‘People V. Dela Cruz’ Satirical Play to Debut in January 2026
After its maiden production, Pilato, last April, The Corner Studio returns to the stage with People v. Dela Cruz, a one-act satirical play that takes a sharp look at online behavior through the premise of the Philippines’ first-ever jury case. It will be staged at the group’s intimate creative space, The Corner Studio.
The story follows six jurors who are locked in a room to decide the fate of one man… pero bakit parang mas nauna pa nilang ma-judge ang isa’t isa? People v. Dela Cruz takes a country testing its new jury system and turns legal deliberation into a circus of ego, politics, prayer, hunger, and possibly Wi-Fi withdrawal. Facts are debated, feelings are weaponized, and everyone swears they know the law. Justice? Maybe. Drama? Absolutely.
According to writer-director Eldrin Veloso, the play grew out of a long-standing fascination with how online behavior bleeds into everyday life. “I’ve always been fascinated by how social media leaks into real life, and whether that online-offline line actually exists anymore,” he shared. “We act like it does, but the real-world stats on mental health and suicide (among other things) tell another story.”
That tension forms the central question behind People v. Dela Cruz: what if the things people say online carried immediate and undeniable consequences? Veloso noted that audiences may recognize many of the play’s lines, as they are inspired by familiar online comments, except this time, “you can’t just scroll past them.”
As the material developed, Veloso said the war on drugs under the previous administration became the clearest lens for exploring those ideas. “It showed how fast judgment, outrage, and dehumanization can snowball into real-life circumstances,” he said.
Ultimately, the team hopes the play functions as both reflection and reckoning. “We hope the play holds up a mirror (and maybe a magnifying glass) to those moments,” Veloso added, “and asks what happens when our ‘just joking,’ ‘just being real,’ or ‘this is just my opinion’ takes suddenly land on an actual life.”
The cast features Mark Aranal as Mayor Rico, Emlyn Olfindo-Santos as Marian, JP Basco as Orion, Althea Aruta as Katniss, Pauline Arejola as Solara, Rain de Jesus as Marshal, and Aaron Dioquino as Lean. The production is helmed by Veloso, with stage management by Pat Gregorio.
The show will run on January 16 at 7 PM; January 17 and 18 at 3 PM and 7 PM; January 23 at 7 PM; and January 24 at 3 PM and 7 PM. Tickets are priced at P800 and are available for purchase via Helixpay.
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