Mom-daughter tug-of-war, secrets in Filipino American's new novel

By WALTER ANG
Nov. 22, 2022 | USA.Inquirer.net 

SAN FRANCISCO — In Filipino American Jeannie Barroga's just-released novel Turn Right at the Water Buffalo, Reena, who has lived away from the Philippines for years, has manipulated her "Americanized" daughter, Lainie, to attend their 1989 family reunion in Leyte province.

Writer Jeannie Barrage with her new novel.

In a post-martial law milieu, Lainie maneuvers through a family tug-of-war, language, town personalities, surprise guests, female diwata, jungle nationalists, kababayans who reveal their true alliances, and, of course, long-held secrets kept by mothers.

"My mother had me promise that I'd write her story," Barroga said. "Reena's background is filled with love affairs, one leading to marriage and relocation to the United States. With ambition like that of Scarlet from Gone With the Wind, she is viewed by the people from her hometown Ormoc as driven and steely. A harrowing incident during the shelling of Ormoc affects the way Reena handles her relationships with family and friends."

It took Barroga more than 20 years to write this book. "Since the 1989 trip 32 years; since first drafts, 22 years; while recovering from two hip replacements, nearly three years; and released to the public, 11 months ago."

Theater

A prolific playwright and theater maker, she has more than 50 plays under her belt. Barroga founded a support group for playwrights called Playwright Forum, which later merged with theater company TheaterWorks, where Barroga served as literary manager for more than 15 years.

Based in the Bay Area, Barroga was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She began writing plays in the 1980s, a time when very few Filipino American playwrights were active. She included Filipino American characters in her works, also during a time when it uncommon.

Barroga's recent theater credits include Buffalo'ed, about the African American soldiers sent to the Philippines during the Philippine-American War and Banyan, a Wizard of Oz-inspired allegory on the effects of the Sept. 11 attacks on a Filipino American corporate worker.

Her play "Walls" is included in Unbroken Thread: An Anthology of Plays by Asian American Women.

Inspirations

"I resumed novel writing after 40 years of playwrighting. It took me that long to clamp down on disciplined writing," she said with a wink.

She counts among her inspirations "Madeleine L'Engle, Nicola Tesla, American musicals, complicity, the 1950s, The Wizard of Oz, Dashiell Hammett, the Milwaukee Braves, and Hui Playwrights" when she writes about women, art and politics.

She is currently working on revisions to her novel, Marked, about a detective who is aided by her cat and paranormal clues.

Jeannie Barroga will hold a book signing for Turn Right at the Water Buffalo on Nov. 26, 2022 at San Francisco Filipino Cultural Center, 814 Mission St., San Francisco. Visit JeannieBarroga.com.

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https://usa.inquirer.net/117078/mom-daughter-tug-of-war-secrets-in-fil-ams-new-novel 

Filipino American books out this fall: Memoir, childhood, folktales

By WALTER ANG
Nov. 15, 2022 | USA.Inquirer.net 

LOS ANGELES — Three titles from the Philippine American Literary House are now available, two reissues and one new tome. 

Three titles from the Philippine American Literary House are now available,
two reissues and one new tome.

Will You Happen, Past the Silence, Through the Dark?
Remembering Leonard Ralph Casper
By Linda Ty-Casper

Late Literary critic Leonard Ralph Casper wrote books about Philippine writing such as Wayward Horizon: Essays on Modern Philippine Literature (1961) and New Writing from the Philippines: A Critique and Anthology (1966). He taught at several universities there and was a colleague and friend to literati and academics.

In this chronicle, his spouse Linda Ty-Casper has collected the epistles written to and from him, offering a view of who he was to friends and peers. Ty-Casper describes the book as the memoir that her husband did not get to write.

In addition to correspondence with Filipino writers, exchanges include Casper's accounts from the European front during World War II submitted to the editors of the Southwest Review Magazine and inquiries from American poet, novelist and critic Robert Penn Warren as he was working on his dissertation.

Author and editor Joel Pablo Salud has praised the book, calling it "a treasure trove of charms and jewels forthose like me who find Leonard Casper a bit of a cryptic, enigmatic figure. Linda Ty-Casper has done a great service by shedding light on Len's memory, allowing us a voyeur's look into a life dedicated to the magic and unease found in letters. I am sure this book will remain relevant for decades to come."

Growing Up Filipino 3: New Stories for Young Adults
Edited by Cecilia Manguerra Brainard

A collection of 25 short stories by Filipino authors in the U.S. and the Philippines on what it means to be young and Filipino.

The stories explore the universal themes of coming-of-age, love, angst, family, relationships, and other young adult issues.

The stories reveal Filipino and Filipino American culture, mores, history, society, politics, and other nuances. For instance, Filipino respect for their elders, extended families, religious practices, funeral rites, and love for folklore are apparent in the stories.

