Filipino American Jesca Prudencio helms San Diego Rep’s sexual assault drama

By WALTER ANG
Sept. 27, 2018
USA and Canada Section, Inquirer.net
http://usa.inquirer.net/15672/fil-helms-san-diego-reps-sexual-assault-drama

SAN DIEGO — Filipino American Jesca Prudencio directs San Diego Repertory Theatre's production of "Actually," a drama that tackles race and sexual assault in a college campus and the "three sides to every story."

Jesca Prudencio directs San Diego Repertory Theatre's "Actually."
Photo by Supreya Sansupa

At a wild party during their first year in college, Amber and Tom connect in ways that seem innocent enough at first. But as the night heats up, they find themselves in murky territory with ramifications that could affect the rest of their lives.

What actually happened between them that night is tackled in this play that explores the highly charged topic of sexual consent on college campuses today.

The play asks: When it comes to sex, what is consent and when can it be given? If you don't remember giving it, does sex become assault?

Anna Ziegler's play is described as "deeply-felt, funny and extraordinarily provocative" and "an intricate and psychologically complex jigsaw puzzle."

Drama and documentaries

New Jersey-native Jesca Prudencio took up drama at New York University and has worked as a director and choreographer across the US. She is also an associate artist and lead trainer for dance group Ping Chong + Company.

DeLeon Dallas (left) plays Tom and Emily Shain
plays Amber and in San Diego Repertory Theatre's "Actually."

Prudencio is founding artistic director of People Of Interest, a theater group that has performed in Bangkok, San Francisco and New York.

People Of Interest's most recent production "A&Q: a documentary theater piece on the big issue," focused on people affected by the "war on drugs" campaign in the Philippines.

Last year, Prudencio completed her international travel research work in Asia under the first batch of Julie Taymor World Theater Fellowship grantees. Part of her research included a trip to Manila to work with students at the University of the Philippines.

Honesty and humanity

When she first read "Actually," Prudencio was "moved by the play's honesty and humanity. I couldn't put it down, my eyes were glued to the page.

"Anna Ziegler has created two characters that you both admire and question evenly throughout."

Prudencio says she has been a fan of San Diego Rep ever since she lived in San Diego while she studied for her master's in directing at University of California.

Earlier this year, she directed their production of "Vietgone" by Qui Nguyen. "The production became the highest grossing show of the season, bringing in diverse audiences from all over San Diego. Needless to say, it was a positive experience!"

"I had a fantastic time working at this theater, so when they asked me to return to direct `Actually,' I immediately jumped at the opportunity."

Sex and safety

"Although very different from the play 'Vietgone,' the play `Actually' sits closer to my work in documentary theater since the characters speak so openly and honestly directly to the audience.

"I am also really drawn to work that addresses current issues facing our culture-head on. This play addresses the questions around `consent' and how complicated it can be."

Transparency is essential, according to Prudencio, in establishing a work environment that is secure for her actors.

"A safe space is essential in any creative process, but this process needs it because the play addresses consent, rape, race politics, and more. We spent a lot of time at the table working through the script carefully, addressing any questions and issues that arise.

From left: Bunny Cadag, Bong Cabrera and Delphine Buencamino
in a scene from "A&Q: a documentary theater piece on the big issue"
directed by Jesca Prudencio.

"The characters Amber and Tom are first year students in college, so it has been interesting and challenging going back to that place for all of us. They both share information that is honest and uncomfortable, so I make sure we talk about these things as a team."

It helps that she is familiar with her colleagues: Emily Shain plays Amber and DeLeon Dallas plays Tom. "I love watching these actors work together. It is effortless. We have all known each other for several years now, since we all went to the same graduate school, so there is a lot of trust in the room."

The playwright has also been in communication with the team. "Anna has been so generous with her time answering questions along the way."

Prudencio expects the material to generate discussion among theatergoers. "Past productions have sparked some great dialogue in the audience and we are excited to start this conversation here in San Diego," she says.

Upcoming

In November, Prudencio directs and choreographs "Nohing," a documentary dance theater work as part of her artist-in- residence program at University Settlement in New York.

The work will use noh dance to explore the experiences of women's sexual harassment in public spaces and was developed through a series workshops and interviews.

Next year in February, she will direct Anna Moench's "Man of God" for East West Players in Los Angeles. The comedy thriller is about a discovery in a hotel bathroom that will change the lives of four Korean American girls while they are on a Christian mission trip in Thailand.

"Actually" runs Oct. 11-Nov. 4 at Lyceum Space, 79 Horton Plaza, San Diego. Visit SDRep.org.

Christine Bunuan, other Filipino Americans, lead 'Miss Saigon' national tour

By WALTER ANG
Sept. 20, 2018
USA and Canada Section, Inquirer.net
https://usa.inquirer.net/15551/christine-bunuan-fil-ams-lead-miss-saigon-natl-tour

NEW YORK — Filipino American actress Christine Bunuan will play the role of Gigi-a Vietnamese woman struggling during wartime-in the North American national tour of "Miss Saigon."

Christine Bunuan plays Gigi in the North American tour of "Miss Saigon."

She joins Fil-Am actress Emily Bautista, who will play Kim, and Filipino actor Red Concepcion, who will play the Engineer. Both characters, like Gigi, face complicated circumstances during difficult times.

Fil-Am actors Eymard Cabling is Engineer alternate and Eric Badique is Engineer understudy. In the ensemble are Fil-Am actors Joven Calloway, Max Ehrlich, Keila Halili, Garrick Macatangay, Jonelle Margallo and Julius Sermonia and Fil-Australian Emilio Ramos.

The tour kicks off at Providence Performing Arts Center, Rhode Island on Sept. 21. The show will then travel to cities such as San Francisco, Chicago, Washington DC, Cleveland, Philadelphia and Dallas, among others.

Revival

This tour based on the 2017-2018 Broadway revival where Bautista was the Kim understudy. She was still in the middle of her college studies when Bautista was cast.

Top row: Red Concepcion plays the Engineer.
From left: Jinwoo Jung (Thuy), Christine Bunuan (Gigi),
Stacie Bono (Ellen), Emily Bautista (Kim), Anthony Festa (Chris).

The revival featured Fil-Am actors Eva Noblezada as Kim, Lianah Sta. Ana as Kim alternate, Jon Jon Briones as Engineer, Billy Bustamante as Engineer alternate and Devin Ilaw as Thuy. Filipino actress Rachel Ann Go played Gigi.

