A 16-year-old transgender woman, Barbara, was trapped and killed repeatedly in a loop due to her preferred gender identity. Her mother forcefully brought her to Mang Gutay’s barbershop to get a haircut. Barbara firmly stood with her fight for people’s acceptance of her true self. A pivotal moment in the performance was showcased when her mother finally learned to accept her, realizing they were trapped in a loop—a situation reminiscent of her childhood, where she had similarly struggled to seek love and acceptance for her true self. This realization mirrors her daughter’s ongoing battle to be understood for who she truly is.

In a unique and interactive twist, anyone from the audience was invited to volunteer to get a haircut to save Barbara and break free from the loop. The outcome of the play depended on whether someone from the audience would step forward to help, or if no one volunteered, a member of the production team would do so instead.

Aside from Barbara’s story, the event also introduced 15-minute excerpts from two of BPeA’s upcoming thesis productions this month: “𝑪𝒂𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒂: 𝑰𝒔𝒂𝒏𝒈 𝑴𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍—”a Filipino adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet—and “𝑬𝒍 𝑴𝒂𝒉𝒖𝒔𝒂𝒚,” a Filipino version of Titus Andronicus. These excerpts offered audiences a preview of the department’s future creative endeavors, emphasizing its commitment to blending traditional and contemporary themes in Filipino theater.

Jobert Landeza, the Performing Arts Union Integrated for Culture Arts and Nature (PAUICAN) adviser and eventhead, expressed his gratitude for the support that the event received, starting from its opening to its last day of performance. He showed the importance of the event not only as a cultural showcase but also as an integral part of the department’s Income Generating Projects (IGPs). The funds raised will be directed towards acquiring essential technical equipment, crucial for the department’s future laboratory work and technical theater classes.

“This event is driven by our desire to generate income for our department. We aim to procure much-needed equipment for our Technical Theater class, as we currently lack the resources for proper technical setups. Imagination alone is not enough to create impactful productions,” Landeza stated.

The collaborative theatrical festival “𝑷𝒂𝒕𝒂𝒚𝒊𝒏 𝒔𝒂 𝑩𝒂𝒓𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒑 𝒔𝒊 𝑩𝒂𝒓𝒃𝒂𝒓𝒂,” anchored in the celebration of National Arts Month, premiered at the Pasale de BPeA 2025, was spearheaded by the BPeA department in partnership with the college-based student-led organization PAUICAN, and of BPeA students from first- to fourth-year, who served not only as performers but also as volunteer organizers at the Aquilino P. Bonto Building Amphitheater last February 18-20.