Filipino theater lovers in the UAE have a new reason to gather this October. On October 4, 2026, the Alserkal Avenue venue The Junction will host Exesanonymous.com, a production mounted by the collective Atbp. that carries a distinction worth noting: it is the first fully Filipino play ever presented at the space.
At its heart, the show is built from a series of monologues, each one voicing a different perspective on love that has run its course. The stories touch on romance, separation, and the emotional residue people carry once a relationship closes. The material comes from the pen of Dr. Joem Antonio, whose script earned Second Prize in the Full-Length Play in English category at the 67th Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature. Theater groups and curious readers can find this and other works by Antonio at joemantonio.com.
Rather than staging the piece in its original form, the Dubai run reworks it into Taglish, a choice meant to draw Filipino audiences in the Emirates closer to the material while keeping its emotional core within reach for viewers of any background.
Directing duties are shared by Jeremie Fortes and Maeanne Jose, who guide a cast that includes Yzel Lazarte, BJ Hidalgo, Rissy, Gino Estole, Trixie Danielle, Fortes himself, Ben Hernandez, Ritchell Balisnomo, and Anton Galvez. Damariz Ziva Peñafiel joins the lineup in a special appearance.
For the artists involved, many of whom pursue their craft alongside the demands of building a life abroad, the production doubles as a statement about the depth of creative talent within the UAE’s Filipino community. Organizers frame the staging as a way to widen the space for Filipino performers, writers, and directors to be recognized, and to show how theater can knit a community together through shared, familiar stories.
Two performances are scheduled for the day, at 3:30 PM and 7:30 PM, with tickets available through Platinumlist. Atbp. sees the effort as part of a longer push to expand Filipino theater in the country and to spur more artists to keep creating and putting their work in front of audiences.
