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A reimagined 'A portrait of the artist as Filipino' by Nick Joaquin to be staged this August

This August, the iconic Filipino stage classic "A Portrait of the Artist as Filipino" returns to the spotlight, not as a revival, but as a powerful reinvention. Entitled Quomodo Desolata Es? Isang Dalamhati, this fresh Filipino adaptation of Nick Joaquin's seminal 1955 play will be staged at the Hyundai Hall of Areté, Ateneo de Manila University. The adaptation and translation is helmed by acclaimed playwrights Jerry Respeto and Guelan Varela-Luarca, with Varela-Luarca also directing the production. The title, "Quomodo Desolata Es?" — or Latin for 'How desolate she has become?' — sets the tone for what the creators describe as a lamentation that flows between past and present, between literature and patriotism. The play reflects on cultural decay, generational duty, and the enduring struggle to preserve identity in a changing nation. Originally staged by the Barangay Theater Guild in 1955 at Aurora Gardens in Intramuros, "A Portrait of the Artist as Filipino" has long been celebrated for its introspective portrayal of two sisters caught in the crosscurrents of art, family, and society on the brink of war. This 2025 adaptation doesn't just seek to preserve Joaquin's intent, but to reinvigorate it with contemporary urgency, exploring questions of heritage, longing, and national grief through a more confrontational and poetic lens. "'Quomodo Desolata Es?' is a question of longing, uncertainty, and despair, answered through an elegy filled with dignity, conviction, and love for the nation and the art form," said the production team. The ensemble cast features some of the most respected and dynamic talents in Philippine theater today, including: Gab Pangilinan Delphine Buencamino Omar Uddin Brian Sy Vino Mabalot Maita Ponce Mika Regis Meyanne Plamenio-Cortezano Jason Sanchez Roldine Ebrada Jethro Tenorio Rafael Jimenez JJ Ignacio Chantei Cortez Performance Dates: August 8, 14, 15 – 7:30 PM August 9, 10, 16, 17 – 2:00 PM & 7:30 PM Venue: Hyundai Hall, Soledad V. Pangilinan Arts Wing, Areté, Ateneo de Manila University Ticket Prices: P1,499 (Premium) | P999 (Regular) Tickets available via