Filipino American actor-director Sara Porkalob sweeps 2018 Gregory Awards

By WALTER ANG
Oct. 31, 2018
USA and Canada Section, Inquirer.net
https://usa.inquirer.net/16281/fil-am-actor-director-sara-porkalob-sweeps-18-gregory-awards

SEATTLE — Filipino American actress, director and playwright Sara Porkalob has won three 2018 Gregory Awards for her musical "Dragon Lady."

Sara Porkalob wrote and acted in "Dragon Lady."
Photo by Tim Aguero

She won Outstanding Actress in a Musical for the production which she wrote and acted in. The show, which has music composed by Pete Irving, also won Outstanding Musical Production.

Winning Outstanding Sound/Music Design for the musical were Irving, Erin Bednarz and Matt Starritt.

Named after Gregory Falls, founding artistic director of A Contemporary Theatre (ACT) and a former chair of University of Washington's School of Drama, the awards are administered and produced by Theatre Puget Sound (TPS).

In a Facebook post, Porkalob wrote, "I'm thankful for TPS and for all of the individuals in our community who pull off with aplomb this humongous event that many of our community look forward to every year."

Gangster lola

"Dragon Lady" is about the story of Porkalob's Filipino gangster grandmother. She wrote the play to "honor and celebrate where we came from and who we are."

Porkalob (seated) with Seattle-based Filipino American theater makers
(from left) Jojo Abaoag, Eloisa Cardona, Linda Cardona-Rigor,
Justin Huertas, Annelih Hamilton, Don Darryl Rivera,
Christi Cruz and Mikko Juan.
Photo by John Cornicello

The musical was staged in 2017 for Intiman Theatre and was directed by Andrew Russell, the company's artistic director. That same year, Porkalob was co-curator for the company.

A native of Bremerton, Washington, Porkalob moved to Seattle to take up theatre at Cornish College of the Arts. It was during her senior year when "Dragon Lady" began to germinate, incarnating initially as a seven-minute piece.

Through the years, the piece had gone through different titles and formats such as a cabaret and a dinner-theater piece before emerging as a musical.

Porkalob's recent credits for acting include "String" (Village Threatre) and "Howl's Moving Castle" (Book-it Repertory Theatre); directing credits include "Inside Out and Back Again" (Book-it Repertory Theatre) and "Persimmon Nights" (Café Nordo).

Thankful

Excerpts from her acceptance speech include, "Thank you to every single person in this city who has supported my original work and to the matriarch of my family, Maria Elena Porkalob Sr.

Sara Porkalob won three Gregory Awards
for her musical "Dragon Lady,"
including Outstanding Musical Production.

"We have an administration that is weighing a move to define gender as strictly biological, denying the very basis of transgender identity. Families are still being torn apart at the border. Survivors speak their truth and their abusers walk free into influential positions of power. Innocent black people die every day at the hands of police brutality.

"Our regional theaters wonder how to make 'equity and justice' more than a chapter title in their HR [human resources] manual, and still consider 'diverse' audiences 'outreach' rather than just their audience. Regional theaters wonder how to make their donor base more diverse and yet they're not willing to lose some, if not all, of their white donors in order to do so.

"I say this because all art is political-and you can fight me on that. For it to be anything else is a privilege. We must support and share queer, trans, POC [people of color], disabled, bilingual, indigenous, intergenerational, immigrant, black stories because our city and our nation is wealthy with them. They've existed for hundreds of years. And they're the future."

Others

Filipino American actor Ray Tagavilla was nominated this year for Best Supporting Actor for his work in "King of the Yees" for ACT.

Hosting the awards ceremony at Marion Oliver McCaw Hall was Fil-Am actor Don Darryl Rivera-he originated and has been playing Iago in Disney's "Aladdin" on Broadway since the show opened in 2014.

Rivera won Best Supporting Actor last year for playing Sancho Panza in 5th Avenue Theatre's "Man of La Mancha." (Porkalob hosted last year with Fil-Am composer and actor Justin Huertas).

In 2019, American Repertory Theater in Boston will produce "Dragon Lady" and "Dragon Mama," Porkalob's play about her mother and the second in her planned trilogy about her "mixed, Filipino, immigrant, poor, black, queer family."


