Filipino American in Gerard Butler starrer 'Plane' making new short

By WALTER ANG
Jan. 31, 2023 | USA.Inquirer.net

LOS ANGELES — Filipino American actor and filmmaker Ariel Felix is working on a new short film titled "She Done Did It."

Filipino American actor and filmmaker Ariel Felix (right) with Gerard Butler
while filming "Plane."

The dark comedy revolves around the Del Rosario siblings, first generation Fil-Ams who are brought together by an unforeseen circumstance after years of strained relationships.

The film's description states "love them or hate them, they're family. And sometimes you have to depend on them to help you get away with murder."

Felix can currently be seen on the silver screen in the action thriller "Plane," headlined by Gerard Butler (Zak Snyder's "300") and Mike Colton (Netflix's "Luke Cage").

"The film takes place in the Jolo islands of the Philippines," says Felix. "We filmed it in Puerto Rico in locations where it actually looked and felt like the Philippines."

"It features several Filipino American actors. I had never worked with those guys before and it was great getting to bond with them off set. We had each other's backs."

Felix says it had been his first time traveling during the pandemic so he was a little concerned at the time. "But everyone was on top of it and production took very good care of us."

Inspiration

Felix was inspired to produce "She Done Did It" because he and his Fil-Am actor friends wanted to collaborate on something. "Something relationship-driven, specifically Filipino American.  Because if we don't tell our stories, then who will?"

Filipino American actor-filmmaker Ariel Felix. 

"I initially sought out scripts because writing isn't easy," he says. Felix knows of where he speaks. He wrote and produced another short film, "The Others," a few years ago.

It had a successful film festival run and won a few award, including Best Acting Ensemble. "I get inspired by my talented friends and by the idea of pushing Filipino talent and stories forward and being included in the narrative."

"The Others," which is about former Broadway actors reuniting after the death of their dear friend, is streaming on Amazon Prime. "That's also a very much relationship driven film. There's some singing, great acting and some beautiful shots in it."

He eventually got inspired to write a script himself when he went to Maui on vacation. "It's one of my favorite places. I spent hours on my hotel balcony writing and by the end of the week, I had a first draft of the script."

Collaborators

One of the film's goals is to offer audiences "Filipino American culture and relationship dynamics in a fresh, nuanced and amusing way." The film is currently slated to clock in at 15 to 18 minutes but there are plans to eventually turn it into a full feature.

Fil-Am collaborators attached to the production include award-winning director Myra Aquino ("Beauty Queen"), cinematographer Mike Maliwanag, editor Ben Bulatao and producer Paul Martinez.

Cast includes Emy Coligado, Evan D'Angeles and Princess Punzalan. Felix will also be part of the cast.

"They are all excited. They all related to the script but I think even more so, they were drawn to the prospect of collaborating and being a part of an all-Fil-Am team of artists. I know I am."

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https://usa.inquirer.net/121398/fil-am-in-gerard-butler-starrer-plane-making-new-short

Filipino American outfits 'Othello' for a sexy, edgy 'Bridgerton' touch

By WALTER ANG
Jan. 26, 2023 | USA.Inquirer.net

CEDAR CITY, Utah — For this year's Utah Shakespeare Festival, Filipino American costume designer Raven Ong is designing a "Bridgerton"-inspired wardrobe for a production of William Shakespeare's "Othello." 

Raven Ong's work-in-progress for his costume design for Othello. 

Ong is collaborating with director Cordell Cole to reimagine the play's setting in a world akin to the sexy Netflix hit historical romance series set in 1810s Regency-era England based on Julia Quinn's novels.

The original milieu of the Bard's work has Othello serving as a general in the Venetian army in the 1570s. Newly married to Desdemona, the couple soon become victims to the machinations of his ensign Iago.

"It is an imagined world. Cordell and I looked at images that were Regency-inspired. We wanted silhouettes that were athletic, angular yet edgy, and form-fitting with hints of asymmetry," says Ong.

First time  

"We put in a lot of consideration for the costume designs, especially because this show will be seen by students who may be watching a Shakespeare play for the first time."

Filipino American costume designer Raven Ong
is working on Utah Shakespeare Festival's "Othello." 