The first two titles in this series, Growing Up Filipino: Stories For Young Adults (2003) and Growing Up Filipino II: More Stories For Young Adults (2010), were included in National Geographic's Reading List in 2020. Used by educators in their classrooms, these books are enjoyed by adults and young adults alike.

Contributors include Nikki Alfar, Marilyn Alquizola, Gina Apostol, Cecilia Bainard, Patrick Joseph Caoile, Ian Casocot, Noelle de Jesus, George Deoso, Migs Bravo Dutt, James Fajarito, Yvette Fernandez, Patricia Go, Sarge Lacuesta, Zak Linmark, Veronica Montes, Kannika Pena, Oscar Peñaranda, Danton Remoto, Brian Roley, Renee Macalino Rutledge, Dom Sy, Eileen Tabios, Linda Ty-Casper, Marianne Villanueva and Jack Wigley.

Asian and Philippine Folktales: Retellings by PAWWA
Edited by Cecilia Manguerra Brainard

A collection of 25 Asian and Philippine folktales intended for readers ages 9 and older as retold by members of the Philippine American Women Writers and Artists (PAWWA).

The stories were previously published in two separate books that have been out-of-print for many years. This new collection includes folktales from places such as Laos, Japan, Korea, Sumatra, Vietnam, China, Bali, Indonesia, India, and the Philippines.

PAWWA was a support group for Filipina women writers in Southern California in the 1990s. Its work supporting books by Filipino American and Filipino authors has spun off with the Philippine American Literary House imprint, currently overseen by Cecilia Brainard.

Contact palhbooks@gmail.com or visit palhbooks.com.

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https://usa.inquirer.net/116472/fil-am-books-out-this-fall-memoir-childhood-folktales 

Filipino American leading ladies in ‘Wicked’ and ‘Little Shop of Horrors’

By WALTER ANG
Nov. 10, 2022 | USA.Inquirer.net

CHICAGO — "Good news!" as the opening song of a certain musical announces, audiences can currently see Filipino Americans light up the stage as the lead characters in two popular musicals. 

Filipino American Lissa deGuzman is Elphaba
in the touring production of "Wicked." JOAN MARCUS. (left) 
Filipino American Lena Hall plays Audrey
in the Off-Broadway revival of "Little Shop of Horrors." EMILIO MADRID

Lissa deGuzman is starring as Elphaba in the touring production of "Wicked" and Tony Award winner Lena Hall is starring as Audrey in the Off-Broadway production of "Little Shop of Horrors."

DeGuzman stepped into the role in March. (Maria Eberline was the first Fil-Am to play Elphaba when she was an understudy in the show's first national tour.  Nicola Espallardo is the first Filipino British to have performed as Elphaba in the West End production this past July. The role was originated by Idina Menzel [voice of Elsa in "Disney's Frozen"].

Wicked

"Wicked" is a reimagined prequel to "The Wizard of Oz." DeGuzman plays a young Elphaba, who will eventually become the Wicked Witch of the West. The musical shows her days a university student and her unlikely friendship with another student named Galinda.

Lissa deGuzman as Elphaba. JOAN MARCUS

DeGuzman, whose father is Filipino, was born in Wisconsin. Her brother Mathew is currently in the Broadway production of "Disney's Aladdin."

DeGuzman's previous credits include Princess Jasmine in the touring production of "Disney's Aladdin," "West Side Story" and "Fiddler on the Roof," among others. 

The musical has music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman and is based on the novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire.

Currently running in Chicago at the James M. Nederlander Theatre until Dec. 4, show's next leg is Washington, DC at the John F. Kennedy Center beginning Dec. 8, 2022.

"Wicked" is also still running on Broadway and has a London production. Since opening on Broadway in 2003, "Wicked" has been performed in over 100 cities in 16 countries. As it approaches its 20th year on Broadway, a movie adaptation is in the works with Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo in the cast and Jon M. Chu ("Crazy Rich Asians") set to direct.

Fil-Am Deedee Magno Hall (Cartoon Network's "Steven Universe") played Elphaba's sister Nessarose in the first national tour in the mid-2000s and the original San Francisco cast in 2009.

Little Shop of Horrors

In "Little Shop of Horrors," Lena Hall plays Audrey, a down-on-her-luck florist who partners with her coworker Seymour as he discovers and battles a mysterious and voracious talking plant.

Lena Hall as Audrey. ELI WARREN. 

Celina "Lena Hall" Carvajal won the 2014 Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her work in "Hedwig and the Angry Inch." Hall is a San Francisco native and her father, folk and ballet dancer and choreographer Carlos Carvajal, is Filipino American.

Her other Broadway credits include "Kinky Boots," "Tarzan," and "Cats," among others.

Fil-Am stage and screen star Conrad Ricamora ("The King and I" and ABC's "How to Get Away with Murder") completed a stint as Seymour in the same show earlier this year.

