Raw and Evocative: 9 Works Theatrical Shifts to the Black Box for YEMAYA
‘Yemaya’ runs from June 13 to July 5, 2026, at the Black Box, Proscenium Theatre, Rockwell Center, Makati City.
Manila, Philippines—9 Works Theatrical kicks off its 2026 season with "Yemaya," a Filipino adaptation of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Quiara Alegría Hudes’s debut play, "Yemaya’s Belly" (2003). While Hudes is globally recognized for penning the book for "In the Heights," this production marks a deliberate artistic pivot for 9 Works Theatrical.
Moving away from the grand spectacles of its previous season at the Proscenium’s main stage, 9 Works Theatrical is embracing a raw, evocative approach, trading the expansive main house for the immersive, close-quarters experience of the Black Box.
Using magic realism as a device, directed by Ed Lacson Jr, with the Filipino translation by Eljay Castro Deldoc, “Yemaya” follows a boy’s coming-of-age odyssey across land and sea that, in this specific staging, aims to bridge the gap between Hudes’ Latin American roots and the shared maritime and archipelagic experiences of our local setting, The Philippines. Its previous stagings have been described as a “visceral exploration of myth, motherhood, and the tides of fate.”
“Yemaya” stars Bituin Escalante as Yemaya/Inay; Tommy Alejandrino and Benedix Ramos, sharing the role of Jesus/Mulo; Sheena Belarmino and Ness Roque sharing the role of Maya; Herbie Go as Tico; Sheenly Gener as Lila; Anthony Falcon as Jelin; and Wenah Nagales as Yemaya/Inay cover.
In its creative and production team, Lacson Jr. is also the set designer, alongside Wika Nadera as assistant set designer/art director; Teresa Barrozo, music and sound designer; JM Cabling, movement director; Ericson Navarro, costume and prop designer; Jethro Nibaten, lighting designer; Sheik Completado, technical director; Eliza Aurelio, hair and makeup designer; Mara Agleham and Pat Gascon, stage managers; Robbie Guevara and Mio Infante, artistic consultants; Santi Santamaria, managing director/executive producer; Anna Santamaria, operations and finance director; and Charyl Guzman, production manager.
An early version of “Yemaya’s Belly” was staged by the Miracle Theatre in Portland, Oregon, in 2004; it received its professional premiere at Portland Stage Company in Maine in 2005.
Photos: Lee Morale, 9 Works Theatrical
