July 18, 2026
Alma Ortega (Opaline Santos) was the daughter of the local minister (Rolando Inocencio). Her mother (Sheryl Ceasico) had mental issues that caused her to act like a child, so Alma lost her own youth to take over her mother's duties. Alma became very stern and impatient as a person, and she kept pretty much to herself. Despite this, Alma was still able to teach singing voice lessons, and her current student was young Nelia (Ingrid Joyce).
Alma's closest childhood friend was her next door neighbor Juanito Yago (Sandino Martin). He had to leave and go to the city to take up Medicine to be like his father. After several years, when Joselito came back home after his studies, the flame between Alma and Joselito in their youth soon got rekindled. However, when Alma kept Joselito at bay, he sought company from Rosa (Hariette Mozelle), the loose daughter of the gambling den owner.
"El Fuego del Alma" is a Filipino adaptation of "Summer and Smoke," a full-length play by American playwright Tennessee Williams that first debuted on Broadway in 1948. All the tropes in William's signature style of Southern Gothic are in this one, from the sweltering heat to the repressed sexuality. From its original setting in Mississippi, this story was seamlessly adapted into the Filipino language and context by Eljay Castro Deldoc. His adaptation of the story was so astute, you will not feel that this was a foreign story.
Opaline Santos and Harriette Mozelle alternate with each other in the role of repressed Alma and flirtatious Rosa. Nour Hooshmand only alternated as Alma. Similarly, Sandino Marin and Vincent Pajara alternated with each other in the roles of Juanito and shoe salesman Archie. The minor characters also have alternates: Sheryl Ceasico and Madlen Nicolas alternate as Mrs. Ortega. Rolando Inocencio and JP Lopez alternate as the two father characters -- Mr. Ortega and Dr. Yago. Ingrid Joyce and Janna Cortez alternate as Nelia.
Johnny Maglinao and Dolly Dolot were the "Chorus," two gossipy guys who dish out the inside dirt around their town to keep us updated. In the climactic part of the play, we see Dolot pick up a banduria and started to play it, together with another Chorus alternate Tristan Bite on guitar. Their fiery string musical accompaniment felt very in sync with the tumultuous spirit of those heated scenes, in perfect execution of the director's vision.
I have seen Opaline Santos in various roles in Dulaang UP and Virgin Labfest. This is the first time I am seeing her in a full-length lead role, but I am aware that she has done a one-woman show before. Alma's arc stretched a stage actress's range, and Santos was certainly up for that challenge. Santos's big eyes did a lot of the internal talking for her Alma, and in the intimate venue where this play was performed, we see every little nuance.
From the first time we see Sandino Martin's Juanito outside just silently looking at Alma, we already feel the sexual tension his role carried. With his dark brooding looks, Martin effortlessly smoldered throughout the first two acts of the play by the sheer physicality of his stage presence. The burning passion building up in his Joselito would finally reach such libidinous ecstasy at one point -- a scene that the intimacy of the venue made bolder.
Harriette Mozelle never broke character as her character Rosa was a sly temptress through and through. Rolando Inocencio represented two kinds of strict father figures -- one based on science, the other on religion. Sheryll Ceasico portrayed Mrs. Ortega's madness with childlike glee. Ingrid Grace had a clear lilt in her voice that represented her innocence well. Juanito alternate Vincent Pajara makes a cameo here to tease what he could bring to that part.
As may be surmised, the extraordinary venue was very much a character of its own in this production. I have been to Sine Pop for special film screenings before, but this is the first time I have seen the first floor coffee bar area converted into a performance venue. To extend his stage, director Mark Mirando made full use of the wide pane glass window that allowed us to see the peaceful bamboo garden outside, which, along with the glass door and side wall, as well as the stairs to the second floor, were all integrated into the scenes.
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El Fuego del Alma runs July 17–19, July 31, August 1–2, and August 21–23 at Sine Pop, Cubao, Quezon City. Shows are on at 7 pm on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, with 4 pm matinees on Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets are priced at ₱1,800 through Ticket2Me, or onsite.
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