The Broadway revival closed in January and Bautista went on to play Eponine in the touring production of "Les Miserables" (READ about it here) prior to being cast as Kim for this production.

Concepcion joins this production straight from playing the Engineer in the United Kingdom and Ireland tour (where Filipino actor Chuck Marbella has taken over the role).

Inspiration

Bunuan is a mezzo-soprano who has worked with Chicago theater companies such as Steppenwolf, The Goodman, and the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, among others.

Born in Vallejo, California, she was a frustrated singer in her youth and it was "Miss Saigon" that inspired her to build her skills.

"I fell in love with 'Miss Saigon' in high school," she says.

She had received a CD of the soundtrack for Christmas from her parents. "I played it over and over and over again until I knew every lyric in the show. I cried. I laughed. I loved every second of it.

"I loved the music, the lyrics, the story. I had the usual favorite songs: 'Movie in My Mind,' 'Sun and Moon,' 'Last Night of the World,' 'I'd Give My Life for You.'

"When I learned that Lea Salonga, a Filipina, was playing the leading role in a huge Broadway show, I thought maybe I could do this too.

"I wasn't aware that representation mattered then but this show certainly opened my eyes to opportunities that I never thought would be possible."

Audition

"I have spent my life auditioning for Kim" Bunuan confesses. However, she admits she was "never quite right for that role." But it didn't mean she isn't right for the show.

When her agent Jim McCaffrey from Stewart Talent Chicago contacted her about auditioning for the character of Gigi, "I never thought I would get called in for this role," she recalls.

She flew to New York to audition and processed the feedback she received. "I tried applying their direction each time I sang. Then they asked me to come back to dance. I am not a dancer so I was very nervous."

In a later audition with director Laurence Connor, "I sang `Movie in My Mind' for him three times, each time digging deeper into what life was like for a Vietnamese woman who had to do what she needed to survive."

Bunuan had previously done a Chicago staging of the show. "Our incredible Chicago director, Rachel Rockwell, had passed away earlier that week. I had dedicated my audition to her and I felt like she was in the room with me, pushing me to be the best I could be. It all seemed like a dream. It was the best audition I have ever given in my life."

Celebration and preparation

Bunuan was at home with her husband Sean when she got the call informing her that she got the part. "Sean and I screamed with joy!"

Christine Bunuan at a rehearsal for "Miss Saigon."

She remembers her agent then explaining the details of the job "but I couldn't tell you what he said. He had me at 'Gigi.' Sean and I celebrated by getting all-you-can-eat sushi one last time before I needed to get into shape for the show."

By her own estimation, Bunuan has spent most of her career playing quirky, funny roles. "It has been a nice change to play Gigi," she says.

She savored a rehearsal session where she discussed the musical's context with Laurence Connor, executive producer Seth Sklar-Heyn and composer Claude Michel Schonberg.

"We talked about what these women in the story had to do to survive every second of every day in a war-torn country. They shared images of young women. These women didn't want to be prostitutes. They had no other choice.

"The pain of losing their homes, people they love, everything they know and the fear of being tortured or killed any second was their reality."

Family and love

"I could barely get through my song 'Movie in My Mind' because of those images going through my head."

From left: Eric Badique, Red Concepcion and Eymard Cabling.

"It also made me think of my family in the Philippines and how difficult life is there," Bunuan says.

"What they have to do to survive. How hard they have to work to make just a little bit of money to take care of their families. And how they dream of coming to America for a better life."

Bunuan believes that it's timely for 'Miss Saigon' to go on the road.

"Claude-Michel sat us down on our very last run-through rehearsal before we moved to Providence, Rhode Island. He reminded us that we have a message we must share: It's a story about a mother's sacrifice for her child. This is a story about love.

"That's what I hope to share with people. Everyone can relate to these stories.

"Miss Saigon" has music by Claude Michel Schonberg with lyrics by Richard Maltby Jr. and Alain Boublil, adapted from original French lyrics by Boublil, and additional lyrics by Michael Mahler. Musical staging by Bob Avian, additional choreography by Geoffrey Garratt; production design by Totie Driver and Matt Kinley, based on an original concept by Adrian Vaux; costume design by Andreane Neofitou; lighting design by Bruno Poet; sound design by Mick Potter; orchestrations by William David Brohn.

Visit Miss-Saigon.com.


READ about Christine Bunuan's previous play about fake news here.

READ about Emily Bautista playing Eponine in the touring production of `Les Miserables' here.

READ about Chuck Marbella's nine years of working as an actor in "Miss Saigon" and his Monchhichi collection here.

READ about Jon Jon Briones' Broadway debut as the Engineer here.

READ about Devin Ilaw in his role as Thuy here.

Sipat Lawin Ensemble reaps recognition in Canada, Japan

By WALTER ANG
Sept. 8, 2018
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Theater group Sipat Lawin Ensemble (SLE) recently received Honorable Mention from the 2018 Elliott Hayes Awards for Outstanding Dramaturgy. The recognition was bestowed by the Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas at its 33rd Annual Conference in Toronto.

Sipat Lawin Ensemble's "Goberyno" invites audiences
to create and perform their ideal government and communities.

Dramaturgy is a discipline in theater that covers, among other things, the research and development of productions. Or as SLE's dramaturg Ness Roque puts it, "It's caring for the structure of a performance."

The award recognizes exemplary contributions by dramaturgs "to the conception, development and production of theater or to educational projects in dramaturgy."

Roque had submitted an essay where she explained the group's process in creating their production of "Gobyerno"-an interactive and participatory performance-workshop that "invites audiences to create, perform and film their ideal government and communities."

The production uses theater and film to give audience members "an opportunity to question and exercise global citizenship" and explores performance as "rehearsals for revolutions and collective action."

The project is envisioned to be international in nature and to encompass a continuously evolving process that will take six years (as long as a Philippine president's term in office).

Manila and elsewhere

The group kicked off the project in 2015 in Baguio City with key collaborators playwright David Finnigan, filmmaker Brandon Relucio and visual artist Ralph Lumbres.

The show has since been performed for students, artists, scientists and educators in various countries to explore questions on government, citizenship and civic engagement.

"Gobyerno" has been conducted in different "iterations" with Creative VaQi in Seoul, South Korea, and with Junnosuke Tada of Tokyo Deathlock in Honmoku, Japan. In Australia, it's been performed in Darwin, Castlemaine and Gold Coast.

