MANILA, PHILIPPINES — Truth be told, everyone loves a villain origin story — which is not to say that every villain needs redemption. For its maiden theater production, The Corner Studio undertook the feat of revisiting the trial and crucifixion of Jesus Christ through the eyes of Poncio Pilato.

Taking something static and turning it into a full-fledged musical, “Pilato” is not a strip back on a character so fixed in the sacred literature but a prod into whether Poncio Pilato should be viewed with the steadfast judgment of hypocrisy.

The play opens with the arrival of Pilato to the Roman prefecture of Judea with the determination to impose the imperial rule. The audience is immediately taken back to his motivation on why he was destined for greatness: his upbringing, his wife’s aspirations, and the hunger to build a legacy. Although met with disheartening bouts, he slowly reveals a ruler disposed to violence to show his authority. He is put to the test when Hesus enters Jerusalem and he sees an opportunity to further himself into power.

The production was deliberate from the run time, stage direction, musical choices. This can be seen from the messianic entrance of Pilato — elevated in the upstage center, lit from all sides — and most evident in the dramatic sequence when the parallel between Pilato and Hesus was made apparent.

Under Eldrin Veloso’s hand, Pilato (played by Jerome Ferguson) is transformed into a man who cannot be immediately dismissed. Ferguson displays the full range of the character from a bright young man infatuated with his wife, a calculating neophyte, to the insecure ruler hardened by his position. To the best of his beliefs, Pilato acted with not his own accord but in response to the people he governed.

The seriousness of the show occasionally breaks with the presence of the three advisors Marcus (Ard Lim), Publius (Marit Samson), and Decimus (Chan Rabutazo) injecting humor and context into every scene they participate in, most notable when Pilato welcomes Herodes (Thor Gancheros) into Judea and the advisors dissect and annotate the two’s dialogue — the most entertaining point with seamless quick change in lights and sounds and quips from Publius.

The play follows the traditional structure of a musical with much time dedicated to laying the groundwork in the introduction of its setting and characters. Meanwhile, the latter, albeit familiar in the audience’s minds, step into the stage with new dimension that go beyond the Gospel’s pages.

Christy Lagapa’s Procla shows the duality of an ambitious woman and a faithful wife, serving as the only character that humanizes Pilato beyond the otherwise petty tyrant he is painted to be. Onyl Torres as the historiographer Josepo, consistently performs with vigorous voice and verve, only breaking his objective presence in the most emotionally charged scene of the show.

Nailing the casting with Noel Rayos as Hesus deserving of his well-sung ballad and owning the stage with his vocal prowess.

While the play is set beyond ages, political themes of today are reflected in the play such as the building of infrastructure as a farce of good governance (no matter whose treasury was robbed in the process) and the ultimate heartbeat of the production: the permanence of truth and how it’s set in stone.

“Information comes to us in countless forms and modes. But how do we sift through the chaos to uncover the truth? Would we even recognize the truth if we meet it face-to- face?” shared writer-director Eldrin Veloso.

Thanks to Veloso’s direction, the play nudges for reflection without it being too on the nose. It trusts its audience to be the discerning force in what ultimately boils down to a question of conviction and salvation. The tremolo after the question can the act be separated from the intent is an effective case-in-point.

Fit for the setting of the show, the music is cinematic in treatment. Moreover, Its instrumentation too, relying on pipe organs, percussion, and horn fanfare, is very stately; one particular sequence proved dramatic after taking cues from Carmina Burana.

With Pauline Arejola’s direction, there is a delicate balance achieved by the original music (composed by Yanni Robeniol) that does not drown the vocals of the cast — best demonstrated Pilato’s reprise of his redeeming qualities juxtaposed with the crucifixion of Hesus.

In the end, “Pilato” begs the question of who he would have been if it were not for the role he played in the trial of Jesus Christ. While infamous for the washing of his hands and cleansing himself of his guilt, Plato’s story is no less deserving of being told.

The Corner Studio’s “Pilato” is running until April 13 with 3 pm and 8 pm shows at the PETA Theater Center. Grab your tickets here.

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