Generation

FEU Theater Guild serves ‘Karne’ to mark 91st season

by Joanna Deala

PUBLISHED ON September 11, 2025

IF you are craving for something “meaty” (not food, but a stage production), then you must not miss the 91st season of the Far Eastern University Theater Guild (FTG).

To celebrate its 2025 theater season, the FTG is serving theater enthusiasts with “Karne,” a bold, interactive dark comedy written and directed by Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) Senior Artist Teacher and FTG’s Artistic Director Dudz Teraña.

The university-wide theater organization’s latest offering is a reimagining of the 1953 short story “Lamb to the Slaughter,” written by the renowned British author Roald Dahl. The short story follows a married couple, Mary and Patrick, who ended up at a crime scene one night, with the former being the murderer and the latter being the victim.

Teraña added a Filipino flavor in “Karne,” centering the plot on a 1980s Filipino couple, Mary and Police Captain Patrick Patrosa, who live in Lutoban, Zamboanguita, Negros Oriental.

Mary and Patrick are described as a “seemingly ordinary couple” who navigate the everyday challenges of married life. However, there’s more to them than meets the eye.

“What begins as a quiet evening soon unravels into a chaotic yet poignant reflection on intimacy, expectations, and the fragile ties that hold both relationships and communities together, as a simple dinner spirals into deeper personal and collective struggles that affect the entire barangay of Lutoban,” the synopsis read.

The FTG said “Karne” is “part comedy, part mystery, [and] part love letter to the mundane rhythms of rural life.” The production makes the Filipino flavor more savory by incorporating Bisaya, Tagalog, and English, which will take viewers to “a living, breathing household.”

“This play holds up a mirror to the lived realities of an individual, grounding itself in raw humanness,” said Teraña.

“It offers a more layered and flavorful approach to staging—bold in form, grounded in truth, and unapologetically relevant. ‘Karne’ is not just something to look forward to; it’s an experience that lingers,” the director continued.

The theater organization has released the official trailer for “Karne,” featuring its cast members talking about Mary and Patrick. The clip appeared to hint at their relationship by showing how Mary’s emotions changed from fondly recalling their love story to shedding a tear at the end.

Meet the cast

In “Karne,” Mary is portrayed by Maria Mayano, with Julia Nicole Ramas and Janae Dionisio alternating the role.

Meanwhile, RB Pascua, Aaron Bayani, and Arvin Javier alternate for Patrick’s role.

Joining the pair are their close friends: Dante, portrayed by Jonas Cunanan, Renz Dotillos, and Jharelle Villalobos; Ellen, portrayed by Dianne Andallo and Maira Ysabel Delos Reyes; Maloi, portrayed by Bjorn Pestaño, Margarita Barrameda, and Shiela Peralta.

The production features Arvin Javier and Shawn Tarala as Police Lieutenant Elnar, Kristian Samson and Justin Abalos as Patrolman Enopia, and Dave Bambang and Kirstan Orbegoso as Patrolman Credo, who are all Patrick’s colleagues and will bring both tension and humor to the story.

Also part of the cast are Cassandra Herilla, Irish Oliveros, and Trisha Tan as Mrs. Poblacion, Lorenze Moral, Nash Desonyo, and Heleina Li as Estong/Estang, and Julian Anabo and Migi Mesina as Samuel.