Forgiveness triumphs over ego in TSPC'S 'Tulo Ka Dagway sa Pari'

Behind a local parish lies a behind-the-scenes drama among its leading priests. These clashes could determine its fate: whether forgiveness will bloom or failure will bring the whole place down. Whatever the outcome, it's all part of being human - something Teatro de San Pedro Calungsod (TSPC) masterfully portrays through its true-to-life stories on stage as a form of evangelization.

- By JANUAR JUNIOR AGUJA

“Tulo Ka Dagway sa Pari” centers on the conflict between the young Fadz Elmert and the older Father Pio, while Padre Iko attempts to remain optimistic as he reaches his twilight years despite growing tensions inside the parish.

His oldest play to date, playwright and TSPC founder Msgr. Agustin Ancajas first wrote the play in 1993 as a seminary thesis based on the Enneagram of Personality - a concept that describes human personality through nine interconnected types defined by different motivations and behavior patterns.

After making revisions that included cutting nine leading characters into three, Ancajas directed the play in 2000 at the University of San Carlos-South Campus' Rudolf Rahmann Cultural Center, with Fr. Eduardo “Daddy” Villaluna as Father Pio, Fr. Isaias “Bobbitt” Gerali as Fadz Elmer, and Fr. Murphy Sarsonas as Padre Iko.

The show had its restaging at the Marcelo Fernan Cebu Press Center last month, with Cornell Anthony Tudio playing the role of Fadz, Rennedy Cabaluna as Father Pio, and Florencio Villacorta as Padre Iko. They reprised their roles from the 2023 production at the same venue, which served as its 30th anniversary presentation.