READ about Sara Porkalob and her gangster Filipino grandmother here.

READ about Ray Tagavilla in "Persimmon Nights" here.

READ about Justin Huertas composing the music for 'Howl's Moving Castle' here.

READ about Don Darryl Rivera, the Filipino American winner at last year's Gregory Awards, here.

SF's Bindlestiff stages play on undocumented Filipina workers

By WALTER ANG
Oct. 23, 2018
USA and Canada Section, Inquirer.net
https://usa.inquirer.net/16134/sfs-bindlestiff-stages-play-on-undocumented-filipina-workers

SAN FRANCISCO — Bindlestiff Studio is staging "Chasing Papeles," a play that tackles the tribulations of three Filipino women in the US who have undocumented immigrant status.

Bindlestiff Studio is staging "Chasing Papeles."

"Papeles" is a Filipino colloquial term for "documents." Written and directed by Andrea Almario, the play is about Leah, who arrives in America with hopes of supporting her family in the Philippines. She works at a senior care home with Nora and Flor, two other undocumented women workers.

In a statement, Bindlestiff Studio describes the play as a "humanizing and revealing look into the hopes, dreams and disillusions of chasing the American Dream."

With this production, Bindlestiff Studio also wants to bring awareness to recent cases of human trafficking, exploitation and sexual assault of undocumented workers in the Bay Area.

Struggles

"As both writer and director, I created a patchwork of familiar struggles from my family's journey," said Almario. The play is based on her own family's experience with undocumented immigrant status.

"The undocumented immigrant narrative is still very much unknown. Recent changes in immigration policies have resulted in an unprecedented number of detention and deportation in U.S. history."

In the statement, Almario noted, "'Chasing Papeles' aims to stand in solidarity with the immigration rights movement to include the marginalized narratives of Filipinos often left out of the media. The stigma attached to being undocumented and the risk of telling this story cultivate an environment of silence and repression. My goal is to break that silence and to shed light on the shadowed experiences of Filipina migrant workers in the US."

Homecoming

Almario first developed the play as her thesis two years ago when she was taking up theater and performance studies at University of California-Berkeley.

This staging is a homecoming for her in many different ways as she and her sister, Aureen, both attended various workshops for writing, acting, stand-up comedy and directing at Bindlestiff in their youth.

"Chasing Papeles" is a play about three Filipino women
in the US with undocumented immigrant status.

The siblings have both performed for multiple productions for Bindlestiff. Aureen is currently artistic director for the group and is co-directing the play.

The production not only reunites Andrea with her sister, but also with her mother, Rose (who is playing Flor), both of whom were in the cast of the campus production two years ago.

Collaborators

Playing Leah is real-life nurse and community organizer Akiko Aspillaga, who also has personal experience with undocumented immigrant status.

Also in the cast are Lynie Abadilla, Giancarlo Cariola, Amianan Daus-Magbual, Lauren Garcia, Edu Ibazeta, Felicia Jacobe, Johnny Nguyen, Sunshine Roque, Patrick Silvestre.

Music direction by James Dumlao, costume design by Joyce Juan-Manalo, lighting design by Dave Ragaza, set design by Joel Cammarata.

It is sponsored in part by the San Francisco Arts Commission, Grants for the Arts, Mayor's Office of Housing and Community Development, the Fleishhacker Foundation and the Zellerbach Family Foundation.

October is Filipino American History Month, as advocated by the Filipino American National Historical Society since the 1980s. The history of Bindlestiff Studio's transformation into an "epicenter for Filipino American performing arts" is included in the book Barangay to Broadway: Filipino American Theater History available in hardcover, paperback and ebook formats at Amazon.com.

"Chasing Papeles" runs Nov. 2-17 at Bindlestiff Studio, 185 Sixth St., San Francisco. Visit BindlstiffStudio.org.


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Broadway Barkada soars with 'Lumipad' dance showcase

By WALTER ANG
Oct. 20, 2018
USA and Canada Section, Inquirer.net
https://usa.inquirer.net/16067/broadway-barkada-soars-with-lumipad-dance-showcase

NEW YORK — Filipino American performing arts group Broadway Barkada is producing an evening of dance pieces titled "Lumipad: A Pinoy Night of Dance."

