Pinocchio brings live theater to the mall as artists fight for access and audiences

‘Pinocchio’ cast members push for wider theater access as productions struggle to attract audiences beyond Metro Manila.

Once upon a time, a wooden boy dreamed of becoming real. But in the world of Philippine theater, another kind of transformation happens every night: young performers stepping onto the stage, hoping an audience will stay long enough to see them.

For Ephesus Teatron Group Inc., ‘Pinocchio: The Musical’ is more than a children’s production. Running from October 9 to 11 at Ayala Malls Feliz in Pasig City, the show brings an Italian village into a shopping mall, putting live theater where people already are instead of waiting for them to find it.

Yet behind the colorful sets and familiar fairy tale story is a harder reality: theater is fighting for attention, audiences and opportunities in an industry where having the right name can sometimes matter as much as having the right talent.

Brie Mosquito leads the cast as Pinocchio, alongside Red Nuestro as Geppetto, Sheila Gamo as Angelina, Bhen Espina as Antonio and Nazer Salcedo as the coachman. Dusty Suarez takes on multiple roles as the coachman, Geppetto and one of the town’s people.

The cast also includes Althea Ruedas, Sofia Gabrielle Magno, Jay Paulo Danganan, Paulo Esteva, Ed Vincent Bonoan, Vinz Cantillo, Sofia Yzabel Mallares, Erika Mae Salas and Joahnah Marie Sevilla.

When talent still struggles to sell

For independent productions, filling seats can be as difficult as filling roles. Sweet Samaniego Buchanan, who plays the Blue Fairy and directs ‘Pinocchio,’ said the growing number of productions has made the competition for audiences increasingly difficult.

‘It’s just a struggle sometimes because there are a lot of theater plays now, striving na ang teatro and ang hirap makabenta kapag walang sikat na pangalan ang production,’ she said.

Buchanan also questioned a system where recognition and connections can determine who gets an audience. ‘Ang daming bumibili ng tickets dahil may pangalan ito, anak ito ni ganyan,’ she said.

For artists trying to build careers from the ground up, that reality can make theater feel less like a meritocracy and more like a closed door. Buchanan, who wants the production to highlight performers discovered through auditions, sees the problem firsthand.

‘Ang dami talagang starving artist sa atin,’ she said. But the same industry that makes it difficult for emerging artists to be noticed is also changing the way they can make themselves heard.

Buchanan said she is grateful that Gen Z performers are part of the production, particularly because social media has transformed how theater companies reach potential audiences.

‘I’m very thankful na may Gen Z kaming kasama sa play kasi they really help us spread the word to everyone. Thankful na may social media na,’ she said.

She remembers when promoting a production meant physically searching for an audience.

‘Noong panahon namin before sa Repertory, we had to roam around just to inform everyone that we’re having this play, para lang may manood. Kailangan namin suyurin bawat lugar near the theater,’ Buchanan recalled. ‘But now, just post it on social media and everybody already knows that we’re onstage.’

The internet may have made theater promotion easier, but it has not solved the bigger question of sustainability: How does an industry survive when audiences have countless things competing for their attention?

Beyond Metro Manila

The problem becomes even bigger when the question shifts from who gets seen to who gets to watch.

Jay Paulo Danganan, who plays Signore Volpone, believes theater should not be treated as something reserved for audiences who happen to live near major cultural centers. ‘We want theater to be more integrated,’ Danganan said.

He pointed to the advantage audiences in the National Capital Region already have. ‘Very thankful ang NCR kasi very accessible ang mga theater but what about sa mga nasa provinces? People who do not have television o internet, wala silang kaalam-alam that theater arts exist.’

That imbalance exists within a broader Philippine arts economy. PSA data recorded 4,482 formal establishments under arts, entertainment and recreation in 2024. CALABARZON accounted for 720, Davao Region for 659, and NCR for 569. These figures encompass the wider sector and are not theater-only counts, but they still show how cultural activity is distributed across regions.

The economic gap is more striking. NCR generated ₱260.49 billion, or 72% of the sector’s ₱361.86 billion in revenue in 2024, and accounted for nearly 40% of its employment. For theater, accessibility is therefore not simply about the existence of a stage. It is about whether people can encounter one without having to travel far, pay beyond their means, or already belong to a community that knows where performances happen.

That is the gamble behind ‘Pinocchio’ at Ayala Malls Feliz. Instead of placing the production behind the walls of a traditional theater, Ephesus is putting live performance in the middle of an ordinary mall experience. Shoppers can watch from the upper balconies or buy tickets to sit within the performance area.

Buchanan said the response is already visible. ‘I hope this is the start of expanding the availability of theater plays now that ‘Pinocchio’ will run here at Ayala Malls Feliz. Ngayon pa lang while we’re here, ang daming napapatigil. What more kapag ongoing na ang play? So yes, it’s nice to bring theater to the people.’

For Ruedas, who plays Candlewick and Gino, access matters from the perspective of an emerging performer. ‘Bago pa lang po ako sa theater kaya I really hope na mas dumami pa po ang platform for it, especially sa generation namin,’ she said.

The stage, after all, is where training becomes experience. Classrooms can teach singing, dancing and acting, but a live production demands teamwork, discipline and the nerve to perform in front of people.

And that live encounter is precisely what Danganan hopes audiences will not lose in a world increasingly consumed through screens. ‘Iba rin sa feeling ‘yong makikita mo ang performers on stage rather than on videos.’

In Collodi’s story, Pinocchio wants to become real. On the stage of a Pasig mall, the young artists behind him are chasing something just as tangible: a chance to be seen.

But perhaps the real question is not whether Philippine theater has enough talent. It is whether the country is building enough doors for that talent and enough seats for people to witness it.

One thing I’d flag for your final fact check: the sentence saying Dusty Suarez takes on Geppetto as well as Nazer Salcedo may be intentional, but it reads like a possible role duplication, so I’d verify the cast sheet before publication.

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