YPC Stage is set to make its official debut with Mapanakit: Mga Dulang Bittersweet, a moving collection of three one-act plays opening on July 25 at the KAL-IBG Theater, UP Diliman.
The production marks a milestone for the regional arts community as it becomes Biñan’s first homegrown theater production to be staged outside the city. Following a successful community run in December 2025, Mapanakit now embarks on a wider journey as a touring-ready production and the maiden presentation of YPC Stage, the professional performance arm of the Biñan Youth Performance Council (YPC).
Directed by BJ Borja and written by acclaimed playwright Eljay Castro Deldoc, Mapanakit presents three bittersweet stories that explore love, heartbreak, healing, identity, and hope through intimate performances and emotionally resonant storytelling rooted in the Filipino experience.
The production also brings together an exciting mix of emerging performers and established theater artists, creating a dynamic collaboration that bridges fresh talent with seasoned expertise.
Three stories of love and longing
The first play, Ang Liknayan ng Ating mga Katawan, follows Hershey Mae, a student who secretly confronts her chemistry teacher after her controversial research paper on love is rejected. As the study sparks a series of troubling incidents within the school, the two debate whether matters of the heart can ever truly be measured by science. The play stars Ross Pesigan as Sir Banakon and Jury Sanchez as Hershey Mae.
In Ilihan at Kalingaw, audiences are transported to a mythical world where poet-historian Ilihan risks everything by writing forbidden love poems for Kalingaw. Faced with punishment for preserving a love story her community refuses to acknowledge, Ilihan challenges the boundaries between memory, history, and love. The roles are played by Gab Pangilinan and Euden Moje.
Completing the trilogy is Ganito ang Pinangarap Kong Kasal, which follows longtime couple France and Noel and their closest friend Kris as they grapple with love, friendship, and the pressures of societal expectations. The play stars Kokoy de Santos, Phi Palmos, and Loudette Barias.
A new chapter for community theater
Mapanakit serves as the inaugural production of YPC Stage, the professional touring and performance platform of the Biñan Youth Performance Council. Built on more than two decades of community-based cultural work, YPC Stage aims to bring socially relevant and artistically rigorous productions to audiences across the country while remaining grounded in stories shaped by lived Filipino experiences.
The production features production design by Carlo Pagunaling, lighting design by Gabo Tolentino, sound design by Arkel Mendoza, and creative direction by Carlo Cannu.
Mapanakit: Mga Dulang Bittersweet will run at the KAL-IBG Theater, UP Diliman, Quezon City on July 25, 26, August 1, 2, 8, and 9, with performances at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. A special gala performance is scheduled on August 7 at 7 p.m. Tickets are available through Ticket2Me.