Rommel O'Choa is in the cast of "My Fair Lady" at the Lincoln Center.

The program consists of modern, lyrical, jazz, cultural and many other styles.

"This is our sixth production of our Take Flight Initiative," says Liz Casasola, one of the group's three cofounders.

"The initiative is about 'spreading your wings' as an artist and sharing one's own vision. Broadway Barkada aims to give these artists a platform to do just that.

"In believing in your unique story to tell, the first step-taking that risk-can be the hardest. Broadway Barkada creates that safe space for the artist to share their works-in-progress.

"With 'Lumipad,' Broadway Barkada is excited to bring together the New York Filipino dance community."

Choreographers

Choreographers include Billy Bustamante, LaMae Caparas, Cynthia Casasola, Karla Garcia, Lydia Gaston, Albert Guerzon, Arianne Meneses, Marc Andrew Nuñez, Rommel Pierre O'Choa, Syville Padayao, Bennyroyce Royon.

Karla Garcia is a swing in the Broadway musical "Hamilton."

These dance and movement makers are all members of Broadway Barkada. Bustamante is one of the cofounders (the third cofounder is Brian Jose).

Also participating is Sining Kapuluan, a Fil-Am educational, cultural and arts group based in Brooklyn.

On Broadway, Rommel Pierre O'Choa is currently in the cast of "My Fair Lady" at the Lincoln Center while Karla Garcia is a swing at "Hamilton." A swing is an actor who learns all the different parts that are played by several actors and takes their place whenever any of them are absent (whether planned or sudden).

LaMae Caparas just concluded a national tour of "The King and I" that starred Jose Llana as the King of Siam and Joan Almedilla as Lady Thiang.

Plays and dance

In New York, Bustamante and Casasola recently completed a staged reading of Fil-Am playwright Linda Faigao-Hall's play "Dance Me!" in September with Out of the Box Theatrics in New York.

Bennyroyce Royon choreographs for dance company Ballet Hispanico.

With Casasola in the cast, Bustamante directed the play about a family of Fil-Am ballroom dancers and dance studio owners in Queens, New York.

Also in New York, Lydia Gaston will be in the cast of Urban Stages' "A Deal" this November with fellow Fil-Am actor Alan Ariano. The play is a dark comedy about a family who buys a home in New York.

Bennyroyce Royon recently choreographed a piece for dance company Ballet Hispanico titled "Homebound/Alaala" where he explored "bayanihan (the spirit of communal unity), the resilience of women in our society, overcoming hardship, and the feeling of being home."

Casasola adds, "'Lumipad' will be an evening of getting to know the choreographers and their process. 'Lumipad' is about building community and sharing."

Arianne Meneses is part of Broadway Barkada's 2018 dance showcase "Lumipad."

After "Lumipad," the group is planning a December installment of its "Balikbayan" concert series in Washington, DC (it staged an installment in Los Angeles earlier this year).

October is Filipino American History Month, as advocated by the Filipino American National Historical Society since the 1980s. Broadway Barkada's founding history is included in the book Barangay to Broadway: Filipino American Theater History, available in hardcover, paperback and ebook formats at Amazon.com.

"Lumipad" is on Oct. 21 at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Studio 5D, 5th Floor, Joan Weill Center for Dance, 405 W. 55th St., New York. Visit Fb.com/BroadwayBarkada.


READ about Broadway Barkada's concert in Los Angeles earlier this year here.

READ about Linda Faigao Hall's play "Dance Me!" here.

Filipino American playwright-actor Orlando Pabotoy tackles fatherhood, politics—in a bathroom

By WALTER ANG
Oct. 12, 2018
USA and Canada Section, Inquirer.net
https://usa.inquirer.net/15928/fil-playwright-actor-tackles-fatherhood-politics-bathroom

NEW YORK — Filipino American actor Orlando Pabotoy will tackle politics, father-and-son relationships, language appreciation and Shakespeare in his play "Sesar."

Orlando Pabotoy wrote and acts in the play "Sesar."

He takes on acting duties in addition to writing the play in this staging by Ma-Yi Theater Company. Ma-Yi won the Ross Wetzsteon Award from the 63rd annual Obie Awards earlier this year (READ about it here.)

