#TheaterPH - When Stories Come Home: A Fresh Look at Dulaang UP’s Newest Heart‑Hitting Play
There are days when the world feels a little too fast, a little too loud, and all we want is something that brings us back to what matters. That’s exactly the kind of pull I felt reading about Ang Kaliitan ng Kasalukuyan, Dulaang UP’s newest offering — and honestly, it feels like one of those productions that linger with you long after the curtains close.
Dulaang UP has been slowly but steadily warming up for its milestone 50th Theatre Season, and you can sense the energy building around it. Their recent tribute to the late National Artist Tony Mabesa already reminded everyone of the company’s roots — bold, curious, and unafraid to ask uncomfortable questions. Now, they’re bringing back the beloved UP Playwrights’ Theatre (now affectionately renamed DUP Playwrights) with a production that strikes right at the heart of Filipino families.
Ang Kaliitan ng Kasalukuyan is written and directed by Arlo Deguzman, a multi‑awarded playwright whose work has always navigated the emotional tensions of being Filipino in two countries at once. This new piece draws from the complex world of diaspora — that invisible tug‑of‑war between staying and leaving, dreaming and sacrificing, belonging everywhere and nowhere all at once.
What caught my attention most was how the play carries everyday stories we don’t always talk about out loud: a father stretched thin by endless remittances, a mother wondering if her sacrifices will ever feel worth it, a sister defending her choice to leave home, and a son trying to hold together everything that separation has scattered. Not in a dramatic, telenovela way — but in a way that feels painfully familiar to anyone who’s ever waited for a Viber call to load, counted balikbayan boxes as if they were hugs, or pretended not to worry when someone says “okay lang ako.”
And here’s something I found unexpectedly comforting: some of the people behind the production have lived the OFW story themselves — whether they were once abroad, are thinking about leaving, or miss someone who already has. There’s something deeply grounding about art that’s not just imagined, but lived.
The play runs March 12–29, 2026 at the IBG-KAL Theater in UP Diliman, with multiple showtimes so you can squeeze it into your schedule whether you’re a weekday‑night person or a weekend matinee fan. Tickets are already available, with discounted early‑bird options if you move fast (your wallet will thank you).
But what I really love is that DUP isn’t stopping at the play itself. They’re rolling out a full experience — free screenings of past productions, backstage tours, mini‑workshops, a growing arts market, even cross‑college networking nights for creatives who just want to meet fellow dreamers. It feels like a tiny artistic universe opening up for anyone who’s curious enough to step in.
So if you’ve been craving a story that hits close to home — or makes you rethink where home is in the first place — this might be the perfect thing to put on your March plans. Sometimes all we need is a reminder that even the smallest moments of the present (“ang kaliitan ng kasalukuyan,” as they call it) can lead us back to one another.
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