‘I Am Normal,’ a New Play About Family and Grief, Opens in Cebu This November
A new play exploring grief, mental health, and the ways families cope with loss will be staged by 2TinCans Philippines on November 7–8 at The Kabilin Center in Cebu City.
Written and directed by emerging Cebuano theater artist Ciara Baricuatro, I Am Normal follows the Dimaano family as its members struggle to process a shared loss in different ways. Ian performs, Fern rages, Helen organizes, and Lolo watches, each dealing with emotions that remain largely unspoken.
At the center of the story is Ian, a boy who turns to sitcoms as a coping mechanism. Through humor, performance, and the familiarity of fictional worlds, he attempts to navigate emotions he struggles to confront. His story examines the pressure to remain positive and self-sufficient, even while dealing with grief.
Baricuatro began writing the play nine months before its staging, initially developing the premise of a boy who uses sitcoms to avoid confronting his emotions. The script underwent several revisions, eventually expanding into a family drama about grief, mental health, and the complicated ways people protect themselves from painful emotions.
According to Baricuatro, Ian represents people who struggle to acknowledge their feelings and instead turn to other things to distract themselves from what they are experiencing.
I Am Normal marks Baricuatro’s first production as both playwright and director. The production was developed independently under the guidance of her directing mentor, 2TinCans Managing Director Charlene Virlouvet.
The cast features Alexus Libarnes as Ian, Ernest Aleonar as Fern, Isabella Villarojo as Tita Helen, and Vince Lopez as Lolo Keith.
The production is part of Kulukabildo II: Stories in Direct Light, a monthly theater series presented by 2TinCans Philippines Inc. and The Kabilin Center. Rooted in the Bisaya concept of kulukabildo, meaning informal exchange, the series serves as a platform for the organization’s directors’ training program, featuring the work of eight emerging Cebuano directors.
Performances are scheduled for November 7 at 7 PM and November 8 at 2 PM and 7 PM. Tickets are available through Yapsody.
The production contains mature themes involving grief and mental health and is recommended for audiences aged 13 and above. Younger audiences must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
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