The Utah Shakespeare Festival's legacy stretches over 50 years. "Othello" is this year's installment for the festival's Shakespeare in the Schools tour, which brings shortened adaptation of a Shakespeare play to schools and communities through Nevada, Utah, Idaho, and Arizona.

This is Ong's second time designing for the festival. "I designed last year's touring show, `Much Ado About Nothing,' directed by Betsy Mugavero under the recommendation of Vince Cardinal, the former Artistic Director at University of Connecticut.

"The festival was kind enough to send me an invitation to come back and design again this year."

Ong's recent credits include De-Cruit Theatre's Shakespeare triptych: "The Head of Richard," "Make Thick My Blood," and "She-Wolf." He also designed Owl and Pussycat Theatre Company's "The Ecstasy of Victoria Woodhull."

Symbolic

Ong stressed the importance of costume design as part of the storytelling and helping audiences distinguish characters from one another.

Raven Ong's work-in-progress for his costume design for Desdemona. 

"The story of 'Othello' is about jealousy of rank, betrayal of friendships and position. We looked at the hierarchy of each these characters and selected distinct details that would help establish each one of them.

"We asked questions like: What does wearing a military jacket mean? A uniform symbolizes rank. What does wanting to obtain a military jacket mean? We wanted the pieces to be symbolic."

"Othello will be the only character who will have the most embellishments in his military coat. Iago, the play's antagonist, only gets to wear a vest with less embellishments."

After meaning and intent were established, Ong was able to work on aesthetics. "Since the color of the set design is cream and beige with a marbled texture, we went for a black base for costumes. Having only seven actors playing many different characters, we wanted to show a tight color palette as a lot of the costume changes happen on stage. We added burgundy and metallic gold as accent colors."

Ong's upcoming projects include Kate Hamill's "Sense and Sensibility" for Central Connecticut State University (where he teaches) and the world premiere of "Webster's Bitch" by Jacqueline Bircher at Playhouse on Park in West Hartford, Connecticut.

"Othello" begins Jan. 27. Visit Bard.org/othellotour.

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https://usa.inquirer.net/121220/fil-am-outfits-othello-for-a-sexy-edgy-bridgerton-touch

Here Lies Outrage: Imelda musical triggers emotions online

By WALTER ANG
Jan. 23, 2023 | USA.Inquirer.net

NEW YORK — "Here Lies Love," a disco pop musical about the life of Imelda Marcos and the People Power Revolution of the Philippines, is slated to begin performances on Broadway in June, but the announcement of the musical's planned opening has sparked passionate reactions on social media platforms. The emotions range from confusion to fury about the show's premise.

Detail from a poster of a previous staging of "Here Lies Love."

"Here Lies Love" is a biographical musical featuring a score  by David Byrne and Fatboy Slim. The musical's unique set design simulates a discotheque wherein audiences will have the option of standing and dancing instead of being seated. As soon as the show was announced, however, netizens started posting strongly worded comments, memes, animated GIFs, poems, links to articles, and screenshots or photos of old newspaper headlines to express feedback, on Facebook, Instagram (both @herelieslovebway) and Twitter (@herelieslovebwy, without the a).

Some comments have been enthusiastic ("Excited!!!!" "Sweet!" "Can't wait!") and others, curious ("I am intrigued!"). Some have asked how the show would be handling its subject matter: "Somebody pls tell me this is going to be satire."

On Twitter, numerous opinions have been emphatically against the show. "No," "EW" and "Booooooo" are just a few of statements among lengthier ones. User @kumukuan wrote, "Take out the first and last word from the musical's name and that's all anybody needs to know about this piece of sh_t."

Statement

The musical's social media accounts then released the following statement:

"What is the show about? The show tells the story of Imelda and Ferdinand Marcos' rise and fall into infamy, Ninoy Aquino, Martial Law and the People Power Revolution that ended the Marcoses' 20 year dictatorship.

"What is the show's history? The show's critically-acclaimed runs were at The Public Theater (New York) in 2013, the National Theater (London) in 2014 and Seattle Rep (Washington) in 2017.

"How is the story told? Through spectacular music and dynamic staging in an immersive club experience where young Filipinos and Filipino Americans explore, grapple with and interrogate a vital part of their history.

