Filipino Americans star in one-night-only 'Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella' in NY

By WALTER ANG
Feb. 27, 2020 | USA.Inquirer.net

NEW YORK — Filipino Americans who want their children (as well as themselves) to see Fil-Am actors portray Cinderella and her prince can now do so.

Ali Ewoldt (left) and Joshua Dela Cruz
play Cinderella and Prince Topher
in "Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella." 

Ali Ewoldt and Joshua Dela Cruz will play Ella and Prince Topher, respectively, in a one-night-only concert presentation of "Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella."

National Asian Artists Project is staging it for its "Rediscover Series," where professional artists of Asian heritage explore classic American musicals, proving great works of theater speak to all communities.

Dela Cruz had previously been on Broadway in the casts of "Aladdin," "The King and I" and "Here Lies Love" before being picked out of more than 3,000 hopefuls to be the new host of the children's educational television show "Blue's Clues and You." The rebooted show began airing November of last year.

Ali Ewoldt was the first actor of Filipino heritage and actor of color to portray Christine Daaé in the Broadway production of "The Phantom of the Opera." She was also in "Les Miserables" on Broadway and played Maria in a US tour of "West Side Story."

Choreography is by Fil-Am actor Billy Bustamante. His other choreography credits include "The Wild Party (La Chiusa)," "The Adding Machine: A Musical," "Flappers in Chains," "Suites By Sondheim" and "Man of La Mancha." He is also cofounder of Broadway Barkada, a support group for Fil-Am performers in New York.

Previous Fil-Ams

Unlike Richard Rodgers (music) and Oscar Hammerstein II's (book and lyrics) other musicals, "Cinderella" was not originally written for the stage. It was created for television broadcast and featured Julie Andrews in the lead role.

In the 1997 television adaptation of the musical, Fil-Am actor Paolo Montalban played the prince. He then reprised the role in the 2000-2001 national tour of the musical's stage adaptation.

This concert is using the latest updated version with book adapted by Douglas Carter Beane based on the original. (The two previous versions are differentiated by the titles "Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella" and "Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella.")

In this version, Cinderella opens an orphaned and deliberately sheltered Prince Topher's eyes to the plight of the people while her stepsister Gabrielle seeks to overthrow the unjust regime administered by the evil prime minister.

VIP Package

Gabrielle will be played by Fil-Am Jaygee Macapugay. Other Filipino Americans in the cast include Carol Angeli, Hannah Balagot, Jordan De Leon and Anthony Obnial.

The rest of the cast includes Caitlin Burke, Ann Harada, Kendyl Ito, Kevin Kulp, Jason Ma, Mia Mooko, James Seol, Kyra Smith, Matheus Ting, Vishal Vaidya, and Kelli Youngman. The concert will also feature the NAAP Kids and the NAAP Broadway Community Chorus.

Direction is by Alan Muraoka with music direction by Kristen Lee Rosenfeld.

In addition to the premium and reserved tickets, there is also a special VIP Package which includes a pre-show four-course meal at Masseria Dei Vini (887 Ninth Ave.).

"Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella" is on March 2 at Alvin Ailey Citicorp Theater, 405 West 55th St., New York. Visit Naaproject.org.

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https://usa.inquirer.net/52020/fil-ams-star-in-one-night-only-rodgers-hammersteins-cinderella-in-ny

RELATED STORIES

Fil-Am Ali Ewoldt is first Asian to play Christine in 'Phantom of the Opera' on Broadway

Filipino American Hortense Gerardo's satire on beauty, aging, cosmetic surgery, social media, selfies

By WALTER ANG 
Feb. 26, 2020 | USA.Inquirer.net

BOSTON — What are the surreal lengths that some people will go to in order to achieve their ideal of beauty? That is the question that Filipino American playwright Hortense Gerardo explores in her new tragicomic play "Face Work."

Hortense Gerardo (left) and Michelle Aguillon

In the play, a series of experiments is conducted by world-renowned research scientist Solange Januario as a result of the disillusioning effects after a car accident alters her facial appearance.

Gerardo describes "Face Work" as a futuristic, dystopian satire on what might happen if people altered their appearances based on algorithms determined by "likes" on social media.

It will have a staged reading helmed by Fil-Am director Michelle Aguillon.

Popular

Back in 2017, Gerardo had read an article in the New Yorker by Jiayang Fan titled "China's Selfie Obsession" and was struck by "the implication that altering one's appearance through apps and filters had become such a norm that, among social media influencers, it was considered almost rude to send an unfiltered photo of oneself."

Also, "the so-called 'beautification' apps were used to alter Asiatic features to allow people to resemble Western pop stars."

Then last year, she came across Filipino American writer Jia Tolentino's essay in the same publication, titled "The Age of Instagram Face."

"The article implies that it's already become quite common place for young people to submit to cosmetic surgery to resemble people who are popular on social media, and that we are seeing the rise of a kind of homogenization of features toward something called `Instagram Face.'

"Those who aspire to this look are described as resembling a 'sexy, baby tiger' which I found both hilarious and profoundly disturbing.

Gerardo see her play as examining identity in the social media age, "very specifically with respect to ethnic self-hatred and the Herculean efforts aimed at denying the aging process."

Artist-in-residence

In addition to her work as a playwright, Gerardo is also an Associate Professor of Anthropology and Performing Arts at Lasell College. Her works have been performed nationally and internationally; collaborations have included LaMama Experimental Theatre; Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston; International Performance Art Festival in Monza, Italy; Venice Biennale; Nuit Blanche Festival in Toronto, among others.

She is about to complete her stint as Artist-in-Residence of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (Greater Boston's regional planning agency) to promote creative use of community assets and promote community resilience through art.

One of her projects is site-specific play, "The Medfield Anthology," which will be performed at the Medfield State Hospital in May and will feature information about the former state hospital's residents and its impact on the community when it was still operational.

Collaboration

As for her current collaboration with Fil-Am director Michelle Aguillon, she says, "I am triply blessed to be working with Michelle because not only is she an immensely talented director and actor, but as a fellow Filipina American of my generation, she has an innate understanding of my cultural references and sensibilities."

The staged reading is part of Asian American Playwright Collective's New Works Series and was made possible with support from The Boston Foundation and the Bob Jolly Charitable Trust. There will be a reception after the staged reading with Filipino hors d'oeuvres.

