These are the top 3 performances to look out for in the lineup at PETA’s Control + Shift: Changing Narratives Festival 2025.  

Words Patricia Lanzagarita
Photos courtesy of PETA
February 3, 2025

The Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) is ushering in the new year with renewed courage to explore and redefine narratives. Aiming to reimagine Filipino stories on the theater stage, PETA presents an exciting and fresh lineup of works in the Control + Shift: Changing Narratives Festival 2025.  

With this, we’ve curated a list to guide you on which performances to watch at this extraordinary festival.  

Kumprontasyon 

Melvin Lee’s Kumprontasyon serves as the centerpiece of the festival. The production delves into unresolved historical and political events through three powerful one-act plays: Lakambini by Allan Palileo, The Impossible Dream by Guelan Luarca, and A Color for Tomorrow by Joshua Lim So.  

Described as a “theatrical masterpiece” by critics, Kumprontasyon will take audiences on a journey through the past while delivering thought-provoking and impactful messages.  

Kumprontasyon will be shown at the PETA-Phinma Theater from February 6 to 9.  

Twin Bill 

Twin Bill will juxtapose past and present through two revisited plays from Control + Shift 2024. First is Kislap at Fuego by Dominique La Victoria, a romantic and captivating love story set during the Philippine Revolution.  

Shifting to the present, the second piece, Children of the Algo by Mixkaela Villalon, explores the complexities of a technology-obsessed generation in the digital age.  

Twin Bill will be shown from February 14 to 15.  

Control + Shift + SPIT: An Improvised Show 

A one-night-only performance that’s sure to add a dash of humor to the festival is Control + Shift + SPIT: An Improvised Show. Featuring Manila’s most sought-after improv group, the Silly People’s Improv Theater (SPIT), this show will bring plenty of laughter on February 16.  

In addition to these three must-see shows, the festival will also showcase eight new studio theater performances running from February 7 to 16, 2025.  

This year’s festival highlights a variety of art forms, including puppetry, movement, interactivity, and digital theater, reimagining works that traverse through the past, present, and future.