2019 Holiday Gift Guide: Books By Filipino Americans

By WALTER ANG
Dec. 4, 2019
PositivelyFilipino.com
http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/2019-holiday-gift-guide-books-by-filipino-americans

The year-end holidays are upon us. In addition to Christmas, with the many different kinds of Filipino American families such as black and Jewish ones, there's Kwanzaa and Hanukkah to add to the list of celebrations. Let's not forget the Fil-Am pagans; there's winter solstice for them, too.

Fil-Am cuisine has been the hot topic in recent years, with restaurants and chefs in the spotlight. But what hasn't been talked about much (or at all?) is the bumper crop of Fil-Am authors who have been published by mainstream publishing houses.

Not to mention titles coming from Filipino American-owned publishing outfits and from Fil-Am authors who publish independently. Which is wonderful news for gift-hunters!

Adding to the momentum, the Filipino American International Book Festival was held in October in San Francisco. Hosted by the Philippine American Writers and Artists (PAWA) organization every other year, this year's installment highlighted works that were published from last year to this year.

Some of the writers featured in this year's Filipino American International Book Festival.
From left: Cecilia Brainard (When the Rainbow Goddess Wept);
Walter Ang, (Barangay to Broadway: Filipino American Theater History);
Aileen Cassinetto (The Pink House of Purple Yam Preserves 
and Speak Poetry Anthology, Vol. 1);
Elmer Pizo (Leaving Shadow Behind Us); Cindy Fazzi (My MacArthur);
EJR David (We Have Not Stopped Trembling Yet); Grace Talusan (The Body Papers).

In addition to publications by Fil-Am authors, the festival featured tomes by authors and writers from the Philippines and other countries as well. Genres and formats ranged from poetry to graphic novels, from historic fiction to photography coffee table books.

For parents, educators and librarians searching for children's books that contain Fil-Am themes and/or subjects, some previously published titles featured at this year's bookfest included Journey for Justice: The Life of Larry Itliong by Dawn Mabalon and Gayle Romasanta with illustrations by Andre Sibayan, about the Fil-Am labor leader.

There was also Anthony "Tony" Robles' two bilingual books with illustrations by Carl Angel: Lakas and the Makibaka Hotel/Si Lakas at ang Makibaka Hotel and Lakas and the Manilatown Fish/Si Lakas at ang Isdang Manilatown, both of which introduce young readers to San Francisco's Fil-Am history.

Also showcased were Sari-Sari Storybooks' trove of multilingual illustrated Filipino children's books. Each has an English story accompanied by a translation in a Filipino language:

Melo the Umang-Boy: an Ivatan Tale
English by Alyssa Sarimiento-Co and Christina Newhard
Ivatan by Criselda Vinalay
Illustrations by Jaypee Portez
One day, painfully shy Melo visits a magical city at the bottom of the ocean. Disaster strikes and he must overcome his shyness to help the city's sea creatures rebuild their home.

Kalipay and the Tiniest Tiktik: a Cebuano Tale
English by Christina Newhard
Cebuano translation by Jona Branzuela Bering
Illustrations by Happy Garaje
Gamay tells the school bully to stop teasing Kalipay. Other children are afraid of Gamay's strange tongue, split body and bat wings, but Kalipay is fascinated by the things that make her new friend different. Together, they learn how friendship can create happiness for everyone.

Amina and the City of Flowers: a Chavacano Tale
English by Christina Newhard
Chavacano translation by Floraime Oliveros Pantaleta
Illustrations by Robbie Bautista
Amina, a young Yakan weaver, is homesick for Basilan, but she finds inspiration for her loom in the diversity and color of her new home, Zamboanga City.

Sandangaw: a Waray Tale
English by Voltaire Q. Oyzon
Waray translation by Merlie Alunan and Firie Jill Ramos
Illustrations by Ray Sunga
Little Sandangaw wants to do all the things that bigger children do but his family is so afraid that he'll be blown away, dragged, or stepped on! When the village magic woman tells him to visit the Eagle of Mt. Danglay for help, Sandangaw learns what it takes to grow.

For additional gift-giving ideas, here are some of the books by Fil-Am authors published by mainstream publishers this year, in order of publication.

For other books written by Fil-Ams, visit the websites and Facebook pages of Fil-Am bookstores (Arkipelago and Philippine Expressions--these two might carry some of the titles listed below) and publishing outfits (Carayan, Meritage, Paloma, Philippine American Literary House, PAWA). Scroll through (and add to) this crowdsourced online list of Fil-Am books. Type in "Filipino" or "Filipino American" in your online bookstore's search engine and see what comes up.

Baking at République: Masterful Techniques and Recipes
By Margarita Manzke and Betty Hallock 
(Lorena Jones Books)
Cookbook. Pastry chef Manzke trained at Le Cordon Bleu in London and Culinary Institute of America in New York. She owns 11 branches of Wildflour Bakery and Café in the Philippines. The restaurants she owns in Los Angeles include Petty Cash Taqueria, Sari Sari Store and République.

The Body Papers 
By Grace Talusan 
(Restless Books)
Memoir. Despite a childhood of abuses and traumas, then an adulthood faced with the threat of cancer, Talusan finds love and success.

I Was Their American Dream 
By Malaka Gharib 
(Clarkson Potter)
Graphic memoir. Gharib draws how she grew up in a dual-heritage household (her mother is Filipino, her father is Egyptian) while living and trying to fit in a third (white American) culture.

The Farm 
By Joanne Ramos 
(Random House)
Fiction. Jane, an immigrant from the Philippines, is determined to reconnect with her family. Yet she cannot leave the Farm or she will lose the life-changing fee she'll receive upon the delivery of the child she is carrying for someone else.

Patron Saints of Nothing 
By Randy Ribay 
(Kokila) [Young Adult]
Fiction. Jay Reguero discovers that his Filipino cousin Jun was murdered as part of President Duterte's war on drugs, and no one in the family wants to talk about what happened. He travels to the Philippines to find out the real story.

The House That Lou Built 
By Mae Respicio 
(Yearling) [8-12 years old]
Fiction. Lou Bulosan-Nelson shares a room with her mom in her grandmother's house. She longs for a place where she can escape her crazy but lovable extended Filipino family. Since Lou enjoys woodshop class and creating projects, her ultimate summer project will be to build her own "tiny house" on the land she inherited from her dad who died before she was born. But then she finds out that the land may not be hers for much longer.