Fil-Am Jon Hoche is part of the show as a cover, filling in for actors who are on vacation, and as a puppeteer. Hoche previously played the voice of King Kong in "King Kong" on Broadway and was part of the US touring production of "War Horse."

"Little Shop of Horrors" has book and lyrics by Howard Ashman ("Disney's The Little Mermaid" and "Disney's Beauty and the Beast") and music by Alan Menken ("Disney's Aladdin" and "Newsies").

Other Fil-Am Tony Award winners include Lea Salonga, 1991 Best Actress in a Musical for "Miss Saigon;" composer Robert Lopez, 2004 Best Score for "Avenue Q" and 2011 Best Book and Best Score for "Book of Mormon;" and set and costume designer Clint Ramos, 2016 Best Costume Design of a Play for "Eclipsed."

Filipino American theater artists who have won Tony and Obie Awards are included in the book Barangay to Broadway: Filipino American Theater History, available at online bookselling sites such as Amazon and Bookshop.

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https://usa.inquirer.net/115989/fil-am-leading-ladies-in-wicked-and-little-shop-of-horrors 

Filipino American guitarist Florante Aguilar’s album ‘Probinsya’ showcases traditional music

By WALTER ANG
Oct. 27, 2022 | USA.Inquirer.net 

SAN FRANCISCO — Filipino American classical guitarist Florante Aguilar's new album Probinsya is a collection of songs lovingly put together in honor of his hometown Kawit, Cavite.

Florante Aguilar

With painter Romeo Tabuena's "Guitar & Birdcage" as the featured artwork, the album specifically recalls the music traditions that Aguilar's childhood was immersed in.

The 11 tracks are a combination of folk songs and classic compositions such as "Rosa Pandan," "Cariñosa" and "Sinisinta Kita," among others, all arranged and performed by Aguilar.

Aguilar's youth in the 1970s was filled with music. "My mother, Celestina Capayas Aguilar, was a pianist and I grew up hearing her play the music of Nicanor Abelardo, Antonio Molina, Francisco Santiago and other giants of 20th century Filipino music composition. If you lift the top of the piano chair, you'll find tons of very old torn up music sheets that she collected over the years."

He credits the elders of his hometown for introducing him to different musical traditions. "I grew up listening to harana (serenade), kundiman (torch songs) and rondalla music. They taught me to play the octavina and guitar. I became `the wonder kid playing with the old-timers' during fiestas in our town. It was the best possible place for me to learn about the richness of the country's traditional music."

Focusing

Aguilar went on to study classical guitar performance at the University of the Philippines and eventually moved to the US to pursue further studies to hone his technique.

"I was there at EDSA during the People Power Revolution in 1986, protesting the rigged election of Marcos. I then witnessed all the chaos, the transitional government and the endless coup d'états. I knew that the instability of the Philippines was not a conducive place for me as an artist.

"It was very hard for me to reconcile focusing on classical guitar while the rest of the nation starved. I was glad to be part of toppling a dictator, but I also knew I needed a stable environment because all I really wanted to do was to master the classical guitar.  At the time, I felt studying in the US was the best place for it, and that I'd have a better chance of success as a musician in the US."

He left the year after to study guitar under a scholarship at the Manhattan School of Music and later earned a Bachelor's in Music at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

Champion

Now based in Napa Valley, Aguilar has been championing Filipino traditional music through his albums and work in film and theater.

A teenaged Aguilar performing at his hometown in Cavite.

He composed and cowrote the libretto of "Aswang the Concert: Mga Kuwentong Halimaw, Their True Stories," a dramatized song cycle featuring Philippine mythical creatures such as manananggal, tikbalang, syokoy and tumao.

He is also a frequent collaborator with San Francisco-based performance group Kularts, composing music for their performances.

He is coproducer of documentary Harana: The Search for the Lost Art of Serenade, where Aguilar interviewed and collaborated with three haranistas from remote provinces in the Philippines.

Homage

Aguilar recalls receiving a bicycle from his father when he was 10. "I explored the other barangays of Kawit. I loved riding my bike, seeing the open rice fields, discovering places, enjoying beautiful sunsets over the irasan (salt beds). The salt-making  industry was huge then.

The last time he visited Kawit  was 14 years ago. "It looked very different. It didn't feel like a probinsya anymore. It [had become] well-developed and modernized.

"I think that is why I hold on to the romantic image of my hometown. It is gone. Playing traditional music is my way of paying homage to that bygone era."

"At its heart, what influences the Probinsya album is appreciation of traditional music. I saw the way the elders listened to and practiced this kind of music in a devoted way. They talked about the best kundiman singers, the legends of harana, and they had encyclopedic knowledge of the repertoire. To my young mind, they were such virtuosos of the rondalla. You could say that the album is actually rondalla music arranged and played on the classical guitar."

