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In Bicol University, theater becomes ‘a haven where both artists and audiences can freely express their views’ on the extrajudicial killings under Duterte’s drug war
ALBAY, Philippines – From jubilant games to brutal reality, El Mahusay, a Bicol adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus, shattered into a harrowing portrayal of the Philippines’ extrajudicial killings (EJK).
Set against the backdrop of former President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war, Bicol University (BU) performing arts students compelled audiences to confront the victims’ devastating flashbacks.
Under the immaculate white set, a bloody truth unfolds — political games, masked as entertainment, reveal society’s hidden wounds. The stage bled crimson, a visceral reminder that Duterte’s impunity was not a distant memory but a present horror, one that social media propaganda sought to bury after Duterte’s arrest.
At the heart of these disturbing scenes stood El Mahusay, or Tatay D, the game master who pulled the bell’s strings. Their echoes, a chilling testament to the lingering horror, resonated long after the curtain fell.
Nicole de Leon Bermas, an English language student from BU, described it as an eye-opener for social issues that the youth should talk about. She said the play’s unfolding took her by surprise; where she learned so much about EJKs and other related issues.
“Throughout the event, the plot was a roller-coaster of emotions. At first, we saw a lot of funny scenes, but as time went on, it became bloody. The cast fit their roles perfectly because they delivered their lines so well, and I deeply felt the emotions they portrayed,” Bermas shared.
From the jubilant games and dances, the audiences were led to an unexpected confrontation of social issues. All photos by Zachary Oliver Gonzales Reclaiming narratives
Tiffany Sophia Dorothea, El Mahusay‘s playwright, revealed the play’s Brechtian approach intentionally omitted EJKs from the teaser, resulting in an unexpected and jarring confrontation for the audience.
“It wasn’t expected that the play would be about the war on drugs since we started with a ‘happy happy’ vibe, like in a game showt,” Dorothea said.
“Then, as it went on, people were being killed after each game. It was chaotic and bloody because we were also adapting the themes of the original Titus Andronicus, but in our version, we made Titus, who is El Mahusay, the antagonist.”
The cast of ‘El Mahusay’ gives life to the gruesome experiences of the victims of extrajudicial killings under the Duterte administration. In addition to the discussions on EJKS, the play also challenged the over-objectification of women in Shakespeare’s play, similar to how the former president also heavily normalized misogyny. According to them, giving women characters more power honors the mothers, widows, and all women victims of injustices in the bloody war on drugs.
“We also gave more power to the women in the story, because in Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus, we know that women were often objectified in that time. So, we utilized changing narratives and deconstructing them in our adaptation,” Dorothea explained.
‘El Mahusay’ female actors take center stage as the show explores the disturbing injustices experienced by women during the Duterte administration. Call for justice
As justice remains elusive for the EJK victims and their families, theater artists and playwrights are demanding justice for the victims of extrajudicial killings and for every woman violated and abused under the Duterte regime.
Performing arts professor and theater director Jobert Grey Landeza said that part of this call for justice is the theater’s role in humanizing the statistics we encounter in news reports about drug war victims.
He said that by witnessing the abhorrent nature of these killings in a theatrical setting, audiences are less likely to replicate them in reality and are compelled to unite against the normalization of such violence in our society.
Landeza added, “On stage, these figures become living, breathing individuals with aspirations and a struggle for survival. It’s imperative to depict how these dreams are extinguished by perpetrators driven by quotas in the so-called ‘war on drugs.’”
The play’s ending served as a disturbing reminder of the relentless pursuit of justice for victims of extrajudicial killings and human rights abuses in the Philippines. For Landeza , the theater holds vital significance as a cultural platform that can be used to make people understand the state of a community or the nation itself, making theater a crucial destination for those who want to see the reflections of society.
“It provides a haven where both artists and audiences can freely express their views on how to address society’s wounds and afflictions,” he said.
In response to the disinformation tactics that continue to mislead the people about the bloody war on drugs, Dorothea said they will continue to write for the truth and the people.
“As long as the blood of the poor and innocent continues to flow, it only proves that we have not yet attained true safety and freedom and that justice is reserved only for those in power. We, the artists of the people, will tirelessly create and tell the truth,” Dorothea said.
Under Duterte’s war on drugs, nearly 30,000 people became victims of extrajudicial killings. The Human Rights Watch reported that most of these victims were from urban poor communities. – Rappler.com
