Lisa Tejero plays Fil-Am character in "after all the terrible things I do"

Lisa Tejero plays Fil-Am character in "after all the terrible things I do"
By WALTER ANG
Inquirer.net
March 3, 2016
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/137277/137277

Lisa Tejero

Actress Lisa Tejero will play a Filipina bookstore owner in A. Rey Pamatmat's "after all the terrible things I do," in the play's Chicago premiere by About Face Theatre in March.

In the play, Linda (Tejero) hires Daniel (Colin Sphar), a young white aspiring writer. They discover a dark connection that goes much deeper than a love of literature. The play explores the dark side of ordinary people, second chances and the price of forgiveness.

"As an actor, it's par for the course to portray a character that is not only outside your realm of experience but also different from your own personal orientation of age, race, religion or culture," Tejeros says.

In Chicago, she has worked with Goodman Theatre, Lookingglass Theatre Company and Steppenwolf Theatre Company. Regionally she has appeared in the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Cincinnati Playhouse, Huntington Theatre Company, Mark Taper Forum, among others.

"That being said, it's also equally exciting to be able to go a little deeper into a realm a little closer to my own personal point of reference."

Tejero's father is from the Philippines; she was born and raised in "a small town in Missouri."

"My upbringing was very Midwest. Shortly after graduating college, I went to the Philippines and lived there for a year to get a better sense of things. It so happened that that was the year of the People Power revolution, so that might not have been the most accurate read of things," she says.

Ironically, the year she lived in Manila, she worked with Repertory Philippines for a season, but "I was wigged blonde twice and not one of those shows or characters were Asian," she says.

Fascinating
She auditioned for About Face Theater's artistic director Andrew Volkoff, who is also directing the show. "We are both very moved and taken by the script and had an immediate rapport with each other."

When she first read the script, she'd only intended to do it quickly to get an overview for her audition. "But I was so totally drawn in during the first scene. I was completely fascinated by both of the characters, their interplay and story arcs."

"I kept delving deeper into all the possibilities and the complications of both the characters. I hyper-jumped into being invested with this story immediately."

Tejero is excited for the chance to "explore a multi-faceted and layered character" once rehearsals begin.

She appreciates that the production feels "very safe and supportive, which is important since the story requires us actors to push each other to some very pained places where we are hurting and hurtful. I feel that the more respect, support and love there is in the rehearsal room, the harder and deeper it allows you to go at it on stage."

Exciting
The play was premiered by Milwaukee Repertory Theater and recently staged in Boston by Huntington Theater Company.

Praise from critics include On Milwaukee, "Searing"; Journal Sentinel, "Smart, sensitive"; Greater Milwaukee Today, "Well-crafted"; Boston Globe, "A trenchant, multilayered drama"; and WBUR, "Riveting"; among others.

"A. Rey Pamatmat is one of the most exciting and dynamic voices in the American theater today," says Volkoff.

Pamatmat's credits include "Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them," "Thunder Above, Deeps Below," and "A Spare Me (Waterwell)," among others.

"This piece is deceptively dynamic and complex, highly engaging yet with deep resonance, asking the audience to question what they see on stage and in their own lives. I'm excited to work with Rey, bringing his unique voice to Chicago," Volkoff adds.

Set design by Chelsea Warren, costume design by Bob Kuhn, sound design by Christopher Kriz.

"after all the terrible things I do," previews Mar. 11-13, runs Mar. 17-Apr. 10, 2016 at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. 

Contact +1-773-404-7336, visit AboutFaceTheatre.com or AboutFaceTheatre on Facebook.

San Francisco's Bindlestiff Studio stages 'The Love Edition 2016'

San Francisco's Bindlestiff Studio stages 'The Love Edition 2016'
By WALTER ANG
March 1, 2016
Inquirer.net
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/137163/137163

Aura San Miguel rehearses a scene in the play
"Puppy Love," written by Kristine Reyes.
Photo by Lorenz Angelo

Filipino-American theater group Bindlestiff Studio will be staging "The Love Edition" (TLE) from March 3-19 in San Francisco.

The production showcases new works "about love, heartache, and the weirdness in-between."

This year's theme is "Always & 4ever" and features seven new ten-minute plays "ranging from the hilarious to the heartfelt."

Four of the seven plays this year are by Filipino American playwrights.

"57 Varieties" by Ignacio Zulueta is about Sarah and Brian's third month anniversary that comes with an unexpected twist in bed. It's directed by Joe Cascasan.

"Life of Sin" by Manny Cabrera, directed by Yato Yoshida, is about Patrick and Karen's honeymoon in the Philippines that's rudely interrupted by the mysterious Derrick.

"Puppy Love" by Kristine Reyes is about a couple's contemplations on their relationship's future with the arrival of a furry four-legged frenemy. Directed by Alexis Dayers.

"Time Before Time" by Jeffrey Lo features a " not so boy-meets-girl story" where Joel meets Sarah, Sarah meets JJ and JJ meets Joel. Their encounter bends relationships, fate and time; directed by Juan Berumen.

The three remaining plays are "Woo Her Like a Badass" by Donna Latham, directed by Golda Sargento, a modern take of a suitor trying to literally holler at someone he's trying to woo. In "The Sunshower Bride" by Maggie Lee, directed by May Liang, Miranda's secret is revealed during her wedding day. In "Kill Me Please" by Rhea MacCallum, directed by Laura Priscilla Paule, Gloria, who is a fan of Stan's work, tells him that her dying wish is to be a part of his legacy.

Set design by Alejandro Acosta, lighting design by Darius Munoz.

Season line up
First conceived by Bindlestiff actors and producers Chuck Lacson and Raf Lim in 2006, this year's TLE received more than 60 submissions from playwrights across the U.S.

Playwright Conrad Panganiban, one of this year's producers, says, "Bindlestiff Studio is ecstatic to be presenting work from playwrights from New York and Seattle. It was challenging to pare them down into the final seven plays, but the reward is seeing how each of the plays complement each other."

Panganiban notes that all seven plays will be directed and performed by local artists.

"The Love Edition: Always & 4ever" is Bindlestiff Studio's first production for 2016. "The first of many events cultivating talented young individuals with the intention of self-empowerment through expression," says artistic director Lorna Velasco.

Other productions planned for the year include "Amok," a marathon staged reading of plays and "The Girl Most Likely To," a play by Michael Premsirirat. Granny Cart Gangsta, an all-female improv group, is also scheduled to perform.

Bindlestiff Studio will also produce its first ever Tagalog production from April 21 to May 7. "We will be staging three one-act plays from the 2015 Virgin Labfest, an annual festival of new plays held in Manila."

"The Love Edition 2016: Always & 4ever" runs Mar. 3-19. 2016 at Bindlestiff Studio, 185 6th St., cor. Howard St., San Francisco. Contact +1-650-278-3110.

Tickets available at TLE2016.bpt.me. Visit BindleStiffStudio.org or BindlestiffStudio on Facebook.

Technical directing workshop at Peta Theater Center Feb. 29-Mar. 2

Technical directing workshop at Peta Theater Center Feb. 29-Mar. 2
By WALTER ANG
Feb. 28, 2016
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Sinag Arts Foundation and the Japan Foundation Manila Office are holding a technical directing workshop from Feb. 29 to March 2 at the Peta Theater Center (PTC) in Quezon City, with Japanese technical director Koga Yuji facilitating the workshop.

International lighting designer Shoko Matsumoto will be coordinating and interpreting. Matsumoto is the lighting designer of Philippine Educational Theater Association's current jukebox musical using the songs of Francis Magalona, "3 Stars and A Sun."

She was active in the Manila theater industry in the late `90s and 2000s, doing the lighting design of productions such as Gilda Cordero-Fernando's "Luna: An Aswang Romance," Trumpets' "Little Mermaid" and "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe," Tanghalang Pilipino's "Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah Ze Muzikal" and Peta's "Belong Puti," among others.

Matsumoto has trained lighting directors such as Roman Cruz and Joseph Matheu and technical directors such as Ian Torqueza.

Yuji has 40 years of technical directing expertise. He founded his own technical directing company Words in Tokyo and handles plays, musicals and dance shows. He has trained in Broadway and worked on off-Broadway productions.

On the first day of the workshop, Koga will discuss the technical set-up of "3 Stars and a Sun," which is playing at the PTC's Peta-Phinma Theater.

