The Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) brings back Control + Shift: Changing Narratives StudioLab LIVE this November, featuring five performances that explore mental health, memory, bodily autonomy, cultural identity, and the importance of collective care. Anchored on the theme “Tangan, Tahanan, Tulay, at Tinig: Narratives of Care, Survival, and Collective Responsibility,” the two-weekend run will take place from November 20 to 29, 2026, at the PETA Studio Theater.
Building on the conversations and creative explorations of previous editions, this year’s StudioLab brings together five productions through music, movement, poetry, and theatrical storytelling. Set against realities of exhaustion, disinformation, conflict, ecological crisis, and emotional strain, the performances examine how care can move beyond individual responsibility and become a collective effort.
The program connects personal experiences of vulnerability, illness, memory, displacement, and belonging to broader social concerns. It highlights how compassion, mutual support, and shared responsibility can help individuals and communities navigate difficult circumstances.
Audiences can experience the five performances through four thematic sets: Tangan, Tahanan, Tulay, and Tinig. Each offers a distinct perspective on the burdens people carry, the communities that sustain them, and the importance of making space for stories that deserve to be heard.
SET A: TANGAN (What We Carry)
This set explores the personal struggles people often keep to themselves, from mental health challenges and body shame to illness and the fear of losing memories.
“BYOB (Bring Your Own Baon)” is an interactive theater performance about mental health and the culture of violence in schools. It challenges the idea that mental health is solely an individual concern, emphasizing the shared responsibility of peers, families, schools, and communities. Written by Michelle Ngu-Nario and directed by Johnnie Moran, the production features Sam Marasigan, Moi Gealogo, Jessie Huyo-a, and Air Paz.
“Paglisan” is a staged reading adapted from Carl Joseph E. Papa’s acclaimed animated film. As illness gradually erases memories, a theater-artist couple confronts the challenges of remembering, loving, and caring for each other as the stories that once connected them begin to fade. Adapted by Yeyin de la Cruz and directed by Gio Gahol, the production features Rody Vera, Shamaine Buencamino, Ayla Garcia, Mico Esquivel, and Bene Manaois.
“Pagsilang ni Dimaya,” written and performed by Noelle Polack, with direction by Gold Villar-Lim, combines performance poetry and movement to explore female sexuality, bodily agency, and transformation. Through the story of a woman reclaiming control over her body and creative life force, the piece challenges narratives of shame and silence while presenting the body as a source of creation, healing, and change.
SET B: TAHANAN (What Carries Us)
This set examines the importance of community, cultural identity, and belonging, showing how people find strength through shared heritage and collective support, especially during times of crisis.
“Ding Parul Ning Bale-Balayan,” written by Felinda V. Bagas and directed by Raul Alfonso and the creative team of Anak Bale-Balayan, is a cultural performance by Bale-Balayan Museum for the Poor and Center for Transformation through the Arts, a youth arts collective from Pampanga. Through music, movement, and cultural storytelling, the group celebrates heritage, identity, and hope while demonstrating how arts and culture can create spaces for belonging, healing, and transformation.
“Baga ng Gumuguhong Langit” is a movement and devised theater piece about orphaned children surviving amid the devastation of war. As bombs fall and communities fracture, the work asks whether resilience alone is enough, highlighting the need for compassion, protection, and collective responsibility. Written by Anj Heruela and directed by Ian Segarra, the production features Zoe Damag, Rei Millete, Martina Parallag, and Wade Dizon.
SET C: TULAY (Who Meets Us Halfway)
Focusing on the importance of reaching out and offering support, this set brings together stories of young people facing unspoken struggles, women challenging expectations, and children left vulnerable by war.
Featuring “BYOB (Bring Your Own Baon),” “Pagsilang ni Dimaya,” and “Baga ng Gumuguhong Langit,” the set explores how silence can be reinforced by society and how meaningful change begins when people make an effort to understand, listen, and meet others halfway.
SET D: TINIG (Who Gets to Be Heard)
This set turns its attention to stories and experiences that are often overlooked or silenced. Through “Paglisan” and “BYOB (Bring Your Own Baon),” audiences are invited to consider whose voices are heard, whose struggles remain unseen, and how listening can help create more compassionate and inclusive communities.
Together, the four sets offer different perspectives on a common message: survival is never entirely an individual undertaking. The challenges people face are shaped by their relationships, communities, and the systems surrounding them.
Through Control + Shift 2026, PETA encourages audiences to look beyond individual resilience and recognize the role everyone plays in supporting one another. It underscores how vulnerability can be met with compassion, how communities can become sources of protection, and how collective care can contribute to meaningful change.
Because building a society where everyone can thrive begins with recognizing that no one should have to carry life’s burdens alone.
SHOW SCHEDULE
- Set A: TANGAN (What We Carry) – 7:00 PM on November 20, 21, 28, and 29
- Set B: TAHANAN (What Carries Us) – 2:00 PM on November 21, 22, 28, and 29
- Set C: TULAY (Who Meets Us Halfway) – 7:00 PM on November 22
- Set D: TINIG (Who Gets to Be Heard?) – 7:00 PM on November 27
Tickets are priced at Php 700 per set. For tickets, visit bit.ly/PETACS2026Tickets or contact Irish at 0924 592 9883 via Viber or email [email protected].