Gerardo's upcoming works include "The Sauna Plays" to be staged in Oslo, Norway (March). Back in the US, "Small Steps on Climate Change" will be staged in April.

"Face Work' staged reading is on Feb. 27 at Martin Hall, Calderwood Pavilion, Boston Center for the Arts, 527 Tremont St., Boston. Visit HortenseGerardo.com.

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https://usa.inquirer.net/51924/satirical-play-by-fil-am-on-beauty-aging-cosmetic-surgery-social-media-selfies

Filipino American explores violence, racism in 2020 Barbour Playwrights Award Festival

By WALTER ANG
Feb. 20, 2020 | USA.Inquirer.net

NEW YORK — Filipino American playwright Cherry Lou Sy's "Panic Room: An Unkindness of Ravens" will kick off the Barbour Playwrights Award Festival in March.

Filipino American playwright Cherry Lou Sy

The festival will feature staged readings of three new plays nominated by this year's partnering company, Leviathan Lab. The award, given out by the Episcopal Actors' Guild (EAG), will go to one of the three plays at the end of the festival.

Included in the lineup is Garrett David Kim's "Are You There, Truman? It's Me, Just Another Guy Who Grew Up Secretly Worshipping Your Chiseled Porn Star Body Online, And Now I Think I Love You."

Closing the festival is Ray Yamanouchi's "Pure//Love." Each reading will be followed by a wine and cheese reception.

In "Panic Room," May, an Asian woman studying for her doctorate, is trying to get over the violent death of her ex-boyfriend who had worked as a police officer. She joins a grief support group to try to move on. While there, she discovers that she's actually living the nightmare of American history with its collisions in prejudice, racism, toxic masculinity.

Trapped

Sy says, "In 2017, I was thinking about James Joyce's words, 'History is a nightmare from which I am trying to awake" and how James Baldwin applied this to the black condition and wrote, 'Joyce is right about history being a nightmare - but it may be the nightmare from which no one can awaken. People are trapped in history and history is trapped in them.'

"I thought, what if we are all just trapped in history and we are just playing in a loop of intergenerational traumas from colonization and the inevitable change that globalization, identity politics, prejudice, racism, and time imposes on us?

"The play wrestles with these questions in the form of people who are trapped in the histories that are theirs and not theirs. History is a kind of panic room that is vulnerable to the chorus of voices that people are trapped with."

Feelings

Sy appreciates being included in the festival. "The pieces examine the intersections of desire, race, and identity from an Asian and Pacific Islander American (APA) perspective. Sometimes, it feels like the APA experience seems invisible regardless of the recent glut of Asian and Asian American films and TV shows. It's through initiatives like this that we realize that we are a community that has opinions and feelings about the America we live in."

Sy's family moved to Brooklyn from the Philippines when she was 13 years old. While she was taking up Cultural Studies at New York University, she became involved in theater director Ping Chong's production of "Undesirable Elements" as a performer and deviser.

"It was life changing for me." She says the experience helped change her frame of mind of seeing her life as being as being differentiated for her being mixed in the Philippines (her father is of Chinese heritage) to being differentiated for being an immigrant in the US.

"I was able to begin looking at my cultural identity crisis and look at collective and personal histories that explained to me why I felt like an outsider or why certain groups treated me like one.

Encouragement

She said that before her experience with that production, "I didn't even know that theater [could be] a tool to mine these kinds of questions. It opened up the space for me to consider that theater is not just for entertainment or spectacle, but a mode of inquiry."

"I got into playwriting seriously about five years ago when I took a fiction class with [Fil-Am novelist and playwright] Jessica Hagedorn. At some point I gave her a one-act I wrote. She read it and told me that I should write plays."

Her work has been developed at La Mama Experiments, Rising Circle Theater Collective, The Letter of Marque, Brooklyn College, Primary Stages' ESPA, The Wild Project, The Brick, the Classical Theatre of Harlem and The Tank.

Fil-Am Ariel Estrada is Leviathan Lab's founding artistic director. "We are honored to partner with EAG," he said. "The Award represents a significant endorsement of Leviathan's mission to advance Asian and Asian American voices in theater and film."

"Panic Room: An Unkindness of Ravens" is on March 9 at The Episcopal Actors' Guild, 2/F, 1 E. 29th St., New York.

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https://usa.inquirer.net/51664/fil-am-explores-violence-racism-at-barbour-playwrights-fest

Fil-Am artist searches for multiracial heritage in Peabody Library

By WALTER ANG
Feb. 14, 2020 | USA.Inquirer.net

BALTIMORE, Maryland — Filipino American theater artist Tara Cariaso is searching for her multiracial roots and she's taking us along on her journey.

Tara Cariaso with a copy of
Barangay to Broadway: Filipino American Theater History,
a book she intends on adding to the library, as she rehearses her piece for "See Also." 

In the production "See Also" by Submersive Productions, audience members will choose their own story as they follow "figurative and literal threads around the George Peabody Library while encountering visual art, soundscapes, and performers portraying characters based on women and non-binary individuals from the collections of the Johns Hopkins Sheridan Libraries and University Museums."

Cariaso, whose father is Filipino and mother is of Irish, Scottish and English heritage, will be playing a character who is "a seeker of historical data looking for information about the women in her family tree."

Inspired by family

"On her journey, the library comes alive with magic as she follows clues towards understanding both her Irish and Filipino ancestors."

"I never got to meet my grandmom from the Philippines, but I'm told she is where I get my passion for movement and performance," she says.

"While the character I play is not me, it's a transposition of me. We . have the same desire to find a piece of our heritage through a magical act of research."

Road less traveled

Born and raised in Baltimore, Cariaso studied drama at University of Maryland and trained with the San Francisco Mime Troupe. In addition to acting, directing and teaching, she's also a mask maker/performer.

Her passion for working with masks began when she pursued higher studies at Dell'Arte School of Physical Theatre. "When I was introduced to mask performance and commedia dell'arte, I realized that I had so much more in my range than people could see.

"I wanted to play the old lecherous father or the over the top control freak . all these parts that traditional casting didn't acknowledge."

But it was also a matter of circumstance and practicality. "At the time, no one was going to cast a busty Filipina woman as Pantalone (an indispensable father figure commedia dell'arte stock character)! So I knew I was going to have to take a road less traveled.