On the second day, he will discuss the varying responsibilities and expectations of a technical director in Japan, the USA and the Philippines, and teach how a technical director conducts a script analysis.

A hands-on component in the afternoon will feature a demonstration of Kabuki stage magic techniques such as quick curtain drops and use of trapdoors.

On the last day of the workshop, Yuji will have an open forum with participants, and another hands-on session in the afternoon on quick set-change techniques.

The Peta Theater Center has events and shows that are separate from the season line-up of the theater company Peta. To know more about its venues for rent and line up of programs and events for 2016, like PETATheaterCenter on Facebook.com.

Workshop fee is P4,000, which includes meals. Contact 0917-5260534. PTC is at Eymard Drive, New Manila (street at the back of Quezon City Sports Club), Quezon City.

Inquirer.net link:
http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/223502/technical-directing-workshop-at-peta-theater-center-feb-29-mar-2

How Sigmund Pecho conjures the magic of shadowplay

How Sigmund Pecho conjures the magic of shadowplay
By WALTER ANG
Feb. 20, 2016
Philipipine Daily Inquirer

Shadow puppet designer Sigmund Pecho's works are seen in two productions this month: Dulaang Unibersidad ng Pilipinas' (DUP) "Tisoy Brown: Hari ng Wala" and puppet theater group Teatrong Mulat ng Pilipinas' (TM) one-day-only staging of "The Bread of Salt."

"Tisoy Brown" is an adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's "Peer Gynt." Jose Estrella directs the translation and adaptation by Rody Vera, where the trolls and other creatures Gynt encounters are replaced with entities from Philippine mythology and folklore.

Pecho's designs help create the supernatural and fantastic world that Tisoy Brown lives in. He's done work with Estrella before, in her direction of "Umaaraw,  Umuulan, Kinakasal ang Tikbalang" (based on Gilda Cordero-Fernando's children's short story "The Magic Circle," serialized in Inquirer's Learning Section in 2009).

"That's actually the show that introduced me to the magical world of shadow puppetry," says Pecho, who is majoring in Theater at UP. The school offers certificate, undergraduate and graduate programs in Theater.

Methods

Sigmund Pecho

He was the show's stage manager but also had to be a puppeteer. "The late, great Don Salubayba facilitated a workshop for us on shadow puppetry," he says. Pecho's been hooked since.

He apprenticed for Salubayba and worked on more shows like DUP's "Adarna." Salubayba had been active in shadow puppetry but passed away in 2014.

"His works inspired me to further my learning and to advocate for the magic of shadowplay in the performing arts," says Pecho.

The materials and methods Pecho use to make puppets range from the simple to the high-tech-from cutting his designs on brown craft folder and acetate sheets, all the way to using graphic-design programs like Adobe Photoshop to edit images and even videos.

Parameters
The limitations of light-blocking materials and light-producing equipment interest Pecho. "It's how we work with what we have that challenges creativity," he says.

"We can definitely use anything to make puppets, any material that can block, refract or reflect light. You explore the characteristics of any material possible."

For light sources, he usually works with overhead projectors and LCD projectors. "Sometimes, you play more with light instead of shadows."

When he's tasked with a new production, he will illustrate storyboards first as a guide in envisioning "the whole experience of the performance, the visual language needed."

For inspiration, he likes to watch "a lot of Studio Ghibli films, critically acclaimed animated videos and the works of artists."

His most recent credit is designing shadow projections for DUP's "Bilanggo ng Pag-ibig" and shows staged by TM(for puppetry festivals in the Asean region).

From book to puppetry
For "The Bread of Salt," Pecho has been working with director Amihan "Ami" Bonifacio-Ramolete, who is TM's company manager and lead puppeteer.

Ramolete's mother, playwright and 2015 Philstage Natatanging Gawad Buhay! honoree Amelia Lapeña-Bonifacio, founded TM in 1977. Every year, TM stages "Papet Pasyon," the only annual Lenten puppet senakulo (Filipino dramatization of the Passion of Christ) in the country.

"The Bread of Salt" is an adaptation of the short story by National Artist for Literature NVM Gonzales. The show is part of the university's arts month activities this year dubbed "Panahon ng Luwalhati."

"It's challenging to take on a classic short story like this. We have been immersing ourselves with the climate of the 1930s Manila, where the story is set. We are also open to a mixed media-puppetry performance," Pecho says.

"The Bread of Salt" runs Feb. 24, 3 and 7 p.m., Bulwagan ng Dangal, Main Library, University of the Philippines Diliman. Call 9818500 loc. 2659. Visit MulatPuppetTheater on Facebook.

"Tisoy Brown: Hari ng Wala" runs until Feb. 28 at Wilfrido Guerrero Theater, 2/F Palma Hall, University of the Philippines Diliman. Call 9261349, 4337840 or 9818500 loc. 2449. Visit DulaangUnibersidadNgPilipinas on Facebook.

Inquirer.net link:
http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/222950/how-sigmund-pecho-conjures-the-magic-of-shadowplay

Truly, madly, theatrically: 6 couples and how the stage brought them together

Truly, madly, theatrically: 6 couples and how the stage brought them together
By WALTER ANG
Feb. 13, 2016
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Filipino plays and musicals have given us couples such as Crisostomo Ibarra and Maria Clara, Orosman and Zafira, Florante and Laura, Julia and Tenyong ("Walang Sugat"), Ada and Dodong ("Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah Ze Muzikal"), Aileen and Tolits ("Rak of Aegis"), among others.

Love happens, too, to the actors and backstage crews who bring these characters to life. Here are some of them.

Teetin Villanueva and JC Santos: Something to Believe In

It was when JC Santos watched Dulaang Unibersidad ng Pilipinas' (DUP) "Noli Me Tangere: The Opera" that he first noticed Teetin Villanueva in the ensemble.

When they were both cast in DUP's "Adarna," JC declared she was his leading lady.

"I was one of seven Adarna women, so there's favoritism there," Teetin points out. "Then he volunteered to choreograph the piece I was directing for DUP's summer workshop program. That's when we started to get to know each other."

Teetin played lead parts in DUP's "Collection" and "Ang Nawalang Kapatid," and in the ensemble for Atlantis Theatrical Entertainment Group's (Ateg) "The Bridges of Madison County." JC was in Dalanghita Productions' "Kung Paano Ako Naging Leading Lady" and Bit by Bit Company's "Games People Play."

"When I first met him, I thought 'Guwapo. Mukhang Ingglisero!' I discovered later on that he's really very kengkoy," recalls Teetin.

Staged reading of play 'People Power' in Toronto by Carlos Bulosan Theatre

Staged reading of play 'People Power' in Toronto
By WALTER ANG
Feb. 10, 2016
Inquirer.net
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/136360/136360

A staged reading of the play "People Power" in Toronto, Canada will commemorate the 30th anniversary of the 1986 EDSA Revolution, which overthrew the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos.

Carlos Bulosan Theatre will present the play, "which follows the events of the revolution primarily from the perspective of regular citizens versus the iconic figures," says CBT artistic producer Leon Aureus.

"The staged reading will be presented with multimedia components," he adds. It will be held at Artscape Sandbox, a new arts center in downtown Toronto.

A panel discussion will follow, exploring how much has or hasn't changed since those days of great hope and inspiration.

Bodabil, theater, puppets, dance, film at UP during Arts Month

Bodabil, theater, puppets, dance, film at UP during Arts Month
By WALTER ANG
Jan. 30, 2016
Philippine Daily Inquirer

University of the Philippines is presenting concerts, a play, a puppet show, dance shows and film screenings for "Panahon ng Luwalhati," its celebration of arts and culture month in February.

Kicking off the festival is "Bodabil sa Kampus," a concert featuring Bituin Escalante, Natasha Cabrera, UP Dancesport Society and UP Jazz Ensemble, on Feb. 1, University Amphitheater, College of Science.

Bodabil is the localized version of vaudeville, popular from the 1910s to the 1960s. Shows featured comedic and dramatic skits, musical numbers and even magic acts.

"Gabi ng Luwalhati," a contemporary bodabil show, concludes the festival on Feb. 26, University Theater (near the College of Music).

This concert features singer Jeffrey Hidalgo, poet Juan Miguel Severo (known for the viral video of his poem "Ang Huling Tula na Isusulat Ko Para Sa'yo") and Virgilio Almario, National Artist for Literature, among other artists.