"In the Philippines, we have implemented a blank-ticket system (audiences pay whatever amount they can) and have mainly sought grants to produce our work to allow better access to this performance," says Roque.

SLE's other recent productions include "Mad Forest," a play about a Romanian revolution translated into Filipino by Guelan Luarca, and works for children such as "Mahal Kita Future Bayan" and "Re
(li)hiyon," which was staged at Duyan ng Magiting in Quezon City and Museo Pambata in Manila.

Tokyo residency

On the strength of the concept of "Gobyerno," SLE has also been chosen to be artists-in- residence at Kinosaki International Art Center (KIAC) in Kinosaki, Japan this September.

"Goberyno" challenges audiences to think about citizenship and civic engagement.

SLE is one of 16 projects that were chosen to receive residencies from 94 applications from 25 countries.

It is very rare for the center to accept a group into its artists-in-residence program as its recipients are usually individuals. "For this residency, we will be granted free use of KIAC's main hall, studios and residence facility. We'll also take part in KIAC's Local Exchange Community Program," says Roque. "We will develop 'Gobyerno' as we enter the work's fourth year, to push the work further with braver provocations."

While SLE already has a travel grant from the Japan Foundation-Manila, it is still raising funds to cover the costs of sending over seven of its members to the residency. An online crowdfunding page has been set up at Gogetfunding.com/gobyerno-project-kinosaki-japan-edition.

Meanwhile, theatergoers in Manila can expect upcoming productions from SLE such as "Yen Yen de Sarapen," a mascot performance, and the return of the group's Karnabal Festival, a multiday event where SLE hosts other performances by other groups and artists.

Inquirer.net link:
http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/305343/sipat-lawin- ensemble-reaps-recognition-us-canada- japan

Clipping:

Filipino Americans Arielle Jacobs and Lissa deGuzman play Jasmine on Broadway and nat’l tour of ‘Disney’s Aladdin’

By WALTER ANG
Sept. 5, 2018
USA and Canada Section, Inquirer.net
http://usa.inquirer.net/15236/fil-ams-play-jasmines-bway-natl-tour-disneys-aladdin

PITTSBURGH — Filipino Americans Arielle Jacobs and Lissa deGuzman are playing the character of Princess Jasmine in "Disney's Aladdin" in the Broadway production and North American touring production, respectively.

Lissa deGuzman plays Jasmine in "Disney's Aladdin"
North American touring production.
Photo by Deen Van Meer

The musical "full of daring adventure, classic comedy and timeless romance" is based on the animated film where strong-willed Jasmine helps Aladdin discover his self-worth. Lea Salonga provided the singing voice of Jasmine in the film.

Other Filipino Americans in the Broadway production include Don Darryl Rivera, who plays Iago (the parrot in the film, though human in the musical); and ensemble actors Bobby Pestka, Angelo Soriano, and Joshua Dela Cruz (Aladdin understudy).

Jacobs opened the Australian production as Jasmine in 2016 and joined the Broadway production earlier this year. Her brother Adam originated the role of Aladdin in the Broadway production in 2014 and recently concluded his run in the touring production.

(Trivia: Fil-Canadian Kayla "K-La" Rivera and Fil-Am Tom Rodriguez played Jasmine and Aladdin, respectively, in the Asian premiere of the show in Manila in 2012.)

On tour

DeGuzman previously understudied the Jasmine role and stepped into the role full-time during the show's Buffalo run.

Mathew deGuzman is a swing in the North American
touring production of "Disney's Aladdin."

She took up musical theatre at Belmont University and her previous credits include "West Side Story" at Studio Tenn, "Fiddler on the Roof" at The Muny, and "Chasing Rainbows" at Goodspeed Opera House.

Other Fil-Am actors in the touring production include Jay Paranada, who plays Iago, and ensemble actor Mathew deGuzman.

If Mathew's surname sounds familiar, that's not because he and Lissa are married. They are also not twins. He is Lissa's older sibling.

Sibling coworker

The siblings were both cast as swings in the show last year. A swing knows many different roles and takes the place of absent cast members.

Arielle Jacobs plays Jasmine in "Disney's Aladdin" on Broadway.
Photo by Murphy Made.

"Traveling and performing with my brother is the best part of being on tour. Being nine years apart, Mathew and I got to bridge that gap by living together and learning this show together," says Lissa.

The deGuzmans, whose father is Filipino, were born in Wisconsin. Mathew was cast first with Lissa following a month later on. Mathew is assigned to know the tracks (all the roles assigned to one actor) of 11 actors while Lissa used to be assigned seven tracks.

"He's a professional when it comes to touring, so I felt spoiled rotten getting all the pro tips from him. More than that, being on the road can make you homesick some days, but I get a piece of home with me every day and that has made my work and tour experience amazing. Plus, our parents love that we work and live together," she adds.

Dream come true

When Lissa received the call informing her that she got the Jasmine role, she was disbelieving at first. "Honestly, I did not believe my agent when she told me. I asked if she was serious and then proceeded to pace up and down the stairs repeatedly exclaiming, 'Oh my gosh, really? No way.'" she says.

Arielle Jacobs (left) with Lea Salonga
(singing voice of Jasmine in the animated film).

"It was a dream that I did not think would become a reality. So when it did, I was truly overwhelmed with incredulous excitement. One of my friends overheard my exclamations and we ended up jumping around the dressing room shouting with joy."

She then told Mathew and they also ended up running around, jumping and shouting.

Inspiring and smart

"I grew up watching all the Disney movies. 'Aladdin' was very much a part of my childhood," she says. "Being one of five kids, on our annual trip to Florida, we would put a bulky television on top of a pile of pillows and play 'Aladdin' over and over."

WATCH Arielle and Adam Jacobs sing "Whole New World" for their parents.

She recalls loving the movie right away. "As a child, it made me laugh and sing and wonder and swoon. Princess Jasmine was such an inspiring princess to me. She had dreams and standards that I had never seen before.

"She was so smart and could hold her own against her father and Jafar and was a perfect challenge for Aladdin. The way she carried herself and talked about life and love was always something that sparked my curiosity as a kid."

Together with love

And now, she gets to play the very same character several times a week.

"Riding the magic carpet every night in the show is one of the most romantic and magical things I've ever done," she says.

