27/11/2025
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐: ๐๐๐ ๐๐ โ ๐๐๐๐ญ๐ซ๐จ ๐๐ข๐ณ๐๐ฅโ๐ฌ โ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ค๐๐จโ ๐๐ก๐๐๐ฌ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ ๐จ๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฆ๐๐ง ๐๐ฆ๐จ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ
๐๐บ ๐๐ข๐ฎ๐ข๐ฏ๐ต๐ฉ๐ข ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ช๐ณ๐ฆ ๐. ๐๐ถ๐ญ๐ช๐ฐ | ๐๐ฆ๐ค๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐๐ฅ๐ช๐ต๐ฐ๐ณ
Emotions mixed with intense passion and overflowing creativity filled the air when Teatro Rizal took the center stage for the 11th year of their annual Blue and Gold Curtains Playfest for their aspirants this Season 16 at the Josรจ Rizal University Centennial Building Auditorium. The play is entitled โSilakboโ, a Filipino word for a sudden, intense outburst of emotion, such as a surge of grief, rage, or fervor. This series of performances consists of four revisited plays and six original plays; it contains two sets: SET A: Kapit and SET B: Laya.
โSilakboโ is a play that captures the real-life experiences of people, showing a different side of the world in a dark, yet interesting perspective; shifting pain and rage into power and finding beauty in agony. Directed by Alfonse Magtalas and Elisha Badajos, this play shows how oneโs mental health issues can cause an overall turn of perception; breaking the stigma and giving the audience a wider point of view about the suffering or traumatic, or past experiences that hold us back.
The first play that took place were the revisited plays from performances last year, first presented was โSa Lente ng Baleteโ written by Sharmaine Sayo and directed by Adonis Lintag, followed by โFirst Anniversaryโ written by Nazh Andrew and directed by Mary Ann Rosario, โWish Upon a Talaโ that is written by Andie Torres and directed by J*p Dosano, and lastly, โThe Last Shabu Shabuโ written by Beatrice De Vera and directed by Maxine Mananquil. These plays depict the overwhelming feeling of wrath, love, and affliction that gives emphasis to oneโs struggles and how difficult it is to be freed from the tight grip of sadness, grief, and cruelty, as it overshadows your present; leading to missed opportunities, wasted potential, and dreams that never came to life.
๐ฆ๐๐ง ๐: ๐๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ถ๐
For the first performance for SET A: Kapit, a play entitled, โSalamin, Salamin,โ was brought to life; written by Nazh Andrew and directed by Bea DV (also known as โTralalelo Tralalaโ). The story follows Anna, a girl struggling with body dysmorphia and her obsession with her perceived physical flaws. She resists eating out of frustration with her body, which she believes is becoming rounder. One day, she finds herself in a strange place facing a thinner version of herself that mirrors her every move, symbolizing her inner conflict and distorted self-image. The play reaches its peak as it depicts the painful battle between self-perception and reality. In the end, Anna wakes up to learn she has anorexia nervosa โ an eating disorder rooted in fear of weight gain and an intense desire to be thin.
Followed by this, a play entitled, โBagahe,โ written by Mikaella Shainne and directed by Mich, centers on Kayla and Basti, a young couple caught in a misunderstanding after Basti discovers a therapy clinic pamphlet in Kaylaโs bag. Their conflict unfolds into a deeper discussion about mental health and emotional burdens. Kayla reveals that despite Bastiโs presence, she feels isolated by her own inner struggles and doesnโt want to weigh him down, leading her to suggest separation. The play highlights the challenges young couples face โ questioning whether love alone is enough to endure hardships. Ultimately, it conveys that true love means sharing each otherโs burdens and standing by one another through both the highs and lows, ending with a heartfelt embrace of reassurance.
For the last performance for SET A: Kapit, a play entitled, โMarga,โ written by Jiji Costelo and directed by Andielyn Torres, tells the story of Margarette, a woman trapped in an abusive relationship with Jon, who sexually exploits her and takes advantage of her love and vulnerability. When her sister Melisa tries to rescue her, Margarette faces a painful choice โ to leave or stay. The supporting characters symbolize societyโs contrasting views: Anriy embodies empathy and understanding, while Haniel represents judgment and victim-blaming. The play exposes the harsh reality of abuse โ how emotional, physical, and mental investment makes it hard to leave. It challenges the notion of โyou deserve what you tolerate,โ showing that other people rarely grasp the struggle to escape if they are not the ones in that situation. The story ends with Margarette staying under Jonโs manipulation, unable to break free.
๐ฆ๐๐ง ๐: ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฎ
For the final set of the play, the first play for SET B: Laya is entitled, โAng Huling Ako,โ written by Ceejay and directed by Ahmed Ociones, tells the story of AKO, a person trapped within his own mind and struggling with conflicting emotions that shape his identity. Set in a dark room filled with mirrors, he confronted each emotion that torments him, symbolizing an internal battle with identity and self-perception. The play explores the pain of an identity crisis โ the confusion and struggle to understand oneโs true self, values, and purpose. Despite his efforts to fight back, he becomes overwhelmed by his emotions, ultimately succumbing to them as they consume him completely.
The second play was entitled, โAng Kaibigan ni Sandra,โ written by Bea DV (also known as โTralalelo Tralalaโ) and directed by Jiya Gwy, follows Sandra, a girl confined in a mental facility after losing her sanity due to severe trauma. Abused and exploited by her own family โ sold by her mother and r***d by her drug addict uncle, Sandraโs suffering manifests as hallucinations of a devil, representing her inner torment and the horrors she cannot escape. Despite her prayers, she feels heard only by the wrong god, trapped in a cycle of pain and madness. Her breaking point comes when she kills her abusive uncle, and the story ends where it began, with Sandra in the mental institution, struggling to reclaim her sanity amid the scars of her past.
The final play of the set was entitled, โVideo Games,โ written by Augustine and directed by Rose, it centers on Beatrice, a young woman deeply immersed in gaming. Although her parents initially support her hobby due to her strong academic performance, things take a strange turn when they begin acting hostile and overly critical. The twist reveals that Beatriceโs parents have actually been dead for ten years, and she has been using video games as an escape from her grief โ creating a virtual world where they still exist. The story reaches its climax when Lawrence unplugs the game, forcing Beatrice to confront her loss. Ultimately, she finds the courage to face reality, accept the truth, and begin moving forward.
๐ฆ๐๐๐๐๐๐ข
The overall concept of SILAKBO became an eye-opener for the audience, allowing them to see the world in its harsh reality โ to recognize that real-life experiences are not things to be taken lightly. It offered a clear vision of the surge of emotions that one must confront and embrace, reminding viewers that behind every story lies a truth that demands to be felt and understood.
Photos by: Rashid Ivan Mogol | Junior Photojournalist
