The FEU Theater Guild cooks up a thrilling, Filipino dark comedy with “Karne”

On its 91st season, the Far Eastern University Theater Guild (FTG) stages a bold, interactive dark comedy: Karne, written and directed by the Philippine Educational Theater Association’s (PETA) Senior Artist-Teacher and the FTG’s artistic director, Dudz Teraña. This theatrical feast invites audiences into the aromatic, simmering home of a 1980s Filipino couple where every glance is loaded, every silence loud, and the kitchen holds more secrets than spices.

Karne is a reimagining of Roald Dahl’s “Lamb to the Slaughter,” but with a distinctly Filipino flavor. Set in Lubotan, Zamboanguita, Negros Oriental in 1980, Karne combines absurdity with sincerity, laughter with quiet dread. Part comedy, part mystery, part love letter to the mundane rhythms of rural life, it is a genre-defying theatrical experience that blends Bisaya, Tagalog, and English, transporting the audience into a living, breathing household.

“This play holds up a mirror to the lived realities of an individual, grounding itself in raw humanness,” shared director Dudz Teraña. “It offers a more layered and flavorful approach to staging—bold in form, grounded in truth, and unapologetically relevant. ‘Karne’ is not just something to look forward to; it’s an experience that lingers.”

What’s Cooking?

At the heart of the story are Mary and Police Captain Patrick Patrosa, the seemingly ordinary couple, navigating the everyday challenges of married life. Mary is portrayed by Maria Mayano (IAS’26), with Julia Nicole Ramas (FIT’26) and Janae Dionisio (IAS‘28) alternating the role, while Patrick is brought to life by RB Pascua (IAS’25), Aaron Bayani (IAS’25), and Arvin Javier (IAS’28). What begins as a quiet evening soon unravels into a chaotic yet poignant reflection on intimacy, expectations, and the fragile ties that hold both relationships and communities together, as a simple dinner spirals into deeper personal and collective struggles that affect the entire barangay of Lutoban. Supporting the couple are their close friends—Dante (Jonas Cunanan [IAS’25], Renz Dotillos [IAS’26], Jharelle Villalobos [IAS’27]), Ellen (Dianne Andallo [IAS’26], Maria Ysabelle Delos Reyes [IAS’27]), and Maloi (Bjorn Pestaño [IAS’26], Margarita Barrameda [IAS’26], Sheila Peralta [IABF’26])—as well as Patrick’s colleagues, Police Lieutenant Elnar (Arvin Javier [IAS’28], Shawn Tarala [IAS’27]), Patrolman Enopia (Kristian Samson [IAS’26], Justin Abalos [IAS’28]), and Patrolman Credo (Dave Bambang [IARFA’29], Kirstan Orbegoso [IAS’27]), who add both tension and humor to the unfolding events. Grounding the narrative in generational memory is the affectionate tandem of grandmother and grandchild: Mrs. Poblacion (Cassandra Herilla [IAS’27], Irish Oliveros [IAS’28], Trisha Tan [IAS’28]) and Estong/Estang (Lorenze Moral [IAS’26], Nash Desonyo [FIT’28], Heleina Li [IAS’26]), while the ensemble is rounded out by the lively market vendor Samuel, portrayed by Julian Anabo (IAS’26) and Migi Mesina (IAS’27).