"Combined with the orchestrations, singing that well known song, and getting to look into Aladdin's eyes, I cannot help but get swept up in the wonder and romance of it. It's my favorite part of the show."

"This show has humor, romance, and so much heart. It's the perfect date night, getaway night, or family affair."

In addition to the whimsical and fantastical aspects of the story, deGuzman also appreciates being part of an endeavor that showcases diversity.

"I feel that what we do is very important at this time. To be able to tell this story, looking around at the diversity on stage, it's empowering and of the utmost importance, bringing this story to every audience member of every color together with laughter and love."

Upcoming

After Pittsburgh, the show is slated to tour Atlanta, Charlotte, Columbus, Costa Mesa, Dallas, Des Moines, Detroit, Houston, Louisville, New Orleans, Omaha, Portland, Sacramento, St. Louis, Salt Lake City, San Diego, San Jose, Tempe, and Washington, D.C. Additional cities will be announced.

Siblings Mathew and Lissa deGuzman goofing around backstage.
Both are in the cast of the North American touring production of "Disney's Aladdin."

Produced by Disney Theatrical Productions, the show has music by Tony Award winner Alan Menken, lyrics by two-time Oscar winner Howard Ashman, three-time Tony winner Tim Rice, and four-time Tony nominee Chad Beguelin.

Costume design is by two-time Tony winner Gregg Barnes, lighting design by six-time Tony winner Natasha Katz and scenic design by seven-time Tony winner Bob Crowley. The North American tour is directed and choreographed by Tony winner Casey Nicholaw.

READ about Filipino American Alysia Beltran playing Esmeralda in Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame" here.

READ about Filipino American Justine Moral playing Belle in "Disney's Beauty and the Beast" here.

READ about Filipino American and Filipino performers aboard Disney cruise ships here.

"Disney's Aladdin" runs on Broadway at New Amsterdam Theatre, 214 West 42nd St., New York.

North American Tour runs until Sept. 9 at Benedum Center, Pittsburgh. Opens Sept. 12 at Fox Theatre, Atlanta.

Visit AladdinTheMusical.com.

Filipino American set designer Lex Marcos preps play on racism and border dispute

By WALTER ANG
Aug. 29, 2018
USA and Canada Section, Inquirer.net
http://usa.inquirer.net/15118/fil-set- designer-preps-play-racism-border- dispute

SEATTLE — Filipino American Lex Marcos has designed the sets for Intiman Theatre's comedy "Native Gardens," which opens in September at the Jones Playhouse.

Scale model of Lex Marcos' set design for Intiman Theatre's production of "Native Gardens."

Written by Latin American playwright Karen Zacarias, well-intentioned neighbors transform into feuding enemies in the play when cultures and gardens clash.

PhD-candidate Tania and her spouse Pablo, a lawyer, have just purchased a home next to well-established and English garden-owning older couple Virginia and Frank.

A dispute over a fence line spirals into an all-out border dispute, exposing everyone's biases on race, class, privilege and taste.

Arguments and tolerance

Zacarias, a native of Mexico who has lived in Washington, DC since 1991, conceived the play after a dinner party where guests traded horror stories about feuds with their neighbors.

Lex Marcos.
Photo by Joann Aquino

She realized that arguments "internationally, locally, whatever" are about "what your place is in the world and culture."

Director Arlene Martinez-Vazquez said there are many reasons why she wanted to direct the play."These characters are highly educated and funny, a combination rarely seen on our stages. I love the approach it takes on the very timely border conversations plaguing our nation. It acknowledges the many perspectives and points of view and with great empathy.

"At its core, 'Native Gardens' is really about tolerance, understanding and balance, which really, is what the world needs now. Desperately."

Design

Marcos was a set designer and actor in Manila prior to moving to Seattle to take up a master's in scenic design at University of Washington's School of Drama, which he completed last year.

His design credits in Seattle include "We Are Pussy Riot or Everything is PR" (Theater Battery), "The Who and The What" and "The Nance" (ArtsWest Playhouse and Gallery) last year; "American Hwangap" (West of Lenin) and "Welcome to Arroyo's" (Theater Schmeater) earlier this year.

His most recent credits are Mamches Productions' staging of Off-Broadway musical "Disenchanted" (which was co-created by Fil-Am director Fiely Matias) and Theater Battery's "Alma (or #nowall)."

Arguments

"I was laughing in some scenes when I read it for the first time," says Marcos. "How it was written is very clever. It tackles the timely issues of race, gender and cultural differences. At the same time, it touches the very essence of human compassion."

He even had a difficult time taking any particular side given each character's arguments. "Audiences will love these four intelligent characters. The comedy is so genuine that there are moments in the play that you can imagine happening in real life."

"I just started scribbling how these characters would move in a space, not thinking about the whole picture yet, just figures interacting with one another."

Visual cues

Marcos took visual cues from the script. "The geography and the condition of the two backyards were well described in the play," he says.

Marcos' hand-drawn and computer graphic renderings of his set design for "Native Gardens."

He then researched images of historic houses in Washington, DC (where the play is set) as well as what flowers and plants grow in different seasons.

"I browsed at some paintings of Norman Rockwell and film images of Wes Anderson. This was not to imitate the style but to have a sense of how to ground the set design in terms of graphic treatment and colors."

"Director Arlene Martinez-Vazquez's meticulous eye on details was significantly helpful with my process as well as the good aesthetic and practical insights from our artistic director Jennifer Zeyl, who's also a great and experienced designer in her own right," he adds.

Upcoming

After "Native Gardens," Marcos' future set design assignments will be seen at the 12th Avenue Arts theaters, including Pony World Theatre Company's staging of James Fritz's "Parliament Square" (opening on Oct. 26) and Washington Theater Ensemble's production of Guillermo Calderon's "B" (opening next year).

Last year, Intiman Theatre staged "Dragon Lady," a one-person play written and performed by Filipino American actress Sara Porkalob. Porkalob was also Intiman's co-curator for 2017.

"Native Gardens" runs Sept. 6-30 at The Jones Playhouse, 4045 University Way NE, Seattle. Visit Intiman.org.

READ about Lex Marcos' set designs exhibited at the Prague Quadrennial 2015 here.

READ about ArtsWest Playhouse and Gallery's production of "Sweeney Todd" with Fil-Am leadsBen Gonio and Corinna Lapid Munter here.

READ about Intiman Theater's staging of Sara Porkalob's "Dragon Lady" here.

