REVIEW: Love and transition in ‘Choosing’

REVIEW: Love and transition in ‘Choosing’

Liza Diño-Seguerra’s debut play “Choosing”, directed by Anton Juan and starring herself alongside her real-life partner Ice Seguerra, is a two-hander that examines the complicated and intimate terrain of identity, trauma, and transformation within a long-term queer relationship. While earnest and often compelling, the play ultimately leans too heavily into Stella’s point of view, leaving Mitch’s inner life—especially as a transgender man—less explored than expected. This imbalance feels particularly curious given that it’s Mitch’s transition that anchors the dramatic turning point of the story.

The play follows Stella, a cisgender woman, and Mitch, a trans man, as they journey through formative experiences—from childhood awakenings about sexuality and gender expression to moments of sexual violence, emotional rupture, and the eventual recalibration of their relationship as Mitch considers medically transitioning. The material draws inspiration not only from the couple’s own life but also from stories of other LGBTQIA+ individuals, creating a hybrid of personal and collective memory. The first act charts their separate paths through monologues that recall early encounters with desire, danger, and self-definition. The second act brings them together as a couple reckoning with the emotional weight of Mitch’s transition and Stella’s response to it.

The structure itself feels coherent enough: it’s built around memory and reflection, toggling between past and present. However, the “why now” of it all—the reason they are revisiting these memories at this particular moment in their lives—is never made entirely clear. The first act, which lingers on childhood and adolescent experiences, felt overly long, taking up valuable space that could have been used to unpack the much denser material in the second act: namely, Stella’s history of sexual trauma and the emotional recalibration required in the wake of Mitch’s transition.

Diño-Seguerra’s script, while emotionally invested, sometimes underdelivers in clarity and focus. The various moments of sexual harassment Stella experienced—from a trusted adult to a coercive former boyfriend—are included, but not fully integrated into the play’s emotional or thematic logic. Mitch’s emotional and psychological journey as a trans man, too, is given less space than one might expect from a narrative that hinges on that transformation. Dialogue, however, does manage to give both characters some dimension, and the device of extended monologues in the first act—before they begin interacting as a couple—felt serviceable if not revelatory.

“Choosing” handles gender identity with a level of authenticity that speaks to lived experience. Mitch’s gender dysphoria is portrayed with care, and Stella’s fluid or undefined sexuality—not quite gay, but falling in love with Mitch—adds another layer of complexity.

There’s undeniable vulnerability in putting a story like this onstage, especially when audiences are likely to conflate the characters with the performers themselves. Ice Seguerra’s performance as Mitch is easily the evening’s anchor: grounded, nuanced, and emotionally true. Despite being the real-life inspiration for the role, Seguerra doesn’t coast on authenticity alone—there’s thoughtful craft and restraint throughout. Diño-Seguerra, by contrast, leans heavily into performance. There are moments, particularly in scenes of heightened emotion, where she veers into overacting. At times, one feels the emotional weight is being performed rather than lived.

Anton Juan’s direction keeps things clear and grounded. Known for occasionally veering into more abstract territory, Juan here reins it in. The movement and staging choices are solid, with a notable moment of theatrical surprise: Ice appearing as a fantasy Playboy bunny—a visual departure that briefly punctures the show’s otherwise subdued realism.

Ohm David’s set design—a blank screen flanked by two doorways—offers a minimal and adaptable space. The screen serves as a canvas for GA Fallarme’s projections, which are effective in setting tone and memory, especially in scenes of youth, sensuality, and romance. 

“Choosing” doesn’t pander or assume knowledge, and as such, it may be an eye-opener for audiences unfamiliar with contemporary discourse on gender and sexuality. Still, the play resists overexplaining itself, which is a virtue.

What lingers most is a complicated tension: between self and partner and between transformation and resistance. Stella’s responses—at times overwrought and centered on herself—risk drowning out the quieter, arguably more complex journey of Mitch. And yet perhaps that’s the point: that love, even queer love, is not exempt from imbalance. The harder choice may be to listen more than speak, to step back instead of forward.

 

Tickets: Php 1500 – 2200
Show Dates: June 6 – 15, 2025
Venue: Doreen Black Box Theater, Arete, Ateneo
Running Time: approx 2 hours (w/ 15 min intermission)
Company: Fire and Ice Live
Creatives: Anton Juan (director), Liza Diño-Seguerra (playwright), Ice Seguerra (additional monologues), Vincent A. DeJesus (music), Ohm David (stage designer), John Batalla (lighting designer), GA Fallarme (visual designer), D Cortesano (technical director)
Cast: Ice Seguerra, Liza Diño-Seguerra