Lives and works
"Panahon ng Luwalhati" celebrates the lives and works of four National Artists: Severino Montano (Theater), Lamberto Avellana (Film and Theater), Manuel Conde (Film), and Nestor Vicente Madali "NVM" Gonzalez (Literature).

Twin Bill, a new theater company founded by twins, launches with 'Dog Sees God'

Twin Bill, a new theater company founded by twins, launches with 'Dog Sees God'
By WALTER ANG
Jan. 30, 2016
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Nel Gomez and Brian Sy

Snoopy, Charlie Brown and their friends are known to most from their comic strip created by Charles M. Schulz or from their animated films, the most recent of which is "The Peanuts Movie."

Theater fans will be familiar with the musical adaptation using these characters: "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown." Some will even know of its sequel "Snoopy The Musical."

Surprise, there is another stage adaptation. Described as an "unauthorized parody," Bert Royal's play "Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead" imagines the familiar characters, though with different but familiar names, as teenagers dealing with everything from identity to sexual abuse.

Fil-Am play ‘Criers for Hire’ on Los Angeles stage in February

Fil-Am play ‘Criers for Hire’ on Los Angeles stage in February
By WALTER ANG
Jan. 28, 2016
Inquirer.net
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/135751/135751

(From left) Rudy Martinez, Nicole Barredo, 
Joan Almedilla, playwright Giovanni Ortega, 
Samantha Cutaran and Giselle Tongi.

A play about professional Filipina criers hired for funerals will go on stage in Los Angeles starting February 11.

"Criers for Hire" is written, directed and acted by Filipino American theater artists.

Presented by East West Players (EWP), the play is about three of the most sought-after professional funeral criers in Monterey Park. They are eager to welcome Aurora's 14-year-old daughter, Ligaya, from the Philippines into their somber trade.

Hagedorn’s 'Dogeaters' to open in San Francisco in February

Hagedorn’s 'Dogeaters' to open in San Francisco in February
By WALTER ANG
Jan. 19, 2016
Inquirer.net
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/135295/135295

Jessica Hagedorn's "Dogeaters," adapted by the writer from her own novel of the same title, will premiere in San Francisco next month.

The play, which explores the Philippines through the eyes of a balikbayan, Rio Gonzaga, as the Marcos regime unravels, will be staged by Magic Theatre starting February 3 at Fort Mason Center for Arts and Culture.

It's a world filled with "drag queens, beauty queens and movie stars alongside statesmen, activists and rebels" - characters that will be fleshed out by a 15-member cast, a majority of whom are Filipino Americans, with some playing double and even triple roles.

Ogie Zulueta first worked on the play in its very first workshop in 1997 while Rinabeth Apostol will be performing the material for the first time.

How checking into motels has helped Allan Lopez win the Palanca 10 times

How checking into motels has helped Allan Lopez win the Palanca 10 times
By WALTER ANG
Jan. 16, 2016
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Allan Lopez

Allan Lopez won first place in the 2015 Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature's Filipino One-Act Play category.

His "Sa Isang Hindi Natatanging Umaga, at ang mga Ulap ay Dahan-Dahang Pumaibabaw sa Nabubulok na Lungsod" is described as a love story between two "typical corporate types trapped in monotonous nine-to-five jobs" and their "bittersweet ruminations. after their affair halts to a hard stop."

It's his 10th win since 2000. He started off winning the third prize in either the Filipino one-act or full-length play categories and began winning first place awards in 2013 (once in the essay category).

He reveals that all the plays he's written have been done in motels.

In Toronto Filipino center, it's art for youths' sake

In Toronto Filipino center, it's art for youths' sake
By WALTER ANG
Jan. 12, 2015
Inquirer.net
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/134893/134893

Toronto's Kapisnan Centre for Arts and Culture will host an open-house January 22 to introduce guests to its youth programs Clutch and Navigation.

These two programs are arts-based, cultural immersion projects for Filipino Canadian youth, ages 17 to 24 years. They will run from March to August with Saturday sessions.

"We're hosting an open house where you can mingle with the programs' graduates, mentors and this year's coordinators," says executive director Nicole Cajucom.

"There will be light refreshments, good music and an all-ages after-party!"

Clutch is for young women and is now on its eighth year, and Navigation, now on its third year, is for young men. Both programs accept transgender and non-binary gender participants.

How Egg Theater Company got hatched

How Egg Theater Company got hatched
By WALTER ANG
Jan. 9, 2016
Philippine Daily Inquirer

(From left, standing) Renante Bustamante,
Paolo O'Hara, George De Jesus III, Alvin Trono;
Kristine Balmes, Martha Comia, Mara Marasigan

There is nothing like a deadline to set things in motion.

Playwright, director and actor George de Jesus III and his theater colleagues would get together and lament the dearth of Filipino plays.

"Aside from the annual Virgin Labfest's one-acts, there are few contemporary materials," he says. "If there are translations, they're usually of period plays."

Prompted by this realization and partly inspired by the consistent success of Red Turnip theater company, founded in 2013 and specifically focused on English plays, he and his coterie realized they could do something to fill the gap.

Then the deadline to the Fringe Manila 2015 festival came approaching.

Fil-Am playwright Jeffrey Lo kicks off 2016 with 2 plays

Fil-Am playwright Jeffrey Lo kicks off 2016 with 2 plays
By WALTER ANG
Jan. 5, 2016
Inquirer.net
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/134570/134570

Jeffrey Lo

Playwright Jeffrey Lo is kicking off 2016 with two plays.

"Writing Fragments Home" will have a free-admission staged reading on January 24 at Lohman Theatre, Foothill College in Los Altos, California.

"Dealing Dreams" will be staged from February 12 to 28 by Thanks for the Memories Theatre at Meese Auditorium, Southern Oregon University in Ashland, Oregon.

Fragments
"Writing Fragments Home" is presented as part of the Asian American New Play Series at Foothill College. A talkback session with the playwright and cast will follow after the reading.

Fil-Am kids' choir sings carols in Chicago science museum

Fil-Am kids' choir sings carols in Chicago science museum
By Walter Ang
Dec. 24, 2015
Inquirer.net
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/134147/fil-am-kids-choir-sing-carols-in-chicago-museum

Filipino American children sang popular Christmas carols, both beloved English and Tagalog songs, and danced at the Museum of Science and Industries in Chicago.

More than 30 children performed as part of the museum's annual Christmas Around The World program that features performances by different ethnicities from November to December.

The Philippine contingent was composed of Philippine American Cultural Foundation (PACF) Performing Arts group and folk fusion band Samasama Project.

Led by Lou Maningas Cabalona and her husband Baron Lloyd, Samasama, which means "united, together" in Tagalog, performs a blend of Filipino folk, rock, ska and Latin music.

(From left) Baron and Lou Cabalona rehearsing children's choir.

The couple have been teaching PACF's youth performing arts group for the annual Christmas show since 2008.

"We sang 'Payapang Daigdig,' `Sa Paskong Darating' and 'Ang Pasko Ay Sumapit,'" says Cabalona.

"More than half the choir do not speak Tagalog so it was a pleasant surprise that they picked up the songs fast."

"We also sang fun versions of 'Frosty the Snowman' and 'Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.'"

The children also performed folk dances such as the mazurka Boholana, kasaganaan and tinikiling.

They carried parols and candles in a procession symbolizing the Simbang Gabi tradition of anticipating the birth of Jesus Christ.

Maningas says they feel fulfilled when they spur Fil-Am youth's appreciation for music and Filipino culture. "When we celebrate our music, our traditions, our food, our history and our people, we hope to inculcate in Filipino Americans, young and old, a love for our rich heritage."

Michelle Delson, cultural coordinator for PACF Performing Arts group, says that volunteer parents and older members teach the younger dancers.

To book Sama Sama Project go to SamaSamaProject.com. 

Info on Chicago-based Philippine American Cultural Foundation at PacfMidwest.org.

When Robbie Guevara and Peachy Atilano got engaged in Edinburgh

When Robbie and Peachy got engaged in Edinburgh
By Walter Ang
Dec. 12, 2015
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Robbie Guevara and Peachy Atilano first met at a Repertory Philippines summer workshop in 2007.

He taught a class on musical theater and she assisted.

"At the end of the showcase recital, I joked that she was my 'new girlfriend.' Little did I know that I was going to make that real!" says Guevara, laughing.

"It wasn't difficult to get  attracted to her," he adds. "She's talented, very cute and pretty, and had a bubbly personality that I had never encountered with any other girl before."

