An enthralling stage adaptation of a film

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ROMNICK SARMENTA (left) and Elijah Canlas in About Us But Not About Us.

How to expound on toxic relationship dynamics

By Brontë H. Lacsamana, Reporter

Theater Review
About Us But Not About Us
Directed by Tuxqs Rutaquio
Presented by IdeaFirst Live!

IN 2023, a tense, thrilling drama consisting of two men talking in a restaurant took the first (and only) Summer Metro Manila Film Festival by storm. Eventually, the movie found its way onto Prime Video, and now it has gradually gained attention through its stage adaptation.

About Us But Not About Us, written and directed by Jun Robles Lana, is a film that keeps the audience at the edge of their seats as Romnick Sarmenta and Elijah Canlas act their butts off. They earned much praise in their roles as a literature professor and his student, slowly revealing their secrets over the course of a lunch conversation, and IdeaFirst Live!’s reshaping of the narrative for the stage allows the same two actors to do that again — and more.

At first, it seems Tuxqs Rutaquio directs the stage version to play out just like the film, which is mainly powered by the two leads’ emotionally complex performances. Sarmenta’s Eric displays sophisticated charm and kindness, which mask the burden of unresolved conflicts, while Canlas’ Lance embodies the youthful restlessness that makes him an intriguing (and later volatile) force.

Setting the play apart is the set design, with the texture of crumpled paper serving as a backdrop and referencing stories and literature as the anchoring point of the characters, and translucent sliding doors that allow you to see behind them. Their use is particularly potent during flashbacks, the main addition to the play that the film does not have.

In those flashbacks is a deceased character, acclaimed novelist and Eric’s husband Marcus, who only haunted the film’s narrative. Onstage he is given life by an actor, played alternately by Epy Quizon and Andoy Ranay. The show that BusinessWorld got to watch had Ranay in the role, and he was superb as he inhabited all the dramatic and comedic tics of an older, often-disdainful, seasoned writer and professor.

It is in this character that one can make the case for the play being superior to the film, as it adds depth to the relationship dynamics, now fully reflecting the flaws of all three men instead of just two. Ranoy’s performance leaves no room for imagination, as he’s able to make you laugh, cry, fear for the other characters, or feel pity for what he goes through. Every line lands well, and his demeanor and physicality match that of the haughty mentor (to Lance) and older partner (to Eric), which make for essential power-play dynamics, so it’s interesting to wonder how Quizon’s take might be different.

The standout scene in terms of acting is a particularly harrowing one between Eric and Marcus, which Sarmenta and Ranay execute perfectly. It starts out as an impassioned argument between a married couple and devolves into one of the most painful mudslinging of unspoken truths ever put to stage. It’s the type of scene that has audiences holding their breath as everything unfolds, especially for those who have experienced strained, long-term toxic relationships firsthand.

With that said, About Us But Not About Us (both the film and play) truly shines in the twists and turns that come as the initial teacher and student unravel threads of the past in their conversation. What I liked about the film is that it left a lot to your imagination, with Sarmenta and Canlas mimicking, and sometimes outright transforming into, the “ghost” character of Marcus through their acting. Seeing an actor like Ranay actually play the character onstage removes that unique thrill, but adds a striking emotional layer.

Robles Lana’s story is exciting in either form, tackling notions of trauma, fidelity, ambition, and legacy head-on, with gay characters right at the center. By retaining the film’s pandemic timeframe, the reality of social distancing adds another barrier in the story that works for it quite well. Even the choice of having the play run for an hour and 45 minutes without an intermission elevates the work, as it leaves no room for the tension to let up, except for a few silent or comedic moments.

Ultimately, Sarmenta and Canlas did a great job revisiting their roles and building on the chemistry they established onscreen four years ago. The addition of Ranay (or Quizon) fleshes out the intricate web of lies and insecurities even more. Perhaps my only advice for anyone going into this would be to get good seats — center allows you to see all of the actors’ faces clearly, and the closer the better so you can catch their micro-expressions. This would be the limitation of theater as compared to film. These guys act so well, but there are no close-ups here.

While it’s executed entirely in English (whereas the film uses Taglish), both versions fall into the same curious idiosyncrasies. Its glimpse into the self-important literature scene in the Philippines comes across as exaggerated for the sake of the narrative, and its look into the traumas of each character make the tumble down the abyss of their unending secrets and mistakes a bit too bleak. These people and their disconnection from the real world are maddening in parts, but it is perhaps the only way this story will work, by isolating them in their own little bubble of toxic power dynamics.

About Us But Not About Us remains one of the most thrilling, nuanced portrayals of queer love in the Philippines. It has an abundance of twists, turns, and thrills, seemingly to no end, but it successfully tells hard truths about human connection and its lasting scars through a visceral theater experience.

About Us But Not About Us runs until March 8 at Power Mac Center’s Spotlight Blackbox Theater in Ayala Malls Circuit, Makati. Tickets are available via Ticket2Me.