An ongoing trend in local theater is adapting films into plays or musicals. There’s Bar Boys, About Us But Not About Us, Bagets, and more expected on the way. The latest movie to get the stage treatment is Jade Castro’s Endo, a 2007 Cinemalaya entry that highlights the struggles of contractual employees.
It may seem like an odd choice. Will the social commentary from two decades ago still be relevant today? And which actors will bring this story to life on stage? Watching the stage of adaptation answers both questions: yes, and Royce Cabrera and Jasmine Curtis-Smith.
Endo follows Leo, a young man from a struggling family who did not finish school, leaving him with no choice but to work as a contractual worker in various establishments. In one of his jobs, he meets Tanya, a high-spirited woman who opens his world to love and possibility. As their romance deepens, Leo yearns for a sense of fulfillment and security, yet he remains unprepared for the permanence that love demands.
It’s interesting how a film from close to two decades ago still feels relevant. On the one hand, it probably means the movie is timeless. But on the other hand, it’s alarming that the issues discussed in the film remain important today. Its themes of contractual labor, economic precarity, and the emotional toll of unstable employment continue to shape national discourse. Not much has changed in the past 20 years.
Photo: Shella Toledo
Still, Liza Magtoto, who adapted the film into the play, and Melvin Lee, who directs, updated the material to make it more current. While the film version’s Leo tries his hand at fastfood chains, groceries, and department stores, his counterpart in the play earns his keep as a delivery rider, among other gigs. Tanya, meanwhile, teaches English to Koreans and does online live selling.
Cabrera and Curtis-Smith are naturals in their roles. As Leo, Cabrera embodies the Filipino everyman working to support his family. There’s a frankness in his performance that becomes more pronounced in his vulnerable scenes. Curtis-Smith was a joy to watch on stage: there’s a lightness to her that’s genuine and unaffected. Her optimism is contagious and believable.
Photo: Shella Toledo
Cabrera and Curtis-Smith are supported by Iana Bernardez, Raphne Catorce, Noelle Polack, Raflesia Bravo, Denmark Brinces, Kirby Dunnzell, Ekis Gimenez, Carlon Matobato, Jacinta Pascual, Nikki Soriano, and Teetin Villanueva. Together, they perform a striking routine that turns the literal into the interpretive. For example, instead of just showing Cabrera and Curtis-Smith exchanging messages, the ensemble performs this act. The choreography, care of Christine Crame, makes the staging feel more alive and dynamic.
The stage is also worth noting: instead of a flat surface, D Cortezano created an unstable platform that shifts and swings in every direction. It can be nerve-racking to watch the actors navigate this uneven stage, but the intention is clear: it’s meant to mimic the unstable reality of gig workers. Some scenes also make the stage look like a weighing scale that measures one’s worth.
Photo: Jamin Lim
Overall, wonderful performances from the cast that highlight the reality of contractual work in the Philippines, balanced by artistic production decisions, make Endo a thoughtful and sobering watch.
Endo runs from April 10 to May 10, 2026, at the PETA Theater Center in Quezon City. Tickets are available via Ticket2Me, with the following prices: P2,700 (VIP and Balcony Center), P2,500 (Orchestra Center), P2,200 (Orchestra Sides), and P1,600 (Balcony Center and Sides).
Cabrera and Curtis-Smith alternate with Rissey Reyes-Robinson and Esteban Mara as Leo and Tanya. Bernardez alternates with Kate Alejandrino-Juan as Candy. Joining Magtoto, Lee, Crame, and Cortezano are Kabaitan Bautista as music director, composer, and sound designer; David Esguerra as lighting designer; John Carlo V. Pagunaling as costume designer; and Eric V. Dela Cruz as dramaturg.
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