My Fate According to the Butterfly 
By Gail Villanueva 
(Scholastic) [8-12 years old]
Fiction. When Sab sees a black butterfly, an omen of death, she knows that she's doomed! Superstition says she will meet her fate in one week -- on her 11th birthday. She just wants to celebrate her birthday with her whole family before time runs out. But her sister, Ate Nadine, stopped speaking to their father a year ago. If Sab's going to get them to reconcile, she'll have to overcome her fears -- of her sister's anger, of leaving her sheltered community, of her upcoming doom -- and figure out the cause of their rift.

The Importance of Being Wilde at Heart 
By R. Zamora Linmark
(Delacorte Press) [Young Adult]
Fiction. Beautiful, mysterious Ran becomes Ken's first kiss and first love. But as quickly as he enters Ken's life, Ran disappears, and Ken wonders: Why love at all, if this is where it leads? With the help of his best friends, the comfort of his haikus and lists, and strange, surreal appearances by his hero, Oscar Wilde, Ken will find that love is worth more than the price of heartbreak.

Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self-Delusion 
By Jia Tolentino 
(Random House)
Essays. Tolentino is a staff writer at The New Yorker. In these nine essays, she tackles the conflicts, contradictions, and sea changes that define us and our time, delving into the forces that warp our vision.

The Foley Artist: Stories 
By Ricco Siasoco 
(Gaudy Boy)
Fiction. Siasoco's debut collection has nine stories that interrogates intimacy, foreignness, and silence in an absurd world. These give voice to the Filipino diaspora in America, which includes a 79-year- old foley artist who recreates the sounds of life but is unable to save himself.

Lalani of the Distant Sea 
By Erin Entrada Kelly 
(Greenwillow Books) [8-12 years old]
Fiction. When Lalani Sarita's mother falls ill with an incurable disease, Lalani embarks on a dangerous journey from the island of Sanlagita across the sea to find the legendary Mount Isa. Generations of men and boys have died on the same quest. How can an ordinary girl survive the epic tests of the archipelago which include creatures inspired by Filipino folklore?

Malaya: Essays on Freedom 
By Cinelle Barnes 
(Little A)
Essays. To redefine what it means to be a woman and an American, Barnes revisits her past, analyzes relationships, and explores race, class, identity and her faith in the human spirit.

Invisible People: Stories of Lives at the Margins 
By Alex Tizon 
(Temple University)
Anthology. The late Pulitzer Prize-winner Alex Tizon's stories of marginalized people--from lonely immigrants struggling to forge a new American identity to a high school custodian who penned a New Yorker short story. Includes "My Family's Slave," the Atlantic magazine cover story about the woman who raised him and his siblings.

Filipino American Marah Sotelo is unwitting lover in SF stage rom-com

By WALTER ANG
Nov. 27. 2019
USA.Inquirer.net
https://usa.inquirer.net/48448/fil-am-marah-sotelo-is-unwitting-lover-in-sf-stage-rom-com

SAN FRANCISCO — Filipino American Maria Sotelo is playing the lead in the feel-good holiday comedy musical "She Loves Me."

Coworkers Amalia (Marah Sotelo) and Georg (Max Kligman)
are unknowing pen pals in the musical "She Loves Me." 

Staged by Ross Valley Players in a special coproduction with Mountain Play Association, the musical is about two coworkers, Amalia and Georg, who get on each other's nerves but who unknowingly fall in love mutually through an anonymous correspondence.

Sotelo says that the musical's story is about "love and human connection."

"It's not heavy at all but I do believe the message is great. And it's perfect for the holiday season! Sometimes the things that really should matter are right in front of us."

The musical has been performed on Broadway, with a recent revival in 2016 that featured Laura Benanti (who plays twin sisters Alura and Astra on TV show "Supergirl") and Zachary Levi (who played the title character in the movie "Shazam!") as Amalia and Georg.

Lyrics are by Sheldon Harnick and music by Jerry Bock, both of whom are best known for their collaboration on "Fiddler on the Roof."

The musical is adapted from the same source material that inspired the romantic comedy movie "You've Got Mail" that starred Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan.

Inspiration

Born in the Philippines, Sotelo and her family moved to the U.S. when she was eight years old.

Marah Sotelo plays Amalia in "She Loves Me." 

"I've always enjoyed performing and started in church when I was very young. This led to a curiosity about the world of theater and I started learning more about musicals.

"Of course, it was `Miss Saigon' that really grabbed my attention as a kid because there were very few shows that had people who looked like me. When I saw and heard Lea Salonga perform and sing, I remember being so inspired. I could do that too, I thought.

"It's been non-stop since then. I guess the theater bug really got me!"

Sotelo studied at Northern Illinois University's School of Music. Credits include "Cabaret" (Sally Bowles) and "Into the Woods" (the Witch) for Pacifica Spindrift Players, "Rent" (Mimi) Station Theatre, "Spamalot" (Lady of the Lake), "The Mystery of Edwin Drood" (Rosa Bud) for Parkland Theatre, "Les Miserables" (Eponine), "Aida" (Amneris) for Champaign Urbana Theatre Company, and "Sweeney Todd" (Johanna) for Danville Light Opera Company, among others.

Breaking barriers

"This show has been on my bucket list," says Sotelo. "I've always wanted to play Amalia and sing 'Vanilla Ice Cream.'"

Sotelo is referring to a song that the character Amalia sings when she realizes her fondness for Georg and thinks of his kindness.

"For a while, I thought it was impossible because I'd never seen a person of color play the role. I'm so glad I auditioned, and it's been quite the ride! I absolutely enjoyed working with my director and creating this character. I've learned so much in the last couple months!"

"I am a huge believer that people of color have to do everything we can to be seen, especially in roles that would normally not go to an artist of color. I want audiences, especially young people, to be inspired and not feel held back to go for their dream roles. Let's keep breaking down those barriers!"

"She Loves Me" runs until Dec. 22 at Barn Theater, Marin Art & Garden Center, 30 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., Ross. Rossvalleyplayers.com.

Fil-Am creates play to tackles mental health in San Diego

By WALTER ANG
Nov. 19, 2019
USA.Inquirer. net
https://usa.inquirer.net/47568/youre-safe-here-tackles-mental-illness

SAN DIEGO — Filipino American theater group MaArte Theatre Collective in its world premiere of "You're Safe Here" will show audiences the struggles and triumphs in dealing with mental illnesses.

"You're Safe Here," staged by MaArte Theatre Collective,
 is based on actual testimonials from patients in San Diego.

Devised by Allain Francisco, the play is a "docudrama" that is based on interviews from actual patients in San Diego about their recoveries.

"'You're Safe Here' offers the unique opportunity for audience members to flex their powers of empathy by immersing themselves in the visceral experience of what it is to live with mental illness," he says.