"Why now? History repeats itself. Democracies all over the world are under threat. The biggest threat to any democracy is disinformation, Here Lies Love offers a creative way of re-information - an innovative template on how to stand up to tyrant.

"Why on Broadway? We cannot tell the modern history of the Philippines without the United States. They're intertwined.

"Here Lies Love is an Anti-Marcos show. It is a pro-Filipino show, being told in a quintessential American form: the Broadway musical. Two cultures, two histories, continuing a centuries-old complicated dance."

Responses

On the show's Instagram account, user @johnfbau responded in a comment, "Salamat sa paglilinaw! Napakahalaga ang musical na ito lalo na't nakabalik ang mga Marcos sa mga makapangyarihang puwesto. Kailangang malaman at maunawaan ng publiko ang makatotoong kasaysayan para hindi ito maulit. (Thanks for the clarification. This musical is very important especially now that the Marcoses are back in power. The public must know and understand real history so that it will not be repeated."

User @keiraandrewsauthor, wrote in a comment, "I am baffled at the criticism that this show glorifies the Marcoses. As a white Canadian who basically only knew about the shoes before I saw this at the Public [Theater], my sympathies were entirely with Aquino and the Filipino people who suffered under the Marcos dictatorship. I can't wait to see this again on Broadway! It's more needed than ever."

User @ficassidy78 wrote, "Yassss! . This musical is even more relevant now especially with the things going on in the Philippines and the world."

Meanwhile, the show's worldwide virtual open call (i.e. auditions) for closes on Jan. 27, 2023. Details at https://tinyurl.com/HLLOpenCall.

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https://usa.inquirer.net/121003/here-lies-outrage-imelda-musical-triggers-emotions-online

Filipino American family secrets at LA’s Geffen Playhouse

By WALTER ANG
Jan. 20, 2023 | USA.Inquirer.net 

LOS ANGELES — Filipino American family dynamics will be on full display at the Geffen Playhouse with Ellen D. Williams and Fran de Leon hashing it out as daughter and mother, respectively, in the play "God Will Do the Rest."

Filipino American actors Ellen D. Williams (left) and Fran de Leon
rehearsing for Nicholas Pilapil's "God Will Do the Rest." Photo by Isaak Berliner

Written by Nicholas Pilapil, the play will have a staged reading directed by Rodney To (recently seen in Jo Koy's "Easter Sunday").

Forty-something divorcee Connie (played by Williams) has been estranged from her family for 20 years. She returns home for her glamorously overbearing mother Maggie's 70th birthday and will have to deal with prayers to the Santo Niño, karaoke, chicken adobo and "a homestead soon exploding in an uproar of hidden truths and harbored secrets."

Williams is known to TV audiences for her role as Patrice in the CBS comedy "How I Met Your Mother" and was most recently in the FX comedy "Baskets." Fran de Leon is Co-Artistic Director of theater group Will & Company.

The cast features Fil-Am TV stars Timothy Granaderos (Monty De La Cruz in Netflix's "13 Reasons Why") and Jon Jon Briones (Netflix's "Ratched" and Paramount Plus' "Star Trek: Picard"). Other Fil-Ams in the cast include Jennifer Chang, Christine Corpuz and Brandon English.

Prestigious

The play was written with support from the Geffen's new play development program The Writers' Room.

"The program is specifically for local LA playwrights," says Pilapil. "It's a prestigious opportunity because the Geffen Playhouse is one of the few major regional theaters in LA. I pitched a multi-generational family story about Filipino American identity. I told them I wanted to give American theater and Filipino American audiences our version of the big family drama, the Filipino 'August: Osage County'!"

"The writers met once a month, receiving feedback from each other and our facilitator, director Jennifer Chambers. It's helpful because you learn a lot along the way and the support from fellow writers is a great confidence boost.

"For a play that is culturally specific like mine, having diverse eyes see it early on helped me find the balance of sharing Filipino culture in a way that non-Filipinos will understand or can come out of the play feeling like they learned something."

Powerhouses

Pilapil explains that staged readings are helpful in developing new works. "Staged readings allow [playwrights] to learn what is working and what's not and helps us make decisions on how to rewrite the play. You learn what the audience likes or doesn't like. For example, when I write comedy, even though I think it's funny, the audience is the true test. Staged readings help us get from a rough draft to something polished."

