Vlad Bunoan

Article (news)

Theater review

ABS-CBN News

<p>This weekend marks a rare convergence in the local theater scene: two acclaimed productions have returned by popular demand — Theatre Titas’ “Dedma” twin-bill and Guelan Luarca’s “3 Upuan.” The draw is not just a second chance for those who missed them, as both offer a compelling reason to revisit them, with their significant and transformative cast changes.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Definitive ‘Foxtrot’ pairing</strong><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1761272184541566636964_18534479893002468_6172876332458875783_n.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">Jackie Lou Blanco and Royce Cabrera. <em>Sparkle/Facebook</em></span></span></span>The highlight of Theatre Titas’ “Dedma” is Chesie Galvez-Cariño’s “The Foxtrot,” a taut two-hander that examines the shifting power dynamic between a wealthy matron and her dance instructor.</div><p>Film and TV veteran Jackie Lou Blanco reprises her role as the socialite Anna, this time opposite actor Royce Cabrera, who replaces JC Santos as Diego.</p><p>Blanco&#x27;s prior performance drew acclaim for bringing a surprising sympathy and presence to the Virgin Labfest play, allowing the audience to truly care for and even pity her lonely character. </p><p>But the pairing with Cabrera, a younger film and TV actor, unexpectedly finds new electricity. While the original cast&#x27;s chemistry was strong, the age difference and career backgrounds of showbiz royalty Blanco and indie actor Cabrera immediately sharpen the play&#x27;s themes of class consciousness and life experience.</p><p>Cabrera’s presence injects a new dimension into their sexual tension. The differences in their social standing become starkly pronounced, making the power dynamics and the very definition of their relationship far trickier to navigate. </p><p>Cabrera proves to be a natural stage presence; while Blanco has an edge in eliciting empathy, he is almost equally sympathetic, particularly in moments when his character&#x27;s emotional openness is immediately tempered by the realistic constraints of their class divide.</p><p>For those who have seen “The Foxtrot” before, or those catching it for the first time, this new pairing is arguably the definitive staging — a perfect storm of actors who unlock the script&#x27;s deepest, most nuanced societal and emotional layers.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Heightened emotion in ‘3 Upuan’</strong></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1761271815115567700454_24700560256311067_5263680379967457944_n.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">Paolo O&#x27;Hara, Cris Pasturan and Jasmine Curtis-Smith. <em>Guelan Luarca/Facebook</em></span></span></span>Guelan Luarca’s beautiful, meditative play “3 Upuan” returns to a new venue at the Ateneo Art Gallery, creating an appropriately immersive yet intimate setting for a work that deeply grapples with art, family, and grief. The play follows three siblings — a professor, an artist, and a journalist— as they process the loss of their father.</div><p>What makes this run essential viewing is the entirely new ensemble: Cris Pasturan takes over the role of Jack (the artist) from JC Santos, Jasmine Curtis-Smith steps in as Jai (the youngest) from Martha Comia, and Paolo O’Hara replaces Jojit Lorenzo as the eldest Jers. Despite Luarca confirming there were no script changes, the chemistry among this trio transforms the play’s tone and rhythm.</p><p>The original staging excelled in intellectual nuance; this one, by contrast, glows with raw emotional immediacy.</p><p>Jasmine Curtis-Smith is a mesmerizing presence on stage, allowing the audience to witness up close the processing of her character&#x27;s deep-seated loneliness and grief. Pasturan and O’Hara bring a grounded, less academic energy — still articulate but warmer, more tactile. Their sibling bond feels lived-in, affectionate, and unguarded. When these outwardly confident brothers finally fracture, their grief lands with shattering force.</p><p>This shift from the original cast&#x27;s slight aloofness to a more receptive, loving dynamic between the siblings adds an incredible layer of power to the play&#x27;s exploration of family and loss. The resilience of Luarca’s brilliant script to withstand and even be elevated by such a dramatic change in cast is a testament to its quality. This new version takes a powerful play and transports it to a different realm of authentic, heightened emotion.</p><div><br/></div><p>Together, “The Foxtrot” and “3 Upuan” remind audiences that great theater lives not in a single staging but in continual reinterpretation. These are more than just reruns; they are re-inventions that offer fresh, compelling reasons to rush to the theater this weekend.</p>

<p>More than second chances for those who missed them, these restagings are compelling re-interpretations, each transformed by striking new cast pairings that deepen and expand their emotional reach.</p>

More than second chances for those who missed them, these restagings are compelling re-interpretations, each transformed by striking new cast pairings that deepen and expand their emotional reach.

Theater review: ‘3 Upuan’, ‘The Foxtrot’ hit different with new casting

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Theater review: ‘3 Upuan’, ‘The Foxtrot’ hit different with new casting

Vlad Bunoan,

ABS-CBN News

Published Oct 25, 2025 10:00 AM PHT

|

Updated Oct 25, 2025 11:20 AM PHT

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theater review

3 Upuan

Guelan Luarca

Theatre Titas

Foxtrot

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