8 University-Based Productions this November 2026
Here are eight university-based theater productions that you can watch in Metro Manila and Los Baños this November.
1. Moryon by FEU Theater Guild
View this post on Instagram
FEU’s Moryon, which opened last October 1, continues to run at the FEU Center for the Arts Studio.
Written and directed by Dudz Teraña, Moryon is a Filipino reimagining of Guy de Maupassant’s short story Mother Sauvage, which relocates Maupassant’s story to Marinduque during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines. Set on Holy Thursday in the town of Mogpog, the play unfolds against the Moriones tradition as acts of penance and devotion take place amid the realities of war.
At the center of the story is Caridad, a mother waiting for her son Joaquin, a young guerrilla driven by a desire to prove himself in a world that has long underestimated him. When the war reaches her doorstep, Caridad is forced to make a choice that tests her ideas of faith, justice, and a mother’s love.
Maria Alexandra Mayano and Maria Ysabel Delos Reyes alternate as Caridad, while Dave Bambang and Aldin Covarrubias alternate as Esteban.
The artistic team includes Kirstan Erin Wayne Orbegoso as assistant director, Althea Carla H. Sibulo as production designer, and Johann Edgar S. Oliveros as multimedia director.
Moryon continues with performances on November 5–7, 12–14, 19–21, and 26–28 at the FEU Center for the Arts Studio. Performances begin at 6:30 PM, with the house opening at 6 PM.
Tickets are priced at ₱150 for FEU students, faculty, staff, and FEU/FTG alumni with an alumni ID; ₱250 for non-FEU students with a valid ID; ₱500 for FTG alumni without an alumni ID, persons with disabilities, and senior citizens; and ₱700 for the general public.
2. Fiestas y Muertos by Dulaang UP
View this post on Instagram
Dulaang UP’s Fiestas y Muertos, a reimagining of José Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere which opened last October 23, continues its run at the IBG-KAL Theater, UP Diliman, through November 15.
Directed by José Estrella and based on National Artist for Literature Virgilio S. Almario’s Filipino translation of the novel, the play features Jerom Canlas as Crisostomo Ibarra, Justine Peña as Maria Clara, Ross Pesigan as Elias, Peewee O’Hara as Inay Dorang, Elora Españo as Salome, Iris Montesclaros as Sisa, Quiel Campo as Basilio, Daphne Galang as Crispin, Joseph Pe as Padre Salvi, Jojo Cayabyab as Padre Damaso, Rigel Hechanova as Donya Consolacion, Avi Sulibet as Tiya Alba, Kiki Baento as Victorina de los Reyes de Espadaña, Gaby Asanza as Alférez, and Jonas Garcia as Don Santiago de los Santos.
Remaining performances are scheduled every Friday at 7 PM and Saturdays and Sundays at 2 PM and 7 PM.
Regular tickets are priced at ₱1,200. Tickets for PWDs, senior citizens, UP alumni, and non-UP students are priced at ₱960, while tickets for UP undergraduate and graduate students and employees are priced at ₱690, with the UP community discount applicable to Friday performances only.
Tickets are available via Ticket2Me.
3. Kita sa Gitna by Sining-Lahi Polyrepertory
View this post on Instagram
Sining-Lahi Polyrepertory, the official resident student theater organization of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), is staging Kita sa Gitna, an original play with music, from November 4 to 6 at Tanghalang PUP.
Written by Samantha Tolentino and directed by Seff Navarette, with Angel Gatdula as assistant director, Kita sa Gitna follows a group of individuals who wake up in a strange train station with no memory of how they got there or what happened to them. They soon learn that they are dead and have arrived in purgatory, where each must complete five good deeds and repent for three sins from their past to earn a second chance.
The production explores the gray areas between good and evil, guilt and forgiveness, and questions whether people should be defined by their past mistakes. Their individual stories also examine how failing systems, including education, employment, healthcare, housing, food security, and justice, shape the lives and circumstances of everyday Filipinos.
Kita sa Gitna runs on November 4, 5, and 6 at Tanghalang PUP, with performances at 1 PM, 3:30 PM, and 6 PM.
4. Ikalabindalawang Gabi by Tanghalang Ateneo
View this post on Instagram
Tanghalang Ateneo opens its 48th season, themed Vestigia: Labî ng Alaala, with its season opener and trainee production, Ikalabindalawang Gabi, running from November 6 to 15 at the Gonzaga Fine Arts Theater, Ateneo de Manila University.