Filipino American theater artists.
Playwright Nicholas Pilapil (left) and director Rodney To.

For the upcoming reading, Pilapil hopes to showcase his writing, but he also wants audiences to see "how talented all these artists are and how much they deserve to be on more major stages."

"I have truly witnessed some of the best acting I've ever seen in that rehearsal room. There were times when Fran, Ellen and Jon Jon would literally bring the entire rehearsal room to tears. All the actors are powerhouses. Rodney assembled a dream team of Filipino American actors for this play."

High demand

"Staged readings also help people discover our work and our talents." Pilapil is excited for theater producers to be in attendance at the reading. The goal of readings such as this one is to build interest and potential funding for future stagings. "It is the goal! We hope that this reading will put this play in the minds of people planning theater seasons.

"It feels long overdue for more Filipino stories to be put on more major stages in American theater. Filipinos are the third largest Asian population in the US. We deserve to be more represented in major regional theaters. We are entertainers, we all love karaoke and we love to dance. We love theater! We're the type of people who will sell out a show that entertains us and puts us in the spotlight."

Case in point, according to Pilapil, although it got postponed to this February, demand for the reading's original schedule was three times the capacity of the venue. "We had to put people on a waitlist."

"God Will Do the Rest" staged reading is on Feb. 24 at Geffen Playhouse, 10886 Le Conte Ave., Los Angeles, California. Visit Geffenplayhouse.org.

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https://usa.inquirer.net/120980/fil-am-family-secrets-at-las-geffen-playhouse

'Nanay' has Filipino American twins, monsters and healers on stage in SF Bay Area

By WALTER ANG
Jan. 18, 2023 | USA.Inquirer.net

SAN FRANCISCO — Filipino Jewish American playwright Molly Olis Krost's play "Nanay" features twins, one of whom is "cohabitating" with a monster.

Filipino American actors Ann Warque (left) and Lore Gonzales
in rehearsals for Molly Krost's "Nanay."

When Angela arrives to congratulate her sibling Eve on her new baby, she discovers Eve has been living with a creature with an infamous hunger for all things fetal. Does Angela believe Eve's claims that all is well with her new relationship?

Directed by Fil-Am Yari Cervas, the play is part of Town Hall Theatre's New Voices Series. A facilitated talkback follows after each performance allowing the playwrights a chance "to receive feedback from audiences in a constructive manner while also giving audiences an insight into the theatre makers' process."

Other Fil-Ams involved in the production include costume designer Hope Birdwell and the cast: Lore Gonzales, Sam Topacio and Ann Warque.

Loss

"Eve, in her desperation to reforge a loving connection with her mother-culture, traps herself in denial rather than accept the painful reality of loss," says Cervas.

Cervas, whose gender identity uses all pronouns, is founding Artistic Director of MaArte Theatre Collective in San Diego. Directing credits include "Your Best American Girl," "The Fire in Me" and "You're Safe."

"Enter the manananggal, a vampiric demon by most accounts," she says. The twist in Krost's tale is that the manananggal is also a babaylan, a folk healer, Cervas explains.

"By presenting the manananggal in this way, Molly asks us to imagine what a pre-colonial healing journey might possibly have been. How do our colonized perceptions, whether inherited or learned, villainize indigenous culture, spirituality and healing practices? What happens when we finally wipe away the colonized film from our eyes to see ourselves and our heritage plainly?"

"Can remembering their wounded pasts lead twins Eve and Angela back to self-love and love for each other? 'Nanay' is a practice in healing generational mother-wounds in children of the Philippine diaspora."

Love

"At the heart of 'Nanay' is the love and bond of Eve and Angela," says Krost. "While I don't have any sisters myself, I grew up surrounded by my mom and aunties. The messy beauty of their relationships with each other and seeing all of the highs and lows they've gone through together is the lifeline of this play. 'Nanay' is a tribute to them and all they have taught me about love, strength, and how to find healing."

Filipino American theater artists.
Playwright Molly Krost (left) and director Yari Cervas.

Krost, whose mother is Filipino, hails from Hayward, California. Now based in the Bay Area and Seattle, her works have been performed or are forthcoming at Magic Theatre, Z Space, San Francisco Playhouse, MaArte Theatre Collective and SOMArts Cultural Center, among others.