The work depicts the story of a teenaged Filipino boy who locks himself in the bathroom after having seen an excerpt of Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar" on a television show.

The boy's father, an ex-politician, joins him. The father then uses his own experiences to explain the life of the Roman general-turned-emperor and instructs his son about power, ambition and life.

Collaborations

Pabotoy first collaborated with Ma-Yi when he played the lead in their staging of "peregriNasyon" (a play about the Filipinos who immigrated to the US and worked as farm laborers in the 1920s and 1930s) in the late 1990s.

Scale model of the set of "Sesar" designed by Junghyun Lee.

His other acting credits for the group include "Middle Finger," "Savage Acts," "Watcher," and the title role in the original staging of "The Romance of Magno Rubio" (a play based on a short story by Carlos Bulosan) for which he received a Special Citation (along with the entire cast) from the Obie Awards.

Pabotoy also directs, is cofounder of The Clown School in Los Angeles, is founding artistic director of Artigiani Troupe in New York, and teaches acting at The Juilliard School (his alma mater). He's worked at theaters across the country such as The Public, Yale Rep, the Guthrie and Kirk Douglas.

Home and family

"Sesar" began when Pabotoy was awarded a Fox Fellowship residency at Ma-Yi several years ago where he began developing what was then a loose construction of scenes around the idea of "home."

The fellowship grant had allowed him to return to his home province in the Philippines for research. Born in Bohol to a Filipino father and American mother, Pabotoy and his family moved to the U.S. when he was in his teens.

Some of the play's plot points draw parallels to Pabotoy's own life: His father was the town mayor. When Pabotoy was in his early teens, he saw Christopher Plummer on The Cosby Showreciting lines from "Julius Caesar" (Cassius' "The fault is not in our stars" speech). He was so taken that he also went to their bathroom to mull over and recite the same speech.

Nevertheless, Pabotoy says, "This play is not necessarily autobiographical."

What he intends it to be, instead, is to "truly honor a child's discovery of the beauty of poetry and language, specifically during chaotic times.

"That discovery is sparked by Shakespeare's `Julius Caesar' that then leads him-by the guidance of the father-to find the same appreciation in the Visayan language and the language of nature."

Pabotoy says he can't wait for his own family to see the play.

Safety and storms

"The bathroom is representative of the idea of 'home,'" he explains. "It offers privacy, safety in vulnerability, space to be one with your own thoughts, or to let the thoughts wander while you cleanse."

Pabotoy has collaborated with Ma-Yi Theater several times before.

"The trip to Bohol and Manila informed the sensorial development of 'Sesar' the most. It was two or three months after Typhoon Haiyan and the earthquake," he says.

The typhoon was known as Super Typhoon Yolanda in the Philippines. The earthquake was recorded at 7.2-magnitude.

"The thematic presence of storms in this play was influenced by that visit."

Listening and resonating

"Sesar" also touches on other themes that are currently in the headlines.

"It's not a show that aims to preach," he says. "Though that can't be helped when there are issues that are in the forefront of our consciousness," he says.

"I hope, above all, that the audience will enjoy the show and see a different take and light in `Julius Caesar' seen from the eyes of a 14-year old boy and his father.

"It's a very unique story of discovering true listening and the resonance of poetry when it is connected."

Current and historical

Other Filipino Americans involved in the production include sound designer Fabian Obispo. Directed by Richard Feldman, set and costume design by Junghyun Georgia Lee, lighting design by Oliver Wason and projection design by Dan Scully.

Ma-Yi's artistic director is Fil-Am Ralph Peña, who is directing "The Chinese Lady," which runs Nov. 7-18. The play is about Afong Moy, the "Chinese Lady" brought to the US in 1834 and put on display to the public for 45 years.

October is Filipino American History Month, as advocated by the Filipino American National Historical Society since the 1980s. Ma-Yi Theater Company's history is included in the book Barangay to Broadway: Filipino American Theater History, available in hardcover, paperback and ebook formats at Amazon.com.

"Sesar" runs Oct 20-Nov 1 at The Beckett Theatre, Theatre Row, 410 W. 42nd St., New York. Visit Ma-YiTheatre.org.

