MAKATI CITY — Following a largely sold-out run, Porvenir's Filipino adaptation of Tennessee Williams' Summer and Smoke returns this October for a special benefit engagement at Circuit Makati. The production, titled El Fuego del Alma, will be staged at the Art Directed Studio on the Upper Level of Circuit Lane, next to the Blackbox Theater at Ayala Malls Circuit. It is presented as part of Circuit Makati's month-long ARTober celebration, which brings together performances, exhibitions, workshops, and creative experiences across the city. The limited engagement offers Makati audiences a chance to experience a critically acclaimed work in a newly reimagined setting.
A Filipino Reimagining of a Classic
El Fuego del Alma is translated into Filipino by award-winning playwright Eljay Castro Deldoc and directed by Mark Mirando, Porvenir's artistic director. The production relocates Tennessee Williams' 1948 drama Summer and Smoke to a provincial Philippine setting, preserving its core themes of spiritual conviction, physical desire, and the tension between the lives people are expected to lead and the lives they secretly long for. At the heart of the story is Alma Ortega, a woman caught between deep religious faith and long-suppressed passion, and her complex relationship with Juanito, the man she loves. The original staging at Sine Pop in Quezon City drew three sold-out performances within its first two weeks, with audience recommendations driving ticket sales. The production features an alternating cast, with Sandino Martin and Vincent Pajara sharing the role of Juanito, while Nour Hooshmand, Hariette Mozelle, and Opaline Santos alternate as Alma. The ensemble includes Madeleine Nicolas, Rolando Inocencio, Sheryll Ceasico, JP Lopez, Janna Cortes, Ingrid Villamarin, Johnny Maglinao, and Tristan Bite.
Reimagined for Circuit Makati
The Circuit Makati engagement marks a new chapter for the production as it moves into a larger, 100-seat space and welcomes a new audience in Makati. Rather than simply transferring the original staging, the company will reimagine the play for the Art Directed Studio, responding to the architecture and possibilities of its new home while retaining the intimacy that defined its first run. "This invitation gives us the opportunity to discover the production again," says Mirando. "We want this version to belong specifically to Circuit Makati." The production will reunite its original cast for the engagement.
Show Schedule and Ticket Information
El Fuego del Alma will have eight performances across two weekends. The show opens on Saturday, October 24, with performances at 3:00 PM and 7:00 PM, and continues on Sunday, October 25, at 3:00 PM and 7:00 PM. The following weekend features a 7:00 PM show on Friday, October 30, and three performances on Saturday, October 31, at 1:00 PM, 3:00 PM, and 7:00 PM. Early bird tickets are priced at PHP1,000, while regular tickets are PHP1,250. The engagement also serves as a benefit run, with proceeds supporting Porvenir's plans to bring the production to regional audiences beyond Metro Manila.
