theater.

My Rating:

Dagitab runs until September 29, 2025, at Power Mac Center Spotlight Blackbox Theater, Circuit Makati. Tickets are available at Ticket2Me.