"Probinsya" is released by New Art Media Chicken Coop Productions and is available on music streaming services. Visit floranteaguilar.com.

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https://usa.inquirer.net/114560/fil-am-guitarists-album-probinsya-showcases-traditional-music

New Disney Filipino American cartoon character inspired by family, culture

By WALTER ANG
Sept. 15, 2022 | USA.Inquirer.net 

LOS ANGELES — Filipino American Krystal Banzon is bringing to life a new Disney cartoon character. Not only that, the character is Filipino American.

Bo Bayani and his firetruck Flash go on adventures in Disney Junior's "Firebuds,"
which has Filipino American Julius Aguimatang as one of its directors. 

Banzon is a staff writer on Disney Junior's "Firebuds," an animated comedy-adventure series featuring Fil-Am Bo Bayani and his best friend, firetruck Flash.

Bo and his friends, all children of first responders, always team up with their vehicle sidekicks to help others in their community with problems big and small. The music-filled series follows their adventures as they learn the importance of teamwork, volunteerism and what it truly means to be a hero.

Fil-Am actor Lou Diamond Philips voices Bo's father, Chief Bill Bayani. Fil-Am Julius Aguimatang is one of the show's directors. "We are proud to represent multiple Filipino folks behind the scenes!" says Banzon. "Some storyboard artists and production assistants are [Filipino Americans] as well."

On Twitter, Lou Diamond Phillips wrote, "So thrilled to be part of this exciting new series! So innovative, creative and fun . I'm excited to say that Chief Bill is Filipino as well as being a first-responder!"

In the show itself, "in addition to Bo and Chief Bill, we have Lolo Ben, who was also a Fire Chief before he retired. There's also Bo's Lola Belen," adds Banzon.

"And of course, in our magical world of talking vehicles, we have Jipney, the fabulous and cheerful jeepney who helps transport Bo's large extended family. Of course, Jipney comes complete with his own disco ball and karaoke machine!"

Excited

Banzon was brought on to be part of the show by Emmy Award-winning creator and executive producer Craig Gerber (Disney's "Elena of Avalor" and "Sofia the First"). "When he told me that the main character in the show is Filipino, I was so excited! As a staff writer, I am part of the team that develops and writes stories for the show."

"As a mother, I had been looking for children's content that represented our family and culture. To have the opportunity to help make that happen for my kids and other kids of color out there, I knew I wanted to be a part of the show!"

Born in Los Angeles, Banzon's previous work involved theater directing and dramaturgy in New York. She was also previously connected with NBC Universal, was a cofounder of production company Ekweytor MC and was a founding board member of theater nonprofit Art2Action.

Deeply Filipino  

Banzon was able to draw from her own experiences for the show's initial batch of episodes. "I used a lot of examples from my life growing up as Filipina American in the stories we tell involving Bo, Bill and the Bayani family."

Filipino American Krystal Banzon is a writer on Disney Junior's "Firebuds,"
which features Fil-Am character Bo Bayani and his firetruck sidekick Flash.

"We have a moment where Bo greets his lolo with a 'mano po.' I remember learning that gesture as a sign of respect for my elders as a child."

One memory she recalls fondly provided a cultural reference for an upcoming Christmas episode. "We have Bo and Bill making a parol together, which is something I used to do when I was little. I remember my lolo tying sticks and twine together to make one for me as kid."

"There is a deep intergenerational relationship between Bo, his dad and his lolo, which is so deeply Filipino, in my opinion," Banzon observes. She points to her own family's bonds, "I grew up with my lolo and lola living with us. My children are lucky enough to have the love of their grandparents and a great-grandparent!"

"The Bayanis are a big family! We portray their gatherings just like the family gatherings I have in my life, full of food, joy and family."

Culture

Banzon believes that "Firebuds" is one way to "pass on culture, traditions, and values."

"In 'Firebuds,' we have Bo learning how to be a community helper and his best self, from the wisdom and examples of his dad and Lolo.

Bo with his father Fire Chief Bill Bayani, voiced by Fil-Am actor Lou Diamond Philips. 

"It's a special opportunity working with a show in its first season because you get a hand in formulating the voice, personalities, and spirit of these characters from the very beginning. It's particularly fulfilling when a show represents your culture, and works hard to be inclusive and representative of the world we live in.

"I think that in kids programming, there is a big, beautiful responsibility to show kids the magnificent diversity of the world. I feel lucky and honored to be a part of bringing the Bayani family and the whole 'Firebuds' world to life!"

Upcoming live show

Melissa Rauch ("The Big Bang Theory") voices Bo's mother Beth. Celebrity guest voice actors in upcoming episodes include Aimee Carrero ("Elena of Avalor"), Lisa Loeb ("Jake and the Never Land Pirates"), Patton Oswalt ("Ratatouille"), Weird Al Yankovic ("Milo Murphy's Law"), LaChanze (Broadway's "The Color Purple") and Padma Lakshmi ("Top Chef"), among others.