Filipino American theater director Jennifer Chang helms 'Vietgone' for East West Players

By WALTER ANG
Oct. 11, 2018
USA and Canada Section, Inquirer.net
https://usa.inquirer.net/15906/fil- director-helms-vietgone-east-west- players

LOS ANGELES — Filipino American theater director Jennifer Chang has returned to collaborate with East West Players, helming its upcoming production of "Vietgone."

Fil-Am Jennifer Chang directs "Vietgone" for East West Players.

Written by Qui Nguyen, the play spins a modern twist on the classic boy-meets-girl story: Quang and Tong are refugees fleeing the Vietnam War who meet and fall in love at a relocation camp in Arkansas.

"We are thrilled to present the Los Angeles premiere of 'Vietgone,' a play that delves into the heart of the Vietnamese refugee experience," says EWP artistic director Snehal Desai.

"Qui is an incredible storyteller with a unique, fresh voice. Inspired by how his parents met and fell in love, the play weaves personal history and a powerful narrative about immigration, war and forced relocation.

"We're so excited to open our new 2018-19 season-`Culture Shock'-with such a bold, daring play that is both funny and moving."

Cast includes Sylvia Kwan, Jane Lui, Scott Ly, Albert Park and Paul Yen.

Giving back

Chang recently concluded assistant directing duties in New York for the Broadway world premiere of "Bernhardt/Hamlet" for the Roundabout Theatre Company.

Sylvia Kwan rehearsing for a scene in "Vietgone."

"EWP has been my artistic home since I graduated from grad school," says Chang. She had studied for a master's in acting at University of California-San Diego (where she is currently head of its undergraduate acting department). Prior to that, Chang took up a double major in drama and psychology at New York University.

In 2008, Chang cofounded Chalk Repertory Theatre in Los Angeles and served as its artistic director until 2016.

"I've been so lucky to have been able to act, direct, and teach at EWP over the years. I feel seen as an artist and human being, and I also feel a great responsibility to give back to this incredible community."

American story

Chang was born in San Francisco into a Tagalog-speaking household that consisted of her Filipino parents "and my mother's siblings and parents," she says.

"My uncle was in the US Navy and petitioned my grandparents. They brought their other children over. My mother had already been able to come on a work visa; she's a nurse. We are a chain- migration story."

"'Vietgone' resonates with me so much and on so many levels," says Chang.

"The cast and I talk about how there is almost no acting required because we know so many aspects of its story.

"The names might be culturally specific, but the details parallel so many of our families' stories. And while the story is not literally us, it requires everything contained in us, standing on stage with our biological and artistic ancestors and descendants.

"One of the things that is so wonderful about this play is how much it claims a sense of belonging, that this is an American story: a story of immigrants, of musical theater via hip-hop, of refugees, of assimilation, of war heroes, a buddy flick and bromance, a 'rom-com,' and a celebration of the Asian man."

Upcoming

In addition to Chang, other Fil-Ams in the production include stage manager Jade Cagalawan and assistant stage manager Edward Khris Fernandez.

East West Players' cast of "Vietgone" rehearse fight choreography.

Costume design by Stephanie Nguyen, lighting design by Tom Ontiveros, set and projection design by Kaitlyn Pietras and Jason Thompson, composition by Arash Haile, sound design by John Zalewski, fight choreography by Thomas Isao Morinaka and Aaron Aoki.

"Rehearsals have been fantastic. For such an epic show with fight choreography, music rehearsals, and scene work . my cast, stage management team, and design team are incredible in every sense of the word. Everyone is working so hard and diligently on every aspect of the show," says Chang.

After "Vietgone," Chang will direct Eric Reyes Loo's "Death & Cockroaches" for Atwater Village Theatre in Los Angeles.

She will then return to New York to direct a one- act play by Mara Nelson-Greenberg as part of DirectorFest. "It will be part of my New York directing showcase to finish off my Drama League directing fellowship." (Chang had been chosen as one of 11 recipients for the league's 2018 fellowship.)

"Vietgone" runs Oct. 18-Nov. 11 at David Henry Hwang Theater, Union Center of the Arts, 120 Judge John Aiso St., Los Angeles. Visit Eastwestplayers.org.

