The Playbook Club’s ‘First Love, Last Love: A Twinbill’ tells intimate stories of time and connection

If you had a time machine, how would you use it? For Ruby Versoza (played by Erika Rafael), she chooses to speak to her ex-high school sweetheart, Arthur (Los Akiyama), one last time a week before her wedding. 

Directed by Pia Ysobel Cruz, Napapanahon captures the ‘what-ifs’ that plague everyone’s minds, taking us right back to moments we wish had gone differently. While many would say that it’s wrong to think these things, especially right before you get married, it’s also deeply human to do so—and Rafael conveys Ruby’s indecision with such vulnerability that feels real.

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Set in the near future, the government has imposed a hefty tax of PHP 600,000 on new relationships. The audience is introduced to Lau (Rafael Jimenez) and Luna (Dippy Arceo), who quickly develop a bond. Starting naturally as friends, the two eventually fall for each other but are forced to hide it. While one adamantly proposes to get registered, the other is unsure—leading to a painful back-and-forth that seems familiar.

Director Zoë de Ocampo and playwright Jimenez’s worldbuilding is on point, using dialogue to set the scene instead of outright showing us. In this imagined not-so-distant future, audiences are able to ascertain the repercussions that such a law could have in our society—whether cultural or economic. For instance, Lau mentions that all the love songs are about loneliness. While it’s a line seemingly said in passing, it sets up the kind of world our characters live in, one where love is outlawed unless you’re registered.

CoR also mirrors the modern trend of relationships, albeit in a more exaggerated way. These days, situationships are rampant, and plenty of people break themselves over emotional instability. The play taps into this relatable and relevant cycle and sets it to 11. While the law itself is rooted in absurdity, it allows the audience to be more invested in a couple who not only put a large sum of money down for each other, but also commit to their own emotional maturity.

First Love, Last Love: A Twinbill runs until June 22, 2025 at the Mirror Studio Theatre in Makati. For more information, visit their social media pages.

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