Manila, Philippines – Sari-Sali portal café サリさり portal cafe, an interactive ‘cafe-in-a-theater’
show created by Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) and Kyoto-based theater
group BRDG, opens a limited 5-show run in Manila from December 6-8, 2024, at the PETA Theater
Center, Quezon City.
Directed by Ian Segarra and Keiko Yamaguchi, written by J-mee Katanyag, Sari-Sali portal café
draws inspiration from Japan’s Hokkori Café, a warm and welcoming communal hub where
people from diverse backgrounds can enjoy a great meal while engaging with one another.
Sari-Sali portal café features four Filipino and Japanese characters: Ayaka an introverted artist
(Hitomi Nagasu), Mayumi, a Filipino music teacher (Zoe Damag), Kaloy, a former political activist
(Julio Garcia), and Yoshi (Hiroyuki Kozaka) a part-time worker in the cafe.
The inclusive atmosphere of a community café translates to the unique production design by
Ralph Lumbres, which integrates the audience as part of the scenes. The audience, as a collective
character, represents the diverse voices and experiences that enrich the Sari-Sali café,
emphasizing the play’s themes of belonging, connection, and multiculturalism.
Sari-Sali portal café celebrates the power of community through music, dance, theater, and food
from different cultures.
The show is organized by The Japan Foundation, Manila, co-organized by Philippine Educational
Theater Association (PETA) and Kyoto-based theater group BRDG. The work in progress
underwent development during the Artist in Residence program at the Kinosaki International
Arts Center in Japan in November 2023.