Laguna-based theater company YPC Stage is bringing its acclaimed production “Mapanakit! Mga Dulang Bittersweet” to Quezon City, marking the group’s first touring production outside its home province after a successful debut in Biñan in December 2025.
The production will be staged at the KAL-IBG Theater, University of the Philippines Diliman, with regular performances scheduled at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on July 25 (opening), July 26, August 1, 2, 8, and 9. A special gala performance is set for August 7 at 7 p.m.
Directed by BJ Borja and written by acclaimed playwright Eljay Castro Deldoc, Mapanakit! Mga Dulang Bittersweet presents three interconnected one-act plays that examine love, personal boundaries, heartbreak, longing, and healing through compelling narratives and emotionally charged performances.
The first play, “Ang Liknayan ng Ating mga Katawan,” follows a heated confrontation between student Hershey Mae (Jury Sanchez) and her teacher Sir Banakon (Ross Pesigan) inside a school chemistry laboratory. After her love-centered research paper is dismissed as unscientific and dangerous, Hershey Mae fights to prove that emotional experiences deserve recognition alongside empirical knowledge.
In “Ilihan at Kalingaw,” audiences are transported into a mythical world where tribal poet-historian Ilihan (Gab Pangilinan) faces punishment from her council for writing forbidden love poems about Kalingaw (Euden Moje). Rather than escape, she chooses to defend her right to preserve their love story as part of her tribe’s official history.
The final play, “Ganito ang Pinangarap Kong Kasal,” centers on college sweethearts France (Phi Palmos) and Noel (Kokoy de Santos), who have kept their relationship hidden with the support of their trusted friend Kris (Loudette Barias). Their carefully guarded secret is tested when one of them decides to conform to traditional societal expectations, forcing all three to confront difficult choices.
Supporting the production is an experienced creative team composed of production designer Carlo Pagunaling, lighting designer Gabo Tolentino, sound designer Arkel Mendoza, and creative director Carlo Cannu. The project is spearheaded by executive producer Sigrid Carreon and technical director John Paul De Paz.
The Quezon City staging represents a significant milestone for YPC Stage, the professional performance and touring platform of the Biñan Youth Performance Council Inc. Through its expansion beyond Laguna, the company aims to create broader opportunities for regional artists, bridge the gap between community theater and the professional performing arts industry, and showcase the caliber of homegrown talent on the national stage.
Tickets are available online through Ticket2Me. For inquiries, group bookings, block sales, and sponsorship opportunities, interested parties may contact the production team at 0917-870-0496.
For updates on the cast, creative team, and behind-the-scenes content, audiences may also visit ypcstage.com/mapanakit or follow YPC Stage on Facebook and @ypcstage on Instagram.
