What does it mean to be a woman in today’s society, and who gets to be included in that definition?
‘Misis: Ang Vavaihang Musical’, a production of the Communication Arts students of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), tackled this during a staging to end Women’s Month.
The musical’s story followed Venice, a transgender woman on the cusp of a life-changing decision. Her journey became a lens into the fragile yet powerful intersections of identity, family, and autonomy, since around her moved a community of characters, each navigating their own negotiations with gender, class, and belonging.
“More than a celebration, the play itself became a space of reckoning,” the team behing the production stated in a prepared statement. “Through Venice’s pursuit of acceptance, Mama Ampi’s steadfast care, Raffy’s commitment to her unfolding self, and Lorraine’s journey toward reconciliation, it brought to life stories of becoming… of choosing oneself, of holding space for others, and of finding strength in shared vulnerability.”
For the the Communication Arts students of UPLB, the production “highlighted theater’s enduring role as a space for reflection and social engagement.”