Atilano has a slightly different recollection. "I was really scared of him because he was so sungit. But when I got to know him more, I can say that he's really a kid at heart."

Next step
They became a couple for the next eight years. Last summer, Guevara decided to pop the question when 9 Works Theatrical (9WT), of which he is founding artistic director, took its first-ever international company outing to the United Kingdom.

"Edinburgh is my most favorite city. I find it really beautiful. When our group got to Edinburgh, I knew it had to be there," he says.

He secretly signaled his friends and they went through the motions of posing for a group souvenir photo with the castle as a backdrop. "The phone was already set to record in video," he says.

Atilano was excited to get to the castle, walking ahead of the group. "They made everyone pause for a picture, then Robbie knelt. I thought he was going to tie his shoelace. Then suddenly there was a ring in front of me!"

Guevara posted the video on his Facebook account to the joy and thrill of the theater community. In the video, Guevara asked, as he was about to place the ring on Atilano's hand, "Right ba o left?"

"I was quite in shock for a while," Atilano says. "I think I just froze trying to process what was happening. Eventually, we went to see the Scottish Crown Jewels with my own jewel on my finger."

Acting bug
When he was still in college, Guevara went to the Rep office to buy tickets to a show and they were asked to audition. Two weeks later, he was cast in "Arsenic and Old Lace."

"I got in with a minor role, got bitten by the bug and never left," he says.

He currently appears in Rep's "The Secret Garden" and last directed 9WT's "La Cage aux Folles."

Atilano thanks Hollywood's  Katie Holmes for her introduction to theater. "There was an episode in 'Dawson's Creek' where she sang 'On My Own.' The performance wasn't entirely moving, but I really liked the song and it got me hooked on musical theater."

She went on to take summer acting workshops and started working as a professional actor after college. Her recent stage credits include 9WT's "They're Playing Our Song" and "Grease" (as a very funny Frenchy), and Trumpets' "The Bluebird of Happiness."

The pair has shared the stage in Resorts World Manila's "The Sound of Music" and Rep's "Mulan."

"Mostly I've been her director in her shows," says Guevara. When asked who the director is in their relationship, he replies, laughing, "I like to think it's me, but she can get her way, too, most of the time. I have to admit I learn a lot from her despite her being much younger."

Atilano says, smiling, "When we're together, most of the time I'm the one who ends up scolding him for being such a kid. I like how smart his ideas are and how awesome he is as a teacher, a director, an artist and as a person."

9 Works
The workshop where Guevara and Atilano first met did not only produce a relationship between them, it also spurred Guevara to establish 9WT.

The recital for the workshop students was "The Wedding Singer," based on the Adam Sandler-Drew Barrymore movie. He and good friend Santi Santamaria liked the show so much that they wanted to mount it on their own. Guevara would handle directing duties and Santamaria would be in charge of ticket sales.

The group's inaugural production was "Songs for a New World" in 2009, followed by "Rent" and "The Wedding Singer" in 2010.

Come 2016, the group's lineup includes "Tick, Tick...Boom!" by Jonathan Larson, the creator of "Rent"; "American Idiot," a jukebox musical using the music of punk-rock band Green Day; "The Wiz," a soul/R&B version of "The Wizard of Oz"; and a new original Filipino musical.

9WT is also staging a coproduction of "50 Shades! The Musical Parody" in February and is holding its annual theater workshop Stage Camp in the summer.

"50 Shades! The Musical Parody" opens Feb. 12, 2016, at Carlos Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza Bldg, Makati. Visit 50shadesmanila.com.

Visit 9workstheatrical.com and like on Facebook (9workstheatrical).

Inquirer.net link:
http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/215833/when-robbie-and-peachy-got-engaged-in-edinburgh

'Miss Saigon's' Jon Jon Briones is off to Broadway

'Miss Saigon's' Jon Jon Briones is off to Broadway
By Walter Ang
Dec. 5, 2015
Philippine Daily Inquirer

From Quezon City to Broadway, with the West End in between. That appears to be the journey of Jon Jon Briones, who will be making his Broadway debut in 2017 as the Engineer in the revival of the musical "Miss Saigon."

Producer Cameron Mackintosh has confirmed that the West End production at the Prince Edward Theatre will close on February 2016 and will transfer to Broadway in 2017.

"This is going to be my Broadway debut, and I'll be turning 51 by that time," says Briones. "Goes to show you that it's never too late for dreams to come true."

Briones had known about the transfer for some time now. "We finished negotiations for Broadway last month but even though I was expecting the announcement to happen, it's still exciting and wonderful to read it in all the news outlets."

Raves
"Miss Saigon" returned to the West End in May 2014 with record-breaking advance ticket sales.

His performance has been met with raves. The Telegraph called it "memorably seedy"; The Guardian, comparing him with Jonathan Pryce who originated the role, said his Engineer was "an even grubbier, sleazier figure who is the victim of both his background and pathetic fantasies"; and New York Times hailed his "diminutive presence with a slithery, sleazy command that brings home the sardonic second-act showstopper, 'The American Dream.'"

When it premiered in 1989, the musical thrust Filipino actors into the international theater scene. Lea Salonga and Monique Wilson were cast as alternates for the titular character Kim, a Vietnam war orphan who falls in love with an American soldier during the final days of the American occupation.

The current London revival features Filipino-American Eva Noblezada as Kim, with Filipino actresses Tanya Manalang as alternate for Kim and Rachelle Ann Go as Gigi. Noblezada will be part of the Broadway transfer.

LA-based
Briones was part of the ensemble in the original production at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. He subsequently landed the role of the Engineer in Germany (where he met his wife Megan), and for a US tour, an Asian tour, a Manila production and a UK tour.

Born and raised in Quezon City, Briones has since relocated to Los Angeles, where his wife and two children also work as actors (brionestalent.com).

After his stint with the original London production of "Miss Saigon," he acted in several Repertory Philippines productions such as the Lion in "The Wiz" and Enjolras in "Les Misérables."

Before he joined the London revival last year, he was involved in the pre-Broadway development of the musical "Allegiance" with Lea Salonga. He's also done TV work, with guest roles in shows like "Sons of Anarchy," "Bones," "The Mentalist," and "Monk."

During the break from March 2016 onwards before he debuts at the Great White Way, Briones says he will keep himself busy: "Actors don't really go on holidays unless they are really successful and can afford to just take the time off. So, as soon as I get back to LA, I go straight to what actors do-audition and go to acting classes."

He adds: "If there is nothing going on, my family and I will take our convertible and just drive somewhere nice and take a couple of days away."

Inquirer.net link:
http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/215106/miss-saigons-jon-jon-briones-is-off-to-broadway

Palanca Award winner Layeta Bucoy is also a 'Star Trek' and 'I Love Lucy' fan

Layeta Bucoy, 5-time Palanca winner, is also a 'Star Trek' and 'I Love Lucy' fan
By Walter Ang
Nov. 28, 2015
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Layeta Bucoy was a first-place winner in this year's Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature's English One-Act Play category.

Her play "The Adopted Healthy Baby" is about a college teacher's fears about the new K-12 curriculum.

This is her fifth win. She previously won for "Ellas Inocentes," 2007; "Doc Resurreccion: Gagamutin ang Bayan," 2009; and "El Galeon de Simeon," 2011; all in the Filipino One-Act Play category.

Her very first win was in the Filipino Teleplay category in 1998 for "Ang Repleksyon ni Ms. Trajano."

Fortified
After having read Euripedes' "Medea" and Henrik Ibsen's "Ghosts" in college, Bucoy was inspired to write something similar, but was leaning towards teleplays and screenplays.

Then she had a class under playwright Nick Pichay. "His dedication, brilliance, selflessness and imagination as a playwright inspired me to take writing for the stage seriously," says Bucoy.

She then joined the playwrights group Writer's Bloc, where, as she puts it, she gets "fortified with inspiration from other playwrights who share not just their playwriting techniques and devices, but also their insights, values and philosophies in life."

Among her Palanca wins, both "Ellas" And "Doc Resurreccion" have been staged at the Virgin Labfest, which is produced by Writers Bloc.

Those plays, along with her other early works that dealt with taboo subjects such as sexual abuse, incest, filicide and gory murders, put her in the radar of theater audiences.

"If I appear to write about the same things at any given period of time, it's not deliberate on my part. An act of kindness or an act of gore may equally linger in my mind at any given time. I may have been repeating myself in terms of my writing style, and I attribute that to my weakness as a writer," she notes.

