CRITICALLY acclaimed film “About Us But Not About Us” will make a comeback next year—this time, not on the screen but on the theater stage.
The IdeaFirst Company announced on Facebook that actors Romnick Sarmenta and Elijah Canlas will reprise their roles as Eric and Lancelot, respectively, in the upcoming stage adaptation of the film in 2026.
They will be joined by Epy Quizon, who will give life to the character of Marcus, Eric’s former husband.
The stage will be based on the 2022 psychological drama of the same film helmed and written by award-winning director Jun Robles Lana, which follows the conversation between Eric, a gay university professor, and his troubled student, Lancelot. The conversation later delves into secrets surrounding the death of Marcus, who committed suicide.
In a video posted by the IdeaFirst Company, Sarmenta shared that he immediately expressed his eagerness to reprise his role as Eric the first time he heard from Lana that “About Us But Not About Us” would have a stage adaptation.
“Ang una ko talagang sinabi ay kasama ako diyan,” the veteran actor said.
He described his character Eric as “so much like all of us,” who is “caring” and “loving.”
“Sometimes, that’s also the danger when you don’t know how to differentiate care for love,” Sarmenta said.
Meanwhile, Canlas described Lancelot as a “dreamer” but is “weighed down by his emotional and psychological baggage and trauma.”
“In the story, when he gets entangled in a controversy with his professors, Eric and Marcus, he has to redraw a new path to move on from this and find a way to survive this controversy,” the Gen Z actor said.
Quizon, as the new actor in the story, said Marcus is a writer and artist “who bears a lot of pain from a betrayal that rocked his world.”
“He’s the ghost that haunts Eric and Lancelot,” he added.
The clip also showcased the behind-the-scenes of their photoshoot for the “About Us But Not About Us” stage play.
Further details about the upcoming stage play, including its opening night and ticketing details, have yet to be announced.
‘The story continues’
In an Instagram post, Lana also expressed his excitement about his 2022 film’s stage adaptation, saying that more surprises will be revealed soon.
“The story continues. This time, on stages,” said the filmmaker.
“This project is deeply personal. Adapting this film meant writing my first play in decades, and it sent me back to my earliest days as a writer, reminding me of how theater has always been so kind to me,” the filmmaker shared.
Lana recalled the time when he won a national playwriting contest at 18, allowing him to represent the Philippines in a young playwrights convention in Australia. He also mentioned how the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) became his home as its resident playwright during his early 20s.
“For years, I’ve carried a quiet guilt for leaving the stage, but film is a demanding world. I honestly wasn’t sure it would ever happen,” Lana said.
“But the universe conspired. I’m back to where it all began, and I couldn’t be happier,” he added.
Lana ended his post telling theater fans that he could not wait for them to witness his film’s stage play.
The 2022 movie dominated the first Summer Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) Gabi ng Parangal in 2023, winning 10 awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor for Sarmenta, Special Jury Prize for Canlas, Best Screenplay, and Best Cinematography.
