Playwright Vincent de Jesus looks forward to the highly anticipated comeback on stage of his Carlos Palanca Award-winning play, ATENG. The play will be performed at the Rampa Drag Club in Tomas Morato Extension, Quezon City, from Nov. 14 to Dec. 7 (every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday).

ATENG revolves around the story of a young gay impersonator, Juicy, who spends his electric bill money on his boyfriend, Onyx. Juicy’s older sibling, Kiwi, a parlorista, demands that Onyx return the money before their electricity is disconnected. Kiwi realizes, while negotiating with Onyx, that his beauty parlor tools, such as a hairdryer, can be used for more powerful means to display dominance and fight egotistic, masculine men.

King of Talk Boy Abunda is co-producing the one-act play with brilliant actor/entrepreneur RS Francisco. He has previously ventured into producing movies and an LGBT-themed OPM album. 

During a media conference in Quezon City, Boy hopes that ATENG can inspire relevant and active discussions on issues of consequence to the LGBTQIA+ community.

“I always hope for the LGBTQIA+ community to have a stronger presence in various social spaces like the theater. ATENG has found a new home in Rampa. It won’t only entertain the audience from start to finish, but it will also make everyone reflect on the play’s theme. ATENG was written in 2005, but real-life scenarios haven’t changed after two decades. The harsh truths about gender issues in our society still confront us. ATENG remains relevant even after the passage of time," Boy said.

Boy added, “I invite people to watch ATENG. It is not just a one-act play about three ordinary individuals. ATENG empowers. It dares the audience to dig deeper into its real message beneath the humor.”

ATENG is more than just a comedy that elicits laughter from the audience. Its message reverberates loudly and challenges everyone to take a closer look at how prejudice and abuse toward members of the LGBTQIA+ community prevail in today’s society. It was written in 2005, yet the same bleak scenarios still happen even after two decades.

Vincent is a two-time recipient of the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature. His plays, ATENG (2005) and Changing Partners (2017), won in the country’s most prestigious literary competition, both under the Dulang May Isang Yugto category.

As one of the most accomplished artists in the country, Vincent has written the libretto and music for Changing Partners, Zsazsa Zaturnnah The Musical, Ang Babae sa Septic Tank, Care Divas, Tabing Ilog The Musical, Himala Isang Musikal, Skin Deep, and Kung Paano Ako Naging Leading Lady.

On the Writer’s Notes, Vincent shared, “I wrote ATENG back in 2005 for The Writer’s Bloc Inc., an independent organization of established and promising playwrights which aims to encourage Filipino writers to create new works and define new perspectives in contemporary Philippine drama. That same year, ATENG was produced by CCP and Tanghalang Pilipino as an entry to the very first Virgin Labfest. Performed at the Tanghalang Huseng Batute, the play had a weekend run to SRO audiences.”

According to Rem Zamora on his Director’s Notes, “I first encountered this script in 2016, when Vince and I were talking - very loosely - about staging it. Sitting with it again, years later, I was reminded why this play is still relevant - and why, twenty years after it was written and staged at the very first Virgin Labfest, a new audience needs to see it now.” Zamora and Vincent have previously collaborated in the latter’s Palanca award-winning play, Changing Partners.

In 2005, ATENG received the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature, winning in the Dulang May Isang Yugto – Filipino Category. The Palanca Awards are the longest-running literary competition in the Philippines, having been founded in 1950.

Award-winning actors Kokoy De Santos and Thou Reyes star in ATENG. But Boy revealed that Kokoy initially turned down the project.

“Tinanggihan ako the first time I offered him the role. After guesting sa Fast Talk, sinabi ko, 'I'm doing a play.' Sabi ko, ‘Gawin mo ito.’ Sabi niya, ‘Ayoko nga.’ Natatakot siya. (I was rejected the first time I offered him the role. After a guest spot on Fast Talk, I said, 'I'm doing a play.' I said, 'Do it.' He said, 'I don't want to.' He was scared.)

"Pinagtulungan namin siya ni Vince. Basahin mo lang yung materyal. Kapag binasa mo at ayaw mo, hindi ka na namin pipilitin. (Vince and I talked to him. Just read the material. If you read it and don't want to, we won't force you)," Boy also said.

Boy said he realized it was Kokoy's first play. "Then he read the material. He fell in love, he's here, and the rest is history."

"There's something about Kokoy. It's a combination of Daniel Day-Lewis and Tom Hanks. Aam mo yung nasa gitna nun?

"Think of Daniel Day-Lewis—that insanity of Daniel, and the precision acting of Tom Hanks. Nandun ang Kokoy," Boy said.

ATENG also stars Dyas Adarlo, Jason Barcial, Io Balanon, and Vincent de Jesus. Shows begin at 7 PM. Tickets are available at www.ticket2me.net and at the gate of Rampa Drag Club. The ticket price is at P1,000. Use the hashtag #MayRampaSiAteng for posts related to the play.

The following are the specific schedules and the performers: SHOW 1 - Nov. 14, Friday, 7 PM (Thou, Jason, Kokoy); SHOW 2 – Nov. 16, Sunday, 7 PM (Thou, Io, Dyas); SHOW 3 – Nov. 21, Friday, 7 PM (Vince, Jason, Kokoy); SHOW 4 – Nov. 22, Saturday, 7 PM (Vince, Jason, Dyas); SHOW 5 – Nov. 23, Sunday, 7 PM (Vince, Io, Kokoy); SHOW 6 – Nov. 28, Friday, 7 PM (Thou, Io, Dyas); SHOW 7 Matinee – Nov. 30, Sunday, 3 PM (Thou, Jason, Kokoy); SHOW 8 – Nov. 30, Sunday, 7 PM (Thou, Jason, Kokoy); SHOW 9 – Dec. 5, Friday, 7 PM (Thou, Jason, Dyas); SHOW 10 – Dec. 6, Saturday, 7 PM (Thou, Io, Dyas); SHOW 11 Matinee - Dec. 7, Sunday, 3 PM (Thou, Io, Dyas); and SHOW 12 – Dec. 7, Sunday, 7 PM (Thou, Io, Kokoy).

ATENG is presented by Infinite Monkeys, Boy So of La Carmela de Boracay, and Rampa, with McDonald’s as the primary sponsor.