Francisco is an actor who is in his fourth year of medical studies at University of California-San Diego (UCSD)'s School of Medicine. He plans on pursuing a career in psychiatry.

The psychiatric conditions tackled in the play include depression, bipolar disorder, panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), insomnia, gender dysphoria, and eating disorders.

Two passions

Francisco states that while UCSD "has a reputation in the biomedical sciences, they actually also have a very strong MFA Theater Program as well." It's the same university where he took his pre-med undergraduate degree in biology with minors in psychology and, you guessed it, theater.

Allain Francisco devised "You're Safe Here," using theater to address mental health issues.

He combined his two passions to create this show to "confront social stigmas regarding mental illness and recovery among San Diego's immigrant, POC and LGBTQ+ communities."

This is not his first collaboration with MaArte Theatre Collective. He recently acted in the group's staging of "Colored." His other recent credits include "Ojo" (La Jolla Playhouse), "The Oldest Boy" (San Diego Rep), "Lost in the Pines" (Magnetic North Theatre Co.), "Les Miserables" (413 Project) and "War Games" (Nomads Theatre Company).

Project

As part of his studies, Francisco had to do a research project before graduation. "I have always had a passion for mental illness and I was thinking of creative ways to do my research project. I have a background in traditional basic science research and wanted to do something that was a little bit more artistic.

Erica Mejos and Hannah Reinart are part of the cast of "You're Safe Here."

"With faculty support, and having been inspired by my training in the Viewpoints performing method, Pina Bausch's choreography and Anna Deavere-Smith's docu-theater work, I thought that this type of theatrical production would lend itself well to help lessen the stigma on mental illness and to bolster empathy for its clinicians who suffer greatly from burnout."

Francisco developed the show's material for eight months. "But it's been on mind for more than a year," he says.

The patients' testimonies were gathered from July to August this year with guidance from his professors. "There were six patients who participated in the interviews, as we wanted the story to be a bit more focused, although I've been conducting clinical interviews in the mental health setting since January."

Three of patients are Filipino American. The sex and gender breakdown of the interviewees includes male and female sexes, and cis, trans and non-binary genders.

Venue

The production will be staged at Gaya Gaya Bar and Kitchen. Opened this summer by Chef Danilo "DJ" Tangalin, the restaurant serves dishes in kamayan style, encouraging patrons to share their meals and conversation.

"We lost our originally planned performance space at the last minute and Chef DJ stepped in graciously, allowing us to use his dining room for the production."

"We wanted to be mindful of their space and their patrons, so we scheduled the show to start at 9pm since it is only one hour long." 

Cast includes Allain Fransisco, Annalia Galvan, Erica Mejos, Gerardo Munoz, Ryan Nebreja, Emily Neifert, and Hannah Reinert.

MaArte Theatre Collective artistic director Yari Cervas will helm the production. Edward Delos Reyes is sound designer.

"You're Safe Here" runs Nov. 21-23 at Gaya Gaya Bar and Kitchen, 7580 Miramar Rd., San Diego. Visit Maartetheatrecollective.com.

Chicago Filipino American theater company wrestles with stigmas and traumas

By WALTER ANG
Nov. 12, 2019
USA.Inquirer.net
https://usa.inquirer.net/46855/chicago-fil-am-theater-wrestles-with-stigmas-and-traumas

CHICAGO — Filipino American theater group CIRCA-Pintig is staging a student production that brings to light the beauty of reclaiming a sense of self in harmony with the community after one overcomes stigmas.

CIRCA-Pintig is staging “Silencing Stigma, Reclaiming Life,”
vignettes on mental health in the Asian American community

"Silencing Stigma, Reclaiming Life" is a collection of vignettes that show Asian American-including Filipino American-experiences that tackle difficult topics about mental health and social justice struggles, according to the group's artistic director Ginger Leopoldo.

The vignettes were written by 14 participants of a theater and writing workshop conducted by CIRCA-Pintig earlier this year. In addition to Lepoldo, other facilitators included Larry Leopoldo and Luis Pascascio.

Some of the stigmas explored in the show include anxiety, suicide, self-harm, PTSD and transgenerational trauma. A piece titled "Inay: Ilaw ng Tahanan" ("Mother: Light of the Home") is a letter from a mother to her daughters and spouse asking forgiveness for deciding to uproot her family to immigrate to the US from the Philippines.

Collaboration

The workshop participants are all female, in their early 20s and are a mix of college and graduate students who are taking a class on Mental Health, Asian Americans and Community Engagement taught by Rooshey Hasnain at University of Illinois at Chicago.

The participants conducted field interviews using techniques from their class and applied what they learned from the workshop to convert the interviews into scripts for the stage.

This is the third time CIRCA-Pintig has collaborated with Hasnain to teach her students how to dramatize their field interviews. The previous installments were done in 2014 and 2015.
Unspoken

To form "Silencing Stigma: Reclaiming Life," Fil-Am playwright Lani Montreal merged the students' works with excerpts from her own existing plays as well as those of Filipino playwright Liza Magtoto and Fil-Am playwright Conrad Panganiban.

"The play gives voice to unspoken thoughts and emotions in a dramatic forum that aims for community healing and positive reflection," says Leopoldo.

"This production brings together new and resident Circa Pintig actors and production staff sharing their time and commitment to create a dialogue about a topic not typically discussed at dinner table talk."

Consultation

The production uses music composed by Demetrio Maguigad. Other Filipino Americans involved in the production include Joy Cusi (music direction), Chip Payos (choreography), Larry Leopoldo and Jose Agarri (set design), and Luis Pascasio (light and sound design).

There will be Q&A sessions and community consultations after each performance facilitated by the CIRCA-Pintig members along with organizations such as Trilogy Behavioral Healthcare and other community social services.

"Silencing Stigma, Reclaiming Life" runs Nov. 15-24 at Klausner Auditorium, Nazareth Family Center, 1127 N. Oakley Blvd., Chicago. Visit Circapintig.com.

Filipino American actors are fabulous queens in Palm Springs musical

By WALTER ANG
Nov. 5, 2019
USA.Inquirer.net
https://usa.inquirer.net/45719/fil-ams-are-fabulous-queens-in-palm-springs-musical

PALM SPRINGS, California — Filipino American actors Ron Coronado and Jay Españo are both headlining the musical "Priscilla, Queen of The Desert" staged by Palm Canyon Theatre.

Jay Españo (left) plays Adam/Felicia Jolly
and Ron Coronado (far right) plays Bernadette.
Photo by Paul Hayashi 

The musical is about three friends who work as drag queens on a road trip across Australia on the titular bus named Priscilla, as they search for love and acceptance.