'Padayon' to pay tribute to Parangal’s decade in native dance

By WALTER ANG
Oct. 5, 2018
USA and Canada Section, Inquirer.net
http://usa.inquirer.net/15806/padayon-pay-tribute-parangals-decade-native-dance

SAN FRANCISCO — When Eric Solano moved to Daly City, California from the Philippines with his family at 11 years old, he knew nothing of Philippine folk dances.

Parangal Dance Company celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2018.

"I learned it here [in the US] with Barangay Dance Company (founded by Bonifacio Valera, Jr.). It helped me connect with my roots and be proud of being Filipino," he says.

Solano, who was born in Manila and grew up in Aklan province, went on to receive further training with Manila-based dance groupsBayanihan Dance Company and Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group.

The love for dance and pride in being Filipino swelled to a point where, ten years ago, he and 11 other dancers cofounded Parangal Dance Company and he became its founding artistic director.

"We wanted to continue our passion for Philippine dances," he says. "'Parangal' is Tagalog for 'tribute,' and the group pays tribute to Filipino dance heritage by helping to preserve and promote it.

Celebration and culmination

"The turning point for the group was becoming aware about the indigenous peoples in Philippines," he says.

Eric Solano (right) is founding artistic director of Parangal Dance Company.

Parangal then focused its ethos to seeking out dances (and music and attire) straight from the source-or more to the point: sources. It has since visited communities and artists in the Philippines to learn directly from experts and "culture bearers" for research and inspiration.

For the group's tenth anniversary, it will stage "Padayon," a showcase of seasoned and new works.

"Padayon," explains Solano, is a word common among different languages in the Visayas region of the Philippines such as Cebuano, Hiligaynon, Waray and more. It means "move forward," "continue" or "persist."

"The show 'Padayon' is a celebration of a decade of Parangal's efforts to inspire through presenting the rich culture and traditions of Philippine indigenous peoples via stories, attire, music, and dance."

"The work we will present in 'Padayon' is a culmination of research and cultural immersion with indigenous peoples across the Philippines.

"We want to create awareness about them so we can connect and know more about our roots, to let the world know that the they are still there, and present Philippine dance and music with more integrity."

Timing and ties

Solano honors the different influences that continue to inform Parangal's work in this upcoming production, giving nods not just to Philippine heritage, but also to Filipino American history.

"We scheduled our show for October because it is Indigenous People's Month in the Philippines and Filipino American History Month in the United States," Solano explains.

The program includes pieces learned and inspired from the dances of indigenous peoples such as Ata Manobo, Bagobo-Tagabawa, Bakwit, Kalinga, and Panay Bukidnon.

One of the new works to be premiered during the show is "Kissa sin Kasi Lasa" ("Song of Love"), a Tausug (also spelled Ta'u Sug) courtship dance.

"There will be several pieces from Meranao and Maguindanao as well." Solano handled the choreography for the majority of the production's pieces.

Plight

Solano says it is important for Parangal to create awareness of the Philippine indigenous peoples' ongoing plights as well.

"In Mindanao, there have been displacement and evacuation of indigenous peoples due to environmental plunder, harassment, ancestral domain claims, and attacks and killings," he says.

The group will present "Bakwit," a piece featuring the choreography of Kim Requesto. "Bakwit" is a vernacular term that means "evacuations."

Communities

Guest artists include House of Gongs, Kulintang Academy of Little Manila Dance Collective, Faisal Monal from Maguindanao and Filipino American dancer Jenny Bawer Young, an expert on Kalinga culture.

Parangal Dance Company will stage "Padayon" in October
to celebrate its 10th anniversary.

"We hope to bring-through 'Padayon' and our work in general-Philippine culture and traditions to the hearts of the community in the San Francisco Bay Area and to the world!" announces Solano.

While "Padayon" will be the Parangal's biggest production for the year, it will padayon with more community engagement when it joins the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival in November. (The festival was founded by Filipino American Emilya Cachapero in the 1970s.)

"Padayon" is funded in part by California Arts Council and Alliance for California Traditional Arts.

"Padayon" has two shows on Oct. 6 at Scottish Rite Masonic Center, 2850 19th Ave., San Francisco. Visit Parangal.org.

