Former sexy actor, writer, and now theater director Dante Balboa is challenging convention with Walong Libong Piso, a bold, one-character stage play featuring four different actors, each offering their take on the same emotionally charged role.
Set to premiere this August at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), the psychological drama explores themes of trust, sexuality, and mental health through the lens of a troubled sexy actor.
It’s a deeply personal script that Balboa says is “50 percent fiction, 50 percent true story.”
“The main character talks to someone over the phone, whom you never see, so technically it’s a one-character narrative,” Balboa said. “But it’s filled with metaphor and layers. It’s erotic, psychological, and rooted in real emotion.”
Leading the cast is screen actor Paolo Gumabao, who makes his theatrical debut with this project. Performing solo for 90 minutes, Paolo says the biggest challenge is keeping the audience engaged without any scene partner or pause.
“Kailangan kong ibigay lahat. Every emotion, every nuance, kailangan lumabas,” Gumabao said.
“This isn’t like a movie where you can do a second take. Here, every scene, every movement has to be complete and real.”
Sharing the stage on alternating schedules is indie actor Drei Arias, a theater graduate who brings a different energy to the same role.
For Arias, the stage feels like home, and the excitement lies in reimagining the character through his lens.
“The stage feels more like home to me. But the challenge for us is how we can bring our approach to the character,” Arias said.
“Paolo is different, I’m different, and so are Juan Paolo Calma and John Mark Marcia,” he added, referring to the other actors alternating in the role. “We all have the same script, but our stories must be different.”
Balboa, a veteran of more than 20 stage productions, said casting four actors was both a practical and artistic choice.
With plans to tour the production in Cebu, Davao, and other provinces, having rotating actors allows flexibility and offers audiences multiple interpretations of the same story.
He also emphasized that the play should be seen first as a work of art, not merely for its message.
“People always ask, ‘What’s the lesson here?’ But more than the lesson, it’s the uniqueness of the art that matters,” Balboa said.
“This is my most daring work, and I’m proud these actors are brave enough to take it on.”
Walong Libong Piso runs from Aug. 22 to 24 at the CCP’s Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez (Black Box Theater).
It is produced by BenTria Productions, with Balboa directing from his script.
