REVIEW: 'About Us But Not About Us' is a complex, devastating journey
The highly anticipated stage version of About Us But Not About Us has made its debut at the Power Mac Center Spotlight Blackbox Theater. Presented under the direction of Tuxqs Rutaquio and adapted by Jun Robles Lana (Anino sa Likod ng Buwan) from his award-winning 2022 film of the same name, the play features Romnick Sarmenta (Quezon) and Elijah Canlas (GomBurZa) reprising their onscreen roles, and adds Epy Quizon (Sideshow) to the proceedings.
The play tells the story of Eric (Sarmenta), a professor from the University of the Philippines English Department, and his former student, Lancelot (Canlas). As in the film, the play centers around a conversation between the two in a restaurant, following the death of Eric’s husband, Marcus (Quizon). Over the course of the conversation, a number of truths emerge, as we learn that neither man was entirely forthcoming with the nature of their relationship(s) with the deceased, nor their motivations for catching up.
The play is an excellent example of Robles Lana’s ability to craft complex, emotional journeys through explorations of power dynamics and things unsaid. The conversation is devastatingly intimate, taking on notions of fidelity, ambition, and generational trauma in brutally honest fashion. What starts out as a friendly get-together soon spirals into a fierce game of one-upmanship between teacher and (former) student, with the prize being ultimate understanding of the deceased and his legacy.
The decision to retain the film’s pandemic setting of a restaurant as a de facto confessional adds an additional layer, with the ostensibly public space’s Covid protocols mirroring the unspoken barriers standing between people who’ve known each other for years. At the same time, periodic interjections by an attentive waiter provide natural breaks for the characters (and audience) to digest their latest revelations while offering them a chance to contemplate their next move. From a production standpoint, the lack of an intermission also works in the play’s favor, enabling each bombshell to land with maximum impact.
This is very much a writer’s play; much like the recent stage version of Giancarlo Abrahan’s Dagitab, additional resonance is achieved through ruminations on the creative process as viewed through the institutional lens of a mentor and his mentee. Performed entirely in English, the unspoken politics of Philippine literati are taken to task, both through Lance’s interactions with Eric and, posthumously, through Marcus’ decision to write his [final] work in Filipino. Sarmenta and Canlas inhabit their roles well, building on their established onscreen chemistry, while fleshing out their characters’ personas in bold and surprising ways.
The flashbacks with Marcus are exclusive to the play, with Quizon delivering a layered performance, selflessly embodying the neuroses that come with his character’s brand of tragic genius, as well as those of a man in a long-term relationship. Despite being a recognized icon in his chosen field, Marcus’ insecurities eat into his marriage, despite his and Eric’s (supposed) best efforts. The scenes with Marcus make for some of the most memorable, as we see the effects his success has had on those around him.
A Valentine’s Day play on the inadequacy of love’s inability to preserve a union is certainly a bold choice, but it’s one that Robles Lana, Rutaquio, and their actors commit to, delivering a work that boldly takes on the secrets, half-truths, and outright lies that erode a relationship. Regardless of whether or not you’ve seen the film, this is a work that anybody who’s ever had their heart broken—or tried putting pen to paper—would do well to take in.
Disclaimer: PhilSTAR L!fe was given a free ticket to the premiere of About Us But Not About Us, which is playing at the Power Mac Center Spotlight Blackbox Theater until March 8. Tickets are available now at ticket2me. Check out L!fe’s exclusive interviews with Robles Lana, Rutaquio, and the cast here.