Following a string of blockbuster hits, 9 Works Theatrical is stripping back the curtains and returning to the raw, evocative power of the stage. 9 Works proudly presents Yemaya, a Filipino translation of the acclaimed play Yemaya’s Belly by Pulitzer Prize winner Quiara Alegría Hudes.
Omar Padilla and Tiana Kaye Johnson in Yemaya’s Belly. | Photo: Cara Mia Theatre Co./Facebook
Written by the same visionary behind the Tony Award-winning In The Heights and translated by Eljay Castro Deldoc, Yemaya brings Hudes’ signature lyrical prose to this coming-of-age odyssey.
Leading the production in his highly anticipated directorial comeback is Ed Lacson Jr., one of the most celebrated names in Philippine theater design and direction.
Yemaya follows a young boy’s epic journey as he traverses lands and seas in search of his true place in the world. What begins as a wondering of “what if” turns into an adventure of “what could be” in this fantasy-filled tale of perseverance, hope, and the restless pull of the tides.
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Deldoc’s Filipino translation bridges the gap between Hudes’ vibrant Latin American roots and the shared archipelago experiences of the Philippines, bringing the story closer to the realities of Filipino audiences.
Yemaya arrives this June 2026 at The Black Box at The Proscenium Theater in Rockwell Makati. Tickets and full cast announcements will be released soon.
ALSO READ: This Filipino Ballet Traces the Journey of the Sea People to Their Homeland in Batanes
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