Jon Santos Returns to the Stage with ‘Bawat Bonggang Bagay’ and ‘Side Show’
Bawat Bonggang Bagay, the Filipino-translated staging of Duncan Macmillan and Jonny Donahoe’s Every Brilliant Thing, is set to return to the stage this June in celebration of Pride Month 2025, with Jon Santos reprising his role in the one-act, one-man show.
Presented by The Sandbox Collective’s new arm, Sandbox Co.labs, in partnership with Ayala Land and Circuit Makati, the intimate and interactive play follows the story of a young child growing up with a parent suffering from mental illness. The show continues the conversation on mental health by bringing real and pressing issues to the forefront, while creating a safe and communal space where audiences become part and parcel of the storytelling.
Playwright, translator, actor, and director Guelan Luarca worked on the translation and original staging in 2023. This year’s run marks Santos’ fourth time performing the show, following sold-out engagements in 2023 and 2024.
Jenny Jamora will once again direct, having helmed all previous runs, including the stagings of Every Brilliant Thing.
Joining Jamora in the artistic team are Marcel David (assistant director), Mark Dalacat (set designer), Kiefer Sison (lighting designer), Arvy Dimaculangan (sound designer), Yabs Yabut (technical director), GA Fallarme (projections designer), KC Kane (costume stylist), Charyl De Guzman (production manager), and IJ Romero (stage manager).
Bawat Bonggang Bagay will run at the Power Mac Center Spotlight Black Box Theater in Circuit Makati from June 14 to 22, 2025, for a strictly limited engagement. Tickets are now available at TicketWorld. The show (Every Brilliant Thing) is licensed through Concord Theatricals.
Side Show with Jon Santos
The first cast member to be announced in The Sandbox Collective’s upcoming staging of Side Show has also just been revealed—and it’s none other than Santos himself. He opens the sideshow as “The Boss,” who takes the reins and introduces audiences to the mystical world of the freaks, led by the Hilton twins.
Set in 1930s America, Side Show is a fictional depiction of the life and times of real-life conjoined twins Daisy and Violet Hilton, who found fame and notoriety in the vaudeville circuit during the 1920s and 1930s. The show will be directed by The Sandbox Collective’s Artistic Director, Toff de Venecia.
Joining him in the artistic team are Ejay Yatco (musical director), Mark Dalacat (assistant director and set designer), Carlos Siongco (costume designer), Gabo Tolentino (lighting designer), and JM Cabling (choreographer).
Side Show opens on July 26, 2025, and will run until August 17, 2025, at the Power Mac Center Spotlight Black Box Theater in Circuit Makati. Cast, ticketing, and show-buying information will be released in the coming days. The production is licensed through Concord Theatricals.
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