National Artist for Literature Rolando S. Tinio’s Filipino translation of William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, the play is directed by Miel Barrera Abong and follows Viola, who believes her twin brother Sebastian has drowned and finds herself alone in the foreign land of Illyria. Disguising herself as a man named Cesario, she enters the service of Duke Orsino, who sends her to court Lady Olivia on his behalf. Olivia instead falls for Cesario, while Viola develops feelings for Orsino.
Meanwhile, members of Olivia’s household, including Sir Toby Belch, Sir Andrew Aguecheek, and Maria, scheme against the stern Malvolio. The unexpected arrival of Sebastian further complicates the characters’ mistaken identities and tangled relationships.
The production explores identity, memory, grief, and loss while retaining the mischief and comedy of Shakespeare’s original play.
Joining Abong on the creative team are assistant director Pearl Bornilla; dramaturgs Gab Mactal, Keith Bernas, Erica Deliguer, Enrico Figueroa, Isa Geronimo, and Meeka Sayaboc; production designer Nica Mapeso; sound designer and composer Andy Reysio-Cruz; music arranger Tini Quadra; costume designer Albriz Bagsic; lighting designer Aldrie Valmonte; illustrator Juls Leonardo; and publicity designers Val Ayento and Dane Soriano.
Ikalabindalawang Gabi runs on November 6–8 and 13–15 at the Gonzaga Fine Arts Theater, Ateneo de Manila University. Tickets can be purchased through the organization’s Google Form.
5. REX by De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde
View this post on Instagram
De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB), through its School of Arts, Culture and Performance (SACP), is staging REX from November 12 to 22 at the Power Mac Center Spotlight Blackbox Theater, Circuit Makati, with Eula Valdez and Martin del Rosario leading the cast.
Written by Palanca Hall of Famer Joshua Lim So and directed by Tuxqs Rutaquio, REX adapts Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex into a contemporary Filipino setting, replacing the plague of the original tragedy with issues surrounding flood control, public infrastructure, political dynasties, and systemic corruption.
Set in the city of Tebes, the play follows the Po family and their company, St. Paul the Apostle Constructions, after torrential rains leave more than a hundred citizens dead. As the family attempts to protect its interests, long-buried truths begin to emerge, leading to consequences for both the family and the wider community.
Joining Valdez and del Rosario are Bong Cabrera, Sheryll Ceasico, Emilio Macabantad, EJ Jallorina, and student actors from DLS-CSB’s BA Theater Arts program. The production reunites Valdez and del Rosario onstage 12 years after both received Gawad Urian awards for their performances in the 2014 film Dagitab.
The creative team includes movement designer Christine Crame, lighting designer Jose Joaquin Aranda, sound designer and engineer TJ Martinez, costume designer Phillip Domingo, and projection designer Ces Valera.
REX runs on November 12–15 and 19–22. Performances are at 7 PM on November 12, 13, 19, and 20, and at 2 PM and 7 PM on November 14, 15, 21, and 22. The production has an approximate running time of one hour and 45 minutes.
Ticket prices are ₱2,700 for Trono ni Rex (VIP elevated bleachers), ₱2,300 for Tanaw ng Tebes (front floor level), and ₱2,000 for Gilid ng Lihim (side elevated bleachers). They can be purchased via Ticket2Me.
6. Urinetown: The Musical by Ateneo blueREP
View this post on Instagram
Eleven years after it was first staged by Ateneo Blue Repertory, Urinetown: The Musical returns this November as the company’s 35th Season Newbie Production, running from November 13 to 22 at the Rizal Mini Theater, Ateneo de Manila University.
With book and lyrics by Greg Kotis and music and lyrics by Mark Hollmann, the Tony Award-winning satirical musical is set in a city suffering from a 20-year drought, where a government ban on private toilets forces citizens to use public amenities controlled by a corporation that charges for access. When Bobby Strong decides he has had enough, he leads a rebellion against the system. The musical uses its premise to explore corporate greed, class struggle, government corruption, populist politics, and the conventions of musical theater itself.
The production is directed by Marcel David, with musical direction by Maia Dapul and choreography by Katriel Garcia. The artistic team also includes dramaturg Nathania Kuy, set designer Tata Tuviera, lighting designer France Pagulayan, sound designer Andy Reysio-Cruz, brand designer Sebastian Nicolas Lapus, and intimacy director Regina De Vera.
