Photographed by Kyle Venturillo. Courtesy of The Sandbox Collective
This November, The Sandbox Collective premieres ‘Tiny Beautiful Things: A Play About Life – In Letters’ at Circuit Makati.
The Sandbox Collective is closing its 10th anniversary season with the Philippine premiere of Tiny Beautiful Things: A Play About Life – In Letters. Running until December 8, 2024, the production takes the stage at the Power Mac Center Spotlight Black Box Theater in Circuit Makati.
Based on Cheryl Strayed’s book, Tiny Beautiful Things is both fiction and nonfiction as it brings to life Strayed’s experience as an anonymous advice columnist known only as “Sugar.” Adapted for the stage by Nia Vardalos, with contributions from Marshall Heyman and Thomas Kail, the play presents an intimate portrait of vulnerability, resilience, and connection.
Director Jenny Jamora, a Gawad Buhay awardee, draws audiences into Sugar’s world with a set design that is both evocative and grounded. “The physical space of Sugar’s apartment evolves as the characters’ emotional bonds deepen,” Jamora explains. “By the end, it reflects the community they’ve built together, even in their anonymity.”
Toff De Venecia leads the production team as managing artistic director, with support from an artistic team that includes Kayla Teodoro for set design, Kiefer Sison for lighting and technical direction, Arvy Dimaculangan for sound design, and Krystal Kane for costume styling. Marcel David joins as assistant director, while JV Rabano serves as the production’s photographer.
Taking on the role of Sugar is award-winning actress Iza Calzado, who will guide audiences through letters of anonymous seekers of advice. These letter writers, portrayed by Rody Vera, Gabby Padilla, and Ketchup Eusebio, represent a wide range of human experiences, offering stories that range from deeply personal struggles to moments of quiet triumphs. Gawad Buhay awardees Regina De Vera and Brian Sy round out the cast, with Sy performing as a swing and letter writer in select shows.
Despite their anonymity, the characters’ stories are profoundly relatable, touching on universal themes of love, loss, longing, and hope. “The letter writers may not have names, but their humanity is unmistakable,” Calzado shares.
Tiny Beautiful Things will run Fridays at 8 PM, with two shows on Saturdays and Sundays at 2:30 PM and 7:30 PM. Tickets are available through Ticket2Me.
- Rewriting Her Stars: AC Bonifacio on Shifting Through Different Artistic Mediums as a Performer
- Every Brilliant Thing About The Sandbox Collective’s Double Header
- Tony Award Winner Clint Ramos On Finding His Way In The Theater World
- “It’s Nerve-Wracking For Me:” Piolo Pascual To Make His Musical Theater Debut In Ibarra