With a book by Stephan Elliott and Allan Scott, the musical uses '70s and '80s disco and radio pop hits such as "It's Raining Men," "I Will Survive," "Hot Stuff," "Finally," "Boogie Wonderland," "Go West," "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun," "I Love the Nightlife," and many more.

Coronado plays Bernadette, a transgender woman who is a seasoned drag queen, while Españo plays Adam/Felicia Jolly, the upstart drag princess. Ben Reece plays Tick/Mitzi Mitosis, whose goal of rekindling the relationship with his son serves as the impetus for the trio's adventure.

Preparing

Before joining the production, Españo had never seen the musical before although he was familiar with the movie it's based on. He feels challenged by the role because unlike the character Adam/Felicia, "I'm very quiet and introverted. So, it's refreshing to be able to just do crazy, unpredictable and annoying things on stage."

Jay Españo (left) and Ron Coronado are in Palm Canyon Theatre's
production of "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.

Españo's recent credits include "50 Shades of Shakespeare" and "When Adonis Calls."

He also wanted to be accurate with his character's Australian accent. "When I started to create my version of Felicia, I messaged some of my Aussie friends and sent them all my lines in the show. They sent me back recordings of how they say it in their accent."

A new approach

Coronado, on the other hand, had done the show and the same role back in 2017. "It was so much fun!" he says of the experience. "When I was asked to reprise my role, my response was 'Of course!'"

His recent credits include "Big River," "Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" and "Hairspray" (as Edna Turnblad).

"This is my first time ever returning to a show and playing the same character. I thought I would have a real advantage, but the truth is, with a new director, a new choreographer, a new set designer, and new cast, I had to really forget everything I did two years ago and start anew.  I'm glad I did.  This production has its very own identity and I love it very much."

Audience response

Coronado shares that the show is a "Journey to the Heart of Fabulous!" and "there is something in this show for everyone.  The laughter throughout the show and the standing ovations at the end says it all."

Españo says, "We get a lot of laughs in a lot of the funny scenes but we also hear a lot of sniffles during the touching scenes. I think the scene when the three leads discover their bus vandalized with a gay slur really sends out the message of what gay people face every day around the world and the need for tolerance. That's one of my favorite scenes, when we sing "True Colors."

"Audiences have been really generous. A lot of them dance every night. It's like coming to a party. The energy they give makes the cast work harder on stage. We get standing ovations."

"Priscilla, Queen of The Desert" runs until Nov. 17 at Palm Canyon Theatre, 538 North Palm Canyon Dr., Palm Springs. Visit Palmcanyontheatre.org.

Comedy, indie rock to mark Bindlestiff Studio’s pearl anniversary

By WALTER ANG
Nov. 1, 2019
USA.Inquirer.net
https://usa.inquirer.net/45217/comedy-indie-rock-to-mark-fil-am-theaters-pearl-anniversary

SAN FRANCISCO — Celebrating its 30th anniversary, Filipino American performing arts venue Bindlestiff Studio will hold a fundraiser gala titled "Welcome Home" in December.

 Bindlestiff Studio serves seniors and youth. 

To be held at SOMArts Cultural Center, the gala's entertainment will be headlined by comic Kevin Camia and indie-rock band Julie Plug (singer Des de Leon and guitarist Terry Nicolas).

The evening will also feature past and present Bindlestiff Studio artists. Stand-up comedian Kat Evasco will host.

Camia has been a Bindlestiff member since 1997 and has toured the country opening for comedian Ali Wong. Camia has headlined sold-out shows at Just For Laughs Toronto and has performed at RiotLA and SF Sketchfest, among others.

Julie Plug has influences that range from the Cocteau Twins to electronic music. Last year, band commemorated the 20th anniversary release of their debut album, Starmaker.

Evasco was previously Bindlestiff Studio's Board President and Development Director. Credits include co-creating "The Bakla Show," acting in "Mommy Queerest," and directing "Prieto," a show written and performed by Yosimar Reyes in collaboration with Pulitzer Prize winner Jose Antonio Vargas.

History

Bindlestiff Studio was founded in 1989 by Chrystene Ells, Chris Brophy and a group of local theater artists as a space for experimental theater.

The name Bindlestiff combines the old slang word "bindle," for bundle or a drug addict's paraphernalia; and the Depression-era term for itinerant laborers or working "stiffs," also known as tramps and hobos.

In the mid-1990s, Fil-Am standup comic and theater artist Allan Manalo came across the space when he was scouting for a performance venue for his Fil-Am sketch comedy group tongue in A mood (of which Camia was a member).

He had gone to watch Lorna Chui's one-person show there and "fell in love with the space."

(When she was younger, Chui had been one of the Fil-Am children who Ells had trained at the studio. Chui eventually became artistic director of Bindlestiff Studio in the mid-2010s-by then, using her married surname Velasco.)

Manalo's group began performing at the space and reaped box office success. Management was eventually turned over to him and his spouse Joyce. They reconfigured the venue's programming and molded it into the "cultural epicenter for Filipino American performing arts in the Bay Area."

Creative home

"Bindlestiff is where I found my creative home," says current artistic director Aureen Almario. She succeeded Velasco and has been involved with the organization since the early 2000s.

"Where else can you experience performances centered on People of Color perspectives of geek culture, Pinoy punk, plays in Tagalog, shadow puppetry about a domestic worker, rowdy Asian American women sketch comedy, complex queer stories, and more, all in one space?"

Bindlestiff currently uses a 99-seat black-box theater that was opened in 2011, located in the basement of a building constructed in the original studio's location.

Support and donate

Even with the knowledge that several celebrities have graced Bindlestiff Studio earlier in their careers-such as Fil-Am actor Nico Santos (Superstore, Crazy Rich Asians) and comedian Ali Wong (Baby Cobra, Always Be My Maybe) -the organization's focus remains on its local community and the Filipino Americans in the broader Bay Area.

John Elberling, executive director of housing developer Tenants and Owners Development Corporation (TODCO), says, "Through their programs and community partnerships, Bindlestiff Studio serves youth, seniors, residents and our much needed South of Market (SOMA) social services.

"That's why TODCO has put forward a $3,000 matching donation in celebration of Bindlestiff's 30th anniversary to encourage Bindlestiff patrons and San Francisco constituents to support this anchor institution in SOMA." 

 In addition to live entertainment, gala attendees will enjoy a menu that has been selected by Thuy Tran, cofounder of food organization Rooted Recipes Project and a member of Granny Cart Gangstas, an all-Asian-American-women comedy troupe.

