Jon Santos shines in ‘Bawat Bonggang Bagay’
Jon Santos shines in ‘Bawat Bonggang Bagay’
Jon Santos in Bawat Bonggang Bagay / Courtesy of Loreta Arroyo, The Sandbox Collective / Feature art by Abigail Manaluz
The first time you see Jon Santos is not when the lights open to a wall-less set, but even before the show starts. He waves and welcomes everyone with a smile, hinting at the intimate play about to unfold. This is his fourth time to grace us with his heartwarming performance in ‘Bawat Bonggang Bagay,’ the Pride Month offering of Sandbox Co.labs (The Sandbox Collective’s new arm) this 2025.
In partnership with Ayala Land and Circuit Makati, the one-act, one-man show directed by Jenny Jamora is an interactive play about a man who recounts his childhood and experiences with love, grief, and life. And when I say interactive, I mean interactive. Audience members get to act as the supporting cast, and your heart is soon rushing with excitement or anxiety, whether you live for the applause or have stage fright (I was the latter).
Jon Santos in Bawat Bonggang Bagay / Courtesy of Loreta Arroyo, The Sandbox Collective
I did not know what I was getting myself into when Santos opened with his ability to banter with the audience. Then he began enumerating the many things mundane to the naked eye but bongga to a person who has seen it all, and I immediately understood. Bawat Bonggang Bagay tells us to heed the inner child, to embrace the happiness that we deny ourselves every time we look beyond the wonders of living in the moment.
I was surprised to learn that it was an adaptation, translated by Guelan Luarca into Filipino from Duncan Macmillan and Jonny Donahoe’s Every Brilliant Thing. With how hard-hitting the words were and how personal everything felt, it might as well have been something conceived by Luarca, who I wholeheartedly believe to be one of the best playwrights in Philippine theater.
Putting everything together in the Philippine context is something that I truly appreciate, and it is so rewarding whenever done right. Having seen this for the first time, my introduction to the piece is already a masterful work, both as an adaptation and as a showcase of Santos’ adroitness in improv, and I am now curious to see the source material.
Jon Santos in Bawat Bonggang Bagay / Courtesy of Loreta Arroyo, The Sandbox Collective
What I liked most about Bawat Bonggang Bagay is how it tackled mental illness through the lens of a child who never ceases to ask ‘Why?’ and an adult who finally gets his answers as he goes through the struggles of finding reasons to live. It doesn’t romanticize the suffering; nonetheless, it shows how hard it is to explain an invisible sickness to a young boy who can only comprehend so much.
It’s perfect that they’re doing this again in June as a celebration of Pride, with Santos’ performance not only breaking the stigma on mental illness, but also uplifting the queer community with his nuanced characterization of a gay man, from shy confessions to the complexities of same-sex relationships.
Having Santos volley with the audience makes every show worth watching, as you get to see a different iteration every time. And as the lights went off at the end, I didn’t feel as though something weighed on my chest. I felt comfort knowing that there is more waiting for me outside—more to life and more to experience.
It’s about time Santos gets recognized as a shining star of the local queer community and not just for his remarkable impersonation and Drag Race Philippines endeavors. Bawat Bonggang Bagay proves that he is a force to be reckoned with, having an arsenal of ‘Yes, and’ along with his unwavering wit. I can’t wait to watch him again as The Boss in Side Show: The Musical.
Bawat Bonggang Bagay will run at the Power Mac Center Spotlight Black Box Theater in Circuit Makati from June 14 to June 22, 2025 for a strictly limited engagement. Tickets are now available at TicketWorld via bit.ly/bbonggab25.
SINEGANG.ph is an official media partner of Bawat Bonggang Bagay.
