To end its 50th season, the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) is producing a Filipino adaptation of Marsha Norman’s Pulitzer Prize-winning
drama ‘night, Mother starring Eugene Domingo as Jessie, making her theatrical comeback, and Sherry Lara as Thelma.
In contrast to PETA’s previous productions, ‘night, Mother doesn’t present a grand narrative (or even a rousing musical number to conclude it). Rather, it is a more intimate performance, giving the audience a glimpse of a night with Jessie and her mother Thelma. Jessie who suffers from epilepsy casually tells her mother that she has long decided to end her life that evening. Thelma, of course, with all the arguments in the world tries to convince her daughter that life is still worth living. For one hour and 24 minutes, happening in real-time, the audience witnesses the struggle between the two, and within themselves, that will keep them on the edge of their seats until the end.
I admire friends who know what they are good at and know what they want. Even more, I respect those who act and take big leaps to make their dreams happen in this thing called LIFE (Ansis Sy, 2014). My good friends Claudia Fernandez, Ansis Sy and Pertee Briñas, all young professionals, started their own theater company, Dalanghita Productions. To those who are not familiar with dalanghita, it is actually a Filipino fruit similar to a dalandan. (I’m sure you know what a dalandan is. If not, refer to calamansi. It is bigger. *judging you*).