Bo and Flash are included in the upcoming "Disney Junior Live on Tour: Costume Palooza," which is scheduled to have shows in more than 80 North American cities this year.

Scheduled for release next year are a digital soundtrack from Walt Disney Records, storybooks from Disney Publishing, and a toy line featuring vehicles, figures, playsets and other items.

"Firebuds" airs Wednesdays on Disney Junior. Premieres Sept. 21, 2022.

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https://usa.inquirer.net/110773/new-disney-fil-am-cartoon-character-inspired-by-family-culture

Lydia Gaston channels all Filipino American moms to play Jo Koy's in 'Easter Sunday'

By WALTER ANG
July 20, 2022 | USA.Inquirer.net 

NEW YORK — Seasoned theater actress and dancer Lydia Gaston stars in the crucial role of Tita Susan, the matriarch in Filipino American stand-up comedian Jo Koy's feature film "Easter Sunday." 

Filipino American actor Lydia Gaston (left) in a scene with Jo Koy in the film "Easter Sunday." 
Photo from Amblin Entertainment

Opening in theaters on Aug. 5, the film spotlights Jo Valencia (played by Koy), who returns to his family home "for an Easter week of eating, laughing, drinking and riotous fun." The material draws from Koy's personal experiences and his popular routines.

Audiences familiar with Koy's shows knows how largely his mother looms in his bits. "The woman Lydia [Gaston] that plays my mother, she's phenomenal," Koy says in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. (Koy and girlfriend Chelsea Handler yesterday announced an amicable end to their relationship of one year.)

The film is touted as the first Hollywood studio comedy to showcase an all-Filipino main cast. In addition to Koy and Gaston, other Filipino Americans in the cast include Tia Carrere ("True Lies," "Wayne's World"), Melody Butiu ("Rizzoli & Isles," Off-Broadway and Broadway's "Here Lies Love") and Eva Noblezada (Broadway's "Miss Saigon" and "Hadestown"). Filipino Canadian Elena Juatco is also part of the cast.

Also in the cast are Eugene Cordero ("The Good Place," Disney+'s "Loki"), Joey Guila ("Comedy InvAsian"), Rodney To ("Parks and Recreation," HBO's "Barry"), Brandon Wardell ("Curb Your Enthusiasm"), and Lou Diamond Phillips ("Bluebloods," "Cougar Town").

Excitement

A longtime New Yorker, Gaston hails from Negros Occidental province in the Philippines. Her performing career began with Ballet Philippines where she became a soloist at 16. She moved to New York at 18 to pursue a dance career, eventually working with various dance companies, most prominently with choreographer/playwright Rachel Lampert. She has been in national tours or regional productions of musicals such as "West Side Story" and "South Pacific."

Gaston made her Broadway debut with "Shogun, the Musical." She was most recently in the revival of "The King and I." She has worked with Ma-Yi Theater Group, National Asian American Theatre Company and Pan Asian Rep. She is currently an adjunct professor at Empire State College.

Amalgam

"There were several levels of excitement and disbelief [over several] weeks before I got the final okay," says Gaston of the audition process. "Getting the invitation to submit a self-tape, reading the scenes and loving them, hearing from my agent later to say that they were inquiring about my availability, and then the callback on Zoom with the director Jay Chandrasekhar and Jo Koy."

Lydia Gaston plays Jo Koy's mother in "Easter Sunday."

"I studied some videos of Josie, Jo's mom. She seems very poised and intelligent. Obviously, she's very proud of Jo. Her body language does give me clues that, like most Filipino moms, she's a disciplinarian."

However, as she prepared to create the Tita Susan character, Gaston watched more videos of Koy where he impersonates his mother. "I'm fascinated by the exaggerated version of his mother because woven into it is his response as the recipient of the constant nagging and criticism. I can detect his exasperation with her, his amazement and bafflement at how this woman, his mother, can be completely confident in the ways she thinks she's always right."

"Studying how Jo portrays his mother is seeing an amalgam of Filipino American mothers. And I fit right in. When I first got the [script for the self-tape], I just thought it was so funny and perfect. The way Jo characterizes his mom is very familiar to my ear. I hear my mother's voice and my own voice when I nag or correct my husband and my daughter. My daughter lives in Europe now but my texts to her are always reminders. With my mother in the 1970s, `80s and `90s, she would send me these long letters full of warnings and reminders."

A person with feelings

In addition to mining her personal insights as a mother herself, Gaston also worked on the attributes of her character as a whole. "I think accents, like languages, open up different sides to our personality. I do have, I think, a pretty authentic Filipino accent, Ilonggo accented probably. My acting coach encouraged me to embody the accent."

