How did Filipinos celebrate Holy Week during the Japanese-American War? What happens when faith, fear, and love for country meet in the middle of war?
As soon as you enter the theater, FTG already knows how to set the mood.
There is already someone on stage. Caridad, played by Ysabel delos Reyes, is quietly doing something that immediately makes you curious. What is she doing? Why is she there? And how will this connect to the story?
This is one of the things I enjoy about FTG productions. Similar to Karne, Moryon is not only something you watch. It is a multi-sensory experience. You see what is happening, hear the sounds around you, and even smell what is being cooked in the kitchen.
Director Dudz Teraña intentionally placed the kitchen on stage, and it adds another layer to the experience. And yes, the food smells really good. It makes the setting feel more alive and familiar, while also making you feel like you have entered the world of these characters rather than simply watching them perform.
Another detail that stood out is how well the cast handled the Marinduqueño accent. It feels natural and consistent throughout the performance. The use of the Japanese language also adds to the atmosphere, making the wartime setting feel more grounded.
But the emotional weight of Moryon truly comes through in its characters.
Director Dudz Teraña intentionally placed the kitchen on stage, and it adds another layer to the experience. And yes, the food smells really good. It makes the setting feel more alive and familiar, while also making you feel like you have entered the world of these characters rather than simply watching them perform.
Another detail that stood out is how well the cast handled the Marinduqueño accent. It feels natural and consistent throughout the performance. The use of the Japanese language also adds to the atmosphere, making the wartime setting feel more grounded.
But the emotional weight of Moryon truly comes through in its characters.
One of the hardest scenes to watch is Joaquin's torture scene played by Aldin Covarrubias. I shed a tear because of how realistic and emotional it felt. The pain was not presented simply as violence for shock value. You could feel the fear and helplessness of the character. What makes it even more painful is learning how Joaquin was also tortured by his own father when he was a child. His suffering is not limited to what happens during the war. It is part of a much deeper wound.
Then there is Marta, played by Margarita Barrameda, who quickly became one of my favorite neighbors. She is that one person in the community who is always nervous, always talking, and always trying to warn everyone about what could happen. But just like in real life, people around her tend to ignore her warnings. Her character brings some humor and energy to an otherwise heavy story, while also showing how people can sometimes recognize danger before everyone else does.
At the center of the story is Caridad, and Ysabel delos Reyes gives the character a strong emotional journey. Her revenge monologue is brave, powerful, and one of the moments that stayed with me after the show.
I also could not help but think about her name. Caridad means compassion or charity, but the character's journey takes her through a level of pain that eventually turns into anger. At the beginning, she seems almost indifferent to the things happening around her. But when something terrible happens to her son, Joaquin, we see that change. Her pain becomes anger, and that anger eventually drives her to revenge.
What I appreciated most is that the monologue does not feel forced or overly dramatic. It feels earned because we have seen the character's emotions build throughout the story. You understand why she reaches that point, even as you are confronted with the consequences of her actions.
Esteban, played by Dave Bambang, is another character who may frustrate you at first. His cooperation with the Japanese forces makes him easy to dislike, especially when you see how his actions affect the people around him. But as the story develops, you begin to understand that his intentions are more complicated. He believes he is preparing something for the good of his fellow Filipinos, even if his method involves working with the enemy.
I also could not help but think about her name. Caridad means compassion or charity, but the character's journey takes her through a level of pain that eventually turns into anger. At the beginning, she seems almost indifferent to the things happening around her. But when something terrible happens to her son, Joaquin, we see that change. Her pain becomes anger, and that anger eventually drives her to revenge.
What I appreciated most is that the monologue does not feel forced or overly dramatic. It feels earned because we have seen the character's emotions build throughout the story. You understand why she reaches that point, even as you are confronted with the consequences of her actions.
Esteban, played by Dave Bambang, is another character who may frustrate you at first. His cooperation with the Japanese forces makes him easy to dislike, especially when you see how his actions affect the people around him. But as the story develops, you begin to understand that his intentions are more complicated. He believes he is preparing something for the good of his fellow Filipinos, even if his method involves working with the enemy.
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| Dave Bambang, Ysabel delos Reyes, Edrud Madalan (young Joaquin), and director Dudz Teraña |
His character brings another difficult question into the story: Can something that looks wrong on the surface still come from a desire to protect others?
Moryon does not give simple answers. Instead, it puts its characters in situations where faith, family, survival, and patriotism are constantly tested.
And perhaps that is what makes this production relevant today.
The story may be set during the Japanese-American War, but its questions about love for country, sacrifice, revenge, and the price of protecting the people we care about still feel familiar. By Filipinizing Mother Sauvage and placing it within the culture and traditions of Holy Week, the production creates a story that feels deeply rooted in our own history and identity.
Moryon is not simply a story about war. It is a story about what war can bring out of people.
It asks us to look at the different faces of courage: the courage to fight, the courage to protect, the courage to endure, and sometimes, the courage to face the consequences of our own choices.
With its strong performances, carefully built atmosphere, multi-sensory staging, and emotional storytelling, FEU Theater Guild's Moryon gives audiences more than a historical story. It gives us a reason to look back at the past and think about what patriotism means to us today.
Moryon opens October 1 at the FEU Center of the Arts.
Moryon does not give simple answers. Instead, it puts its characters in situations where faith, family, survival, and patriotism are constantly tested.
And perhaps that is what makes this production relevant today.
The story may be set during the Japanese-American War, but its questions about love for country, sacrifice, revenge, and the price of protecting the people we care about still feel familiar. By Filipinizing Mother Sauvage and placing it within the culture and traditions of Holy Week, the production creates a story that feels deeply rooted in our own history and identity.
Moryon is not simply a story about war. It is a story about what war can bring out of people.
It asks us to look at the different faces of courage: the courage to fight, the courage to protect, the courage to endure, and sometimes, the courage to face the consequences of our own choices.
With its strong performances, carefully built atmosphere, multi-sensory staging, and emotional storytelling, FEU Theater Guild's Moryon gives audiences more than a historical story. It gives us a reason to look back at the past and think about what patriotism means to us today.
Moryon opens October 1 at the FEU Center of the Arts.
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