Thus far, the menu's line-up is expected to include pop-up chefs and vendors such as EJ Macayan and Hitomi Wada's Ox and Tiger pop-up (Filipino and Japanese cuisine), Henry Hsu (Taiwanese dumplings), and Hodo Foods (tofu selections).

Donate and avail of tickets to "Welcome Home" at Bindlestiffstudio.org.

Filipino American actors in San Francisco Playhouse dance drama

By WALTER ANG
Oct. 29, 2019
USA.Inquirer.net
https://usa.inquirer.net/44789/fil-am-actors-in-san-francisco-playhouse-dance-drama

SAN FRANCISCO — Filipino American actors Bryan Munar, Krystle Piamonte and Michelle Talgarow are all in San Francisco Playhouse's production of "Dance Nation."

From left: Filipino American actors
Bryan Munar, Krystle Piamonte, Michelle Talagrow
are all in San Francisco Playhouse's staging of "Dance Nation"

This Bay Area premiere of Clare Barron's play is directed by Becca Wolff with choreography by Kimberly Richards. Barron's play is the winner of the 2017 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize and is a finalist for the 2019 Pulitzer Prize.

"For a show that had open casting, I find it wonderful that three Filipino American actors ended up in the cast, especially since it's a play and not a musical," says Piamonte.

In the play, an army of pre-teen competitive dancers plots to take over the world. If their new routine is good enough, they'll claw their way to the top at the Nationals-level competition.

Dangerous

The play is about ambition, growing up and an unrelenting exploration of female power featuring (as mandated by the playwright) a multigenerational cast of women—from their 30s to their 60s—portraying the 13-year-old heroines.

From left: Bryan Munar and Michelle Talagrow together in a scene. 

"'Dance Nation' will be one of the most edgy and surprisingly dangerous plays we have produced," said artistic director Bill English in a statement.

"It presents a multi-layered perspective on the joy and pain of becoming a woman and shows us how we carry our past selves with us throughout our lives."

San Francisco Playhouse was founded in 2003 and is now the second largest nonprofit theater in the city.

Cast

Bryan Munar's recent credits include Paul in "A Chorus Line" (Novato Theater Company), Eamon in "Once" (42nd Street Moon), Harvard in "Flower Drum Song" (Palo Alto Players), Georg in "Spring Awakening" (Left-Hand Theatre Co.) and Patsy in "Monty Python's Spamalot" (Marin Shakespeare Company).

From left: Bryan Munar and Michelle Talagrow together in a scene. 

Krystle Piamonte is excited to return to San Francisco Playhouse where she was last seen as Lauren in "King of the Yees." Credits include the world premieres of "Ripped" for Z Space and "Inside Out and Back Again" for Bay Area Children's Theatre, which made her a finalist for the Theatre Bay Area Awards for Outstanding Performance in a Principal Role in a Play for each production.

She was also recently in Fil-Am playwright Conrad Panganiban's "Welga" for Bindlestiff Studio and "Two Mile Hollow" for Ferocious Lotus. She is a former assistant director and resident choreographer of Sinag-tala Filipino Theater and Performing Arts Association in Sacramento.

Michelle Talgarow's recent credits include "The Fit" (San Francisco Playhouse), "Vietgone" (Capital Stage), "A Good Neighbor" (Z Space) and "Two Mile Hollow" (Ferocious Lotus).

She has worked with groups such as Bindlestiff Studio, The Ground Floor at Berkeley Rep, Central Works, Impact Theatre, Cutting Ball Theatre and Magic Theatre. Talagrow is a company member of the performance collective Mugwumpin and of Shotgun Players.

"Dance Nation" runs until Nov. 9 at San Francisco Playhouse, 2nd flr., Kensington Park Hotel, 450 Post St., San Francisco. Visit Sfplayhouse.org.

Filipino American father-and-son tension in Boni Alvarez’s new play

By WALTER ANG
Oct. 25, 2019
USA.Inquirer.net
https://usa.inquirer.net/44298/father-and-son-tension-in-boni-alvarezs-new-play

SAN FRANCISCO — Filipino American playwright Boni Alvarez's new play "Driven," to be helmed by director Ely Orquiza, will have its world premiere in a limited three-week engagement by Theatre Rhinoceros in this city.

Earl Alfred Paus (left) plays Danny and Alan Quismorio plays Arnel
in Boni Alvarez's "Driven," directed by Ely Orquiza.
Photo by Vince Thomas

In the play, an out of work, 30-something, queer, Los Angeles-based actor Danny shelves his career and returns home to the Bay Area because he's worried about his father Arnel's drinking and gambling addictions.

Arnel, an immigrant from the Philippines, thinks Danny isn't doing enough to become successful in his career. He's also being nosy about Danny's love life.

What's a son to do when arguments erupt as parent and offspring confront each other over the past and present? To complicate matters, someone from Danny's past reappears.

Playing the father-son pairing are Fil-Am actors Alan Quismorio and Earl Alfred Paus, respectively.

Playwright

Most of Alvarez's plays, such as "America Adjacent," "Bloodletting," "Fixed," "Nicky," "Dallas Non-Stop," among others, have been staged in Los Angeles, where he is based.

Earl Alfred Paus plays Danny, a struggling actor. 

His plays have been produced at Center Theatre Group-Kirk Douglas Theatre, Echo Theater Company, Coeurage Theatre Company, Skylight Theatre Company and Playwrights' Arena.

The character Danny's homecoming to the Bay Area serves as an interesting parallel to the playwright. "Driven" marks the first time one of his plays will be staged in his hometown.

Director

Fil-Am director Ely Orquiza has been involved in productions at Bindlestiff Studio, Campo Santo, American Conservatory Theater, Magic Theatre, among others.

Alan Quismorio plays Arnel, an immigrant from the Philippines. 

"I have been a huge fan of Boni's works, exploring and examining the Filipino diaspora and the Filipino American experience for the American stage!" he says.

"'Driven' is such an important story in the intersection of queerness and the arts, and I am so grateful to be working on this world premiere with a stellar cast and wonderful production team.

"It's so rare to see Filipino American works in the theater, so there's a hunger for these types of stories to be told and represented onstage. It's always so refreshing and empowering to be in a roomful of brown artists collaborating to create theater together. It's so rare to be in that space, so there's something so magical about it: the authentic comfort, the support, and the joy."

Actors

Earl Paus studied theater San Francisco State University's School of Theatre and Dance. Recent performances include productions with Filipino American-led performing arts organizations Bindlestiff Studio and Kularts as well as groups such as Word for Word, San Francisco Mime Troupe, Bay Area Children's Theatre, Left-Hand Theatre Co., Marin Musical Theatre Company and Landmark Musicals.

