An Mga Voyador concluded its September 4–6 run at the Garden Glasshouse on Jimenez Street, Naga City, drawing hundreds of audience members, including devotees and local theatre supporters, to a Bikol story of faith, forgiveness, and second chances.
NAGA CITY, Philippines — Produced by Sangre de Naga Theatre Company and the Theatre Subsector of the Naga City Arts and Culture Coalition, Inc., the production brought the Peñafrancia tradition into a space where audiences could reflect on the people who carry it forward, their struggles, and their hopes for another chance.
Written by Gene Rey Francisco and directed by Jobert Grey Landeza, An Mga Voyador came home to Naga after its debut at Virgin Labfest Bikol in Legazpi City. The Naga run was produced by Sangre de Naga Theatre Company and the Theatre Subsector of the Naga City Arts and Culture Coalition, Inc.
Set on the eve of the post-pandemic fluvial procession, the play follows Pelipe and Artur as they prepare for pag-voya at Pay Wantik’s bodega. Their gathering brings questions of devotion, responsibility, and belonging into a setting familiar to many Nagueños.
The cast featured Mark Eduardo Cea, John Carlo Ocaya, Ronel Madrilejos, Gy Hallare, and John Nehemiah Lopez. Beyond the performance, the production pledged a portion of its proceeds to rehabilitation programs for Persons Deprived of Liberty in Naga City, extending its message of second chances into community support.
Among the moments that stayed with us was a line from Pay (a character in the play),
“An simbahan bako man sana para sa mga banal, ini man para sa mga taong arog ’ta na nagsulsol nin mga kasalan, na naghahagad nin tabang para mag-bago.”
When translated in the english laguage, “The church is not only for the holy. It is also for people like us, who repent of our sins and ask for help to change.”
Delivered within a story rooted in Naga’s Peñafrancia devotion, the line carried a simple but difficult question: how willing are we to welcome people who are trying to begin again? It brought the play’s themes close to everyday life, where compassion is measured in how we treat others.
During the closing talkback, Director Jobert Grey Landeza discussed improvisational acting workshops and how these helped shape the actors’ performances. which made every perforrmance unique. The conversation offered a glimpse into the creative process, where individual choices and responses to fellow actors give each performance its own character.
With its warmly received Naga run, An Mga Voyador demonstrated the value of giving Bikol stories more opportunities to meet their audiences. We left the Garden Glasshouse celebrating the artists behind the production, with Pay’s words still giving us something to think about on the way home.
The successful run showed why Bikol plays deserve a life beyond festivals. Bringing these works to local stages gives more people the chance to see their language, traditions, and experiences reflected in theatre.
Pay’s words still in mind: people trying to change need a place to begin and a community willing to welcome them.