READ about Theater Shmeater's staging of "She Kills Monsters" featuring Fil-Am actress Annelih Hamilton here.

Four short plays support Filipino seniors’ village in Seattle

By WALTER ANG
Aug. 24, 2018
USA and Canada Section, Inquirer.net
http://usa.inquirer.net/15048/four-short-plays-support-filipino-seniors-village-seattle

SEATTLE — Filipino American performer, stage manager and director Rachel Rene will be helming a fundraising showcase of short plays this month at the Filipino Community Center.

Rachel Rene (back row, second from left), director of "Four Short Plays" with the cast.

The planned Filipino Community Village of Seattle will be the recipient of the proceeds from "Four Short Plays." The village aims to provide affordable, low-income housing to seniors.

The housing project is a planned expansion of the Filipino Community Center, both of which are managed by the Filipino Community of Seattle (FCS), a non-profit organization that has been providing health and social services since 1935 and is currently headed by executive director Sheila Burrus.

The village will be located beside the Filipino Community Center, which is along Martin Luther King Jr. Way. Groundbreaking is targeted for later this year, according to playwright Robert Francis Flor.

Fundraising

"FCS will build affordable senior housing. They purchased plots adjacent to the community center a few years ago and have been fundraising for the past several years," says Flor, whose works will be featured in the showcase.

Recently, the City of Seattle provided $11 million to the project though the funds are still short. "I agreed to have my plays performed to raise funding for the project. Just trying to do a small part."

"Salamangka's Barber Shop" is set in the late 1960s. A young Filipino American's girlfriend has just dumped him and he is considering dropping out of college. He visits barber Tony Salamangka for advice. Tony is no ordinary barber-he's an asog, a healer, and counsels the young man.

"Pinakbet," set on the cusp of World War II, is about Lois, who is white and a great cook, and Fernando, her Filipino boyfriend who is bored by her meals and is considering returning to the Philippines.

"The Injury" is a comedy set in 1970 about a Filipino American softball team that must try to figure out how to help an injured teammate.

"Pinoy Hill" is about Filipino American families competing for choice picnic tables at Seward Park for the fourth of July celebration.

Direction

Arts organization Kultura Arts is producing the show. Cast includes Jared Alfonzo, Kyleigh Archer, Moshe Henderson, Casey Floresca, Nina De Torres Ignacio, Mikko Juan and Arlo Magpoc.

"Things are going pretty much as planned. Rachel's doing a great job directing," adds Flor.

Rachel Rene, whose father is Filipino, has been performing as an actor, singer and dancer since she was in high school.

"I added music directing, stage managing and directing to my list of theatrical endeavors after graduating from Western Washington University with my BA in Theatre Arts," says the Seattle native.

Her recent directing credits include "Thought Experiment" (Infinity Box Theatre Project), "Ben Butler" (Burien Actors Theater) and "Perfect Arrangement" (ReAct Theatre), among others.

Rene also regularly performs with Living Voices, a theater group that focuses on solo historical pieces, and Theater for Young Children.

"I am pleased that these plays present an opportunity for Filipino actors to perform Filipino roles that focus on being a person of color in Seattle," she says of Flor's plays. "This is important to them and to the Filipino community at large."

"Four Short Plays" runs Aug. 26 and Sept. 8 at Filipino Community Center of Seattle, 5420 MLK Jr. Way, Seattle. Visit Kultura Arts Facebook Page.

For details on Filipino Community Village of Seattle, visit FilComSeat.org.

Madcap rom-com on Fil-Canadian nurses tickles playgoers

By WALTER ANG
Aug. 23, 2018
USA and Canada Section, Inquirer.net
http://usa.inquirer.net/14995/madcap-rom-com-fil-canadian-nurses-tickles-playgoers

TORONTO — A comedy about two very different Filipino nurses who immigrate to Saskatchewan but are constantly mistaken for one another is making the rounds of theaters in Canada.

In "Prairie Nurse," Belinda Corpuz (middle) and Isabel Kanaan (right)
play two nurses working in Saskatchewan
who are constantly mistaken for each other.
Photo by Joseph Michael

Inspired by real life events experienced by playwright Marie Beath Badian's mother, "Prairie Nurse" opens on August 24 at Thousand Islands Playhouse in Gananoque, just outside of Toronto.

This is a co-production with Factory Theatre in Toronto, where the show ran from April to May this year.

After Gananoque, "Prairie Nurse" is also scheduled to be staged by Prairie Theatre Exchange in Winnipeg, Manitoba in October.

Backstory

"My mom, Concepcion, immigrated to rural Saskatchewan from rural Philippines in 1967 and worked as a nurse in a small community hospital. She stayed two years before moving to Toronto," says Badian.

Playwright Marie Beath Badian.
Photo by Christian Lloyd

Badian visited Saskatchewan with her mother in 2007. She wanted to get in touch with people who knew her mother, and prior to the trip, she sent letters to several community newspapers asking if anyone remembered working with a Filipino nurse at Arborfield Memorial Hospital in late 1960s.

To Badian's surprise, many of the people who knew her mother still live and work in the area. The first thing they would ask though, was "Where's the other one?"

That's when Badian discovered that her mother had a Filipino coworker during her stay in Saskatchewan.

The scenario sparked the idea for the fictional story of "Prairie Nurse," where no one can tell two immigrant nurses apart, as they both grapple with homesickness and unfamiliar customs, including the hospital's lab technician who falls in love with one of them but accidentally courts both.

"I was tickled by the idea of what it must have been like back then when no one could tell them apart, when everybody thought they were like two-peas-in-a-pod but in truth had nothing in common other than nursing and the Philippines."

Special

The play just completed a July to August staging at Station Arts Centre in Rosthern, Saskatchewan-only an hour away by car from Arborfield, where Badian's mother was stationed.

"That production was very special. Throughout its run, I learned the audience often had friends and family of the real-life people who the characters are based on," she says.

"The response has been incredibly moving, and it is an honor to learn that the story not only resonated with them on a nostalgic level but also on a very present level with the growing population of Filipinos who continue to immigrate to Saskatchewan."

Filipino Canadian actors

A Toronto-native, Badian is also a director, performer and arts educator in addition to being a playwright.

Her other plays include "The Making of St. Jerome," "Mind Over Matter," and "Novena."

She has been playwright-in-residence for fu-GEN Asian Canadian Theatre Company, a member of the Hot House Creators Unit at Cahoots Theatre Company, part of the Tarragon Playwrights Unit, and a participant in the Soulpepper Playwrights Circle.

