Eljay Deldoc’s stage adaptation of National Artist Ricky Lee’s bestselling novel Para Kay B is a bold and imaginative exploration of love, storytelling, and the complex relationship between writers and their creations.
Whether you’re a fan of the book or new to the story, here’s why this play deserves a spot on your must-watch list:
- See a Novel About a Novel Come to Life on Stage
How does a novel—especially one about a novel—transform into a play about a fictionist writing about a novel and its characters?
Ricky Lee’s intricate, multi-layered storytelling comes alive onstage through Lucas, a projection of Lee’s early life as a writer, as he narrates the love stories he’s crafting—stories driven by his love for Bessie.
Will his love affair with Bessie finally be realized beyond the novel?
As the author-as-god, Lucas dictates his characters’ fates, believing love rarely ends in happiness. But will all four love stories end in tragedy? Will his own love story defy his theory? Or will his belief in doomed love trap him in his own fiction?
This adaptation pulls audiences into the chaotic life of a writer in love, challenging them to consider whether they, too, could bear the weight of storytelling—or if they should steer clear of it altogether.
- Enter the Mind of a Writer Struggling with Love
How can a writer who controls his characters’ lives grapple with his own powerlessness in reality?
Lucas narrates his stories, forcing his characters to follow a predetermined path while they, in turn, push back against his rigid control.
Ricky Lee’s bold exploration of romantic love—between siblings, a mother and a yaya, a girl with photographic memory and one who chooses to forget, a frigid woman and a hunk, a nympho and an innocent writer—is a wild, exhilarating ride.
Do the characters accept their fates, or do they resist the writer’s heavy-handed manipulation?
As love is consummated over and over, the audience is swept into a whirlwind of emotions, longing for true and endless love. But for Lucas, these love stories are more than just fiction—they are his desperate attempts to understand love, his own desires projected onto the characters he controls.
Will they break free? Will Lucas finally surrender to love beyond the pages?
The play unravels the tension between control and surrender, forcing us to question whether we, too, confine love to our imaginations or dare to live it out.
- Experience Characters as Both Imagination and Reflection
Can a writer learn from the very characters he created, especially when his own love life is at stake?
Para Kay B challenges the notion that characters exist merely as figments of imagination—they are extensions of real emotions, desires, and life experiences. Lucas confronts himself and his notion of love and writing by way of his confrontation with his characters.
Audiences will find themselves mirrored in these fictional figures as they wrestle with love, longing, and the limits of their existence.
The play ultimately urges both writers and audiences to embrace love and storytelling in their raw, unpredictable forms rather than confining them within rigid expectations.
After all, true love—like a great story—sets us free.
Creative Team & Production Details
- Playwright & Adaptation: Eljay Castro Deldoc, three-time first prize winner of the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards.
- Based on the Novel by: Ricky Lee
- Director: Yong Tapang Jr.
Cast Highlights:
- Nicco Manalo as Lucas.
- Ava Santos as Bessie.
- Liza Diño and Olive Nieto alternating as Ester.
- Matel Patayon and Sarah Garcia alternating as Sandra.
- Martha Comia as Irene.
- Via Antonio and Yesh Burce alternating as Erica.
Creative Team:
- Raven Ong (Costume Designer)
- Hershee Tantiado (Associate Costume Designer)
- Julia Pacificador (Set Designer)
- Army Dimaculangan (Sound Designer)
- Joyce Garcia (Video Designer)
Performance Dates & Ticket Information
- Venue: Doreen Black Box Theater, Ateneo de Manila University
- Show Dates:
- March 14 – 7:00 PM
- March 15 & 16 – 2:30 PM & 7:00 PM
- March 21 – 7:00 PM
- March 22 & 23 – 2:30 PM & 7:00 PM
- March 28 – 7:00 PM
- March 29 & 30 – 2:30 PM & 7:00 PM
- Ticket Prices: ₱2,500 and ₱2,000
- Ticket Purchase: Available through Ticket2Me at www.ticket2me.net
Don’t miss the chance to witness a literary masterpiece reimagined for the stage.
Secure your tickets now and immerse yourself in a love story about love stories—where fiction and reality collide.
