Rudely interrupted by the epidemic in March 2020, The Sandbox Collective, an affiliate of 9 Works Theatrical, is bringing back two acclaimed one-act plays by English writer Duncan Macmillan: “Lungs” and “Every Brilliant Thing.”“Lungs” seeks the answer to the questions: “What world are we leaving the future generations?” and “Even if we wanted children, with everything that is going on around us, what kind of world would we be leaving them?”

“These questions carry even more emotional weight now,” pronounced Toff de Venecia, Sandbox Collective artistic director. Sab Jose and Reb Atadero play the anxious couple in the new version of the two-actor play, alternating with Brian Sy and Justine Peña; Caisa Borromeo directs.

“Every Brilliant Thing” tackles mental illness. It is a dream role for any actor, a one-woman, interactive play about a child growing up with a parent who is mentally ill. The one-act play has been a surprising hit internationally, having been translated into Mandarin, Arabic, Spanish and Hebrew. The challenging role is being played by Teresa Herrera, alternating with Kakki Teodoro; Jenny Jamora again directs.

Teodoro and Atadero, the stars of “Every Brilliant Thing” and “Lungs,” respectively, hosted the program during the press conference at Privato Hotel in Quezon City, which included excerpts from the two plays.

Sy and Jose performed as the anxiety-ridden couple, uneasily wondering if they should have a child at a time like this. Herrera, true to the interactive nature of “Every Brilliant Thing,” chose a media member to interact with.

Dramatic entrance

Cradling what was supposed to be a baby, Herrera as the mentally challenged parent, rattled on and on, and during every pause the media member was supposed to say, “But why?” And so on.

Everyone was absorbed in these excerpts and the boisterous Q&A that followed when suddenly, from out of the blue, materialized the form of Jon Santos, comic actor and master impersonator, sashaying, screeching or bellowing something that sounded like “the play … wikang Filipino!”

The media persons were stunned; this was totally unexpected. It turned out that, in addition to “Every Brilliant Thing” in the original English, the play would be staged in Filipino translation by Guelan Luarca; Jamora also directs. Santos will play the mentally ill parent.

The Sandbox Collective kept this as a surprise, but later released a statement from Santos: “In my experience, the takeaways from shows are much more intense when the setup is an actor-to-live audience. You look at the eye of an actor and the message is shot through your heart. It’s exciting and overwhelming, but also heartwarming to realize that an actor can help perspectives or spark conversations about mental health.”Distinctly Filipino

It would be extremely interesting to see how this comedian par excellence will tackle the bravura role (“In every comic beats the heart of a Hamlet,” or words to that effect). During the launch, he was his usual self, dishing out a laugh a minute.

He joked with fellow actors and the media or, in answer to a question, would come out with a lengthy spiel and end it with a flourish: “In other words, no comment!”That brought the house down.

Is there something distinctly Filipino in the Filipino version, apart from the language?

“There will be,” said director Jamora. “It’s Guelan’s (Luarca) job. He has rhythm and a language that he’s using that is very accessible to the ‘now.’ Then when it gets to Jon, it will be up to us and the rest of the team to adapt the references to our context here, because that is Duncan Macmillan’s directive—to really adapt it to the here and now, to the actor, the storyteller in the middle.”

With the Filipino version, said De Venecia, “‘Every Brilliant Thing’ expands its reach and potential by giving Filipino audiences the opportunity to discuss mental health in a safe space and through their native language.”

—Contributed INQ

“Lungs” and “Every Brilliant Thing” will be staged back-to-back July 13 to July 15 at the Zobel de Ayala Recital Hall, Maybank Performing Arts Theater (9th Ave. and 26th St.), Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City. Show dates are: July 13, 7:30 p.m. (Jose and Atadero, Santos); July 14, 7:30 p.m., (Peña and Sy, Santos); July 15, 2:30 p.m. (Jose and Atadero, Santos); and July 15, 7:30 pm (Peña and Sy, Herrera). More show dates will be announced later. Call tel. 0917-1525560.