Facets of humanity

Lately, pushing across the spectrum, Bucoy's works have been mostly children's musicals. She points out, "They're all facets of humanity. Writing is my way of understanding life, the highest level of contemplation or concentration I can ever achieve."

"I'll never be successful in comprehending everything there is to life, but being unsuccessful is what bridges my writing range from the gory to the hopeful. Because what's there left for me to do after each failure but to lodge another attempt?"

And what a range. Her theater fans may not know that during the time she was writing those "taboo" plays, Bucoy was also writing chick-lit novelettes and inspirational essays for Psicom Publishing.

"I don't limit myself to one type of content," she says, laughing.

She has since created new works or adaptations for Tanghalang Pilipino ("Walang Kukurap," "Kleptomaniacs"), Dulaang Unibersidad ng Pilipinas (an adaptation of "Titus Andronicus") and Philippine Educational Theater Association ("Bona," an adaptation of the film).

Her recent credits include "Uod, Butete, at si Myrna," staged at this year's Virgin Labfest; "Melanie," an educational HIV/AIDS awareness play, and "Prinsipe Munti," an adaptation of "The Little Prince," both for TP.

"Prinsipe Munti" premiered last year and will be restaged this December.

Keeping curious
Bucoy says that it's her curiosity as to how a story or play may possibly develop that keeps her in the writing game.

"What will happen to the characters? What did they do in the past that led them to this current dramatic situation? What decisions will they make? What aspects of human nature do they exhibit?"

What propels her to write, she says, are things that "I don't easily comprehend or something that's being hushed. Asking myself these questions deprives me of sleep! My imagination pays me unannounced and lingering visits," she says, laughing.

Bucoy's routine is to use pen and paper to organize a concept, then a typewriter to create the story, then a computer to write as many drafts as it takes until "I can type 'WAKAS' with conviction."

But then it doesn't end there quite yet. "I repeat the process if I'm besieged by doubt or after I consider the reactions, comments and suggestions of people who read the draft."

"I still have so much more to learn," she adds. "And I know that this one lifetime is not enough."

Meanwhile, when she can find breaks from playwriting and teaching at the Univesity of the Philippines-Los Baños, she rewatches her favorite "Star Trek" episodes or searches for "I Love Lucy" merchandise.

"My brother and I are 'Star Trek' fans, particularly of 'The Next Generation' and 'Voyager' series. I've been watching 'I Love Lucy' since I was a child; I found it funny then and I find it even funnier now. I also watch its one-hour episodes and even 'Here's Lucy.'"

"Whenever I see 'I Love Lucy' merchandise, if I can afford it, I immediately buy it," she says, laughing. "If friends and relatives ask me what I want as a gift, I'd say anything that has got to do with 'I Love Lucy.'"

"Prinsipe Munti" runs Dec. 9-13 at Tanghalang Huseng Batute, Cultural Center of the Philippines. Call 8321125 loc. 1620, visit Fb.com/TanghalangPilipino; or call 8919999, visit ticketworld.com.ph.

To inquire about permissions and royalty fees for staging her plays, e-mail Layeta Bucoy at layeta123@yahoo.com.

Inquirer.net link:
http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/214517/layeta-bucoy-5-time-palanca-winner-is-also-a-star-trek-i-love-lucy-fan

Chicago’s Circa Pintig theater group gets set for 25th year

Chicago’s Circa Pintig theater group gets set for 25th year
By Walter Ang
Nov. 28, 2015
Inquirer.net
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/132897/chicagos-circa-pintig-theater-group-gets-set-for-25th-year

Cast of Circa Pintig's inaugural production
of "America is in the Heart."

Chicago-based Filipino American theater group Circa Pintig is gearing up for its annual Christmas party and fundraiser for its 25th anniversary next year, while still having fun at the party, of course.

"We will have food, holiday performances and karaoke, then dancing," says Angela Mascarenas, a founding member and the current executive director.

Beyond just preparing for the party, Mascarenas and the group's other officers are also drawing up the activities for next year.

"Planning for the 25th anniversary is exciting. We want to make this a festive and reflective community event, in the spirit that represents what Circa Pintig stands for."

Pulse
Mascarenas was born in Manila and had been active with theater group Philippine Educational Theater Association (Peta) before moving to Chicago in the '80s.

She had joined the anti-Marcos group Philippine Forum and, inspired by her exposure to social theater with Peta, suggested using performances as an education tool.

"My co-members in the youth committee and I decided to focus on doing cultural organizing and started our own group in 1986. We applied for non-profit status in 1991 as Pintig cultural group," she says.

Pintig means "pulse" in Tagalog while Circa is an acronym for Center for Immigrant Resources and Community Arts.

The group's inaugural production was the play "America is in the Heart," based on the autobiographical novel of Carlos Bulosan.

Recent productions include "Tug of War" and its sequel "Tug of War II," a series of short plays on war and immigration; and "Scent of Home," a trilogy of plays adapted by Larry Leopoldo based on short stories by Bienvenido Santos.

Not just acting

Some Circa Pintig members,
clockwise from bottom left:
Christy Aliposa, Angela Mascarenas,
Ted Kirpach, Luis Pascasio and Divine Calo.

The group's thrust is not just training performers, but also developing artists-teachers/trainors-organizers-researchers, or what the group terms as "ators."

"Very often, we have individuals who come to our events seeking to be trained as professional actors. Our usual response is, if that is all they want, then they will be better served in other theater groups," she says.

The group immerses its volunteers and students in using theater as a tool in tackling difficult community issues.

Mascarenas notes that the group has touched on issues such as internalized racism, homophobia, economic exploitation and youth trafficking, in "creative and engaging ways."

"Circa-Pintig prides itself on being distinct in the sense that we do not exist simply for entertainment or 'art-for-art's' sake. We are a theater group that engages community members in collective action through the arts."

"We strive to produce professionally done performances without sacrificing the values and principles of collective empowerment and self-determination," she says.

Social change and volunteerism
Mascarenas says that the group prides itself in contributing to "transformative social change."

"For example, the theme of our 2015 season was 'work, war and immigration.' Our performances were about anti-war, mental health, disabilities and immigrant rights movements, as well as organizing around the passage of the Illinois domestic workers bill of rights."

"The group's ability to continue to bring insightful, thought-provoking, collectively-produced original works for over two decades is already a huge accomplishment in itself," she says.

In addition, she points out that one significant milestone for the group is that it's lasted this long purely on volunteer members.

"It says a lot about the people who volunteer and commit to this type of community work. It also says a lot about the communities that we get our support from. It truly has taken a village to make Circa Pintig alive this long."

Circa Pintig 2015 Christmas Fundraiser is on Dec. 12, 2015, starts at 5pm at Moooh Dulce Gallery, 2602 W Fullerton Ave, Chicago. All donations are tax deductible. Call +1-312-869-9785, visit CircaPintig.com, like on Facebook (CircaPintig), follow on Twitter (@Circa_Pintig).

'Entablado': Anril Tiatco's new book on Philippine theater

'Entablado': Anril Tiatco's new book on Philippine theater
By Walter Ang
Nov. 14, 2015
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Sir Anril Tiatco

Sir Anril Pineda Tiatco (no, he's not a knight; his first name really is Sir) has authored a new book on Philippine theater.

"Entablado: Theaters and Performances in the Philippines" collects his previously published essays and scholarly papers that "attempt to continue the conversation on theater studies and performance studies in the context of Philippine scholarship."

Tiatco has a Theater Arts master's degree from the University of the Philippines, where he currently teaches, and a Theater Studies doctorate degree from National University of Singapore. He's also written a few plays, among them the Palanca Award-winning "Miss Dulce Extranjera" and an adaptation of Francisco Baltazar's "Orosman at Zafira" set to ethnic-rock music that was staged by Dulaang Unibersidad ng Pilipinas a few years ago.

The book's writing style is academic and incorporates different kinds of critical theories, but Tiatco invites and encourages readers who are not familiar with this format to give the book a chance.

"Readers shouldn't be intimidated by theories," he says. "In fact, all theories should be questioned. It's really an ongoing discussion of informed ideas and not just blank opinions."

Scholarship
Tiatco begins the book discussing the state of theater scholarship in the Philippines, noting how the subject is taught here compared to other countries, and how theater studies (as differentiated from courses in acting and production disciplines like set or costume design) and performance studies are emerging disciplines.

