Mula Sa Kulimliman Is Coming to Gonzaga Theater This March 2026

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There are plays that entertain. There are plays that disturb. And then there are plays that hold up a mirror so close to your face that you cannot look away.

This March 2026, Mula Sa Kulimliman returns to the stage under the banner of Ateneo Fine Arts, bringing Carlo Vergara’s gripping text back into the dark where it belongs.

If you have been following the local theater scene, you already know that Carlo Vergara is not afraid of complicated women, moral tension, and stories that sit in uncomfortable spaces. Best known for creating Zsazsa Zaturnnah, Vergara once again proves his range with a work that leans into psychological weight rather than spectacle.

What Is Mula Sa Kulimliman About

Mula Sa Kulimliman translates to “From the Darkness,” and that is exactly where this story lives.

The material explores the emotional and moral fractures within a domestic space. It examines power, violence, repression, and the unsettling intimacy between victimhood and survival. The tone is sharp but grounded. The tension is not loud. It simmers.

The promotional visuals alone signal this duality. On one hand, bright yellows and oranges suggest satire or even comedy. On the other, the distressed typography and almost horror-inspired lettering tell you something is off. That dissonance feels intentional.

This is not comfortable theater. It is deliberate theater.

The Creative Team Behind the Production

This 2026 staging is directed by Cholo Ledesma, with a strong collaborative team composed of young but promising designers and artists from Ateneo’s Fine Arts program.

  • Carlo Vergara – Playwright

  • Cholo Ledesma – Director

  • Julia Macuja – Set Designer

  • Gwyn Zenarosa – Costume Designer

  • EJ Ramos – Lighting Designer

  • Uriel Tubayan – Sound Designer

  • Dani Pamposa – Graphic Designer

  • Jules Ballaran – Photographer

The production is mounted by Ateneo Fine Arts under the advisement of Missy Maramara, PhD, signaling both academic grounding and artistic ambition.

It is always exciting to watch student-led productions take on material with this level of emotional density. There is a certain fearlessness that comes with youth, and this material demands exactly that.

Show Dates and Schedule

Mula Sa Kulimliman will run at Gonzaga Theater on the following dates:

March 14, 2026 Saturday
2:00 PM
7:30 PM

March 15, 2026 Sunday
2:00 PM

March 21, 2026 Saturday
2:00 PM
7:30 PM

March 22, 2026 Sunday
4:30 PM
7:30 PM

Eight shows in total. A full weekend run across two consecutive weeks. That kind of scheduling suggests confidence in the material.

Ticket Prices and Categories

Ticketing is refreshingly accessible, especially for students:

  • LS Ateneo de Manila University Undergraduate Scholars – ₱300

  • Students of all levels and ADMU community – ₱350

  • General Audience – ₱500

You can secure tickets via:
bit.ly/msk2026tickets

For a university production tackling mature themes, these prices make the work reachable to a wide demographic, including non-Ateneo audiences who are simply looking for strong contemporary Filipino theater.

Why This Production Matters

University theater spaces like Gonzaga Theater have historically been incubators for artists who later shape the broader Philippine theater landscape. Productions like this are not just school exercises. They are testing grounds.

Staging a work by Carlo Vergara in 2026 feels timely. Conversations about domestic dynamics, emotional manipulation, and structural power continue to evolve in Philippine discourse. Theater becomes one of the safest spaces to confront them directly.

The visual branding of this run is particularly striking. The bright gradients, the almost comic-book sensibility in the typography, and the expressive character portraits create a visual tension that mirrors the thematic tension of the play itself. It feels playful until you look closer. Then it feels dangerous.

That contrast alone makes this production worth paying attention to.

Should You Watch It

If you are:

  • A student of theater or Fine Arts

  • A follower of Carlo Vergara’s body of work

  • Someone interested in contemporary Filipino plays

  • Or simply looking for a March cultural activity beyond concerts and mall events

Then yes.

Mula Sa Kulimliman promises psychological depth wrapped in deceptively vibrant aesthetics. It is not mainstream commercial theater. It is intimate, likely intense, and rooted in character study.

And sometimes, the most important stories are the ones that begin in the dark.

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