Elijah Canlas, Romnick Sarmenta, Andoy Ranay reveal surprises and “meatier lines” in the stage adaptation of the award-winning film, premiering February 14.
It’s no easy feat to be an actor, let alone to be an animated, live character onstage in the room where it happens.
But for seasoned actors Romnick Sarmenta, Andoy Ranay, and Elijah Canlas, taking a breather and joking about unkempt hair or shoes settling in their final stretch of rehearsals can be a form of respite before the opening night of the film-to-stage adaptation of “About Us But Not About Us” (AUBNAU).
After almost three years since its release, AUBNAU turned from film to stage play and is set to run from February 14 to March 8, at the Power Mac Center Spotlight Blackbox Theater, Makati City.
However, there are more surprises awaiting theater audiences that were not be seen nor translated into its film edition.
The room where it happens
For Sarmenta, this stage adaptation is far from a retread. The man behind “Eric” shared that those who watched the film will be in for a surprise, revealing major tweaks made for its theatrical production and promising “meatier lines” in this exclusive conversation with radar Entertainment.
“This is not streamed anywhere. Isang beses ka lang uupo at i-e-experience. It’s one hell of an experience in just one sitting.”
Canlas added, “We feel it made the storytelling more gut-wrenching. Mas malalim pa ‘to, tsaka parang mas masakit.”
“Theater is the only venue where you can have something that deep,” Ranay added. “Mas malalim talaga ‘pag theater kasi mas intimate, and mas personal ‘yung experience sa theater.”
Ghost of past drafts
The biggest deviation from the film would have to be the physical manifestation of Eric’s partner Marcus (played alternately by Epy Quizon and Ranay), having been portrayed by Canlas in the film’s flashbacks.
Marcus is no longer just a topic of conversation but a breathing entity in the room.
Ranay approached the role as humanizing a character previously only existing in memory. His goal? To make Marcus “lovable”— “a genius who breaks when he lets his heart rule.”
“Bubuhayin mo na ‘tong tao na pinag-uusapan lang nila doon, ‘di ba? So anong itsura niya? ‘Yon naman ‘yong challenge for me in creating the character of Marcus. Gusto ko siyang maging lovable kasi nagmahal lang [naman] siya eh.”
‘Sino ‘yon?’
The cast had a lighthearted dynamic when they realized that Canlas is the lone Gen Z among veterans. Oftentimes, Sarmenta, Ranay, and other similarly-aged cast members relate to 70s/80s pop culture references or jokes, leading to a confused and left out Elijah.
“Kunwari si Andoy, sasabihin niya, ‘Meryl Streep acting.’ ‘Yong iba alam na, ‘yong iba parang, ‘Sino ‘yon?’” the 26-year-old actor laughed. “‘Gayahin mo ‘yung delivery ni Kuya Cesar!’ Sino ‘yon?”
Sarmenta shared how he navigates these gaps through his own children, noting that while the work ethics may differ across generations, the discovery of the person matters more than the era they represent.
In a post-pandemic age of digital streaming where viewers have on-demand access to content, the stage demands a different kind of discipline: total presence. Unlike cinema, Sarmenta emphasized how theater requires active listening to grasp the full narrative.
“Sa teatro kasi kailangan mong makinig. As an audience, if you want to understand the whole narrative, kailangan pakinggan mo lahat,” Sarmenta noted. “Kung gusto mong maramdaman talaga ang nararamdaman namin sa stage, kailangan maging present sa panonood.”
The psychological drama “About Us But Not About Us” was recognized as the Best Film in Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, garnered awards by a landslide in the 2023 Metro Manila Summer Film Festival, from Best Picture to Special Jury Prize, as well as Best Screenplay and Best Actor for Sarmenta in the 2024 Gawad Urian Awards.
This “newborn” iteration, meanwhile, invites viewers not just to watch, but to sit with the discomfort and the silence in real-time — an experience that happens only once, in the room, with no rewinds allowed.
“About Us But Not About Us” is officially set to premiere on Valentine’s Day (Feb 14), running until March 8 at the Power Mac Center Spotlight Blackbox Theater, Circuit Makati.
Theater is the only venue where you can have something that deep. Mas malalim talaga ‘pag theater kasi mas intimate and mas personal ‘yong experience sa theater.
Andoy Ranay
READ:
Epy Quizon steals the show as Marcus in ‘About Us But Not About Us’ stage adaptation
Jude Cartalaba
January 19, 2026
Why PH theater needs to leave Metro Manila and go back to the regions
Rafael Asonza
February 5, 2026
Elijah Canlas, Romnick Sarmenta revisit their most complicated roles yet
Jude Cartalaba
January 14, 2026