He acknowledges the pioneering and influential works of Nicanor Tiongson and Doreen Fernandez in laying the path for his own efforts.

In later chapters, he analyzes the three-day Apung Iru (St. Peter) "libad" (fluvial procession) in Apalit, Pampanga, held in June, and the Holy Week "panata" (devotion) of being nailed to a cross in Cutud, Pampanga. He also analyzes selected productions directed by Jose Estrella, focusing on a phase in her career when she directed productions with no clear, linear storylines.

He also analyzes the 2009 protests organized by artists against the National Artists Award, which included a mock funeral. He explains how the acts can be regarded as protest performance and social theater.

Different kinds

Tiatco pushes for a more open interpretation of what a "national theater form" should be.

A number of scholars have pushed for the komedya (a theater form evolved from the Spanish comedia; not to be mistaken as comedy) to become the country's national theater form, similar to the way Kabuki and Noh automatically identify as Japanese, or wayang puppetry as Indonesian.

Tiatco actually has familial and emotional connections to komedya. "Tatang Sitong, my maternal grandfather was a komedyante, a komedya performer, in Pampanga. I was his number one fan. He influenced me so much to love the theater," he says.

Nonetheless, he points out that picking this one form excludes other kinds of Filipino theater forms based on religion, language, politics, power and even location.

He rallies readers to remember that the Philippines is made up of more than 7,000 islands; ergo, it contains many different kinds of ethnic groups, cultures, languages and, thus, theater forms, too.

Rigor 
Tiatco was exposed to academic writing in college (Theater Arts in UP). "I'd read books on critical theories. I fell in love with the work of theater scholars. I was fascinated with the rigor of the writing.

"That time, Oscar Brockett's 'The History of the Theatre' was our bible. I was frustrated that his book had no entry on the Philippines.

"I was also engrossed with Doreen Fernandez's book 'Palabas.' After she passed away, there was a gap in scholarly writing about theater and performance. No one followed in her footsteps."

He points out that Fernandez's essay on theater and martial law was the last entry about the Philippines in international academic journals.

"It was published in 1983! It frustrated me as a scholar and as a Filipino. Filipino theater was no longer being represented and included in international discussions."

He felt a calling to make a difference. "I vowed to myself that I will one day fill in the gaps in the production of knowledge about theater and performance in the Philippines."

As a grad student, he sent in a submission to Asian Theatre Journal that was promptly rejected.

"I was very idealistic," he says, laughing. But he didn't give up.

"I took the peer reviewers' comments constructively. I rewrote my essay and it was accepted after I resubmitted it. Then we went through another round of revisions; that's really part of the process of being peer-reviewed."

Since then, his work has appeared in local journals like Philippine Humanities Review and Humanities Diliman, as well as international journals such as Journal of Southeast Asian Studies, Modern Drama and The Drama Review.

And now, he has a book.

"Entablado: Theaters and Performances in the Philippines" by Sir Anril Tiatco is available at the University of the Philippines Press Office, I. Delos Reyes St., Diliman, Quezon City, Metro Manila. Contact 9266642, e-mail uppressbooks@gmail.com or uppressbooks@yahoo.com. Visit press.up.edu.ph.

Inquirer.net link:
http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/213182/entablado-anril-tiatcos-new-book-on-philippine-theater

Fil-Am playwrights headed for U.S. stages in 2016

Fil-Am playwrights headed for U.S. stages in 2016
By Walter Ang
Nov. 13, 2015
Inquirer.net
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/130859/fil-am-playwrights-headed-for-u-s-stages-in-2016

Clockwise from top left:
Hagedorn, Pamatmat, Maog and Ortega.

Next year, 2016, will see the works of several Filipino American playwrights staged across the United States.

This increased visibility of Fil-Am works on stage continues to build, after several productions with Fil-Am highlights or involvement on both coasts, such as Lea Salonga in the musical "Allegiance," a number of Fil-Am actors in the cast of "The King and I" on Broadway, and American Conservatory Theater's run of "Monstress," a twinbill of one-acts based on short stories by Fil-Am writer Lysley Tenorio, in San Francisco.

Except for A. Rey Pamatmat, who was born and raised in Michigan, the playwrights listed below (as well as the two directors listed) were all born in the Philippines, with most relocating to the U.S. in the '70s.

West Coast
In San Francisco, Jessica Hagedorn's "Dogeaters" will be staged by Magic Theatre starting February 3 at Fort Mason Center (Marina Blvd.).

"Dogeaters" premiered in 1998 at La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego and has been staged in New York and Los Angeles. In 2007, it was staged in Manila by Atlantis Productions (now known as Atlantis Theatrical Entertainment Group).

Adapted by Hagedorn from her own novel of the same title, the play is "a tragi-comic look at the Philippines during the regime of Ferdinand Marcos ... with a soft-porn movie star, a Jesuit priest, a Fil-Am Californian, a hustler and deejay, a movie usherette and Imelda Marcos."

Hagedorn's recent plays include "Stairway to Heaven" and "Fe in the Desert" for Intersection for the Arts, an arts institution in San Francisco, and theater company Campo Santo. She wrote the book for the musical "Most Wanted," for La Jolla Playhouse, loosely inspired by the life and crimes of Andrew Cunanan, the Fil-Am who killed fashion designer Gianni Versace.

Aside from Dogeaters, her novels include Toxicology, Dream Jungle and The Gangster of Love. She edited Manila Noir, a short story anthology.

Contact Magic Theatre at +1-415-441-882 or visit magictheatre.org.

In Los Angeles, Giovanni Ortega's "Criers for Hire" will have its world premiere by East West Players (EWP) from Feb. 11 to Mar. 13 at David Henry Hwang Theater (Judge John Aiso St.).

In "Criers for Hire," three professional funeral criers in California are eager to welcome 14-year-old Ligaya from the Philippines into their world and teach her their somber trade. However, they soon realize that Ligaya has the opposite effect on people, making them laugh instead of cry.

Ortega is artistic director of Mezçlao Productions. He recently wrote the one-act play "Allos: The Story of Carlos Bulosan" for EWP; which was then staged in Chicago by Fil-Am theater company Circa Pintig.

The play will be directed by Jon Lawrence Rivera, founding artistic director of Los Angeles-based theater group Playwright's Arena. Rivera directed GodInUs Productions' Manila tour of "Flipzoids" in 2014.

Contact East West Players at +1-213-625-7000 or visit eastwestplayers.org.

Midwest
In Chicago, A. Rey Pamatmat's "All The Terrible Things I Do" will be staged by About Face Theatre at Theater Wit (Belmont Ave.). Previews start March 11 and run is from March 17 to April 10.

In the play, Linda, a middle-aged Fil-Am bookstore owner, hires Daniel, a young white aspiring writer. They discover a dark connection that goes much deeper than a love of literature.

"All The Terrible Things I Do" was premiered by Milwaukee Repertory Theater and was recently staged in Boston by Huntington Theater Company.

Praise from critics include On Milwaukee, "searing;" Journal Sentinel, "smart, sensitive;" Greater Milwaukee Today, "well-crafted;" Boston Globe, "a trenchant, multilayered drama;" and WBUR, "riveting;" among others.

Contact About Face Theatre at +1-773-784-8565 or visit aboutfacetheatre.com.

In St. Paul, Minnesota, Victor Maog's "Tot: The Untold, Yet Spectacular Story of (A Filipino) Hulk Hogan" will have its world premiere by Mu Performing Arts from Jun. 16 to Jun. 26 at Park Square Theatre (West 7th Place).

"Tot" follows a boy who migrates from Marcos-ruled Philippines to San Francisco and conjures a wrestling fantasy to cope with his new life.

Maog is artistic director of Second Generation Productions, a New York City-based Asian American theater company.

Mu Performing Arts' artistic director Randy Reyes is also Fil-Am.

Contact Mu Performing Arts at +1-651-789-1012 or visit muperformingarts.org.

East Coast
In New York, Pamatmat's "House Rules" will have its world premiere staged by Ma-Yi Theater from March 22 to April 17 at Here Arts Center (6th Ave.).

"House Rules" is about two families who panic with hilarious and heart-breaking results when they realize their parents won't be around forever.

The play will be directed by Ma-Yi artistic director Ralph Peña. Peña was recently in Manila to direct "Macho Dancer: A Musical" at the 2015 Virgin Labfest 11.