"Making masks and teaching mask performance kept me doing work that protected my spark throughout the many years when I wasn't being cast in stuff that was interesting and useful to my growth."

Leadership

Be it as it may, the path Cariaso's carved out led her to become a leader of her own organization. In 2010, she cofounded theater group Waxing Moon Mask Company with Aaron Elson.

It also led to a previous collaboration with Submersive Theatre where she performed in and led the mask fabrication for butoh piece "Mass/Rabble."

"Submersive Theatre is highly engaged in using puppetry and fabricated objects; their work is created collaboratively. Our intersection makes a lot of sense. I love that I get to work with a collective of skilled, compatible theater makers who are very diverse in background and self-expression."

Lives count

"I've had to question a lot of the world around me to better grasp the challenges that I face as an actor in the US with a Fil-Am face and body. It's important for Fil-Am actors to know that the western canon will often not hold the answers we seek regarding our place in the performance industry.

"The theater community at large is finally becoming more accessible for Fil-Ams to play a wider range of roles, but the work is far from done."

Reflecting the professional and personal parts of her life, her character's journey involves adding a book that represents her history to the library's collection. "This is a means of adding to the new canon. And having Filipino American representation in the new canon."
"The character struggles to find identity and ancestry. Her arc examines the complicated nature of living in two worlds at once.

"There are some things we can take into our own hands. I hope her journey will encourage other multiracial folks to know that their answers and stories lived lives count, that multiracial people's stories belong on those hallowed shelves in US libraries."

"See Also" runs Feb. 18-20 at George Peabody Library, 17 E Mt. Vernon Pl., Baltimore. Visit Submersiveproductions.com.

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https://usa.inquirer.net/51558/fil-am-artist-searches-for-multiracial-heritage-in-peabody-library

Fil-Canadian play festival to run in Toronto

By WALTER ANG
Feb. 6, 2020 | USA.Inquirer.net

TORONTO — Six Filipino Canadian plays will receive staged readings at "Tales from the Flipside" this month at Theatre Passe Muraille's Backspace.

Filipino Canadian playwrights featured
in "Tales from the Flipside 2020" include
(from left) Marie Barlizo, Davey Calderon, Primrose Knazan,
Riley Palanca, Kodie Rollan and Bryan Sandberg. 

This festival of new Fil-Can plays is organized by theater groups Carlos Bulosan Theatre (CBT) and Theatre Amihan. This is the first time both groups are collaborating.

Since its founding in 2017, Theatre Amihan has been presenting staged readings of works by Filipino Canadian and Filipino playwrights.

CBT artistic director Leon Aureus reached out to Amihan Theatre founding co-artistic directors Maddie Bautista and Adriano Sobretodo Jr. to ask them to take the lead on this year's installment of the festival.

The organizers point out that the submissions represent Fil-Can playwrights from across the country. All plays are in English except "Sa Dakong Kawala," which will be read in Tagalog.

Feb. 13 Thursday

"The Watchdog Society" by Kodie Rollan. Five residents in a neighborhood watch group are forced to come to terms with their own racial biases.

Calgary-based Rollan is a playwright, actor and producer whose credits include: "Ya Burnt!" "Free from Phobia," and "Funny Man."

"Sa Dakong Kawala" by Riley Palanca. Naglalaro ang dula sa kahalagahan ng patuloy na pagalaala sa batas militar.

Palanca is a multi-disciplinary artist in theater work, spoken word, novel-writing and stand-up comedy.

Feb. 14 Friday

"Collapse" by Bryan Sandberg. Fifteen-year-old David deals with his international school in Davao, the aftermath of a bomb threat, his deeply religious Christian parents and a new person in his life.

Calgary-based Sandberg is a writer, actor and stand-up comic who is mixed Filipino Canadian.

"Happiness (a.k.a. the Art of Betrayal)" by Marie Barlizo. Gemma and Christina are best friends who secretly envy each other. Unhappy at 40, they're determined to get what they want. But are they willing to risk it all to get it?

Montreal-based Barlizo is playwriting mentor at Black Theatre Workshop, artist-in-residence at Imago Theatre and instructor at National Theatre School of Canada.

Feb. 15 Saturday

"Then Comes Marriage" by Primrose Knazan. Alex and Bobby meet at a same-sex marriage rally, fall in love, get married. Then everything changes. (Cast changes with each performance: a man and woman, two men, two women; the script stays the same.)

Knazan is a playwright who is Jewish Filipino Canadian. Her work has been featured at the Winnipeg Writers Festival, Sarasvati's FemFest, the Winnipeg Fringe, ad Prairie Theatre Exchange's new works festival.

"Big Queer Filipino Karaoke Night!" by Davey Calderon. A Clown-Drag-Karaoke Extravaganza, serving up Filipino Canadian identity shenanigans, queer insights, family epiphanies, and soul gratifying karaoke!

Calderon is a director, playwright and drag artist who is queer. He is cofounder of theater group New(to)Town Collective.

"Tales from the Flipside" runs Feb. 13-15 at Theatre Passe Muraille, 16 Ryerson Ave, Toronto. Visit Carlosbulosan.com.

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https://usa.inquirer.net/50839/fil-canadian-play-festival-to-run-in-toronto

Fil-Am caregivers portrayed on stage in San Diego

By WALTER ANG
Jan. 22, 2020 | USA.Inquirer.net

SAN DIEGO, California — Filipino American playwright Thelma Virata de Castro is collaborating with theater group Asian Story Theater to craft a play about intergenerational caregiving in San Diego's Asian Pacific Islander community.

From left: Playwright Thelma de Castro, director Yari Cervas, and composer Emily Rutherford. 

Her work "Hand Under Hand," where isolated and overwhelmed Jenna struggles to care for her sick aunt, will have staged readings at the San Diego Central Library. It will be performed by professional actors and musicians, which include members of the Fil-Am theater group MaArte Theater Collective.

Every performance will be followed by a panel discussion about the impact of caregiving in immigrant communities.

"Everyone is a caregiver or will be one. We may not use that label, but many in our cast and team are currently caring for family members or have done so in the past," says De Castro.

"Our director, Yari Cervas, brings a fierce energy, assembled a vibrant team and makes bold choices. I love that a young director is working on this project."