Hardworking Filipino American Rodney To plays multiple roles in dramedy on workers’ woes

By WALTER ANG
Oct. 3, 2018
USA and Canada Section, Inquirer.net
http://usa.inquirer.net/15770/hardworking-fil-plays-multiple-roles-dramedy-workers-woes

LOS ANGELES — Filipino American Rodney To portrays several characters—including a food item—in the dramedy "American Hero," in the Los Angeles premiere of Bess Wohl's play at Pasadena Playhouse.

Rodney To (right) plays multiple roles in "American Hero."
Photo by Dean Cechvala

In the play, being staged by Iama Theatre Company until Oct. 21, a franchised sandwich shop is used as a microcosm of recession-era America-serving as commentary on the struggles and perseverance of the working class.

An overwhelmed immigrant franchisee and three disparate and desperate "sandwich artists" attempt to keep the store, and themselves, afloat.

Service industry

No spoilers on what food item To portrays in the show. However, it's not a spoiler to reveal that working in the food-service industry is not alien to To.

Rodney To has worked with theater groups across the country.

"My very first 'official' job ever was back in Chicago working at McDonald's. I was 14 and had to get a special permit to work. My mom didn't want me to, but I was insistent on making my own money."

After overcoming hurdles at home, he then had to face challenges in the workplace.

"I was such a little guy that I couldn't fit into the size 28-inch pants, so on my first day I panicked because smallest size pants they had were still too big on me."

But he did not let costume, er, uniform issues stop him. "I took the shoelaces off my shoes, tied them together, and used that as a belt."

Baptism of fire

The determination to get and to stay at the job came with a literal baptism of fire.

"When you worked at McDonald's back then, you started at the grill making the larger burgers, like Quarter Pounders. I remember I was too short to reach far back on the grill to flip burgers and I burned my arm several times. I was the worst burger-maker ever."

It is perhaps to the benefit of fast-food chain patrons, theatergoers and To himself that To shifted to acting and directing.

Now based in Los Angeles, To's recent theater credits include "One of the Nice Ones" for Echo Theater Company and "Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them" (written by Fil-Am playwright A. Rey Pamatmat) for theater group Artists at Play.

Last year, he directed Fil-Am playwright Boni Alvarez's play "Fixed" for Echo Theater Company.

To has worked across the country, collaborating with groups such as Victory Gardens, Steppenwolf, La Jolla Playhouse, Northlight, Center Theatre Group, South Coast Rep, Hartford Stage, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, East West Players, Playwrights' Arena, and Ma-Yi.

His television and film credits include "Rosewood," "Parks and Recreation," "Modern Family," and "New Girl," among others.

Hard work and kindness

Directed by James Eckhouse, this production includes Anna LaMadrid, Laura Mann and Graham Outerbridge in the cast. Costume design by Melissa Trn, set design by Justin Huen, lighting design by Josh Epstein, music composition and sound design by Peter Bayne,

Rodney To (right) with
(from left) Anna LaMadrid, Laura Mann and Graham Outerbridge.
Photo by Dean Cechvala

"This gem of a play-a dark, slightly absurdist tale about the plight of the American worker-has become even more powerfully relevant today than when it was written in 2014," says Eckhouse.

"It's not only wickedly funny, but deeply moving as well. We witness these three sandwich 'artists' fighting for their well-being, their dignity, their souls in the face of a soul-less corporate bureaucracy. The cast is amazing, I'm thrilled to be the director of this production."

To adds, "I hope the audience walks away having a deeper appreciation for the opportunities we have here in America. Let's face it, we are in such precarious times right now that it's hard to remember how wonderful our country is and always was.

"It has never, never lost its luster with me, so this whole notion of needing to make it better `again' is just asinine. We have always had tremendous opportunity in this country. I hope people walk away remembering that.

"We are very, very lucky to be citizens of a country where opportunity is yours for the taking-with dreams, dedication, hard work and kindness."

To conclude this interview, To is challenged to craft a sandwich with Filipino ingredients and condiments. His response is, "I would make a sandwich out of some flavored meat, like adobo, and wrap it in some sort of doughy bread. Basically, I'm not that original, I would just make siopao."

"American Hero" runs until Oct. 21 at Carrie Hamilton Theatre, Pasadena Playhouse, 39 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena California. Visit IamaTheatre.com.

READ about Rodney To directing Boni Alvarez's play "Fixed" here.