Pamatmat's most recently staged play was "Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them" in Boston by Company One Theatre; about Fil-Am siblings 12-year old Edith and 16-year-old Kenny and his boyfriend.

Contact Ma-Yi Theater Company at +1-212-971-4862 or visit ma-yitheatre.org.

Repertory Philippines stages year-end big musical 'The Secret Garden'

Caisa Borromeo, back at Rep: 'It always feels like going home'
The 2010 Gawad Buhay! Best Actress in a Musical (for 'Little Women') alternates with Myramae Meneses in Rep's 'The Secret Garden,' opening Nov. 20
By Walter Ang
Oct. 31, 2015
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Repertory Philippines' year-end big musical this year is "The Secret Garden," adapted from the novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, where orphan Mary Lennox has to solve the mysteries of finding a hidden crying child in her uncle's house and finding the key and door to a secret garden.

With music by Lucy Simon and libretto by Marsha Norman, the musical was previously staged by Rep in 2001.

This year's staging will be directed by Anton Juan, whose last directing credit for Rep was 2011's "The Joy Luck Club."

Musical direction is by Joseph Tolentino, with vocal coaching by Camille Molina, set design by Ohm David, lighting design by John Batalla and costume design by Bonsai Cielo.

Three actors from the 2001 staging, Lorenz Martinez, Noel Rayos and Oliver Usison, will also be part of this year's staging.

Gratitude 
Aside from lead character Mary Lennox, played by 12-year-old Ashlee Factor and 9-year-old Ginger Karganilla, there is another female in the musical whose presence looms large: Mary's aunt Lily Craven. This role will be played by Caisa Borromeo and Myramae Meneses.

Borromeo started her theater career with Rep with the titular role in "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves" back in the early 2000s. She's since been in several productions with Rep, and won the 2010 Philstage Gawad Buhay! for Best Female Lead in a Musical for her portrayal of Jo March in "Little Women." Her most recent production with Rep was "4000 Miles" earlier this year.

"I grew up in Rep!" she says. "I started taking workshops with them when I was 10. While I've worked with other theater companies and directors over the years, it always feels like going home whenever I work with Rep. There's a certain aspect of respect and gratitude that comes with working with Rep."

Amazing voice 
Now she opens up the Rep home to a new member. Meneses says she's enjoying her foray into Rep. "They're nice to work with. They're very professional. I'm excited to be part of Rep because of their good reputation and their fantastic artists."

Meneses' recent credits include Musetta in Musicartes' "La Boheme" and Maria Clara in "Kanser: The Musical" (Noli Me Tangere) for Gantimpala Theater and "Noli Me Tangere: The Opera" for J&S Productions and Dulaang Unibersidad ng Pilipinas. She's had a solo concert with Manila Chamber Orchestra Foundation.

In 2010, she won the lone top prize for Category C in the National Music Competitions for Young Artists (Namcya).

"I'm so happy to be working with Myramae," says Borromeo. "Her voice is amazing! It's so interesting to work with people with different backgrounds and training. You learn so much from them and the process becomes very collaborative."

The cast includes Robbie Guevara and Lorenz Martinez as Archibald Craven; Red Concepcion as Dikcon; Noel Rayos as Dr. Nevile Craven; and Borromeo, Natalie Everett and Becca Coates as Martha.

"The Secret Garden" runs Nov. 20 to Dec. 20 at OnStage Theater, Greenbelt 1 Mall, Makati City. Reach Repertory Philipppines at 8433570. Like on Facebook (RepertoryPhilippines) Reach TicketWorld at 8919999 or ticketworld.com.ph.

Inquirer.net link:
http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/211561/caisa-borromeo-back-at-rep-it-always-feels-like-going-home

Marc delaCruz joins US tour of 'If/Then' with Idina Menzel

Marc delaCruz joins US tour of 'If/Then' with Idina Menzel
By Walter Ang
Oct. 27, 2015
TheFilAm.net
http://thefilam.net/archives/19873

Marc delaCruz made his Broadway debut last year in the musical "If/Then." Back then, he understudied the role of David, but now he's playing the part for the production's national tour.

He gets to share the stage with Broadway superstar Idina Menzel ("Wicked," "Frozen") and Anthony Rapp ("Rent," "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brow").

"Idina and Anthony are incredible to work with," he said. "They are generous, smart and fiercely talented performers, and offstage such grounded, warm and humble individuals."

"I learn so much from them every night. One could easily be intimidated by their accomplishments but there are no egos involved. They are beautiful artists and it is a privilege to be on stage with them," he added.

To read the remainder of this interview, please go to TheFilAm.net: 
http://thefilam.net/archives/19873

Lea Salonga, back on Broadway: 'There has been zero video game time for me'

Lea Salonga, back on Broadway: 'There has been zero video game time for me'
By Walter Ang
Oct. 24, 2015
Philippine Daily Inquirer

When Lea Salonga got a chance to meet an actor from the original "Star Trek" TV series, she did not pass it up.

"Yes, I'm a nerd, and was very excited," she says.

In 2009, she was invited to the home of George Takei in California to join the cast of a new musical he was going to be part of.

Her "first contact"--to use a Star Trek term--with Takei was even announced on Twitter: "OMG. I'm at Sulu's house!" she tweeted.

Takei and the producers of the musical "Allegiance" wanted only Salonga to fill a role in the show.

That meeting resulted in the first public reading of the show, held at the Japanese-American National Museum in Los Angeles.

Salonga has been working on the show since then. After laboratory work in New York, a world premiere in San Diego in 2012, and more laboratory work back in New York, "Allegiance" began previews this month on Broadway and will officially open next month.

Journey
"Going along on this journey with George has been one incredible ride," says Salonga, "and to see his face at the end of every performance is such a joy. He beams, pardon the 'Star Trek' pun, with pride that this, his legacy project, is now being played on a Broadway stage. So amazing."

The musical is inspired by the time Takei's family was forcibly incarcerated during World War II. He was five years old when his family was removed from their Los Angeles home and transferred to converted horse stables in California and then to interment camps in Arkansas.

More than 100,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry suffered this act of racist paranoia after Japan attacked the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in 1941.

Salonga revealed in a previous interview with Inquirer that Takei's family was eventually relocated again to "a camp in Tule Lake, California, a facility reserved for the most rebellious of internees."

Takei's family returned to LA after the war, and he rose to fame in 1965 when he was cast as starship helmsman (spaceship pilot) Sulu in "Star Trek." (The character's original name was inspired by the Sulu Sea in the Philippines; a first name, Hikaru, was added only in novels and movies after the series ended.)

"Allegiance" follows siblings Sam (Takei) and Kei (Salonga) Kimura as they cope with relocation to an internment camp.

Connections
On Broadway, after winning a Tony award for playing Kim in "Miss Saigon" in the '90s, Salonga played Mei-Li in "Flower Drum Song" in 2002, and Eponine (the first Asian to play the part) and Fantine in "Les Miserables." She has done several concerts in Manhattan as well.

"It feels pretty damn fantastic to be back on Broadway," she says. "Doing one-off concerts is also amazing, but there's something to be said about creating a role on Broadway. It's not often that I've had that opportunity, so I'm really mining the experience for all it's worth."

To prepare for the role, she looked to her own family for emotional and historical connections to the show's subject matter: her husband Robert Chien is of Chinese-Japanese descent; he has relatives who served during the war, and his mother was able to escape being interned.

Salonga is known for playing video games for fun and to relax backstage, but she says, "There has been zero video game time for me. My life is way too busy with previews! It will be crazy for the rest of the preview period, it will continue to be.

"My brain sometimes feels like it's going to explode, what with memorizing new things in the afternoon that will go into the show that same night. It's nuts."

In the show, with music and lyrics by Jay Kuo and book by Marc Acito, Salonga sings a soaring solo, "Higher."

"Thankfully it has been retained, along with a few songs from the San Diego staging," she explains. "I have some brand-new duets for Broadway, but a lot of the show is still in flux, so today's information could be obsolete by tomorrow."

Revisions and edits to the show should be locked down by the time it opens in November.

Where to eat near Longacre Theater
Meanwhile, Salonga gets some downtime whenever her husband and daughter Nicole Beverly visit her.

"We try to get to Sushi Gari on West 46th Street," she says, "Rob and I attack the omakase platter, placing our complete trust in the sushi chefs."

