In the middle of this COVID-19 pandemic and the uncertainty of theaters resuming their presentations this year, Teatro ni Juan (TNJ), Marikina City’s premiere community theater, is dauntlessly launching “Bakunawa Rising.”

The three-part online anthology preludes the company’s musical currently in-development through early drafts and demos.

“Bakunawa Rising” is about the tragic tale of the Bakunawa, the infamous mythical creature that causes eclipses whenever it tries to devour the moon. Sounds creepy? Not quite.

Adapted from the Filipino myth, “Bakunawa Rising” is TNJ’s attempt to thread the story into the present day, retelling it from the moon-eater’s perspective. Through bknwrising.com, the episodes will feature selected early drafts and demos from the musical in the works, a sneak peek of some sorts.

“Theater has always been a counteractant to isolation,” Mikko Angeles, the musical’s director, told ABS-CBN News. “Teatro ni Juan would like to stay true to its mission of bringing theater, or even part of it, closer to the masses and the youth, especially in these trying times.”

Based on the myth, the Bakunawa is believed to remain in the depths of the seas, according to Angeles. “Some versions say it guards the underworld. Nevertheless, the Bakunawa has always been beneath us, both the creature and the myth itself.

“Drawing inspiration from this narrative, we think that now is a good opportunity to retell its tragic tale. It has always been the Bakunawa who’s the villain of the century-old story, devouring the moons in the night sky. But we say otherwise. The Bakunawa walks among us. It’s only a matter of time until it emerges once again.”

Angeles believes the show’s theme of fanaticism and identity is relevant today and TNJ can’t wait to share it with everybody.

“Some may see it as a small gesture of providing digital content,” Angeles explained. “But for TNJ, which is a self-sustaining, non-profit organization, it is a huge leap of advancement. By migrating from the stage to the screen, it is a dream for any community theater to be able to pull that off.

“The lore of the Bakunawa is truly fitting for the times as it challenges society’s fanaticism to uncover the dark reality we continue to live in; shedding light on establishing identities and drawing the thin line between a hero and a villain, of myth and reality.”

The technological challenges, notwithstanding, TNJ cast members and production crew took it as a different take on performing. “It’s a learning curve for everyone, an opportunity to acquire a new set of skills,” Angeles said. “In the comforts of their own homes, actors are not just actors anymore. They’re their own cameramen, directors, technical team, heck even their own editors. It’s an enjoyable and frustrating process at the same time.”

Each episode of “Bakunawa Rising” will feature the present company members of the TNJ ensemble. The premiere episode of the anthology will be released on September 6 in partnership with the online initiative, “Pagmulat.”

The second on October 31 (Night of the Blue Moon) will be an interactive storytelling, with various audio and visual prompts designed to forge a character’s path through dialogues and decision-making. The finale will be on November 30 (Lunar Eclipse). All episodes will reveal a demo song from the musical respectively.

Will it be different once it hit the stage soon, post-pandemic? “Definitely,” Angeles confirmed.

The musical and artistic team of “Bakunawa Rising” includes Mika Caranza and Carlo Gianan (music and lyrics) and Mikko Angeles (book and direction.). Over the pandemic, the trio continuously propels to develop the material along with the team of dramaturgs (Clarisse Ilagan, Giulia Saavedra, Jeremiah Trinidad, Meanne Bruan). Wana Guevara and Kary Villaflor are music and vocal directors, respectively

Meanwhile, the digital arm for “Bakunawa Rising” includes Ayel Leonardo (illustration and animatics), Kim Lalata (additional illustrations) and Clarisse Ilagan (art direction and web design).

Teatro ni Juan is the 13-year-old theatrical group of Marikina City. In the past, TNJ staged productions spanning from one-act plays to full-length original musicals. Recent productions include “The Resibo Project,” “Telon,” “#Elie” and “Nang Subuking Akyatin ng mga Lagi ang Palatumbasan sa Hangganan.”

Teatro ni Juan’s “Ang Pagsalubong sa Apatnapu” showcased Marikina City’s unvisited history, as the original musical highlights the arrival of the Jewish refugees in the valley, escaping the terrors of Kristallnacht. The reach of the musical eventually led to a rerun and a school tour, paving the way for more people to revisit Marikina’s significant historical contribution.

“Even before the release of iWant’s ‘The Last Manilaners,’ the production team came to see the ‘Ang Pagsalubong sa Apatnapu’,” Angeles said. “The producers of ‘Quezon’s Game,’ as the movie shares the same universe as ‘Apatnapu,’ went as well, even calling the show ‘a sibling’ to the movie.”

Through the years, TNJ as Marikina’s premiere community theater, has undoubtedly helped the city’s cultural and other socio-civic efforts. “Teatro ni Juan stands for social relevance and the Filipino community through its productions,” Angeles said. “We continue to reflect the nation's realities, striving to do what isn’t expected from a community theatre at the best of our capabilities and resources.

“To date, TNJ produces original material that highlights our cultural value, shedding light on the importance of social awareness, most especially now in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Although the pandemic crashed into the middle of TNJ’s 13th season, the theater company has admirably pivoted in its presentation, as it stages “Bakunawa Rising” as the theater season’s finale.

“As the lockdown guidelines ease up, big gatherings such as live performances are still not allowed,” Angeles said. “And we don’t think theatergoers will take the risk. With Tahanan ni Juan, our performing space housing 80 people at max, we know that we won’t be able to go back anytime soon.

“Adapting to the new normal or ‘new theater’ through digital platforms isn’t a walk in the park. It’s a completely different ballgame, especially for a community theater such as TNJ. Poor internet connection, lack of gadgets and minimal resources… you name it. Yet, as challenging as it may sound, as they say, the show must go on.”

In the early stages of the quarantine period, TNJ was able to upload archival clips from its past productions. “Good thing we have documented our past shows,” Angeles said. “But recording quality is an issue. Documented files are different from well-filmed footages that are to be consumed by the public. Other than that, it’s a completely different experience of watching a show live as compared to watching it on screen.”

However, despite those challenges, TNJ is in the process of exploration. “Hopefully with ‘Bakunawa Rising,’ we can still [re]connect with our audiences and keep up with the online engagement food chain,” Angeles said.

Angeles assured that the development of the musical will continue. “Once the pandemic is over, we hope to go back and start rehearsing,” Angeles said. “We are thrilled to see the musical in its entirety.”