Theater Review: Shorts & Briefs by Night Festival

Stepping into Café Shylo feels like entering a friend’s living room: intimate, warm, and only a foot away from the performers. The nearness heightens every glance and gesture, creating an almost tactile connection between actors and audience. A thoughtful touch was the presence of sign language interpreters, a gesture of inclusivity that deserves applause.

Below are the evening’s six short plays—distinct in voice, daring in subject, and bound by the festival’s playful spirit.

1. SH*T
Jeremi Flores’ script follows a gay couple trying to steady their relationship while raising an adopted child, even as old wounds from judgmental parents resurface. Director Phi Palmos delivers a quietly powerful debut, balancing tenderness and tension. It’s a story of love’s limits—how sometimes we sacrifice even what we cherish most for the sake of those we love.

2. Reklamasyon Headquarters
Who knew a comedy about male and female genitals could be both educational and hilarious? Through witty dialogue and clever costume design, the play imagines private parts suddenly able to speak their minds. The result is a cheeky takedown of sexual taboos and a reminder to respect our own bodies.

3. The Red Hotel
A chance encounter between a call boy and a devout churchgoer becomes an unexpected dance of flirtation, shame, and mutual respect. The performers tease and charm their way from awkward small talk to a consensual revelation of their wilder sides. It’s funny, daring, and surprisingly sweet.

4. Ang Babae at ang Mangga
This whimsical piece is a mythical love story—complete with a gender-flipped manananggal. Here, the man is the shy winged creature, while the woman is delightfully uninhibited. Both humorous and subversive, it playfully normalizes frank talk about sexuality and desire.

5. Josefino at ang Estatwa
Romance and poetry intertwine in this elegant tale reminiscent of the Machete legend. The writing is lyrical, almost dreamlike, offering intimacy without vulgarity. It’s a gentle reminder that sensual storytelling can be both tasteful and mesmerizing.

6. Warla Arena
The finale is the festival’s boldest piece—a drag-queen spectacle that feels like Face 2 Face colliding with a fetish fair. Toy-centered fantasies take the spotlight, and while no nudity appears, the suggestiveness is unmistakable. It’s playful, provocative, and impossible to look away from.

The Shorts & Briefs Festival thrives on audacity and variety. From tender domestic drama to gleeful sexual comedy, it embraces topics that Philippine theater often tiptoes around. Its close-quarters setup turns each performance into a shared secret between actor and audience, proving that intimacy—both emotional and physical—can be the most powerful stage of all.

Tickets for the Shorts & Briefs Festival are priced at ₱750, which already includes a complimentary drink and admission to all six plays in one sitting. The festival runs from September 20 to October 5, 2025, with performances every weekend at 2:00 PM and 7:30 PM at Café Shylo in Pasig (Showroom by Projects Unlimited, Skyway Twin Towers Condominium). To reserve a seat, simply send a Viber message to 0919-487-3983 and follow the instructions provided. Reservations are recommended, as seating is limited and the space’s intimate setup fills quickly. For updates and confirmations, follow Eksena PH on Facebook or Instagram. Please note that the festival is strictly for audiences 18 years old and above.