Within and Without End: A Journey Borne from Life, Loss, Grief, and Evolution

A Happy Accident: The WIP showing of Within and Without End last December 12, 2025, finally prompted the idea of using the Open Rehearsal as the official format of the piece.

With some encouragement from a successful private preview last December 12, 2025, Langgam Performance Troupe premiered its first show after a two-year hiatus. 

Within and Without End started its development in the middle of 2023 after its director, Jenny Logico-Cruz, posed questions about the performer and their multitude of personas. “What compels the human experience to habitually create and have affinity for multiple mimicked realities? What does it look like to live, possess, and inhabit infinite truths and realities within? When mimicked reality is thoroughly rehearsed and becomes the new reality, what then becomes of our old reality?” There were a few of the unanswered thoughts Jenny threw to the Langgam team during the project’s conceptualization stage. What began as questions on performers and personas, Within and Without End slowly incorporated more layers to the discussion – including the exploration of the actor’s brain, questions on the machinery of theater, and the dynamics of a community navigating through a streamline of simultaneous individual realities. 

Within and Without End was originally intended for three (3) actors, with Joel Garcia as part of the ensemble, until he suddenly passed away on July 2025.

While planning its first run in the 3^rd quarter of 2025, tragedy stuck the creative team. One of its most vital collaborators, Joel Garcia, suddenly passed away. This unfortunate news brought an immediate halt to proceedings as everyone was scampering to figure out the appropriate steps moving forward. After meet-up, online discussions, and the continuous encouragement from fellow artists most particularly by Joel’s widow and an LPT Board of Director, Jacq Nacu-Garcia, With and Without End rediscovered its strength to pay respect both to Joel and the concept. 

Using the Open Rehearsal format, Within and Without End analyzes the art of performance from the perspective and lens of its two women artists: Opaline Santos (L) and Serena Magiliw (R).

The show had its first set of public performances last March 13 & 14, 2026 at a makeshift rehearsal space in Quezon City, Philippines. The decided format to explore its themes came in the form of an Open Rehearsal. From this bare bone approach, our three performers, Serena Magiliw, Opaline Santos, and Joel Garcia (via the vessels of Serena and Opa), provided the audience with an intimate look at how a performer prepares, transforms, and becomes a character. As the minutes progress, the viewer is suddenly transported from a simple rehearsal into a mise en abyme experience.  

Within and Without End continues its transformation this May. Afterwards, it will go on tour around Luzon. More news coming very soon! So, keep posted!