Krost says the play has been living and evolving with her since 2018. "It began as my own exploration into the notion that Filipino Americans struggle with discussing mental health, especially around the pains and trauma of pregnancy loss."

"It ultimately became a play about what it means to be a Filipino American living 'in between.' How it often feels like a balancing act of wanting to honor and connect with the history, traditions, and practices we come from but also figuring how to presently live and survive in a colonized world.

"The two sisters' differing approaches demonstrate how every Filipino American experience is unique and all we can do is embrace the journey that we are all on."

"Nanay" runs Jan. 20 to 28 at Town Hall Theatre Company, 3535 School St., Lafayette, California. Visit townhalltheatre.com.

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https://usa.inquirer.net/120864/nanay-has-fil-am-twins-monsters-and-healers-on-stage-in-sf-bay-area

Filipino American Tony winner Clint Ramos staging Imelda musical ‘Here Lies Love’ on Broadway

By WALTER ANG
Jan. 13, 2023 | USA.Inquirer.net

NEW YORK — Filipino American Tony Award winner Clint Ramos is co-producing the first musical on Broadway that tackles Philippine history. "Here Lies Love," a disco pop musical about the life of Imelda Marcos and the People Power Revolution, is slated to begin performances in June at the Broadway Theatre.

Filipino American Clint Ramos is a Tony Award winning costume designer. 

The show opened off-Broadway in 2013 and won the Village Voice Obie award for music (David Byrne and Norman "Fatboy Slim" Cook) and lyrics (Byrne).

Ramos is once again designing the costumes for the show. He designed the costumes for the 2013 run, for which he won the 2014 Lucille Lortel award. Critics lauded his work as "vast and fabulous" (New York Times), "[providing] beautiful symmetry" (The Hollywood Reporter), and "top-notch" (New York Magazine). The show was then staged in London's West End in 2014 and then in Seattle in 2017.

Ramos won the 2016 Tony Award for costume design of a play for "Eclipsed," written by Danai Gurira (Okoye in "Black Panther").

The show's unique set design and staging will require removing seats from the venue's existing space in order to transform it into a dance club environment where audiences will stand and move with the actors. A wide variety of standing and seating options will be available for audiences. 

Direction is by Alex Timbers (Tony Award for "Moulin Rouge!") and set design is by David Korins ("Hamilton," "Dear Evan Hansen," "Beetlejuice").

History lessons

Casting has not yet been announced. Fil-Am creative team members include music director J. Oconer Navarro, assistant director Billy Bustamante and casting director Gail Quintos.

Filipino American Jaygee Macapugay played Imelda Marcos
in a previous staging of "Here Lies Love." INSTAGRAM

Fil-Am Pulitzer Prize winner Jose Antonio Vargas is also a producer. Co-producers include Miranda Gohh, Celia Kaleialoha Kenney and Rob Laqui.

"Exciting lessons are often learned through uniquely surprising works of art," says Ramos. "Nothing is more surprising than the way `Here Lies Love' vibrantly and creatively sheds light on a crucial part of Philippine history. Jose and I are so proud to help bring forth this singularly original show."

Vargas, founder of immigration organization Define American, says, "Filipinos are among the largest immigrant groups in America-and also among the most invisible culturally, despite the two nations' shared colonial histories. While the Asian diaspora can no longer be denied in American popular culture, Filipinas and Filipinos remain woefully outside the spotlight. I'm thrilled to help break barriers on what has historically been an exclusive stage: Broadway."

Co-producer Giselle "G" Töngi, who also serves as the production's Cultural and Community Liaison, says, "Theater has always been a vehicle to spark conversation and I am fully behind art as a way to think critically. People Power happened and I was there for it so I am fully aware and will never forget."

In a statement, the producers said, ""As a team of binational American producers-Filipinos among us-we are thrilled to bring `Here Lies Love' to Broadway! We welcome everyone to experience this singularly exuberant piece of theater. The history of the Philippines is inseparable from the history of the United States, and as both evolve, we cannot think of a more appropriate time to stage this show."

Visit HereLiesLoveBroadway.com and follow @herelieslovebway on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.

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https://usa.inquirer.net/120744/tony-winner-clint-ramos-co-staging-imelda-musical-here-lies-love-on-broadway