DEDMA
March & April 2025
A twin bill featuring two original works by Chesie Galvez-Cariño that explore the delicate relationships of Manila’s elite, the choices they make, and the masks they wear.
CAROL
- Written by Juan Diego Gil
- Directed by Tinette Villanueva-Miciano
- A young father named Newton brings his dead daughter back to life in this thrilling piece that stretches the boundaries between life and death. Carole is revelatory in its examination of a life filled with regret and the consequences of transgressing mortality. Carol was listed to have one of the best performances of 2017 by TheaterFansManila with Javi Coromina as the lead.
Let's do Lunch
- Written by Chesie Galvez-Cariño
- Directed by Maribel Legarda
Let’s Do Lunch is a catch-up between two old friends, Val and Issa, played by Naths Everett and Issa Litton respectively. The tête-à-tête quickly deteriorates when the power dynamics between them shifts from pleasantries to passive aggression. Also in the cast is Ash Nicanor as the househelp Bebang.
The Foxtrot
- Written by Chesie Galvez-Cariño
- Directed and Choreographed by Paul Alexander Morales
The Foxtrot was first performed last June at Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez (CCP Black Box Theater) as part of the Virgin Labfest 19 (2024), a project of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the Writer’s Bloc Inc., and Tanghalang Pilipino Foundation Inc. The play gives us a glimpse of the taut relationship between Diego, a dance instructor, and Anna, a wealthy matron, at their last rehearsal for an amateur ballroom dancing competition. The play stars JC Santos as he reprises his role as the dance instructor Diego, and Jackie Lou Blanco who takes on the role of Anna.
BEHELD
- Written by Nicole Fuentes
- Directed by Carl Cariño
- Saul, a serial killer on the lose, meets his match in the form of a blind young girl named Claire. This transformative encounter dives deep into the wounded psyche of a man through the innocent and truthful eyes of a child.