Vlad Bunoan

Article (news)

Sab Jose-Gregorio

Jude Cartalaba

<p>There is a distinct, unmistakable cadence to a Duncan Macmillan play — a rhythm that feels less like recited dialogue and more like the raw, unfiltered stream of consciousness inside someone’s head. </p><p>For actor-director Sab Jose-Gregorio and The Sandbox Collective, bringing Macmillan’s &quot;People, Places and Things&quot; to life isn&#x27;t merely an artistic choice; it is an enduring creative romance. </p><p>Macmillan&#x27;s stories hold up an unsparing mirror to society, stripping away theatrical pretense to expose the delicate, messy mechanics of human vulnerability. </p><div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:655px;display:block" width="655"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1786407135361PortraitsbyPaw_PPT-98.jpg" style="width:655px;display:block;height:auto" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="655"/><span class="fr-inner">For actor-director Sab Jose-Gregorio.<em> Image by Paw Castillo </em></span></span></span></div><p>In a sit-down interview, Jose-Gregorio opened up about her deep affinity for Macmillan&#x27;s storytelling, making her directorial debut, and finding the universal pulse within a poignant story of addiction and recovery.</p><p>“Duncan is an incredibly gifted storyteller and one of our favorite playwrights and collaborators,” Jose-Gregorio said. “His writing is deeply affecting and has such a beautiful cadence to it — it almost feels like your own words or your own stream of consciousness when performed.”</p><div><strong>Unpacking Emma and the hard work of healing</strong></div><p>At the heart of &quot;People, Places and Things&quot; is Emma, who navigates the agonizing, painful waters of addiction. But as Jose-Gregorio reveals, understanding Emma required looking far beyond the surface of chemical dependency. </p><p>A recent visit to a local rehabilitation center provided a profound breakthrough moment for her: addiction, at its core, is fundamentally a relationship problem. </p><p>In the hard work of healing, detoxification from substances is, surprisingly, the easier step. The real journey lies in the emotional work — unpacking deeply rooted trauma, confronting unresolved issues head-on, and demanding personal accountability, all of which require immense time, grit, and courage. At the very core of this struggle, more often than not, the fundamental relationship with oneself remains broken and in need of restoration.</p><p>“Emma’s character is all of us,” she reflects with visible emotion. “How many times have we defined ourselves by the roles we play and the choices we make? How many times have we wanted to escape the world and its painful realities by attempting to numb ourselves?”</p><p>For an artist who practically grew up on stage — feeling the constant pressure to prove herself again and again to panels and audiences — Emma’s battle to reclaim her identity struck a deeply personal chord with Jose-Gregorio.</p><p>“She is all of us. Day by day, we try harder, we do better, and we begin again. Hope is in the trying.”</p><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-2" src="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Db2v-NWgUmC/embed/captioned/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=594&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A2%2C%22os%22%3A2057112.5%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="1124" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-2" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><strong>Stepping into the director&#x27;s chair</strong></div><p>Transitioning from performer to director marks an exhilarating, high-stakes milestone in Jose-Gregorio&#x27;s theater career. But leading a production of this magnitude requires more than artistic instinct — it demands an entire village. </p><p>To ensure the production handles its sensitive subject matter with authenticity and utmost care, her preparation has been rigorous. She has worked hand-in-hand with advocacy partners, medical doctors, therapists, and even Macmillan himself.</p><p>“The transition has been all kinds of challenging but immensely fulfilling,” she admits with a weary, triumphant smile. “As a director, you have the difficult task of making sure all the elements come together to tell a cohesive story with a unified voice.”</p><p>The material may not be for the faint of heart, but Jose-Gregorio’s willingness to throw her hat into the ring and embrace this leap of faith has made the entire process deeply transformative.</p><p>“I have nothing but gratitude to the village that has been collaborating with me and making me feel supported in every way,” she shares. “I am bone-tired, but I feel incredibly blessed.”</p><div><strong>Balancing act</strong></div><p>Steering the creative vision of a major theater company while holding space as a wife and mother is a high-wire act — one made even more complex in a fast-paced, social-media-driven world. </p><p>And through both her maternal instincts and her position as creative director, Jose-Gregorio views Emma’s raw vulnerability not with judgment, but with a nuanced understanding of human fragility.</p><p>“Motherhood has been, bar none, the most humbling but empowering experience of my life,” she says. “It has put a lot of things into perspective and given me a different lens — one grounded in compassion and empathy.”</p><div><br/></div><div><em>The Sandbox Collective’s staged reading of “People, Places and Things” will be presented on August 15 and 16 at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., respectively, at The Black Box at The Proscenium Theater, Rockwell, Makati.</em></div>

<p>Sab Jose-Gregorio takes the helm in Duncan Macmillan’s raw, heartfelt tale of healing via ‘People, Places and Things’</p>

Sab Jose-Gregorio takes the helm in Duncan Macmillan’s raw, heartfelt tale of healing via ‘People, Places and Things’

Sab Jose-Gregorio makes directorial debut with ‘People, Places and Things’

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Sab Jose-Gregorio makes directorial debut with ‘People, Places and Things’

Jude Cartalaba

Published August 11, 2026 03:45 PM PHT

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Sab Jose-Gregorio

The Sandbox Collective

People Place and Things

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