Based on the critically-acclaimed English play, the gripping stage production is a Filipino translation by award-winning playwright Guelan Varela-Luarca.
This August 2025, Kaliwaan, a Filipino translation of Harold Pinter’s modern classic Betrayal, comes to life on the Philippine stage in a new production by Stages Production Specialists, Inc., co-presented by MusicArtes, Inc. Translated by award-winning playwright Guelan Varela-Luarca and directed by internationally-acclaimed director Loy Arcenas, Kaliwaan explores the quiet devastation of relationships fractured by longing, silence, and memory.
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About Kaliwaan
Told in reverse chronological order, the play traces the emotional fallout of a seven-year affair between a woman named Emma and her lover Jerry—the best friend of her husband, Robert. As the story rewinds, audiences are pulled deeper into a world where trust fades, love is negotiated, and desire comes at a cost.
The play asks: what truths do we hide to keep the love we think we deserve?
Starring three of Philippine theater’s finest actors—Missy Maramara as Emma, Ron Capinding as Robert, and Nor Domingo as Jerry—Kaliwaan presents a portrait of intimacy and betrayal that’s as quiet as it is brutal. Under the direction of Loy Arcenas, the production unfolds with emotional restraint and surgical precision, placing the focus squarely on the cost of connection and the fragility of trust.
The Team Behind Kaliwaan
Joining Arcenas in bringing this vision to life is a formidable artistic team: Giancarlo Abrahan as Dramaturg, Charles Yee as Set Designer, Ninya Bedruz as Lighting Designer, Arvy Dimaculangan as Sound Designer, Tata Tuviera as Costume Designer, Jenny Jamora as Intimacy Director, and Zoë de Ocampo as Graphic Designer.
Kaliwaan runs for two weekends only, from August 22 to 31, 2025, at The Mirror Theater Studio, SJG Building, 8463 Kalayaan Avenue, Makati.
The production will have 10 performances, with only evening shows on Fridays, and both matinee and evening shows on Saturdays and Sundays. The show runs approximately 90 minutes without intermission.
For more details and to purchase tickets, visit bit.ly/KaliwaanMNL2025. Stay updated by following the official Facebook platforms of Stages Production Specialists, Inc., MusicArtes, Inc., and Mirror Studio Theater; as well as the production’s Instagram and TikTok.
Photos courtesy of Kaliwaan.