Alan Quismorio served as was Co-Artistic Director of Asian American Theater Company (2008-10) and Artistic Director of Bindlestiff Studio from (2011-15). He helped create AlchemySF, the emerging playwrights program at the Jon Sims Center.

He has performed extensively in the San Francisco Bay Area with groups such as Magic Theatre, Oakland Public Theatre, Brava! Women in the Arts, Shotgun Players and Word for Word.

Other Fil-Ams involved in the production include stage manager Marissa Ampon and student assistant director Vince Marie Cuison.

Founded in 1977, Theatre Rhinoceros is the longest running LGBT theater in the US. The group's emphasis is on new works, works about under-represented members of the larger queer community and revivals of lesser known queer classics. 

"Driven" runs Oct. 31-Nov. 17, Spark Arts Gallery, 4229 18th St., San Francisco. Visit TheRhino.org.

Filipino American Karl Marx Reyes' manifest talent in Portland Opera's 'Madama Butterfly'

By WALTER ANG
Oct. 23, 2019
USA.Inquirer.net
https://usa.inquirer.net/43959/karl-marx-reyes-manifest-talent-on-view-in-portland-operas-madama-butterfly

PORTLAND, Oregon — Filipino American Karl Marx Reyes will sing the role of marriage broker Goro in Portland Opera's production of "Madama Butterfly."

Karl Reyes

With music by Italian composer Giacomo Puccini, this opera is about Japanese woman Cio-Cio-San's exploitation, betrayal and abandonment by American Navy lieutenant B.F. Pinkerton. The production will be performed in Italian with English captions.

Right notes

Born in the Philippines, Reyes moved to the U.S. when he was 14 years old. He was goofing off in a practice room in high school when the choir director asked if he could do scales.

"I said no because I didn't know what that was," says Reyes. "He then asked me to sing `Happy Birthday' four times in ascending keys. I guess I hit the right notes."

He eventually entered the music program at Shoreline College and has since performed with various companies in and around Seattle.

"I started as a chorister with Seattle Opera," he says. The move was both for practical and artistic reasons. He was unable to afford enrolling in a music conservatory program at the time but, instead, came to learn on the job from professionals.

Recent work

It has paid off. "I am now in a hybrid position doing comprimario (opera term for support roles) and feature roles."

"I recently did a few comprimario roles with Seattle Opera Tacoma Opera and Skagit Opera in productions like 'Orphee aus Enfers,' 'La Fille du Regiment,' and 'Carmen,' among others.

"I also did a fun concert with the Seattle Symphony singing as Draco from the `Final Fantasy Suite' by Nobuo Oematsu." He has also sung the role of Bobby in Stephen Sondheim's musical "Company."

What's in a name

As for his name, yes, Reyes is indeed named after the German philosopher.

His father had been a staunch follower of Marx's theories when Reyes was born and so he was named after the author of the pamphlets his father had read. (Ironically enough, Reyes' father later changed ideologies and named his little brother after Jose Rizal.)

In the beginning of his career, Reyes did not start out using his full name for his stage name. But he started doing so after the elder passed away, partly in honor of his father's memory.

Kundiman

Reyes will also be singing kundiman songs (torch songs) at the "East & West: A Special Evening of Song" concert on Oct. 29 at the Portland Art Museum's Whitsell Auditorium.

The free admission concert is organized by Portland Opera and features members of the "Madama Butterfly" cast with guest artists. Song selections will explore the influence and musical cross-pollination between the East and the West.

"I was asked to provide two songs, so I offered to sing kundiman songs 'Matud Nila' by Ben Zubiri and 'Bayan Ko' by Constanzio de Guzman."

Speakers Kunio Hara, Associate Professor of Music History at University of South Carolina, and Laura Mueller, historian of Japanese art, will lead discussion panel "Context & Conversation: Puccini, Madama Butterfly, and Honoring Tradition" on Oct. 24 at the Hampton Opera Center prior to the show's opening.

"Madama Butterfly" opens Portland Opera's 2019-20 season. This production features the US debut of acclaimed soprano Hiromi Omura, who will sing Cio-Cio-San. Directed by E. Loren Meeker and conducted by George Manahan.

"Madama Butterfly" runs Oct. 25-Nov. 2 at Keller Auditorium, 222 SW Clay St., Portland. Portlandopera.org.

Filipino American experts needed for pop-up art events in SF

By WALTER ANG
Aug. 22, 2019
USA.Inquirer.net
https://usa.inquirer.net/37740/fil-am-experts-needed-for-pop-up-art-events-in-sf

SAN FRANCISCO — The minds behind the seasonal pop-up Filipino American night market Undiscovered SF are now preparing to apply their same formula to the cultural arts.

Nonprofit Kultivate Labs is seeking experts in performing arts
and other Filipino American and Filipino art, academic and business disciplines. 

The nonprofit organization Kultivate Labs will be using pop-up events to gauge community needs and interest as part of their formula as they plan for a Filipino American cultural center in SOMA (South of Market) Pilipinas, the Fil-Am cultural district from 2nd to 11th Street bordered by Market and Brannan Streets.

The project is in collaboration with the Mayor's Office of Housing and Community Development, from which the group received a $275,000 grant. Asian Perinatal Advocates Family Support Services will also provide funding for the project.

Investment returns

Kultivate Labs executive director Desi Danganan says, "Our goal is to invest $100,000 into the arts and to produce $200,000-plus in economic activity.

"Kultivate Labs has a strong track record of investing public money into economic development programs like Undiscovered SF and doubling the return. Our goal is to take this magic and apply it to the arts to make it more sustainable and a driver for economic growth for SOMA Pilipinas."

The group began operating the monthly pop-up night market, which usually runs every third Saturday of July to October, in 2017.

"In 2017, we received a $125,000 grant to produce Undiscovered SF and we generated over $250,000 in economic activity for the Filipino American community."

In last year's installment, the group generated $270,000. "That's an 8% year over year increase. If we were a national economy, we'd be an Asian tiger."

Vision

Kultivate Labs envisions the center to be a "thriving, intergenerational community, cultural destination and living expression of history."

The organizers of Undiscovered SF night market are
planning to establish a Filipino American cultural center. 

In terms of tangible goals, "we imagine a new cultural center having a food court, a visual arts gallery, workshop space for artists, and a mid-size event space for dance, film, music, and the performing arts," he says.