She is the artistic director of Smoothieland Performance Projects, a youth theater company she founded last year. "We just completed our pilot middle-school project and hope to launch a high school project next year."

The production opening at Thousand Islands Playhouse will feature Toronto-based Filipino Canadian actors Belinda Corpuz as Purificacion/Puring and Isabel Kanaan as Indepencia/Penny.

Both played the same roles in the Toronto Theatre staging earlier this year. Direction by Sue Miner, costume design by Anna Treusch, set design by Jung-Hye Kim and lighting design by Jareth Li.

Four in one year

The play received its world premiere in 2013 at the Blyth Festival and was published last year by Scirocco Drama.

"The Blyth Festival is a legacy theater festival in Canada. It has produced over 130 new Canadian plays in its short 44 years. Their mandate is to promote the stories of rural Canada," explains Badian.

Isabel Kanaan (left) plays Independencia and
Belinda Corpuz plays Purificacion
in Marie Beath Badian's "Prairie Nurse."
Photo by Joseph Michael.

Factory Theatre's artistic director, Filipino Canadian Nina Lee Aquino, saw the show that year and she shared the script with Thousand Islands Playhouse artistic director Ashlie Corcoran.

"Together, they programmed 'Prairie Nurse' as a coproduction for their respective companies for this year-2018."

"Here in Canada, often the larger theaters plan their seasons two to four years in advance in response to the multi-year funding cycles of the various municipal, provincial and federal arts funding bodies."

The separate productions at Station Arts Centre and Prairie Theatre Exchange-which brings the total number of productions this year to four-proved "delightful and surprising" for the playwright.

"It has been overwhelming. I'm honestly still processing it all. It is a privilege to have 'Prairie Nurse' staged across the country in succession."

"Prairie Nurse" runs Aug. 24-Sept. 15 at Thousand Islands Playhouse, 185 South St., Gananoque, Ontario. Visit 1000IslandPlayhouse.com.

Oct. 4-21 at Prairie Theatre Exchange, Portage Place, 393 Portage Ave., Winnipeg, Manitoba. Visit Pte.mb.ca.

Filipino American Patrick Mayuyu wins Aubrey Award for choreography

By WALTER ANG
Aug. 15, 2018
USA and Canada Section, Inquirer.net
http://usa.inquirer.net/14735/fil-patrick-mayuyu-wins-aubrey-award-choreography

SAN DIEGO — Filipino American Patrick Mayuyu has won the Aubrey Award for Best Choreography for his work last year on Onstage Playhouse' staging of the musical "Spring Awakening."

Patrick Mayuyu won the Aubrey Award for Best Choreography.

The 53rd installment of the awards, presented by the San Diego Association of Community Theaters, celebrate the actors, designers, and production teams who contributed to the 2017-18 season. The ceremony was held at The Dana-Mission Bay Hotel.

"I was so happy to even be nominated," says Mayuyu.

"When they said my name that night, all of my `Spring Awakening' family stood up from the table so fast and screamed so loud!

"It was a very exciting and proud moment for me and the rest of the cast and crew who worked so hard on such a special and meaningful production."

Included in the production was Filipino American actor Peter Armado. "He was awesome to work with!" Mayuyu says.

"Afterwards, some of us went to our director's hotel room where we had a pizza party and a bottle of Moscato."

Telling stories

Born and raised in San Diego, Mayuyu joined a production of "Peter Rabbit" in second grade and "I've been hooked ever since," he says, laughing. "But I really got involved in theater starting with my high school drama club. I took our high school theater program really seriously and wanted to keep entertaining people and make new friends and tell stories."

A scene from one of Onstage Playhouse's 2017 staging of
"Spring Awakening" with choreography by Patrick Mayuyu. 

"That's where I met my favorite teachers, Laura Preble and Marilynn Zeljeznjak, as well as my best friend Kym Pappas, who I now make theater with. They all inspired me to pursue a life in the arts."

He also joined the Thespian Society and spent his youth attending its annual festivals and workshops. "I would meet other kids from all over who were as enthusiastic about theater as I was."

Choreographer, actor

On top of his choreography and acting, Mayuyu is a cofounder of San Diego-based Filipino American theater company MaArte Theatre Collective.

His recent choreography credits include "Xanadu" for OnStage Playhouse (running until Aug. 18) and "A Man of No Importance" for Coronado Playhouse (running until Aug. 25). He's also choregraphed shows such as "The Rocky Horror Show," "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee," and "Scrooge the Musical."

"On occasion, I also choreograph for the San Diego State University Color Guard, where I'm also a performance consultant."

His acting credits include "Bat Boy: The Musical" (Ocean Beach Playhouse), "Taming of the Shrew" (Inner Mission), "A Chorus Line" and "Avenue Q" (Coronado Playhouse), and "Ching Chong Chinaman" (San Diego Asian American Rep), among others.

Huge fan

OnStage Playhouse artistic director Teri Brown had seen Mayuyu's previous work and approached him to choreograph "Spring Awakening."

The Tony Award-winning musical features music by Duncan Sheik and is based on the play by Frank Wedekind about teenagers grappling with their blossoming sexualities. The original Broadway cast included Jonathan Groff ("Hamilton," Kristoff in the Disney film "Frozen"), Lea Michele (TV series "Glee") and Skylar Astin (film "Pitch Perfect").

Mayuyu choreographed Onstage Playhouse's
2017 staging of "Spring Awakening."

"I'm a huge fan of the show," says Mayuyu. "I jumped at the chance and we just started exchanging all these ideas we had for the show."

"I've probably seen it more than 10 times and have been inspired every time, so I knew the story and it's music pretty well."

Nevertheless, approaching the material as a choreographer, he still had to prepare by analyzing the musical.

He collaborated with Brown to stay on track with the staging's objectives. "I had plenty of conversations with Teri to make sure we were on the same page. It was a wonderful collaboration. She gave me a lot of room to play and is such a cheerleader."

Beautiful

"I always ask myself, 'What am I trying to say?' and go from there. A lot of the work is created in the space with the actors, which is how I like to 'paint the picture' as we build a piece from scratch while also making sure the movement feels comfortable in everyone's bodies," he says.

"Every single soul in this cast told their character's story in their own beautiful way. It was a dream to watch them grow and pour their guts out on that stage every night."

