IN SHOW BUSINESS, there is always a price for fame.
Yet, the reality remains: the higher stars get, the harder they fall.
Mediartrix-UST staged its latest musical production, Ayoko Kay Helena, at the UST Education Auditorium on Feb. 4, 6, and 7.
Written by Psychology sophomore Benedict Pami and Nutrition and Dietetics junior Dominique Jose, the play fuses the Greek mythology of Helen of Troy with pop elements to reimagine the harsh practices of the entertainment industry.
In Kaimito Boulevard—the heart of music and pop culture—Athena (Darlene Rivera, Industrial Engineering freshman), Hera (Cheska Antonio, Communication junior), and Helena (Riccy Belmonte, Accountancy sophomore) of the girl group Diyosa rise to become the next set of superstars.
Ayoko Kay Helena’s misleading premise of surface-level production explores how the industry exploits stars through unimaginable means. After showing that Diyosa was sabotaged during its performance, the play highlights how managers seize such vulnerable opportunities to exploit their talents, just as Paris (Louis Pinto, Behavioral Science senior), the group manager, forced the three girls to attend a laundering scheme disguised as a charity event.
The transition from the sabotage to the charity event initially created tension, but it quickly evaporated as the sequence stalled. What should have been an addition to the foundation established for Helena’s entrapment felt like a forced intermission that diluted the momentum.
The narrative trades tension for hollow spectacle during the original song, Welcome to the Party. By prioritizing the “idol” personas of the male characters, the production misses the opportunity to expose the suffocating control of Paris and Emman over the girls. The choice to focus on the flashy performance dilutes the predatory nature of these men, turning what should have been a portrait of manipulation into a mere distraction.
Although brave, introducing a laundering scheme felt unnecessary. While it aimed to heighten the drama, the plot point was ultimately unnecessary and served only to distract from the systemic issues within the pop industry.
By adding a laundering scheme as a subplot, Ayoko Kay Helena steers away from illustrating how idols are also human and that they are not born to only entertain. Aga, in particular, felt completely out of place, adding no depth to a story already heavy with untapped potential.
Stripping away the glitter, the play functions as a sharp feminist critique of the “idol” as a mere spectacle. The women of Ayoko Kay Helena are glamorous, but each harbors an insecurity rooted in how society perceives them.
Mama Venus (Jes Padua, Communication senior) is a former idol who was cast out of the spotlight as she succumbed to the industry’s unforgiving age standards; Athena fears that she cannot be loved if she presents her authentic self; and Helena, the most famous of the girls, carries the weight of public perception, moving under intense critical gaze.
Ayoko Kay Helena also grazes the surface of media hypocrisy and the power of fandoms in shaping idols’ careers. When Helena had her mishap on stage, the media and fans immediately rushed to cover for her, ensuring she maintained her status as a Diyosa.
However, as soon as a controversy emerged, the same supporters were the first to tear her down. This shift mirrors the reality of social media and the prevalent cancel culture that can shatter careers in mere seconds.
One of Ayoko Kay Helena’s strengths is its set design, especially the girls’ dressing room. Upon seeing the set, it feels lived-in and messy, encapsulating the chaos that happens behind the scenes to create the perfect performance.
However, the blocking throughout the play was a hit-or-miss. During musical numbers that emulated on-stage performances, the group, together with the ensemble, looked organized. But during sequences that are meant to depict the world beyond the stage, the blocking felt crowded. This clutter made it difficult to focus on the character’s emotions or the actual scene at hand.
The costumes also stood out, looking like they were taken straight from a real pop star’s wardrobe. Interestingly, the Diyosa members’ color palette felt reminiscent of the famous Huntrix girls from the 2025 film K-Pop Demon Hunters. This reference, whether intentional or not, allows viewers to perceive the Diyosa members as actual idols rather than actors playing a part.
Despite the intense drama they face, the girls only rotate between two outfits from start to finish. While a costume change might signify Helena’s downward spiral, keeping the wardrobe static suggests a different meaning: no matter how much the industry tried to break them, the girls remained the same people on the inside.
Another key aspect of this production was the use of a live band. Although the band heightened the play’s intensity, the technical execution occasionally faltered. At times, the band drowned out the actors’ vocals, leaving some lyrics unintelligible. During sequences meant to build tension and excitement, the music overpowered the dialogue, creating a barrier between the narrative instead of supporting it. Songs like Makinig Ka Muna and Kahit si Helena, Ayaw Kay Helena became the play’s emotional anchor, reminding the audience that there are humans behind the idols we adore.
While Ayoko Kay Helena takes inspiration from the Greek myth of Helen of Troy, it functions as a modern rethinking of the story. The production references Greek figures through its characters’ names, but it breaks away from the myth’s original themes. Instead of being reclaimed by a man, Helena completely breaks free from Paris and the industry entirely. This transforms the narrative from a story of possession into hard-won independence.
Ultimately, the play is an ambitious attempt to peel back the layers of the pop industry. It successfully showed the realities of being a pop idol without any sugarcoating.
Despite being drawn from a myth, the production stands as an original work; in this story, Helena actually finds freedom, breaking free from the shackles of the men who tried to define her. F – Bettina Katryn Reyes