Not statistics

De Castro wrote "Hand Under Hand" inspired by interviews with diverse community members. "I was approached by volunteers from American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) to examine caregiving issues in the Asian Pacific Islander community."

This is De Castro's first time to work with this organization that promotes the interests of senior citizens. Rather than looking at statistics, she approached this project with a "story collection" approach.

"In general, though, our community tends to keep up the appearance that everything is fine and is reluctant to ask for help."

Real people

She explains, "Family is a primary value in Asian American cultures. This often conflicts with the American value of independence. Someone I spoke with left her job in order to care for her mother. Another person graduated from college and moved back home to take care of her grandfather.

"Many are taking care of elderly parents and children at the same time. Siblings care for developmentally disabled siblings."

She interviewed 11 individuals and attended workshops. She also spoke with other community members about their caregiving experiences.

"In the play, caregiving impacts the protagonist's ability to work and it socially isolates her. She feels as if she has no time, yet is simultaneously stuck in time. One of her first actions in the play is to scream. I think that's an accurate statement for the emotional toil of caregiving."

Music therapy

De Castro acknowledges that she and her collaborators are not therapists. "But we are theater artists. And theater can be a therapeutic experience in the release and validation of stories and emotions.

"When I learned about music therapy, I wanted to use it to help tell the story. Music therapy can take many forms. It can involve singing, playing an instrument, and listening.

"It's for the patient but it can be therapeutic for the caregiver as well. Music can connect people to memories and improve mood. It's powerful.

"Composer Emily Rutherford took my ideas for the songs and communicated the themes beautifully in her original music and lyrics. Working with her was a creative dream."

De Castro previously collaborated with Asian Story Theater on "Halo-Halo: Mixed-together Stories from San Diego's Filipino American Community."

Cast includes Ciarlene Coleman, Aaron Ding, Jescel "May" Esteban and Claudette Santiago.
Free admission.

"Hand Under Hand" on Jan. 30 and Feb. 1 at Neil Morgan Auditorium, San Diego Central Library, 330 Park Blvd., San Diego. Visit Sandiego.librarymarket.com

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https://usa.inquirer.net/50615/fil-am-caregivers-portrayed-on-stage

2019 Holiday Gift Guide: Books By Filipino Americans

By WALTER ANG
Dec. 4, 2019
PositivelyFilipino.com
http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/2019-holiday-gift-guide-books-by-filipino-americans

The year-end holidays are upon us. In addition to Christmas, with the many different kinds of Filipino American families such as black and Jewish ones, there's Kwanzaa and Hanukkah to add to the list of celebrations. Let's not forget the Fil-Am pagans; there's winter solstice for them, too.

Fil-Am cuisine has been the hot topic in recent years, with restaurants and chefs in the spotlight. But what hasn't been talked about much (or at all?) is the bumper crop of Fil-Am authors who have been published by mainstream publishing houses.

Not to mention titles coming from Filipino American-owned publishing outfits and from Fil-Am authors who publish independently. Which is wonderful news for gift-hunters!

Adding to the momentum, the Filipino American International Book Festival was held in October in San Francisco. Hosted by the Philippine American Writers and Artists (PAWA) organization every other year, this year's installment highlighted works that were published from last year to this year.

Some of the writers featured in this year's Filipino American International Book Festival.
From left: Cecilia Brainard (When the Rainbow Goddess Wept);
Walter Ang, (Barangay to Broadway: Filipino American Theater History);
Aileen Cassinetto (The Pink House of Purple Yam Preserves 
and Speak Poetry Anthology, Vol. 1);
Elmer Pizo (Leaving Shadow Behind Us); Cindy Fazzi (My MacArthur);
EJR David (We Have Not Stopped Trembling Yet); Grace Talusan (The Body Papers).

In addition to publications by Fil-Am authors, the festival featured tomes by authors and writers from the Philippines and other countries as well. Genres and formats ranged from poetry to graphic novels, from historic fiction to photography coffee table books.

For parents, educators and librarians searching for children's books that contain Fil-Am themes and/or subjects, some previously published titles featured at this year's bookfest included Journey for Justice: The Life of Larry Itliong by Dawn Mabalon and Gayle Romasanta with illustrations by Andre Sibayan, about the Fil-Am labor leader.

There was also Anthony "Tony" Robles' two bilingual books with illustrations by Carl Angel: Lakas and the Makibaka Hotel/Si Lakas at ang Makibaka Hotel and Lakas and the Manilatown Fish/Si Lakas at ang Isdang Manilatown, both of which introduce young readers to San Francisco's Fil-Am history.

Also showcased were Sari-Sari Storybooks' trove of multilingual illustrated Filipino children's books. Each has an English story accompanied by a translation in a Filipino language:

Melo the Umang-Boy: an Ivatan Tale
English by Alyssa Sarimiento-Co and Christina Newhard
Ivatan by Criselda Vinalay
Illustrations by Jaypee Portez
One day, painfully shy Melo visits a magical city at the bottom of the ocean. Disaster strikes and he must overcome his shyness to help the city's sea creatures rebuild their home.

Kalipay and the Tiniest Tiktik: a Cebuano Tale
English by Christina Newhard
Cebuano translation by Jona Branzuela Bering
Illustrations by Happy Garaje
Gamay tells the school bully to stop teasing Kalipay. Other children are afraid of Gamay's strange tongue, split body and bat wings, but Kalipay is fascinated by the things that make her new friend different. Together, they learn how friendship can create happiness for everyone.

Amina and the City of Flowers: a Chavacano Tale
English by Christina Newhard
Chavacano translation by Floraime Oliveros Pantaleta
Illustrations by Robbie Bautista
Amina, a young Yakan weaver, is homesick for Basilan, but she finds inspiration for her loom in the diversity and color of her new home, Zamboanga City.

Sandangaw: a Waray Tale
English by Voltaire Q. Oyzon
Waray translation by Merlie Alunan and Firie Jill Ramos
Illustrations by Ray Sunga
Little Sandangaw wants to do all the things that bigger children do but his family is so afraid that he'll be blown away, dragged, or stepped on! When the village magic woman tells him to visit the Eagle of Mt. Danglay for help, Sandangaw learns what it takes to grow.

For additional gift-giving ideas, here are some of the books by Fil-Am authors published by mainstream publishers this year, in order of publication.