Mayuyu is currently working on the choreography of "Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again." for InnerMission Productions. The production is an experimental work that deals with language, relationships, work, and life, opening on Sept. 15. He will also be playing the role of Frank in Sarah Ruhl's "Melancholy Play," also at InnerMission in November.

"In February 2019, I'll be in the world premiere of 'The Hour of Great Mercy' by Miranda Rose Hall, directed by Rosina Reynolds at Diversionary Theatre."

"MaArte Theatre Collective is currently working to produce a piece written by a San Diego local Filipino American playwright. Be on the lookout for details later this year!"

READ about the founding of Filipino American theater group MaArte Theatre Collective here.

Filipino American actor Jay Españo in all-male staging of 'La Ronde'

By WALTER ANG
Aug. 8, 2018
USA and Canada Section, Inquirer.net
http://usa.inquirer.net/14483/fil-actor-jay-espano-male-staging-le-ronde

CHICAGO — Filipino American actor Jay Españo is currently in the cast of a present-day adaptation of a classic play about the clash of classes and sexual morals.

Jay Españo (left) with Matt Frye in an adaptation of "La Ronde."

Tony Award-winning playwright Joe DiPietro has adapted German playwright Arthur Schnitzler's controversial 1897 play "La Ronde," about a series of encounters between pairs of characters from different levels of society, with gay characters set in modern times as "F**king Men."

DiPietro's previous work includes "Nice Work If You Can Get It," "Memphis," and "The Toxic Avenger."

Produced by Pride Films and Plays, the show is currently running at the Pride Arts Center's Broadway Theater.

Modern, movement

In this present-day updating, the characters are now composed of ten men: a hustler; a soldier; two college students; a businessman and his spouse; an adult film actor; a movie star, his agent and a playwright-all of whom have physical and emotional desires to interconnect. Españo plays the businessman's spouse.

Españo (third from right) with cast of Pride Films and Plays' staging of Joe DiPietro's play.

Pride Films and Plays executive director David Zak helms the production.

"The show was done in 2010," explains Españo. "In this revival, they wanted it to be different and incorporate movement and dance." Choreographers Jake Ganzer, Daniel Hurst, James Mueller, and Katelyn Stoss were brought in to provide sensual action for the cast.

Juggling around

Españo has acted for different theater groups in the Chicago area. He used to act with theater company Tanghalang Pilipino in Manila (not to be confused with Tanghalang Pilipino ng DC based in Washington, DC) and did stints in Singapore as well, including a lead role in "Chang and Eng, the Musical."

"I am currently working full time with a theater company called Li'l Buds Theater Company. It produces children's theater all year round. We also teach after-school programs all around the city of Chicago.

Españo is also a part of Broadway BreakThru. "It's a group that is headquartered in New York, but it has a branch in Chicago," he says. "We teach Broadway musicals and sometimes invite Broadway actors to come meet our students."

Aside from acting, he also sings and directs. "On top of all of these things, I also teach yoga every day for CorePower Yoga."

Risque

"Although the play is very risque and the dialogue can be a bit crass at times, audiences love the show," he says.

Fil-Am actor Jay Españo (lef) is in an all-male adaptation of Arthur Schnitzler's controversial play.

Españo notes that he was also initially worried about how theatergoers might react to the dance and movement sequences depicting sexual encounters. "These scenes are vital to the play and the audience members seem to be on board with David's vision."

"We actually have had a few people who have come back and re-watch the show."

He's also observed differences in how certain demographics react to the play's subject matter.

"The older audiences are more focused on the dynamics of the relationships of the characters while the younger audiences, whether they are straight or gay, are totally into to the aspect of hooking up," he says.

"I had a gay couple come up to me after the show and tell me that one of them is the real Jack. That's the name of the character I play in the show."

Upcoming

After the play ends its run, Españo will continue to be involved with Pride Films and Plays as he will be helping curate and judge short films for its upcoming film festival scheduled for the fall.

Españo's own short film "Mahal," which he wrote and directed in 2016 and features Fil-Am actress Olga Natividad, is still making the rounds of festivals in the U.S. and internationally.

"Also, I'm presently in talks to do a staging of Shakespeare's `Love's Labor's Lost' and will be part of a production of `The King and I' in 2019," he says.

"For Li'l Buds, we are gearing up for the coming schoolyear and planning our Halloween and Christmas shows."

"F**king Men" is part of Pride Films and Plays' summer-long Pride Arts Center Pride Series, which includes five fully-staged productions.

"F**king Men" runs until Aug. 25 at The Broadway Theater, Pride Arts Center, 4139 N. Broadway St., Chicago. Visit Pridefilmsandplays.com.

READ about Jay Españo's short film "Mahal" here.

Filipino American Flordelino Lagundino is Park Square Theatre’s new artistic director

By WALTER ANG
Aug. 1, 2018
USA and Canada Section, Inquirer.net
http://usa.inquirer.net/14253/fil-park-square-theatres-new-artistic-director

ST. PAUL, Minnesota — Filipino American Flordelino Lagundino as been appointed the artistic director of Park Square Theatre.

Flordelino Lagundino.

Lagundino was chosen with a unanimous vote by the selection committee after a five-month national search that attracted more than a hundred applications from across the country.

"My vision for Park Square Theatre is to have impact with bold, theatrical events which surprise and transform our audiences," he said.

"Together, we will build a theatre that represents us all; the story of inclusion will permeate every aspect of our organization, from the choice of plays-classical to contemporary-to the way we market our shows and sell our tickets, to faces that we see in our audience and how we interact with the community.

"We will build this theatre with love.

"Audiences will see it in the details and care we put into our productions. Students will feel it in how we welcome them into our theatre. The board will know it as they invite new friends to the hottest show in town. People who have been othered will see it when actors who look like them share their stories."

Across the country

Lagundino was most recently artistic director of Leviathan Lab, a theater company in New York City founded by Filipino American Ariel Estrada.

His work as an actor and director spans across the country.

His recent directing and acting work include productions in the East Coast for the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival and the West Coast for The Old Globe Theater in San Diego and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

Born in Takoma Park, Maryland, Lagundino has master's degrees in acting from University of Texas and in directing from Brown University (where he was a founding producer of Romp of Otters, the school's graduate theater company).

He previously cofounded Tsunami Theatre in Washington, DC, where he was artistic director until 1999. He was also founding artistic director of Thunder Mountain Theatre Project in Juneau, Alaska (founded in 2007), later renamed Generator Theater Company in 2009.

