With Reverse Card being staged in a black box theater in a dingy area, one would be inclined to believe something illicit was about to unfold. It does, in a theatrical sense.

Inherently part of the queer experience is the negotiation for space. Whether it is emotional, physical, or narrative, the queer experience involves the constant assertion of one’s right to exist fully. 

Reverse Card sees Marvin, a gay author, invite his former classmate John to his home. A confrontation soon follows.

Devastating battle

Actor-turned-director Paul Jake Paule transforms playwright Chase Kyle Loza’s script into a tense 1hr 10-minute play. 

The two-hander is billed as a ‘devastating battle,’ which plays out as described. Much of the play is a conversation between Marvin and John, and it is engaging.

Direction from Paul Jake Paule ensures the tension never slackens. The audience is kept on edge as the play progresses. The script, while seemingly grounded in lived queer experiences, could have been tightened for greater impact. Some conversations felt circular in nature, and the play’s shift in gears from vulnerability to aggression suffers as a result. 

Nonetheless though, the script is an unflinching rumination on queer pain. It also captures the fears and thoughts of today’s generation.

Even a worm will turn

Artist Playground prides itself, on its tenth anniversary, as a space for talent at every stage. This is true and evident. 

As Marvin, Gerhard Krysstopher delivers a performance steeped in emotional restraint. He is a volatile force, but only when pushed. He is the embodiment of the phrase “even a worm will turn,” which says that even the most quiet or gentle will retaliate if they are pushed too far.

Gerhard Krysstopher resists the temptation to overplay Marvin and his trauma. Yet when Marvin does break, the moment feels earned and real. Genuinely startling was when he shouted for the first time. His portrayal refuses to paint Marvin as a mere victim, and this is needed. 

While many carry the weight of trauma, they also carry agency and desire. Gerhard Krysstopher plays Marvin not as a one-dimensional victim, but as someone grappling with an array of complex emotions that range from anger to pride.

Insidious cruelty

Gerald Magallanes also makes his Artist Playground debut as John. The character, described as Marvin’s long-time bully, is the embodiment of those who always puts people down. 

As John, Gerald Magallanes plays the character with an unsettling charm. Gerald Magallanes plays John with a quiet confidence, and this is precisely what makes his portrayal effective. 

He captures the kind of cruelty that hides behind a smile, the kind that insists “it was a long time ago.” This makes his cruelty feel even more insidious.  

It is also terrifying how deeply ordinary the character of John feels. Gerald Magallanes portrays his character as someone akin to familiar figures in our life. These familiar figures who minimize us, belittle us. 

As a combination, the two actors meet each other. Their chemistry sustains the play’s claustrophobic energy. It is a push-and-pull that keeps the audience at the edge of their seat.

Emphasizing trauma and emotions

The minimalist set – a bedroom and a dining room only kept separate by a door – forces the audience’s attention onto the performances. Its sparseness works to its advantage.

Projections from Christian Silang also work in emphasizing trauma, while lights from John Denver Martin do wonders in further conveying the characters’ emotional states. These deepen the storytelling, and Reverse Card, thus, is not only heard. 

Thanks to these, we feel Marvin’s swath of emotions more deeply and uncomfortably. What emerges is a sensory experience whose complexities linger. 

Further Information

Artist Playground’s Reverse Card had performances on August 2, and will have performances on August 3, 2025 at 3PM and 7PM. It is staged at the Black Box Theater of Quezon City’s Erehwon Center for the Arts.

Tickets are priced at PHP 1,500. Tickets can be bought at Ticket2Me or via showbuyer Marco Rivera through 0998-862-6834.

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