For other books written by Fil-Ams, visit the websites and Facebook pages of Fil-Am bookstores (Arkipelago and Philippine Expressions--these two might carry some of the titles listed below) and publishing outfits (Carayan, Meritage, Paloma, Philippine American Literary House, PAWA). Scroll through (and add to) this crowdsourced online list of Fil-Am books. Type in "Filipino" or "Filipino American" in your online bookstore's search engine and see what comes up.

Baking at République: Masterful Techniques and Recipes
By Margarita Manzke and Betty Hallock 
(Lorena Jones Books)
Cookbook. Pastry chef Manzke trained at Le Cordon Bleu in London and Culinary Institute of America in New York. She owns 11 branches of Wildflour Bakery and Café in the Philippines. The restaurants she owns in Los Angeles include Petty Cash Taqueria, Sari Sari Store and République.

The Body Papers 
By Grace Talusan 
(Restless Books)
Memoir. Despite a childhood of abuses and traumas, then an adulthood faced with the threat of cancer, Talusan finds love and success.

I Was Their American Dream 
By Malaka Gharib 
(Clarkson Potter)
Graphic memoir. Gharib draws how she grew up in a dual-heritage household (her mother is Filipino, her father is Egyptian) while living and trying to fit in a third (white American) culture.

The Farm 
By Joanne Ramos 
(Random House)
Fiction. Jane, an immigrant from the Philippines, is determined to reconnect with her family. Yet she cannot leave the Farm or she will lose the life-changing fee she'll receive upon the delivery of the child she is carrying for someone else.

Patron Saints of Nothing 
By Randy Ribay 
(Kokila) [Young Adult]
Fiction. Jay Reguero discovers that his Filipino cousin Jun was murdered as part of President Duterte's war on drugs, and no one in the family wants to talk about what happened. He travels to the Philippines to find out the real story.

The House That Lou Built 
By Mae Respicio 
(Yearling) [8-12 years old]
Fiction. Lou Bulosan-Nelson shares a room with her mom in her grandmother's house. She longs for a place where she can escape her crazy but lovable extended Filipino family. Since Lou enjoys woodshop class and creating projects, her ultimate summer project will be to build her own "tiny house" on the land she inherited from her dad who died before she was born. But then she finds out that the land may not be hers for much longer.

My Fate According to the Butterfly 
By Gail Villanueva 
(Scholastic) [8-12 years old]
Fiction. When Sab sees a black butterfly, an omen of death, she knows that she's doomed! Superstition says she will meet her fate in one week -- on her 11th birthday. She just wants to celebrate her birthday with her whole family before time runs out. But her sister, Ate Nadine, stopped speaking to their father a year ago. If Sab's going to get them to reconcile, she'll have to overcome her fears -- of her sister's anger, of leaving her sheltered community, of her upcoming doom -- and figure out the cause of their rift.

The Importance of Being Wilde at Heart 
By R. Zamora Linmark
(Delacorte Press) [Young Adult]
Fiction. Beautiful, mysterious Ran becomes Ken's first kiss and first love. But as quickly as he enters Ken's life, Ran disappears, and Ken wonders: Why love at all, if this is where it leads? With the help of his best friends, the comfort of his haikus and lists, and strange, surreal appearances by his hero, Oscar Wilde, Ken will find that love is worth more than the price of heartbreak.

Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self-Delusion 
By Jia Tolentino 
(Random House)
Essays. Tolentino is a staff writer at The New Yorker. In these nine essays, she tackles the conflicts, contradictions, and sea changes that define us and our time, delving into the forces that warp our vision.

The Foley Artist: Stories 
By Ricco Siasoco 
(Gaudy Boy)
Fiction. Siasoco's debut collection has nine stories that interrogates intimacy, foreignness, and silence in an absurd world. These give voice to the Filipino diaspora in America, which includes a 79-year- old foley artist who recreates the sounds of life but is unable to save himself.

Lalani of the Distant Sea 
By Erin Entrada Kelly 
(Greenwillow Books) [8-12 years old]
Fiction. When Lalani Sarita's mother falls ill with an incurable disease, Lalani embarks on a dangerous journey from the island of Sanlagita across the sea to find the legendary Mount Isa. Generations of men and boys have died on the same quest. How can an ordinary girl survive the epic tests of the archipelago which include creatures inspired by Filipino folklore?

Malaya: Essays on Freedom 
By Cinelle Barnes 
(Little A)
Essays. To redefine what it means to be a woman and an American, Barnes revisits her past, analyzes relationships, and explores race, class, identity and her faith in the human spirit.

Invisible People: Stories of Lives at the Margins 
By Alex Tizon 
(Temple University)
Anthology. The late Pulitzer Prize-winner Alex Tizon's stories of marginalized people--from lonely immigrants struggling to forge a new American identity to a high school custodian who penned a New Yorker short story. Includes "My Family's Slave," the Atlantic magazine cover story about the woman who raised him and his siblings.

Filipino American Marah Sotelo is unwitting lover in SF stage rom-com

By WALTER ANG
Nov. 27. 2019
USA.Inquirer.net
https://usa.inquirer.net/48448/fil-am-marah-sotelo-is-unwitting-lover-in-sf-stage-rom-com

SAN FRANCISCO — Filipino American Maria Sotelo is playing the lead in the feel-good holiday comedy musical "She Loves Me."

Coworkers Amalia (Marah Sotelo) and Georg (Max Kligman)
are unknowing pen pals in the musical "She Loves Me." 

Staged by Ross Valley Players in a special coproduction with Mountain Play Association, the musical is about two coworkers, Amalia and Georg, who get on each other's nerves but who unknowingly fall in love mutually through an anonymous correspondence.

Sotelo says that the musical's story is about "love and human connection."

"It's not heavy at all but I do believe the message is great. And it's perfect for the holiday season! Sometimes the things that really should matter are right in front of us."

The musical has been performed on Broadway, with a recent revival in 2016 that featured Laura Benanti (who plays twin sisters Alura and Astra on TV show "Supergirl") and Zachary Levi (who played the title character in the movie "Shazam!") as Amalia and Georg.

Lyrics are by Sheldon Harnick and music by Jerry Bock, both of whom are best known for their collaboration on "Fiddler on the Roof."

The musical is adapted from the same source material that inspired the romantic comedy movie "You've Got Mail" that starred Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan.

