By: Abby Ramos, Eddlyan Talla

Theater has always thrived on illusion, but Ang Babae sa Septic Tank 4 delights in tearing that illusion apart. Presented by PETA, the latest installment of the beloved Septic Tank franchise transforms the stage into a chaotic playground where artistic ambition, and the realities of producing theater collide.

Starting off within Eugene Domingo’s home, the main leads gather around for a major project pitch. While throwing ideas at one another, the audience draws in laughs while their conversations overlap with each other.

As actors slip in and out of characters and reality constantly blurs, the production satirizes the inner workings of the Philippine theater industry, and the often messy process of creating art. Hilarious and self-aware, the play ultimately becomes a heartfelt tribute to the love-hate relationship artists share with their craft.

Eugene Domingo showcases her versatility when it comes to theater. During the run, she even acted as a partygoer who rocks sunglasses, giving a nod to the “cool Gen Z’s” aesthetic. Her commanding stage presence and impeccable comedic timing amidst the play’s deliberate chaos, Domingo never loses control, and makes every moment feel intentional 

For JC Santos, the highly-accomplished theater actor showed no problem switching from different personas and characters. Even acting out as an American voyager, Santos definitely made the audience for more.

The role of the “Ugeng-gengs”, a group of underprivileged individuals whom Domingo picked up from the street, also brought an important layer to the play. Often showing their loyalty to Domingo, the banters and lines they throw at each other made the play more colorful. 

During the curtain call, the air was filled with triumph and joy. Other than successfully running a two-and-a-half hour play, the actors’ faces were beaming with gratitude. The cast sustains an extraordinary level of energy across its two-and-a-half-hour runtime, a testament to the stamina required to execute such an ambitious piece.

If the play occasionally stumbles, it is largely due to the industry-specific jokes that may not land for everyone. Especially members unfamiliar with those spaces, creating moments where the satire feels more exclusive than universal. Its commentary would have been stronger had it extended beyond the industry to examine the broader cultural forces shaping the arts today.

Even so, those minor reservations hardly diminish what the production ultimately accomplishes. Ang Babae sa Septic Tank 4 is, above all, a heartfelt tribute to theater itself—its chaos, its frustrations, its triumphs, and the passionate people who dedicate themselves to keeping it alive.