Directors Melvin Lee, Marlon Rivera step onstage with Eugene Domingo in ‘Septic Tank 4’ meta theater

Directors step into spotlight in bold, meta theater satire tackling chaos of staging a classic play.

In the realm of Philippine performing arts, the mere mention of Eugene Domingo carries an undeniable weight. She is a tour de force—an actress, comedienne, and host whose stage presence is as formidable as it is magnetic. 

But in Philippine Educational Theater Association’s (PETA) latest offering, she isn’t navigating the theatrical chaos alone. Joining her onstage are two distinguished directors who are stepping out from behind the scenes and into the spotlight: Melvin Lee and Marlon Rivera.

Structured as a bold, self-reflexive “play within a play,” Ang Babae sa Septic Tank 4: Oh Sh*t! It’s Live Sa Cheter! dives headfirst into the delicate, often absurd mechanics of theater-making. The production follows the precarious mounting of Aurelio Tolentino’s classic “Kahapon, Ngayon at Bukas”—showing a work that doesn’t arrive fully formed, but rather shifts, fractures, and evolves with every staging decision, pacing tweak, and ego check. Irreverent and unapologetically meta, it is a spectacle fueled by sharp industry commentary and playful self-mockery.

Playing themselves: A reunion rooted in decades of friendship

Offstage, Domingo, Lee, and Rivera share a deep-seated bond that spans decades of creative collaborations, late-night conversations, and shared theater history. For all three, “Septic Tank 4” serves as an intimate homecoming.

“Our friendship began when I saw Uge in a play at UP,” Melvin recalls. 

“She happened to be Andoy’s [Ranay] friend, too, so he introduced us. Our last project together before this was actually a commercial shoot, so being back on stage with her feels special.”

Marlon’s entry into their orbit was equally organic, forged in the tight-knit world of campus theater and local indie filmmaking:

“All my connections to theater—including Uge—trace back through either Chris Martinez or Melvin,” Marlon shares. “Chris belongs to Dulaang UP, Melvin to PETA. I was a bit older than most of them, but I got folded into their barkada, their drinking sessions, and their chikahan. Cut to 2008, when Chris and I co-produced ‘100’ for Cinemalaya, where Uge played the lead’s best friend. I had always been a massive fan of her work, especially around the ‘Kimmy Dora’ era.

So when Chris and I produced the original ‘Septic Tank’ in 2011, that lead role was written exclusively for Uge. The rest is Septicverse history. Uge is really the anchor of this entire franchise.”

Taking the ‘Septic’ franchise to its rightful home

When the concept of translating the acclaimed film franchise onto the live stage was first floating around, both directors immediately saw its potential. In a post-pandemic landscape where live performance has reclaimed its spot as a cultural darling, bringing “Septic Tank” to a live house felt like a natural evolution.

“I’m on PETA’s board, so I was immediately thrilled,” Marlon notes. “It’s so timely. The ‘Septic’ franchise has always been about holding a satirical mirror up to whatever medium is trending—whether it’s indie film, formulaic rom-coms, or streaming platform tropes. And PETA is the perfect home for it. Their legacy in transformative, socially engaged theater makes them the ultimate stage for this kind of material. There was no better fit.”

For Lee, the draw was both the strength of the text and the significance of Domingo’s return to her roots: “When I first heard the pitch, my immediate reaction was, ‘Is this for real?’ It felt like such a clever concept and the absolute best material to mark Uge’s comeback to the PETA stage.”

The irreplaceable electricity of live theater

For creatives who frequently move between advertising, film, and TV, stepping back into the theater environment brings a specific kind of artistic high that no screen camera can replicate.

When asked what they missed most about the stage during their time away, Lee was quick to point to the immediate intimacy between actor and spectator: “It’s the live engagement,” Lee states simply. “That real-time exchange of energy that only happens when you are performing in front of a living, breathing audience.”

For Rivera, stepping onto PETA’s stage as an actor alongside theatrical stalwarts is a full-circle moment in a career that has always kept one foot in the theater: “No matter where my career took me—whether in advertising, makeup and costume design, or directing—I’ve always stayed tethered to theater,” Rivera reflects. “I feel incredibly fortunate to stand on the PETA stage alongside true pillars of the industry, and of course, with our beloved icon, Ms. Eugene Domingo.”

As the playwright, Chris Martinez emphasizes that “Septic Tank 4” isn’t trying to offer neat answers—it simply holds a mirror up to the chaos and lays it out onstage. The production invites the audience to laugh at the absurdities, sit with the tension, and keep the conversation going long after the house lights come up.

Performances conclude on August 16 at the PETA Theater Center. Shows run at 2 PM (matinees) and 7:30 PM. For tickets and updates, follow @petatheater on social media.

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