Through the pop-up events and the eventual cultural center, Kultivate Labs plans on testing money-generating strategies in the next few years to prove that Filipino American culture can be an economic engine for the Fil-Am community.

Where the center will be located, how big it will be and what kind of design the space will eventually have will be plotted out depending on the feedback gathered from the pop-up events that will be programmed.

The first pop-up event—a free film screening—is already being planned. It's scheduled for October and will be held at that month's Undiscovered SF installment.

Ideas, nominees welcome

In the meantime, Kultivate Labs is forming a Programming Advisory committee with the goal of keeping the community's needs in mind.

Programming ideas for the series of pop-up events and nominations for the Program Advisory committee are being accepted at Kultivatelabs.com/cultural-center.

Kultivate Labs is accepting nominations for experts in Philippine and Filipino American History, Ethnic Studies and Museums/Curation; Traditional Philippine/Folkloric Arts; and Philippine Anthropology.

From the arts world, it seeks experts in Music, Dance, Performing Arts and Theater; Literary Arts; Contemporary Visual/Fine Arts; Media, Film and Applied Design.

From the business and civic sectors, it seeks experts in Filipino and Filipino American Culinary Arts and Restaurateurs; low-income families residing in the South of Market; the youth population of South of Market; as well as Arts and Culture-focused professionals in Development and Fundraising.

Filipino Canadian Marissa Orjalo stars in jazz 'Midsummer Night’s Dream'

By WALTER ANG
Aug. 8, 2019
USA.Inquirer.net
https://usa.inquirer.net/36427/fil-canadian-stars-in-jazz-midsummer-nights-dream

TORONTO — Filipino Canadian Marissa Orjalo is playing Hermia, one fourth of two pairs of lovers mistakenly mixed-up by magic, in a jazz adaptation of Shakespeare's comedy "A Midsummer Night's Dream."

Filipino Canadian Marissa Orjalo (left) plays Hermia
in the comedy "A (Musical) Midsummer Night's Dream."
Photo by Dahlia Katz

When some naughty fairies get involved in the romance of humans, enchanted lovers become infatuated with the incorrect person and a jinxed human becomes the object of affection of a fairy!

Visiting Ontario venues throughout the summer, the adaptation is titled "A (Musical) Midsummer Night's Dream." It is part of Driftwood Theatre's Bard's Bus Tour, which is now on its 25th year. The adaptation is by Kevin Fox, Tom Lillington and D. Jeremy Smith

"`Midsummer' is an excellent start into Shakespeare because it is one of his most well-known comedies," encourages Orjalo for audience members who are not familiar with Shakespeare and might be intimidated by his works.

"It's also quite easy to follow despite there being multiple narratives happening at once."

"I would also say if you are a new audience member to Shakespeare's plays, the best thing you can do is watch how the characters interact with one another," she advises.

"Rather than focusing on what the characters are saying the entire time, focus on the interactions! A lot of jokes and meaning behind the script will come out of character interaction and you'll find understanding the overall play to be quite effortless."

Background

Orjalo grew up in Oshawa City, Ontario and has been acting in film, television, commercials, and theater since she was five years old. She studied acting at Sheridan College and theatre academics at University of Toronto.

Marissa Orjalo (left) passionately advocates for Filipino representation on stage. 

Credits include "Twelfth Night," "Fletcher and Anderson Forget the Launch Codes," "Metamorphoses," and "The Next Room (or the Vibrator Play)."

Her mother is of French and Irish heritage and her father is Filipino.

"I'm extremely passionate about mixed-race representation in the entertainment industry because our identity is fluid in terms of what stories we can tell," she says.

"I also passionately advocate for Filipino representation because of my personal connection to its heritage and because the culture, the language Tagalog, and the experiences of the Filipino people in this country need to be told and represented. It's important for future generations to see the strength and influence of our people."

Laughs and gags

When preparing for working in Shakespeare plays, Orjalo reads the script multiple times.

"To decipher the language to find the meaning behind what Shakespeare has written for us; this includes defining words I don't understand, researching metaphors he wrote that we no longer use in our modern-day language, and marking out the iambic pentameter (or the rhythm) each passage must be spoken in."

For this particular production, there were other considerations as well.

"This is also a very movement-heavy and vocal-heavy show, so I implemented daily physical and vocal exercises to prepare for our first day of rehearsal."

As it turns out, making audiences laugh takes a lot of work. Orjalo explains that the cast spent time working with director D. Jeremy Smith "on characters, narratives, relationships, and conclusions."

"The process is all play and exploration! Midsummer Night's Dream is so rich with choices that exploring the different avenues of humor is a must! A lot of our rehearsal days have been spent laughing as we try to piece everything together.

As for the tour, Orjalos is excited to visit all the cities on the production's list of venues. "I hope to visit the Scarborough Bluffs when we are in that area and I'm very excited to tour to Kitchener because it's one of the places on our touring list I've never been."

"A (Musical) Midsummer Night's Dream" tours Ontario until Aug. 18, 2019. Visit Driftwoodtheatre.com.

Jessica Hagedorn musical on Filipino faith healer to open in NY

By WALTER ANG
July 31, 2019
USA.Inquirer.net
https://usa.inquirer.net/35595/jessica-hagedorn-musical-on-filipino-faith-healer-to-open-in-ny

NEW YORK — A musical by writer Jessica Hagedorn based on a short story by Lysley Tenorio about a Filipino faith healer will be staged by Ma-Yi Theater Company.

Alan Ariano will originate the title role in the musical "Felix Starro."

Felix Starro, whose patients used to include celebrities and big politicians, has fallen on hard times. He goes to San Francisco with his orphan grandson, Junior, for a healing mission for ailing Filipino Americans to earn some money to retire comfortably. Meanwhile, Junior meets up with a florist who arranges more than just flowers.

Music is composed by Fabian Obispo; the libretto is an adaptation by playwright and novelist Hagedorn of the short story by Tenorio, which is included in his anthology Monstress.

Helming the production is Ma-Yi's artistic director Ralph Peña, who proclaims, "This is the first musical created by Filipino Americans to open Off Broadway."

Alan Ariano plays the title role and Nacho Tambunting plays Junior. Other Filipino Americans in the cast include Caitlin Cisco, Ryan James Ortega, Diane Phelan and Obie Award-winner Ching Valdes-Aran. Orchestrations are by Paulo Tirol.

Development

The musical was originally commissioned by American Conservatory Theater (ACT)'s previous artistic director Carey Perloff in San Francisco as part of her directive to adapt stories from Tenorio's book.

ACT eventually staged two of his other stories in 2015 in the twin bill "Monstress"—one of which was adapted by Fil-Am playwright Sean San Jose.