Stand-up comic Jo Koy (left) and actor Lydia Gaston
in a relaxed moment behind the cameras.

"My coach and I really looked at Tita Susan as a person with feelings, not as a person who speaks with an accent. The way she speaks is part of who she is. As an exercise, I would improvise the English lines in the Filipino dialects that I know in order to explore how Susan would say them."

Gaston says that she and her coach worked hard to build Tita Susan "from a realistic, compassionate point of view. Beneath her toughness is a vulnerability. She is a mom and always wants to be around family. She also wants to be acknowledged for the hard work she always puts in."

Speaking of family, Gaston and the cast formed one of their own of sorts while filming. "Working with Jo Koy and the Filipino Americans and Filipino Canadians on the set was fantastic. The actors had to live in a bubble and quarantine in our rooms for two weeks. On the first shoot day, we were like children finally released on the playground. It also felt like we were an acting company, similar to theater."

"We all got to know Jo and he's just the way we see him onstage: generous, funny, and hardworking. I was also struck by his show of respect and admiration for the actors working with him. It made us do our best work."

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https://usa.inquirer.net/105863/lydia-gaston-channels-all-fil-am-moms-to-play-jo-koys-in-easter-sunday

Vancouver show recalls stories of first Filipino settlers in Canada

By WALTER ANG
July 15, 2022 | USA.Inquirer.net

VANCOUVER, B.C. — Stories, songs, dances and poetry of how Filipinos have settled in Canada will go onstage in a new show "Buto/Buto: Bones are Seeds."

Directed by Filipino Canadian Dennis Gupa, "Buto/Buto: Bones are Seeds"
will feature Philippine performance traditions such as prusisyon. 

From the 1791 Malaspina Expedition until the present, the show tackles histories of Filipinos arrivals in Canada. The writing team crafted the script based on stories shared by community members in a year-long creative process.

The performance employs the life of Benson Flores, one of the first Filipinos who lived on Bowen Island, British Columbia in the late 19th century, as a jumping off point to showcase a collection of vignettes.

Filipino Canadians in the artistic team include director Dennis Gupa as well as co-librettists Karla Comanda, Christopher Nasaire and Marc Perez.

Cross pollination  

Other Filipino Canadian artistic collaborators include choreographer Alvin Tolentino, set and lighting designer Noreen Sajolan, costume designer Mirabel De Guzman, score and sound designer Eri Kikuchi and voice coach Jeremiah Carag.

Fil-Canadians in the cast include Anjela Magpantay, Ted Ngkaion and Abi Padilla. JR Guerrero is a musician for the production.

Performers from different generations and disciplines will enact dramatic scenes that are emblematic of Philippine performance traditions such as sarsuwela (musical theater), kundiman (love songs), prusisyon (processions) and pasyon (epic chant).

Germination

This theater work was spearheaded by Gupa and is the result of the Jose Rizal Intercultural Theatre Project, a collaboration between the National Pilipino Canadian Cultural Centre and the Southeast Asian Cultural Heritage Society with the special participation of Anyone Can Act Theatre.

The project began its research phase in 2021, which included lectures and discussions on Jose Rizal's life and works and the histories of Filipinos in British Columbia.

This was followed by an arts training phase for the community from September of last year to February this year. Participants attended weekly training sessions with theater professionals and Southeast Asian performance practitioners to learn skills.

The staging of the work is the current phase. Processing lessons learned from the experience will be the next phase.

"This production has been a two year-long effort," said Gupa. "These three organizations each brought their expertise and communities to the table, which allowed for this project to move forward at the level of commitment, funding, and passion that our audience members will experience."

Rooted

"The show is collectively created by immigrants with a heritage rooted to lands elsewhere. The storytelling jumps entire eras and oceans . [with] a circuitous and ebbing memory of arrival, transit, and the specter of departures."

"This original work is an ode to the resilience of the community, filling its longing for home with Jose Rizal's legacy: love for the community, land, and their original country of birth.

"Our mission with this performance is to share with our multicultural Canadian society about Philippine history, languages, heritage, arts and culture, and histories of Filipino migration to Canada and its significance to Canadian society and economy."

"Buto/Buto: Bones are Seeds" runs July 28-31 at Russian Hall, 600 Campbell Ave., Vancouver, Canada. Visit linktr.ee/npc3. 

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https://usa.inquirer.net/105539/vancouver-show-recalls-stories-of-first-filipino-settlers-in-canada

Filipino American Raven Ong designs costumes for theatrical kings and ghosts

By WALTER ANG
July 13, 2022 | USA.Inquirer.net

NEW YORK — Filipino American costume designer Raven Ong has four shows opening this summer, one of which will have an international staging.

Progressing stages of Raven Ong's (right) costume design
for "The Ecstasy of Victoria Woodhull."

Ong has designed the costumes for a triptych of Shakespeare plays for DeCruit Company and for a play about a woman who wore many hats for Owl and Pussycat Theatre Company.