Inspiration

Born in the Philippines, Sotelo and her family moved to the U.S. when she was eight years old.

Marah Sotelo plays Amalia in "She Loves Me." 

"I've always enjoyed performing and started in church when I was very young. This led to a curiosity about the world of theater and I started learning more about musicals.

"Of course, it was `Miss Saigon' that really grabbed my attention as a kid because there were very few shows that had people who looked like me. When I saw and heard Lea Salonga perform and sing, I remember being so inspired. I could do that too, I thought.

"It's been non-stop since then. I guess the theater bug really got me!"

Sotelo studied at Northern Illinois University's School of Music. Credits include "Cabaret" (Sally Bowles) and "Into the Woods" (the Witch) for Pacifica Spindrift Players, "Rent" (Mimi) Station Theatre, "Spamalot" (Lady of the Lake), "The Mystery of Edwin Drood" (Rosa Bud) for Parkland Theatre, "Les Miserables" (Eponine), "Aida" (Amneris) for Champaign Urbana Theatre Company, and "Sweeney Todd" (Johanna) for Danville Light Opera Company, among others.

Breaking barriers

"This show has been on my bucket list," says Sotelo. "I've always wanted to play Amalia and sing 'Vanilla Ice Cream.'"

Sotelo is referring to a song that the character Amalia sings when she realizes her fondness for Georg and thinks of his kindness.

"For a while, I thought it was impossible because I'd never seen a person of color play the role. I'm so glad I auditioned, and it's been quite the ride! I absolutely enjoyed working with my director and creating this character. I've learned so much in the last couple months!"

"I am a huge believer that people of color have to do everything we can to be seen, especially in roles that would normally not go to an artist of color. I want audiences, especially young people, to be inspired and not feel held back to go for their dream roles. Let's keep breaking down those barriers!"

"She Loves Me" runs until Dec. 22 at Barn Theater, Marin Art & Garden Center, 30 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., Ross. Rossvalleyplayers.com.

Fil-Am creates play to tackles mental health in San Diego

By WALTER ANG
Nov. 19, 2019
USA.Inquirer. net
https://usa.inquirer.net/47568/youre-safe-here-tackles-mental-illness

SAN DIEGO — Filipino American theater group MaArte Theatre Collective in its world premiere of "You're Safe Here" will show audiences the struggles and triumphs in dealing with mental illnesses.

"You're Safe Here," staged by MaArte Theatre Collective,
 is based on actual testimonials from patients in San Diego.

Devised by Allain Francisco, the play is a "docudrama" that is based on interviews from actual patients in San Diego about their recoveries.

"'You're Safe Here' offers the unique opportunity for audience members to flex their powers of empathy by immersing themselves in the visceral experience of what it is to live with mental illness," he says.

Francisco is an actor who is in his fourth year of medical studies at University of California-San Diego (UCSD)'s School of Medicine. He plans on pursuing a career in psychiatry.

The psychiatric conditions tackled in the play include depression, bipolar disorder, panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), insomnia, gender dysphoria, and eating disorders.

Two passions

Francisco states that while UCSD "has a reputation in the biomedical sciences, they actually also have a very strong MFA Theater Program as well." It's the same university where he took his pre-med undergraduate degree in biology with minors in psychology and, you guessed it, theater.

Allain Francisco devised "You're Safe Here," using theater to address mental health issues.

He combined his two passions to create this show to "confront social stigmas regarding mental illness and recovery among San Diego's immigrant, POC and LGBTQ+ communities."

This is not his first collaboration with MaArte Theatre Collective. He recently acted in the group's staging of "Colored." His other recent credits include "Ojo" (La Jolla Playhouse), "The Oldest Boy" (San Diego Rep), "Lost in the Pines" (Magnetic North Theatre Co.), "Les Miserables" (413 Project) and "War Games" (Nomads Theatre Company).

Project

As part of his studies, Francisco had to do a research project before graduation. "I have always had a passion for mental illness and I was thinking of creative ways to do my research project. I have a background in traditional basic science research and wanted to do something that was a little bit more artistic.

Erica Mejos and Hannah Reinart are part of the cast of "You're Safe Here."

"With faculty support, and having been inspired by my training in the Viewpoints performing method, Pina Bausch's choreography and Anna Deavere-Smith's docu-theater work, I thought that this type of theatrical production would lend itself well to help lessen the stigma on mental illness and to bolster empathy for its clinicians who suffer greatly from burnout."

Francisco developed the show's material for eight months. "But it's been on mind for more than a year," he says.

The patients' testimonies were gathered from July to August this year with guidance from his professors. "There were six patients who participated in the interviews, as we wanted the story to be a bit more focused, although I've been conducting clinical interviews in the mental health setting since January."

Three of patients are Filipino American. The sex and gender breakdown of the interviewees includes male and female sexes, and cis, trans and non-binary genders.

Venue

The production will be staged at Gaya Gaya Bar and Kitchen. Opened this summer by Chef Danilo "DJ" Tangalin, the restaurant serves dishes in kamayan style, encouraging patrons to share their meals and conversation.

"We lost our originally planned performance space at the last minute and Chef DJ stepped in graciously, allowing us to use his dining room for the production."

"We wanted to be mindful of their space and their patrons, so we scheduled the show to start at 9pm since it is only one hour long." 

Cast includes Allain Fransisco, Annalia Galvan, Erica Mejos, Gerardo Munoz, Ryan Nebreja, Emily Neifert, and Hannah Reinert.

MaArte Theatre Collective artistic director Yari Cervas will helm the production. Edward Delos Reyes is sound designer.

"You're Safe Here" runs Nov. 21-23 at Gaya Gaya Bar and Kitchen, 7580 Miramar Rd., San Diego. Visit Maartetheatrecollective.com.

Chicago Filipino American theater company wrestles with stigmas and traumas

By WALTER ANG
Nov. 12, 2019
USA.Inquirer.net
https://usa.inquirer.net/46855/chicago-fil-am-theater-wrestles-with-stigmas-and-traumas

CHICAGO — Filipino American theater group CIRCA-Pintig is staging a student production that brings to light the beauty of reclaiming a sense of self in harmony with the community after one overcomes stigmas.