"Jessica and Fabian chose to adapt the story 'Felix Starro' and I directed a workshop of it at ACT. I decided to bring it to Ma-Yi as our 30th anniversary opener," says Peña.

"It's telling stories about family, faith, home, loss, betrayal," describes Hagedorn, whose credits include adaptations of her own books Dogeaters and The Gangster of Love.

Celebrate

Ma-Yi was originally founded as a Filipino American theater company; it expanded its focus to Asian American theater in 1998. Peña is a cofounder and has been artistic director since 1995.

Filipino American cast members of "Felix Starro" include
(from left) Nacho Tambunting, Diane Phelan,
Ching Valdes-Aran, Catilin Cisco and Ryan James Ortega. 

"There's plenty to celebrate in reaching our 30th anniversary. We've made some important strides, especially in the creation of new work for the American Theater.

"The celebration also comes with the realization that there is still much work to be done, and that these last 30 years is just a small part of a long history of struggles."

Impressed  

Alan Ariano will originate the role of Felix Starro. He's been involved with the production since the developmental reading in San Francisco.

"Though it was a work-in-progress, I was impressed by how Jessica and Fabian were able to lift from the short story and give life to these characters had heart and dimension," he says.

"I love short stories. Reading 'Felix Starro,' I was definitely affected by the fact that I was reading about people of my ethnic origin in a story that contained family, love and conflict."

Ariano's credits on Broadway include "Jerome Robbins' Broadway," "The King and I," "Shogun," "M. Butterfly" and the original company of "Miss Saigon."

Filipino Americans on stage

Before rehearsals started for "Felix Starro," Ariano had just finished playing the role of the architect Sam in East West Players' (EWP) run of "Mamma Mia!" in Los Angeles.

From left: Fictionist Lysley Tenorio,
playwright and novelist Jessica Hagedorn,
composer Fabian Obispo and director Ralph Peña. 

"Booking 'Mamma Mia!' at EWP, I had no idea there would be a Filipino twist in the staging. As it turns out, that decision would actually work to my advantage as far as my preparation for `Felix Starro.'"

Ariano says that he feels it was meant to be for him to experience having a mostly Filipino American cast of actors "not hiding or ignoring their heritage and actually acknowledging it. And then having the Filipino community in Los Angeles show their appreciation of our show and what it meant to them."

"I always believe there's a reason for everything. To have that kind of environment within my orbit helped influence the creation process of my next character: Felix Starro."

Excited

He says the best gift an actor can have is being given the opportunity to create a role from scratch. "I always cherish and love `the process' when it comes to putting a show together, be it a play or a musical."

"I look forward to finding Felix in collaboration with the director and the rest of the creative team. The epiphanies and occasional miracles that may come our way throughout our journey of the rehearsal process is part of the magic.

"Ultimately, finding Felix's voice in character and song is what I'm very excited in discovering."

"Felix Starro" runs Aug. 23-Sept. 15 at Theatre Row, 410 West 42nd St., New York. Visit Ma-yitheatre.org. 

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Lysley Tenorio's "Monstress' goes onstage

Jessica Hagedorn's 'Gangster of Love' goes onstage

Filipino American Cassie Grilley plays the lead in 'Hairspray' musical in SF

By WALTER ANG
July 26, 2019
USA.Inquirer.net
https://usa.inquirer.net/35127/fil-am-cassie-grilley-plays-the-lead-in-hairspray-musical-in-sf

SAN FRANCISCO — It's 1962 in Baltimore. The lovable and "pleasantly plump" teenager Tracy wants to dance on the popular "Corny Collins Show" on television, outwit the evil TV station manager, support the integration of black teens into the show and help her plus-size mother gain confidence-all while making sure her hairdo does not end up becoming a hair-don't.

San Francisco native Cassie Grilley grew up in a theatrical family.

It's the musical "Hairspray," and Filipino American Cassie Grilley plays lead character Tracy Turnblad.

With music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman and Shaiman and a book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan, this Tony Award-winning musical is an adaptation of John Waters's 1988 film of the same title.

In turn, adaptations of this musical have included a television broadcast in 2016 that starred celebrities such as Ariana Grande and Jennifer Hudson and a 2007 film version that starred the likes of Queen Latifah, Zac Efron, John Travolta and Michelle Pfieffer.

Concluding theater company Bay Area Musical's 2018-19 season, this production is directed and choreographed by Matthew McCoy with music direction by Jon Gallo.

Surrounded by theater

Grilley, whose mother is Filipino, is a native of San Francisco and grew up in a "very theatrical" family.

Cassie Grilley

"I was constantly surrounded by theater," she says. Grilley's paternal grandmother Diane Price had founded Young People's Teen Musical Theatre Company, a free musical theater program through the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department.

"It was founded in 1984 and is still operational. From the time I was a baby, I would watch every single show multiple times throughout each run. So naturally, I couldn't wait until it was my turn."

She finally got her chance when she was eight years old. "From the moment I made someone laugh, I knew that I wanted to continue this feeling."

She went on to study theatre arts at Foothill College and drama at University of California-Irvine.

Recent credits include "She Persisted," "Wonderland," "El Gato Ensombrerado," (Bay Area Children's Theatre), "Mean Gays," "Troop Beverly Heels" (Peaches Christ Productions), "Finding Medusa," "Oregon Trail Pages" (Musical Café).

Aside from acting, Grilley is also still involved with her grandmother's company doing directing work.

Positive

Tracy has been a dream role for Cassie and she says she's ecstatic to be playing "such a confident, wise, and sassy young woman.

Grilley plays Tracy Turnblad in "Hairspray."

"I'm very grateful to be playing such a positive character who advocates for the acceptance of people no matter what they look like.

"Playing Tracy, who is so confident and possesses such a magnetic energy, has allowed me to tap into these qualities within myself."

Grilley believes it's important to stand up for what's right. "This story has reminded me that it's necessary to love yourself in your own skin, despite the boundaries society may inflict upon you."

Relevant

Speaking of boundaries, she highlights one aspect of her own involvement in the show. "I appreciate our director Matthew McCoy's open-mindedness in casting a multiracial Tracy, when she is traditionally portrayed by a white actor."

"I hope that audiences are able to see that people often consider this show to be a period piece; however unfortunately, all of the major conflicts that we touch on are still completely relevant today." 

And just out of curiosity, how does Grilley take care of her own hair in real life? "I'm a wash-and-go gal. And the wind is my blow dryer!"

"Hairspray" runs until Aug. 11 at Victoria Theatre, 2961 16th St., San Francisco. Visit Bamsf.org.