Entry #2 by: Aye Mary Tondo
Sister Marianita
There was something deeply special about this role. As an actor, you always hope to move an audience, but this experience felt different. Night after night, I could see people being transported into a world—a time and space in history they may never have encountered before.
The response from audiences has stayed with me. Many said they wanted to learn more about Philippine history and the events that inspired the play. Some even believed it was entirely true and would want to visit the statue of JoMarZeb! This speaks of the emotional authenticity we were aiming for. While the characters are fictional, the story rings true and resonates with all of us. It is rooted in real life, including the experiences of comfort women and the countless unnamed people affected by war.
The Faceless Nun and her companions may not be real, but they represent something universal: ordinary people who risk everything, to the point of laying down their own lives to save others. Their anonymity allows them to belong to any country or generation, and that universality is what seemed to make it extremely compelling.
What struck me most was how strongly audiences connected with the themes—the oppression of war, sacrifice, and human resilience. These are not distant concepts; they continue to echo in the present. After the performances, people told us they were so moved they wanted to travel to Manila and pay homage to the sainthood of the main characters. They spoke about them as if they were real people—they had fallen in love with them, mourned them, and carried them long after the performance ended.
Performing in Brighton added another layer. The smaller, more intimate space brought the audience closer—almost uncomfortably so at times—and that proximity intensified everything. It felt immediate, raw, and deeply engaging. The shift in venue changed the energy, but not the essence of the piece; if anything, it magnified its impact.
Even the visual language evolved. The three ghostly figures, now wearing all white stood out starkly against the rest of the staging, and that simple change in costume made the optics powerful. It was a creative choice that seemed to land with audiences every time. Looking back, it feels like one of those rare projects where everything aligned—story, space, and response. Truly, this is one for the books.