“About Us But Not About Us” returns this October—with Romnick Sarmenta, Elijah Canlas and Epy Quizon taking their final bow in the roles they made their own
THE PROFILER | ARTS & CULTURE
There are performances that end when the curtain falls.
And then there are performances that remain with the audience long after the lights go out.
For Romnick Sarmenta, Elijah Canlas and Epy Quizon, the upcoming October staging of Jun Robles Lana’s About Us But Not About Us carries a particularly significant meaning: it will be their final run together as Eric, Lancelot and Marcus.
The IdeaFirst Company’s stage production returns from October 2 to 25, 2026, at the Power Mac Center Spotlight Blackbox Theater in Circuit Makati, bringing back the original trio before they eventually hand their respective characters to other performers.
Sarmenta returns as Eric, Canlas as Lancelot, and Quizon as Marcus—the three characters at the heart of Lana’s psychologically charged story of relationships, secrets, identity, betrayal and the complicated truths people construct about themselves and one another.
For audiences who witnessed the earlier staging, seeing the three actors together again is more than simply watching a rerun.
It is a chance to witness the original interpretation of these characters one last time.
A STORY THAT REFUSES TO BE SIMPLE
About Us But Not About Us centers on Eric, a literature professor, and Lancelot, his student, whose seemingly ordinary conversation gradually develops into something far more unsettling.
As the dialogue unfolds, buried secrets and painful truths begin to surface, revealing the complicated relationship surrounding Eric, Lancelot and Marcus.
The stage adaptation expands the world of Lana’s acclaimed film, giving Marcus—whose presence in the film was largely conveyed through the characters’ conversations—a much more immediate theatrical presence.
The production is directed by Tuxqs Rutaquio, with Lana behind the adaptation.
What makes the play particularly compelling is its reliance not on spectacle, but on performance, language, tension and the shifting dynamics among its characters.
And that places enormous responsibility on the actors.
THE ORIGINAL TRIO’S FINAL CURTAIN CALL
Sarmenta, Canlas and Quizon have each brought their own history, sensibilities and acting language to the production.
Sarmenta brings decades of experience to Eric, while Canlas brings a younger generation’s perspective to Lancelot. Quizon, meanwhile, gave Marcus a physical and emotional presence that allowed audiences to encounter a character whose importance extends far beyond what initially appears on the surface.
Their final performances therefore carry an added layer of significance.
Writer and producer Jun Robles Lana has previously said there is an important reason the three will no longer play their original roles after this run, while expressing gratitude that they were the actors who first breathed life into Eric, Lancelot and Marcus on stage.
> “There is an important reason why”
That line has become part of the intrigue surrounding the final run.
But perhaps the more meaningful question is what happens after the original actors take their final bow.
Because the story does not necessarily end with them.
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AFTER THE ORIGINAL CAST: WHO WILL PLAY ERIC, LANCELOT AND MARCUS?
The transition is already underway—and it is not simply a matter of replacing one actor with another.
The production has introduced performers who will bring their own interpretations to characters audiences have come to associate with Sarmenta, Canlas and Quizon.
KOBIE BROWN — LANCELOT
Kobie Brown will take on Lancelot, alternating with Elijah Canlas.
Brown represents a younger generation of performers and has already worked in both screen and theater. He appeared alongside veteran actress Hilda Koronel in Sisa and previously ventured into stage acting through Tabing Ilog: The Musical.
Importantly, Brown did not simply receive the role by succession.
He won the role through auditions.
Director Tuxqs Rutaquio praised his audition, saying Brown brought something distinct to the character. The production’s announcement emphasized that Canlas brings the Lancelot audiences already know, while Brown will bring his own interpretation.
That distinction matters.
Brown is not being asked to become Elijah Canlas.
He is being given the opportunity to discover his own Lancelot.
TUXQS RUTAQUIO — ERIC
For Eric, the transition takes an especially intriguing turn.
Tuxqs Rutaquio, the director of the production, will also alternate in the role with Romnick Sarmenta.
It is a rare theatrical situation: the person who has spent the production directing the actors will now step onto the same stage and inhabit one of the characters himself.
Rutaquio has spoken about the experience of watching Sarmenta, Canlas and Quizon develop their characters and discovering firsthand just how demanding Eric can be.
His interpretation therefore comes not only from an actor’s perspective, but also from his intimate understanding of the production as its director.
ANDOY RANAY — MARCUS
For Marcus, Andoy Ranay continues to share the role with Epy Quizon.
Ranay is not entirely new to the production. He already performed as Marcus during the first run, giving audiences another interpretation of the character alongside Quizon.
His return makes the transition especially organic.
Rather than suddenly introducing a completely unfamiliar interpretation, the production has already allowed Ranay to establish his own relationship with Marcus.
And that is perhaps the most important point about the next chapter of About Us But Not About Us:
the characters may remain, but the actors’ interpretations will continue to evolve.
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A NEW GENERATION DOES NOT HAVE TO REPLACE A LEGACY—IT CAN CONTINUE IT
The arrival of Brown, Rutaquio and Ranay should not be viewed simply through the question of whether they can “replace” Sarmenta, Canlas and Quizon.
Theater does not always work that way.
A character is not owned permanently by the actor who first plays it.
Instead, every new performer brings another layer—another rhythm, another emotional vocabulary, another way of seeing the same words.
The original trio has created the first theatrical identity of Eric, Lancelot and Marcus.
The next performers now have the responsibility—and the creative freedom—to create theirs.
There is therefore no need to diminish what came before in order to appreciate what comes next.
Romnick Sarmenta, Elijah Canlas and Epy Quizon will always be the original stage trio.
And Tuxqs Rutaquio, Kobie Brown and Andoy Ranay now have the opportunity to carry those characters into another chapter, with respect for the foundation laid before them and room to make the roles their own.
That is the beauty of theater.
The story remains.
The words remain.
But every actor who walks onto the stage can make the experience different.
THE FINAL RUN
For audiences who have been waiting for another chance to see the original trio, the October engagement may be the last opportunity to watch Sarmenta, Canlas and Quizon together in the roles they originated for the stage.
And for those who have already seen them, the final run offers something else:
A farewell.
Not necessarily to About Us But Not About Us—
but to this particular Eric, this particular Lancelot, and this particular Marcus.
The production runs October 2–25, 2026, at the Power Mac Center Spotlight Blackbox Theater, Circuit Makati.
Because when the original cast finally takes its last bow, another chapter begins.
And perhaps that is the most fitting ending for a play so deeply concerned with memory, identity and the stories we tell about one another.
The curtain may fall on the original cast.
But the story goes on.
