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.