'Choosing' to feel

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They didn't have to say more. Before Ice Seguerra and The Sunday Times Magazine columnist Liza Diño-Seguerra addressed the media about the return of their intimate two-person play, "Choosing," the real-life couple performed selected excerpts from the production—three sequences so raw, sincere, and deeply affecting, they said everything.

With their esteemed director, Dr. Anton Juan, during ‘Choosing’s’ original run in 2024.

Set for a limited run from June 6 to 15 at the Doreen Black Box Theater in Areté, Ateneo de Manila University, "Choosing" is back after an emotional and much-discussed debut last year. Timed for Pride Month, the return is both a celebration of queer stories and a gesture of solidarity — a chance to re-engage with a piece that refuses to shy away from hard truths.

Liza and Ice are, of course, among the most visible and widely accepted same-sex couples in the Philippines. It is a position they acknowledge as a privilege, and it is precisely that visibility which fuels the pair's urgency to tell stories that reflect the realities of those who are less protected and less heard.

Penned by Liza and shaped by the couple's lived experiences, "Choosing" explores the journey of Stella, a cisgender woman, and Mitch, a transgender man, as they confront the deepest parts of themselves and each other. "This was a way for us to process our experiences — our own journey as a couple—but also to give voice to others who may be going through the same thing," Liza said at this week's sneak peek and media conference.

Choosing’ explores the journey of Mitch — a transgender man (Ice Seguerra) — and Stella — a cisgender woman (Liza Dino) — as they confront the deepest parts of themselves and each other. PHOTOS COURTESY OF FIRE AND ICE

Echoing her sentiment, Ice added, "We're lucky. But not everyone in the LGBTQIA+ community gets to live openly or be understood. Choosing is for them — and for anyone who's ever had to fight to be seen."

From delving into childhood trauma and questions of gender to sexual abuse, emotional labor, and the long process of forgiveness, "Choosing" doesn't hold back.

"It's not just a love story," Ice continued. "It's about choosing to be whole. Choosing to stay. Choosing joy — after everything."

The stripped-down production — directed by internationally noted theater artist Dr. Anton Juan and scored by Vincent de Jesus — is likewise raw by design. With no elaborate distractions, the focus rests entirely on the words of Stella and Mitch, the silences between them and their emotional honesty.

Juan, who has long been known for works that challenge cultural norms, called "Choosing" a "theatrical act of truth-telling." He added, "We are watching not just a play but two human beings undress their souls. It is not comfort they are offering — it is courage."

And yet, what makes "Choosing" truly resonate is how it transcends its specific context. While undeniably rooted in LGBTQ+ experience, the play isn't only for queer audiences.

"It's about all relationships," Liza rightly declares. "It's about how we survive each other and how we choose to stay connected even as we change."

This new staging includes updated monologues, subtle refinements in design, and even one of Ice's monologues turned into a poignant song, but its emotional core remains untouched.

"Some of the most moving messages we received [from the first run] came from straight couples," Ice shared. "They saw themselves in the story. Because the truth is, we all go through these struggles, whatever our orientation. Everyone has had to choose."

Widely acclaimed by both critics and audiences on its original staging, the play was nominated at last year's Philstage Gawad Buhay Awards, with Liza cited for Best Original Script and Ice for Male Lead Performance in a Play. These recognitions clearly underscore the work's impact not just within LGBTQ+ spaces but across the larger theater community.

And so, by returning during Pride Month, "Choosing" also invites those outside the LGBTQ+ community — theater enthusiasts, co-workers, friends and families — to understand a little more and feel a little deeper. It opens a door not only to representation but to empath — an artistic and heartfelt education in what it means to live with difference and still long to be loved the same.

"We always say, this isn't polished theater," Ice said. "This is us. And it's real."

Whether you missed its debut or want to experience it all over again, "Choosing" offers a space where difficult truths are spoken, and healing — quietly and courageously — begins.

***

"Choosing (A Stage Play)" returns for a limited run from June 6 to 15 at the Doreen Black Box Theater in Areté, Ateneo de Manila University. Produced by the couple's Fire and Ice LIVE!, the production will have evening shows on Fridays and Saturdays at 7 p.m., with matinees on Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. For tickets, call 0917-7003262 or email [email protected].