Luis Saputil and Reese Eugenio alternate as Bobby Strong, Maja Santos and Jia Miradora alternate as Hope Cladwell, Miah Luna and Joe Ahmar Bantilan Jr. alternate as Caldwell B. Cladwell, Nia Brocka and Angie Pajarillo alternate as Penelope Pennywise, Reese Eugenio and Jacob Danting alternate as Officer Lockstock, and Anne Herrin and Mariana Kimpo alternate as Little Sally.
The cast also includes Tris Bobier as Joseph “Old Man” Strong, Layna Adeana Menil as Josephine Strong, James Allen Weber as Officer Barrel, Gabriel Cleon Coronel as Mr. McQueen, Czar Marañon as Tiny Tom, Matthew Bagtas as Hot Blades Harry, Juliana Bornilla as Little Becky Two-Shoes, Gian Gozun as Senator Fipp, Adi Ariola as Robby the Stockfish, Andie Blake as Mrs. Millenium, Miles Lee as Dr. Billeaux, Benjo Bernabe as Billy Boy Bill, and Anastasia Panganiban as Soupy Sue, with Patricia Beltran and Hanna Peñaredondo in the ensemble.
Urinetown: The Musical runs on November 13–15 and 20–22 at the Rizal Mini Theater, Ateneo de Manila University. Tickets are priced at ₱850 for non-Loyola students and ₱680 for persons with disabilities (PWDs) and may be purchased through Ateneo Blue Repertory’s HelixPay page.
7. Isko’t Iska 50 by UPLB
View this post on Instagram
Fifty years after it was first staged in 1976, UPLB’s Isko’t Iska marks its golden anniversary with Isko’t Iska 50, running from November 25 to 27 at the D.L. Umali Hall, University of the Philippines Los Baños.
Described by the production as the longest-running university-based theater tradition in the Philippines, Isko’t Iska has used community theater to engage with social and political issues throughout its five-decade history. The anniversary production brings together generations of student artists, alumni, cultural workers, and activists while revisiting the tradition’s roots in community theater and grassroots struggle.
This year’s story centers on three characters whose lives and community are threatened by the impending demolition of their homes to make way for the expansion of a neighboring artificial intelligence (AI) hub. Through their intertwined experiences, the production explores displacement, land rights, technological development, and the ways different generations respond to threats facing their community.
According to production manager Hans Cortes, the anniversary staging continues Isko’t Iska’s tradition of mass-oriented theater while addressing contemporary issues surrounding housing and displacement.
“Beyond commemorating five decades of performances, Isko’t Iska 50 carries forward campaigns for the people’s right to space and shelter,” Cortes said.
The production also tackles issues of state violence, development aggression, systemic corruption, resources, and livelihood, linking the characters’ struggle for their homes to wider questions surrounding land and community.
Isko’t Iska 50 runs from November 25 to 27 at the D.L. Umali Hall, UPLB.
8. Lupang Hinarang by The UP Repertory Company
View this post on Instagram
The UP Repertory Company, in partnership with the Office of the Student Regent and Erehwon Center for the Arts, is staging Lupang Hinarang from November 26 to 29 at the Erehwon Center for the Arts in Quezon City.
Directed by Jasper Villasis and Johann Dale Reyes, with music by Hans Dela Cruz, Lupang Hinarang is adapted from Joel Arbolario’s Ang Balay ni Bilay Hapay and Rocky Nichor’s Mapait ang Ugat ng Asukal.
Set against the fictional Sugarlandia, the production follows a group of young people who travel to Manila to perform two plays about the history of Negros. Through their performances, they revisit the events of Cinco de Noviembre and the EDSA People Power Revolution, reflecting on the meaning and legacy of these historical moments and questioning what these revolutions ultimately changed for their land and its people.
At the center of the production is the image of Bilay and the rebuilding of her home, which serves as a way of examining the history and continuing struggles surrounding Negros and its sugar industry.
Lupang Hinarang runs from November 26 to 29, with performances at 2:30 PM and 6:30 PM at the Erehwon Center for the Arts in Quezon City. Early bird tickets are priced at ₱350 for regular admission and ₱300 for senior citizens, PWDs, and students. Tickets may be reserved through the production’s early bird registration form.
Comments