Guang Ming Theatre Ensemble Stages SHE at Pasinaya Festival 2026
News Bulletin No. 15
By: Ralph Jade Tampal
Manila, Philippines – Guang Ming Theatre Ensemble (GMTE), the official theatre arts company of Guang Ming College (GMC), staged a powerful performance of “SHE” at the 2026 Pasinaya: Open House Festival 2026 on Sunday, February 8, at the Manuel L. Quezon Hall of the National Museum of Fine Arts.
Written by Bachelor of Performing Arts in Theatre graduating student, Maxine Godito, and directed by Jewelaine Jade Cereno, SHE is an original full-length play that also serves as the creators’ thesis capstone project. The production was presented as part of the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ (CCP) annual Pasinaya Festival, the country’s largest multi-arts celebration held in February in line with National Arts Month. This year’s festival carried the theme “Paglikha sa Kinabukasan” (Creating the Future).
GMTE’s participation highlights its commitment to socially engaged and youth-led theatre. The ensemble is currently under the artistic direction of Assistant Professor Ralph Jade Tampal, who continues to advocate for theatre as a space for dialogue, empathy, and cultural reflection.
SHE follows an intimate conversation between sisters Francine, a transwoman, and Lorraine, her cisgender sibling. What begins as a casual evening of deep talk and laughter slowly unfolds into a confrontation of buried wounds, differing views on womanhood, and unresolved questions of acceptance. The revelation of a long-hidden letter from their mother – expressing love entwined with transphobia – forces the sisters to confront silence, fear, and emotional distance within their family.
The roles of Francine and Lorraine were portrayed by first – year BPA Theatre students Vincent Brylle Mendoza and Andrea Paula De Jesus. Despite their early stage in formal training, both actors delivered emotionally grounded performances that resonated strongly with the audience.
Reflecting on the creative process and the deeper intention behind the production, director Jewelaine Jade Cereno shared:
“As the director of SHE, I see it as alive – not about polish, but holding space for stories often ignored. Through honesty and vulnerability, I asked myself and the cast to listen deeply and carry those truths with care.
For me, SHE is resistance: transwomen making their voices heard. I directed it with gentleness, showing strength in quiet spaces.
At Pasinaya, watching SHE step out of the rehearsal room and become a shared moment, a reflection, a voice, was everything.”
Held at the National Museum of Fine Arts, GMTE’s staging of SHE contributed meaningfully to Pasinaya 2026, reaffirming the festival’s mission to showcase diverse artistic voices and narratives that imagine a more inclusive cultural future.