Can AI Help You Grieve? This Upcoming Play From the Producers of Mula Sa Buwan Asks This Question

(SPOT.ph) There’s no heartbreak quite like losing someone you love—and if you’ve ever caught yourself wishing there were a way to keep them close, even after they’re gone, this new production from Barefoot Theatre Collaborative might hit a little too close to home.

anthropology, written by Lauren Gunderson, is making its Manila run this March—and it’s for anyone who’s ever grieved so deeply they’d consider crossing ethical lines—going as far as employing AI—just to hold on. If that already sounds like something you’d spiral over, here’s why you shouldn’t sleep on this critically acclaimed show.

Also read: How AI Helped Me Grieve My Wife's Passing

Can AI help you grieve? That's exactly the question posed by Lauren Gunderson's anthropology, a contemporary sci-fi, psychological thriller play that merges technology with the deep ache of family grief. The play centers on Merril, a brilliant AI programmer who refuses to accept the disappearance and death of her sister, Angie. Using her expertise, she recreates Angie using artificial intelligence—sound familiar? But what starts out as a simple coping mechanism turns into an obsession with a digital ghost of a dearly departed.

This production is slowly starting to sound like a must-watch for anyone who's ever longed for one more conversation with someone they lost. But in a world where generative AI's moral backdrop (or lack thereof) is laid out plainly, this production might just shatter any delusions that AI can ever replace a lost love.

Barefoot Theatre Collaborative's anthropology stars an all-female cast led by Jenny Jamora as Merril and Maronne Cruz as her sister Angie. Joining them are Mikkie Bradshaw-Volante as Raquel, Merril’s ex-girlfriend and the voice of reason, and Jackie Lou Blanco as Brin, Merril and Angie’s estranged mother.

Heading the production is Caisa Borromeo. She is joined by D Cortezano as Technical Director and Lighting Design, Sarah Facuri for Production Design, Arvy Dimaculangan for Sound Design, CueCraft, and Steven Tansiongco for Video Design.

anthropology by Lauren Gunderson will be staged for strictly 15 performances only (Friday to Sunday) from March 13 to 29, at the Doreen Black Box, Areté in Quezon City.

Tickets to the show are now available online starting at P2,200.

As a special treat for early ticket buyers, Barefoot Theatre Collaborative is running an early-bird special from today until February 19, offering tickets at a discount.

Here are the early-bird ticket prices for Lauren Gunderson's anthropology:

• Standard seats: P1,900 instead of P2,200

• Premium seats: P2,200 instead of P2,500

For more information, visit Barefoot Theatre Collaborative's Facebook page.

Also read: Your Ultimate Guide To Theater Shows in the Philippines in 2026