ON THE 7th of July, Tanghalang Ateneo’s latest production Mga Multo had its final run in the Black Box Theatre of Arete, closing its limited ten-show run. A hauntingly spectacular Filipino rendition of Ghosts by Henrik Ibsen, Mga Multo urges audiences to address the ghosts in their lives.

Mga Multo follows the unraveling of the Alvino family. Senyora Elena Alvino, the lady of the house, prepares the funeral rites of her seemingly reputable husband, Captain Alvino. Meanwhile, behind closed doors, her son, Oswaldo, becomes entangled in an affair with their maid, Regina. As the story progresses and we become more familiar with the Alvino household, slowly, the curtains draw and the dreadful truths of the Alvino family come to light.

In the dim and solemn space of the Doreen Black Box stood the stage, with a set entirely veiled in sheer fabric, providing an eerie atmosphere fit for ghosts. As cast members emerged, dressed in various shades of funeral black, the stage immediately established an imposing and somber tone.

Despite the minimal stage setup, the cast delivered a full and powerful performance. The use of vivid lighting and climactic sound design ensured that each act of the three-part play remained distinct. Veteran actors, Miren Alvarez-Fabregas, Yan Yuzon, Joseph Dela Cruz, Mark Aranal, and Sabrina Basilio, commanded the stage with each line, fully captivating the audience and immersing them in the Alvino household’s web of sweet lies and horrifying truths.

Although the original text is written in Danish, the message of Ghosts by Ibsen transcends borders and penetrates cultures. It speaks of maternal love and what one is willing to do, or to hide, for the sake of one’s family. It urges us to look beyond how our actions within the confines of our homes may impact society in the long run.

Every family has skeletons in their closets, and the Alvino household is no different. The play challenges the concept of generational curses, as Captain Alvino’s memory and actions continue to haunt the family’s bloodline even after his passing. But is there meaning and truth in generational curses beyond pure superstition? Mga Multo argues otherwise.

While we may be subject to the legacies and faults of our forefathers, it is ultimately our decision to find our own paths beyond them. Senyora Elena Alvino takes the apparent right choice to cover up her late husband’s lecherous actions to protect her son from the consequences of his father’s actions. Nevertheless, he suffers from these sins all the same, as he contracts an incurable illness allegedly inherited from his father’s curse.

Mga Multo tells us that we all face ghosts in our lives — in all shapes and forms. Whether through seemingly minuscule mishaps that translate into generational trauma or in the ways we seek to shape our legacies in light of our family’s history, there are ghosts planted even in the very corners of our homes. Mga Multo implores us to address these ghosts instead of shoving them under the rug in hopes of a clean slate. With the fate of future generations in our hands, it will be our actions that dictate if the weight of our ghosts will be theirs to carry.

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