More than 2,000 years later, a question uttered by one of history’s most divisive figures still echoes with chilling relevance: “Ano ba ang katotohanan?” — What is truth?
This question lies at the heart of Pilato, an all-original Filipino musical set to captivate audiences in a time when misinformation spreads at lightning speed and truth wears many faces.
“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?” writer-director Eldrin Veloso said in an interview.
As Holy Week invites national reflection and the Philippines edges closer to the pivotal 2025 elections, Pilato arrives as a searing meditation on truth, layered, uncomfortable, and deeply human. Through haunting melodies and lyrical storytelling, it asks audiences to examine the choices they make as individuals and as a collective society.
Told from the perspective of Poncio Pilato, the Roman governor who presided over the trial of Jesus Christ, the musical reimagines what is often called the “greatest story ever told” as a wrenching internal battle between power and conscience, doubt and duty.
“Essentially, that is what the play hopes to put out there, a journey that dares to unravel the mystery of truth’s many faces. With our society on the brink of a post-truth era, I believe this is a story that demands to be told, now more than ever,” Veloso said.
The narrative follows Pilato’s rise from his early ambitions in Rome to his troubled appointment as prefect of Judea, a province roiled by unrest and brimming with religious tension. At every turn, Pilato faces pressure from a chorus of compelling figures: the enigmatic historiographer Josepo; the calculating high priest Caiaphas; his prescient wife, Procla; and Hesus, a magnetic presence rumored to be the King of the Jews.
With a cast blending seasoned stage veterans and rising theater talents, Pilato invites both the heart and mind on a journey that asks what it means to confront truth and live with its consequences.
This marks the theatrical debut of The Corner Studio, a creative agency long known for its distinctive work in branding, production, marketing and design. With Pilato, the studio brings its signature storytelling craft to a bold new platform: the stage.
Pilato runs April 4 to 6 and 11 to 13, with shows at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. at the PETA Theater Center in Quezon City. Follow Pilato on social media for ticket information, updates and behind-the-scenes content.