Ong's credits include "Beautiful: Carole King Musical," "Waitress," "Kinky Boots," "Matilda" and "The Producers," among others. He designed the costumes for Fil-Am playwright Linda Faigao-Hall's "Dying in Boulder." He teaches costume design at Central Connecticut State University.

New material

Ong was approached by Sean Harris, Artistic Director of Playhouse on Park Theater Company, to design one costume for the single actor who carries the play "The Ecstasy of Victoria Woodhull."

It features a clairvoyant who channels the spirit of Woodhull, a woman written out of history for her "radical views." Woodhull was a Suffragette, an activist for women's voting rights, ran her own Wall Street firm and progressive newspaper in New York and was the first woman to run for President. She was also a spiritualist con-artist.

"It's always interesting to collaborate on new material," Ong said. "I joined director Sean Harris, playwright Theo Salter and the actor Ashley Ford for rehearsals in West Hollywood. It was a very rich process where we discovered many things inside the rehearsal room.

The play recently ended its run in Hollywood and will be performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival after its New York run.

Multiple characters

DeCruit will be staging adaptations of "Richard III," "Macbeth" and "Henry VI" parts 1, 2 and 3, respectively as: "The Head of Richard," "Make Thick My Blood" and "She-Wolf."

Ong was introduced to the producers of DeCruit through Jason O'Connell, who is directing "The Head of Richard." He'd worked with O'Connell in early 2020 just before the pandemic began, designing a staging of Kate Hammill's adaptation of "Pride and Prejudice."

"The triptych brings so much inspiration and challenge for a designer. Each play has only two actors. This means multiple character changes without leaving the stage. So how can the costumes and costume pieces help in telling the story?

Some of Filipino American costume designer Raven Ong's works
for DeCruit Company's triptych of Shakespeare plays. 

"How do we show the audience the magic of shifting characters right before their eyes in a way that is not confusing? We have three brilliant directors who've all choreographed the character changes seamlessly. It was pure collaboration!"

Meaningful

But more than an opportunity to flex creative muscles with other collaborators, Ong was drawn to the group's ethos. The DeCruit program supports veterans who were recruited into the military to be "de-cruited" for the civilian world by using theater as a tool for processing emotions and behavior.

"The message of these plays and the service to the community that DeCruit producers Stephan Wolfert and Dawn Stern provide is what I find truly meaningful. When we say theater is meant for the audience to have an experience, these are the perfect shows for that.

"As I work more on these kinds of plays as a costume designer, I begin to feel that a spectacle is no longer defined by the lavishness of visuals and effects, rather, a transformative experience that cultivates visibility, accessibility and inclusion."

"The Head of Richard" opens July 15. Visit decruit.org. "The Ecstasy of Victoria Woodhull" runs Jul 17-31. Visit optheatreco.com.

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https://usa.inquirer.net/105323/fil-am-designs-costumes-for-theatrical-kings-and-ghosts

An all Filipino American showcase at SheLA Summer Theater Fest

By WALTER ANG
July 7, 2022 | USA.Inquirer.net

LOS ANGELES — This year's SheLA Summer Theater Festival will feature two plays written by Filipino Americans, with both directed by Yari Cervas and produced by Leah Vicencio.

Filipino American actors Kristel Dela Rosa (left) and PJ Cimacio in "Too Much Skin."

The two plays explore "narratives of first generation Filipinx Millennials grappling with identity, belonging, and family ties in the diaspora." (Filipinx is a gender-neutral variation for Filipina/o that has gained traction in academic and cultural settings.)

"Too Much Skin" by Carolene Joy Cabrera King follows two Filipino American siblings forging their own identity in the United States as they battle assimilation and white supremacist culture.

Darna has taken in her unemployed brother Christian, dates white dudes obsessed with her "exotic" appearance and cosplays as anime characters to hide her Filipino identity. The siblings confront their fears about who they are and their place in the world through video game fever dreams, bad dates and lots of late night snacking.

Fil-Am cast includes Kristel Dela Rosa, PJ Cimacio and Zeus Oira.

In her play "Electra," Luz Lorenzana Twigg aims to "eviscerate cancel culture" as she adapts Sophocles' masterpiece with the question "What do you have left when the deed is done?"

Electra's mother, a successful white feminist senator and self-appointed leader of the #metoo movement, cancels her father, a human rights lawyer, over allegations of cheating and sexual assault. Passionate and full of rage, Electra wrestles with the inheritance of her biracial identity as she plots to exact justice on her mother.

Fil-Am cast includes Soleil Joun.

Collaborations

Yari Cervas (whose gender identity uses all pronouns), was a cofounding artistic director of MaArte Theatre Collective in San Diego, the city's only theater organization devoted to Filipino American theater makers. Cervas' involvement with both productions grew out of close, long-term collaborations with King and Twigg, some of which were through MaArte.