She adds: "My mom Ligaya has been here with me, so most of the time, I eat and enjoy her cooking."

For audiences who will go watch "Allegiance," she recommends "basically any of the restaurants on Restaurant Row, West 46th Street, as well as the ones on 9th Avenue."

"Right by the Longacre Theater are Hurley's Saloon (American and seafood) and Pongsri (Thai), both of which are really good."

Asked if there would be a "Star Trek musical" in the future and if she were to choose between playing a Ferengi starship captain or a villain Borg Queen, Salonga answers, "I'll choose Borg Queen."

So now, fans of Salonga and "Star Trek" will know what costume to wear if they can get tickets to the Oct. 31 Saturday Halloween evening show, designated as "Star Trek" Night.

There will be a post-show talkback session with Lea Salonga at the Oct. 31 Saturday matinee. "Allegiance" is currently in previews. It opens Nov. 8 at Longacre Theatre, New York City. For tickets, visit allegiancemusical.com.


Published online at Inquirer.net on Oct. 26, 2015:
http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/210790/lea-salonga-back-on-broadway-there-has-been-zero-video-game-time-for-me

 

Designing and dressing up Dulaang UP's Southeast Asian 'King Lear'

Designing and dressing up Dulaang UP's Southeast Asian 'King Lear'
By Walter Ang
Oct. 24, 2015
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Dulaang Unibersidad ng Pilipinas (DUP) is currently staging Shakespeare's "King Lear" in English and Filipino, using Nicolas Pichay's translation. Joel Lamangan and Leo Rialp play the titular character, in Filipino and English, respectively.

Director Tony Mabesa, DUP's founding artistic director emeritus, has transplanted the action from ancient Britain to "the waning years of a Southeast Asian kingdom."

This production comes on the heels of Nonon Padilla's 2012 all-male staging using Bienvenido Lumbera's translation for Philippine Educational Theater Association. (Anton Juan cast Repertory Philippines founder Zeneida Amador as Lear in his 2001 staging.)

Padilla employed a post-apocalyptic setting with Gino Gonzales' Japanese-inspired costume design. The production toured Taiwan last year for the Kuandu Arts Festival and had a restaging earlier this year with Bernardo Bernardo as Lear.

To help bring to life Mabesa's own vision of Shakespeare's mighty tragedy, Eric Pineda did the costume design and Ohm David the set design.

"What automatically came to me was the ruins of Angkor Wat, complete with the gigantic roots of balete trees," says David.

His design, based on research using different books from the UP Library, was constructed by 20 students assisted and guided by four professional carpenters. DUP is under the university's Department of Speech Communication and Theater Arts, which offers certificate and degree programs in Theater Arts.

Pineda points out that the reality of designing for a campus-based theater group is "the very limited budget. Hence, Ohm and I agreed not to interpret the period and setting in a literal sense."

Leeway
This framework gave both designers leeway to incorporate a more encompassing Southeast Asian visual vocabulary instead of a specific country's limiting choices. It also gave them freedom to use and reinterpret existing costumes, props and set pieces from past productions. For example, costumes from DUP's "Ang Nawalang Kapatid" (Floy Quintos' adaptation of the "Mahabharata") designed by Gino Gonzales, have been recycled for this production.

For costume silhouettes, Pineda created a crown and breastplate for Lear inspired by bas relief images of the Khmer King Jayavarman VII, found in Angkor Wat.

"The two evil sisters, Goneril and Regan, have Thai references in their costumes, especially in their chada headdresses (jeweled spired crowns)," he says.

To push the contrast in personality, he gave the good sister Cordelia's costumes a more Peranakan (Chinese-Malaysian) look.

"Tony wanted me to interpret Lear's Fool as a babaylan," says Pineda. "I gave his costume a Balinese feel."

Pineda's goal was to meld these different countries' costumes and influences to highlight commonality in Southeast Asian clothing. "We have the same climate, topography and vegetation, resulting in similar dyes, fabrics and weaves," he says.

The play's movement and choreography, meanwhile, are by Jeremy dela Cruz, with lighting design by Meliton Roxas Jr., sound design by Jethro Joaquin. DUP's artistic director is Dexter Santos.

Dulaang UP's "King Lear/Haring Lear" has remaining performances today and tomorrow at Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero Theater, University of the Philippines Diliman. Call tel. 9261349, 4337840, 9818500 loc. 2449; or e-mail dulaangupmarketing@gmail.com. Visit fb.com/DulaangUnibersidadNgPilipinas.

Inquirer.net link:
http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/210787/designing-and-dressing-up-dulaang-ups-southeast-asian-lear

Award-winning playwright Glenn Mas is also a hardcore 'Archie' comics fan

Award-winning playwright Glenn Mas is also a hardcore 'Archie' comics fan
By Walter Ang
Oct. 3, 2015
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Not only has Archie Andrews gotten a reboot, he's also going to be in a musical soon. The 75-year-old comic franchise recently came out with a new issue #1 written by Mark Waid and illustrated by Fiona Staples, while writer/director Adam McKay ("Anchorman," FunnyOrDie.com) will be working on the musical (updates will be posted on ArchieMusical.com).

For someone who loves to read and works in theater, Glenn Mas--a theater arts professor at Ateneo de Manila University and current artistic director of Tanghalang Ateneo--is very excited about these developments. He can't wait to get his hands on a copy of the "Archie" reboot. Not to mention the 21 variant covers. That's a total of 22 copies of the same issue, but who's counting?

 "Ever since I was a child," he says, "I've been familiar with Archie and the Riverdale gang. I'd see copies of 'Archie' comics everywhere, in the school library, in the classroom, my friends' houses. I'd lose myself in their adventures, forget all my problems and have a good time with them."

Friends 
This multi-awarded playwright (nine wins in the Palanca Awards so far) likes "Archie" comics because, "like me and my friends, he's not perfect. He loves his family and friends and will do everything he can to help them. He aims to please everyone which, of course, leads him to all sorts of trouble.

"The comics are a comforting escape. They remind me so much of my youth in Antique where I first encountered the series. They make me feel like the world is okay, people are nice and problems always get solved. For a 47-year-old like me who has been through and is going through a lot in life, that's always a good thing to return to."

Mas cried when publishers killed off the character in the "Death of Archie" story arc. "Archie, dead?! Important, lovable characters in comics don't die! So, tears!" he says.

Collecting
Mas used to save his school allowance to buy books. "It wasn't a lot of books because my allowance wasn't a lot either!" he says, laughing. As soon as he started earning his own salary, he'd buy books "anywhere and everywhere I could."

"Did I always plan to have a collection? Yes, but not just 'Archie' comics," he notes. "I collect books on theater, film, art, collections of plays, etc."

After spending three years in the United States for his master's degree in playwriting, he brought back 12 balikbayan boxes filled with books.

"I also collect Philippine titles," he says. "Since I have a lot of Pinoy writer friends, most of these books are signed by the authors."

Everywhere
"I'm always looking out for 'Archie' comics," he adds. "I find time to visit my favorite bookstores."

Mas even has a copy of the Mega magazine issue with Betty and Veronica (Archie's two girlfriends) on the cover.

Fully Booked's Katipunan branch informs him "the moment new titles arrive." Mas lives in the area, a short tricycle ride to Ateneo.

Nonetheless, finding all the different issues is not easy. Apart from the regular digests and double digest editions, there are the 1,000-page editions and giant editions. There are also different series: "Life With," "Married Life," "Afterlife With" (in which Archie's best friend Jughead becomes a zombie and infects the town), "Best Of," "Americana," etc.

Kindness
Fortunately, Mas has thoughtful friends. "I am very grateful for their generosity," he says. For the "Death of Archie" story arc, 10 variant covers were released. "It's an event for 'Archie' comics," says Mas, "so that's great, right? The problem now is, where in the Philippines do you get them?"

Mas had posted a message on Facebook, stressing his "need, need, need" to acquire the variant copies. Minutes later, friends based in the United States began to heed his plea.

He now has eight of the 10 covers. For his birthday earlier this year, a friend sent him the "Death of Archie" Double Sized Commemorative Issue.

Meanwhile, as he juggles his many hats as playwright, university professor, artistic director and juror for the Philstage Gawad Buhay, the search continues for more "Archie" comics for his collection-and the new "Jughead" reboot issue #1, too.

Inquirer.net link:
http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/208560/award-winning-playwright-glenn-mas-is-also-a-hardcore-archie-comics-fan