Lagundino is not new to the Minneapolis area. Last year, he worked at the Guthrie Theater, assistant directing "Blithe Spirit," and at Mixed Blood Theatre, acting in "Vietgone."

In a Facebook post, he wrote, "I ... am fortunate to be returning [to St. Paul] as one of the leaders of a theater that shares my love of theatrical possibility and of civic engagement by opening up space for all voices in our community to find their full expression."

Leadership

Lagundino will be the third artistic director in the history of Park Square Theatre, which was founded in 1975. He succeeds Richard Cook, who has been the artistic director since 1980.

"Flordelino is both a theater maker and a company-builder, which builds on our history," Cook said. "As a leader, he is ambitious for his fellow artists and professionals. Empathetic by nature, he listens intently and pulls people together to make things happen."

He begins his tenure on Aug. 1 and will overlap with Cook for a month as Cook prepares to retire on Sept. 1.

An exhibition celebrating the history and contributions of Park Square Theatre will be held at Landmark Center during September. A welcome reception for Lagundino is scheduled for Sept. 26.

A major contribution to the theater has bestowed the company's artistic director position with the official title of "The John W. Harris Family Artistic Director."

Currently playing at Park Square Theatre's Andy Boss Thrust Stage is Theater Mu's production of "The Korean Drama Addict's Guide to Losing Your Virginity," helmed by Mu's artistic director Fil-Am Randy Reyes. The romantic comedy runs until Aug. 19.

Visit Parksquaretheatre.org.

READ about Lagundino's recent involvement with Leviathan Lab here.

READ about Marlina Gonzales' play 'Isla Tuliro' staged in Minneapolis, Minnesota here.

READ about theater director Randy Reyes here.

Fil-Am N’Jameh Camara honors her lolo in ‘The Color Purple’ nat’l tour

By WALTER ANG
July 28, 2018
USA and Canada Section, Inquirer.net
http://usa.inquirer.net/14159/fil-njameh-camara-honors-lolo-color-purple-natl-tour

WASHINGTON, DC — Filipino American N'Jameh Varona Camara is currently playing the role of Nettie in the national touring production of "The Color Purple," which opens in Washington, DC at The Kennedy Center on July 31 and runs until August 26.

N'Jameh Camara (kneeling, right) plays Nettie
in the national touring production of "The Color Purple."
Photo by Matthew Murphy

This tour is of the 2015-17 Broadway revival staging that won the 2016 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical.

Based on the 1982 novel by Alice Walker, the musical follows the journey of Celie, an African-American woman, who sacrifices herself to allow her sister Nettie to escape an abusive life.

The original Broadway production opened in 2005 where the Nettie character was originated by Renée Elise Goldsberry (Angelica Schuyler in "Hamilton"). Whoopi Goldberg played Celie in the 1985 film adaptation directed by Steven Spielberg.

Lolo

The tour kicked off in Baltimore, Maryland last year and has toured cities such as Atlanta, Des Moines, Pittsburgh, Boston, and Oklahoma, as well as several cities in states such as California, Texas and Florida. Its previous leg before DC was Chicago.

N'Jameh Camara.
Photo by David Muller.

Born and raised in the Midwest, Camara is proud to be a woman who has a Filipino mother and a Gambian father. The J in her first name is pronounced as a Y.

In her playbill dedication for the show, Camara states her performance is "for my Lolo," referring to her maternal grandfather Dr. Guillermo Varona.

When she was younger, as any teenager would, she got embarrassed when he praised her singing abilities.

"Every time he saw me, he would always tell me how beautiful my voice was and would share that with his friends and colleagues," she says.

"Now that he is gone from my life, I see what a treasure it was to have had that and him in my life. I know that I am the combination of my ancestors' decisions and perceptions on life."

"I honor him with my success in the performing arts because he affirmed me at 14 years old that I had a gift and to always put my faith in God and myself. He would always tell me how I would be on Broadway someday, and to keep working hard."

Journey

Camara's foray into theater began in the eighth grade when she auditioned for a school production of "The Sound of Music" and was cast as the lead character, Maria.

Camara honors her Filipino grandfather when she performs in "The Color Purple."

Support and encouragement from relatives and teachers led her toward studying theater. Camara received her master's in acting from UC San Diego and, in turn, has taught acting and movement workshops at various universities including Loyola University-New Orleans, University of California-San Diego, State University of New York-Oswego, Northern Arizona University and University of Central Missouri.

Previous credits include "X: or Betty Shabazz vs. The Nation," "Julius Caesar," "Up Here," "OjO," "Marguerite to Maya," and "Dance of the Holy Ghost," among others.

Camara was actually out of the country attending a conference when she found out that she landed the role of Nettie. "My fiancé and I went out for a celebratory drink! I was excited, nervous, anxious and in disbelief all at once!"

But more importantly, Camara felt it was a sign that all her hard work was paying off and that she was on the right path.

Lola

Now several months into the tour, she has been able to unearth truths about herself through the character she plays.

"I continue to discover how Nettie and I are similar, and I use it," she says.

"The other day my cousin posted on Instagram an old black-and-white photo of my maternal grandmother, Dr. Rose T. Varona, at 18 years old, dressed in traditional Ifugao clothing and playing a musical instrument. The caption read: "Losing tradition to whitewashing and assimilation."

"That's what happened when my grandmother came to this country. It was very hard for her not to assimilate and to be submitted to whitewashing."

Camara goes on to explain that Nettie also encounters similar experiences while she is in Africa, "watching her village get destroyed, all in the name of colonization and imperialism."

"I continue to discover Nettie when I am able to pull from my roots and form connections with her."

Food and fun

Meanwhile, she's taking in the visual, cultural, and culinary offerings of the different cities where the production has been touring.

"I loved the food and celebratory nature of New Orleans. I will eat blackened gator any day. I enjoyed the cheesesteaks and the history of Philadelphia, the enchanting river walk and history of San Antonio, the barbecue of Kansas City, the Motown museum and African American History museum in Detroit, and the community of downtown Charlotte."

The top of her list so far has been Los Angeles for one reason. "I loved being able to go to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Butterbeer, people!"

"The Color Purple" runs Jul. 31-Aug. 26 at Eisenhower Theatre, The Kennedy Center, Washington, DC. Visit Colorpurple.com.