Filipino American theater makers. (From left) Director Yari Cervas
with playwrights Luz Lorenzana Twigg and Carolene Joy Cabrera King.

Her recent directing credits include "Desert Rock Garden at New Village Arts," "The Fire In Me," "You're Safe Here" and "Your Best American Girl."

Cofounder of Roaming Theatre Collaborative and currently based in New York, Luz Lorenzana Twigg is a playwright and lyrical poet from Santa Barbara, California. Credits include "Platinum Record," "America, Home, Heart," "The Trouble with Paradise" and "Sinner/Saint."

Based out of Escondido, California, King is a poet, playwright, educator and activist. Credits include "Colored," "Stories of Sun Café" and "Halo Halo."

Leah Vicencio is a Creative Producer at Super Awesome Friends and Head of Media and Education of The Broadway Sinfonietta, an all-female, majority women of color orchestral collective.

SheLA is a branch of SheNYC Arts, a nonprofit that showcases emerging gender-marginalized theater writers and composers.

"Electra" runs July 14 and 16; "Too Much Skin" runs July 15 and 16. Zephyr Theatre, 7456 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, California. Visit Shenycarts.org/she-la. 

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https://usa.inquirer.net/104929/an-all-fil-am-showcase-at-shela-summer-theater-fest

Filipino Canadian playwright Riley Palanca joins Montreal Fringe

By WALTER ANG
June 6, 2022 | USA.Inquirer.net

MONTREAL — Filipino Canadian playwright Riley Palanca will premiere his play "Would Virginia Woolf Contemplate Suicide If She Were Filipino?" at this year's St. Ambroise Montreal Fringe Festival. 

Riley Palanca has been writing and staging plays
with gay characters or themes for over a decade. 

Written under the pen name Revan Badingham III, the one-act play is about Filipino Canadians Lemar, a new immigrant to the country, and Warren, a child of rich immigrants, who decide to meet in person after matching with each other on an app. Games lead to uncovering of differences and revelations of similarities. Will they or won't they?

The production boasts a Filipino Canadian cast and director. Roy Vhinson plays Lemar. Credits include "The Laramie Project," "Dr. Faustus" and "Peter and the Starcatcher." Marc Ducusin takes on the role of Warren. Credits include performances for In The Wing Promotions, Kaleidoscope Theatre, Acts to Grind, Brave New Productions, Full Circle Productions, the Cote-Saint-Luc Dramatic Society, and the McGill Savoy Society, for which he also served as a producer.

Director Dennis Gupa is currently an Assistant Professor at the Department of Theatre and Film University of Winnipeg. Gupa completed his doctorate in Applied Theatre at the University of Victoria as a Vanier scholar. In addition to Canada, he has directed productions in the Philippines, Cambodia, Indonesia and Malaysia.

"Riley's play is a meditation of the circuitous net of cultural translations, linguistic gaps, and class differences revealed from the fluid and malleable sensual intimacies shared by queer people of color in Montreal. To my knowledge, this is the first English play written by a Filipino-Canadian about the immigrant and migrant lifeworld of Filipino queer folks," says Gupa.

Fortunate

Palanca, who is gender non-conforming and uses they/them pronouns, is joining the fringe festival as part of the Culturally Diverse Artist Program. 

A scene for Riley Palanca's
"Would Virginia Woolf Contemplate Suicide If She Were Filipino?" 

"It's a special lottery for the festival that is open to companies led by artists who identify as diverse, i.e. people of color, immigrants, LGBTQ, etc.," says Palanca.  "I was very fortunate to have been the winner in 2020 when it was first launched."

Part of the winnings covers Palanca's venue fees and provides them with a bursary, rehearsal space and a mentor.

Palanca has been writing and staging plays with gay characters or themes for over a decade. Recent playwriting credits include "Puta Kang Hayop Ka" for Relive Your Passion PH, "Sa Dakong Kawala: Mga Eksenang Binaon ng Alon" for Tales from the Flipside, "Art, Business, Coffee" and "Desaparacidos," both for Tuesday Night Café Theatre. He also published a novel under their Badingham pen name in 2020, "To The Boys Who Wear Pink."

The St. Ambroise Montréal Fringe Festival is a "summer block party of theater, dance, music, comedy, circus and more." With over 800 performances, local and international artists take over the Plateau-Mont-Royal to celebrate boundless creativity. More than 500 artists perform in more than 20 venues.

"Would Virginia Woolf Contemplate on Suicide if She Were Filipino?" runs June 9 to 19 at Le Théatre La Comédie de Montréal, 1113 Boul. de Maisonneuve E, Montréal, Quebec. Visit Fb.com/VirginiaWoolfMontreal.

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https://usa.inquirer.net/101885/fil-canadian-playwright-joins-montreal-fringe