CIRCA-Pintig is staging “Silencing Stigma, Reclaiming Life,”
vignettes on mental health in the Asian American community

"Silencing Stigma, Reclaiming Life" is a collection of vignettes that show Asian American-including Filipino American-experiences that tackle difficult topics about mental health and social justice struggles, according to the group's artistic director Ginger Leopoldo.

The vignettes were written by 14 participants of a theater and writing workshop conducted by CIRCA-Pintig earlier this year. In addition to Lepoldo, other facilitators included Larry Leopoldo and Luis Pascascio.

Some of the stigmas explored in the show include anxiety, suicide, self-harm, PTSD and transgenerational trauma. A piece titled "Inay: Ilaw ng Tahanan" ("Mother: Light of the Home") is a letter from a mother to her daughters and spouse asking forgiveness for deciding to uproot her family to immigrate to the US from the Philippines.

Collaboration

The workshop participants are all female, in their early 20s and are a mix of college and graduate students who are taking a class on Mental Health, Asian Americans and Community Engagement taught by Rooshey Hasnain at University of Illinois at Chicago.

The participants conducted field interviews using techniques from their class and applied what they learned from the workshop to convert the interviews into scripts for the stage.

This is the third time CIRCA-Pintig has collaborated with Hasnain to teach her students how to dramatize their field interviews. The previous installments were done in 2014 and 2015.
Unspoken

To form "Silencing Stigma: Reclaiming Life," Fil-Am playwright Lani Montreal merged the students' works with excerpts from her own existing plays as well as those of Filipino playwright Liza Magtoto and Fil-Am playwright Conrad Panganiban.

"The play gives voice to unspoken thoughts and emotions in a dramatic forum that aims for community healing and positive reflection," says Leopoldo.

"This production brings together new and resident Circa Pintig actors and production staff sharing their time and commitment to create a dialogue about a topic not typically discussed at dinner table talk."

Consultation

The production uses music composed by Demetrio Maguigad. Other Filipino Americans involved in the production include Joy Cusi (music direction), Chip Payos (choreography), Larry Leopoldo and Jose Agarri (set design), and Luis Pascasio (light and sound design).

There will be Q&A sessions and community consultations after each performance facilitated by the CIRCA-Pintig members along with organizations such as Trilogy Behavioral Healthcare and other community social services.

"Silencing Stigma, Reclaiming Life" runs Nov. 15-24 at Klausner Auditorium, Nazareth Family Center, 1127 N. Oakley Blvd., Chicago. Visit Circapintig.com.

Filipino American actors are fabulous queens in Palm Springs musical

By WALTER ANG
Nov. 5, 2019
USA.Inquirer.net
https://usa.inquirer.net/45719/fil-ams-are-fabulous-queens-in-palm-springs-musical

PALM SPRINGS, California — Filipino American actors Ron Coronado and Jay Españo are both headlining the musical "Priscilla, Queen of The Desert" staged by Palm Canyon Theatre.

Jay Españo (left) plays Adam/Felicia Jolly
and Ron Coronado (far right) plays Bernadette.
Photo by Paul Hayashi 

The musical is about three friends who work as drag queens on a road trip across Australia on the titular bus named Priscilla, as they search for love and acceptance.

With a book by Stephan Elliott and Allan Scott, the musical uses '70s and '80s disco and radio pop hits such as "It's Raining Men," "I Will Survive," "Hot Stuff," "Finally," "Boogie Wonderland," "Go West," "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun," "I Love the Nightlife," and many more.

Coronado plays Bernadette, a transgender woman who is a seasoned drag queen, while Españo plays Adam/Felicia Jolly, the upstart drag princess. Ben Reece plays Tick/Mitzi Mitosis, whose goal of rekindling the relationship with his son serves as the impetus for the trio's adventure.

Preparing

Before joining the production, Españo had never seen the musical before although he was familiar with the movie it's based on. He feels challenged by the role because unlike the character Adam/Felicia, "I'm very quiet and introverted. So, it's refreshing to be able to just do crazy, unpredictable and annoying things on stage."

Jay Españo (left) and Ron Coronado are in Palm Canyon Theatre's
production of "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.

Españo's recent credits include "50 Shades of Shakespeare" and "When Adonis Calls."

He also wanted to be accurate with his character's Australian accent. "When I started to create my version of Felicia, I messaged some of my Aussie friends and sent them all my lines in the show. They sent me back recordings of how they say it in their accent."

A new approach

Coronado, on the other hand, had done the show and the same role back in 2017. "It was so much fun!" he says of the experience. "When I was asked to reprise my role, my response was 'Of course!'"

His recent credits include "Big River," "Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" and "Hairspray" (as Edna Turnblad).

"This is my first time ever returning to a show and playing the same character. I thought I would have a real advantage, but the truth is, with a new director, a new choreographer, a new set designer, and new cast, I had to really forget everything I did two years ago and start anew.  I'm glad I did.  This production has its very own identity and I love it very much."

Audience response

Coronado shares that the show is a "Journey to the Heart of Fabulous!" and "there is something in this show for everyone.  The laughter throughout the show and the standing ovations at the end says it all."

Españo says, "We get a lot of laughs in a lot of the funny scenes but we also hear a lot of sniffles during the touching scenes. I think the scene when the three leads discover their bus vandalized with a gay slur really sends out the message of what gay people face every day around the world and the need for tolerance. That's one of my favorite scenes, when we sing "True Colors."

"Audiences have been really generous. A lot of them dance every night. It's like coming to a party. The energy they give makes the cast work harder on stage. We get standing ovations."

"Priscilla, Queen of The Desert" runs until Nov. 17 at Palm Canyon Theatre, 538 North Palm Canyon Dr., Palm Springs. Visit Palmcanyontheatre.org.

Comedy, indie rock to mark Bindlestiff Studio’s pearl anniversary

By WALTER ANG
Nov. 1, 2019
USA.Inquirer.net
https://usa.inquirer.net/45217/comedy-indie-rock-to-mark-fil-am-theaters-pearl-anniversary

SAN FRANCISCO — Celebrating its 30th anniversary, Filipino American performing arts venue Bindlestiff Studio will hold a fundraiser gala titled "Welcome Home" in December.

 Bindlestiff Studio serves seniors and youth. 

To be held at SOMArts Cultural Center, the gala's entertainment will be headlined by comic Kevin Camia and indie-rock band Julie Plug (singer Des de Leon and guitarist Terry Nicolas).

The evening will also feature past and present Bindlestiff Studio artists. Stand-up comedian Kat Evasco will host.

Camia has been a Bindlestiff member since 1997 and has toured the country opening for comedian Ali Wong. Camia has headlined sold-out shows at Just For Laughs Toronto and has performed at RiotLA and SF Sketchfest, among others.

Julie Plug has influences that range from the Cocteau Twins to electronic music. Last year, band commemorated the 20th anniversary release of their debut album, Starmaker.

Evasco was previously Bindlestiff Studio's Board President and Development Director. Credits include co-creating "The Bakla Show," acting in "Mommy Queerest," and directing "Prieto," a show written and performed by Yosimar Reyes in collaboration with Pulitzer Prize winner Jose Antonio Vargas.

History

Bindlestiff Studio was founded in 1989 by Chrystene Ells, Chris Brophy and a group of local theater artists as a space for experimental theater.

The name Bindlestiff combines the old slang word "bindle," for bundle or a drug addict's paraphernalia; and the Depression-era term for itinerant laborers or working "stiffs," also known as tramps and hobos.

In the mid-1990s, Fil-Am standup comic and theater artist Allan Manalo came across the space when he was scouting for a performance venue for his Fil-Am sketch comedy group tongue in A mood (of which Camia was a member).

He had gone to watch Lorna Chui's one-person show there and "fell in love with the space."

(When she was younger, Chui had been one of the Fil-Am children who Ells had trained at the studio. Chui eventually became artistic director of Bindlestiff Studio in the mid-2010s-by then, using her married surname Velasco.)

Manalo's group began performing at the space and reaped box office success. Management was eventually turned over to him and his spouse Joyce. They reconfigured the venue's programming and molded it into the "cultural epicenter for Filipino American performing arts in the Bay Area."

Creative home

"Bindlestiff is where I found my creative home," says current artistic director Aureen Almario. She succeeded Velasco and has been involved with the organization since the early 2000s.

"Where else can you experience performances centered on People of Color perspectives of geek culture, Pinoy punk, plays in Tagalog, shadow puppetry about a domestic worker, rowdy Asian American women sketch comedy, complex queer stories, and more, all in one space?"

Bindlestiff currently uses a 99-seat black-box theater that was opened in 2011, located in the basement of a building constructed in the original studio's location.

Support and donate

Even with the knowledge that several celebrities have graced Bindlestiff Studio earlier in their careers-such as Fil-Am actor Nico Santos (Superstore, Crazy Rich Asians) and comedian Ali Wong (Baby Cobra, Always Be My Maybe) -the organization's focus remains on its local community and the Filipino Americans in the broader Bay Area.

John Elberling, executive director of housing developer Tenants and Owners Development Corporation (TODCO), says, "Through their programs and community partnerships, Bindlestiff Studio serves youth, seniors, residents and our much needed South of Market (SOMA) social services.

"That's why TODCO has put forward a $3,000 matching donation in celebration of Bindlestiff's 30th anniversary to encourage Bindlestiff patrons and San Francisco constituents to support this anchor institution in SOMA." 

 In addition to live entertainment, gala attendees will enjoy a menu that has been selected by Thuy Tran, cofounder of food organization Rooted Recipes Project and a member of Granny Cart Gangstas, an all-Asian-American-women comedy troupe.

Thus far, the menu's line-up is expected to include pop-up chefs and vendors such as EJ Macayan and Hitomi Wada's Ox and Tiger pop-up (Filipino and Japanese cuisine), Henry Hsu (Taiwanese dumplings), and Hodo Foods (tofu selections).

Donate and avail of tickets to "Welcome Home" at Bindlestiffstudio.org.

Filipino American actors in San Francisco Playhouse dance drama

By WALTER ANG
Oct. 29, 2019
USA.Inquirer.net
https://usa.inquirer.net/44789/fil-am-actors-in-san-francisco-playhouse-dance-drama

SAN FRANCISCO — Filipino American actors Bryan Munar, Krystle Piamonte and Michelle Talgarow are all in San Francisco Playhouse's production of "Dance Nation."

From left: Filipino American actors
Bryan Munar, Krystle Piamonte, Michelle Talagrow
are all in San Francisco Playhouse's staging of "Dance Nation"

This Bay Area premiere of Clare Barron's play is directed by Becca Wolff with choreography by Kimberly Richards. Barron's play is the winner of the 2017 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize and is a finalist for the 2019 Pulitzer Prize.

"For a show that had open casting, I find it wonderful that three Filipino American actors ended up in the cast, especially since it's a play and not a musical," says Piamonte.

In the play, an army of pre-teen competitive dancers plots to take over the world. If their new routine is good enough, they'll claw their way to the top at the Nationals-level competition.

Dangerous

The play is about ambition, growing up and an unrelenting exploration of female power featuring (as mandated by the playwright) a multigenerational cast of women—from their 30s to their 60s—portraying the 13-year-old heroines.

From left: Bryan Munar and Michelle Talagrow together in a scene. 

"'Dance Nation' will be one of the most edgy and surprisingly dangerous plays we have produced," said artistic director Bill English in a statement.

"It presents a multi-layered perspective on the joy and pain of becoming a woman and shows us how we carry our past selves with us throughout our lives."

San Francisco Playhouse was founded in 2003 and is now the second largest nonprofit theater in the city.

Cast

Bryan Munar's recent credits include Paul in "A Chorus Line" (Novato Theater Company), Eamon in "Once" (42nd Street Moon), Harvard in "Flower Drum Song" (Palo Alto Players), Georg in "Spring Awakening" (Left-Hand Theatre Co.) and Patsy in "Monty Python's Spamalot" (Marin Shakespeare Company).

From left: Bryan Munar and Michelle Talagrow together in a scene. 

Krystle Piamonte is excited to return to San Francisco Playhouse where she was last seen as Lauren in "King of the Yees." Credits include the world premieres of "Ripped" for Z Space and "Inside Out and Back Again" for Bay Area Children's Theatre, which made her a finalist for the Theatre Bay Area Awards for Outstanding Performance in a Principal Role in a Play for each production.

She was also recently in Fil-Am playwright Conrad Panganiban's "Welga" for Bindlestiff Studio and "Two Mile Hollow" for Ferocious Lotus. She is a former assistant director and resident choreographer of Sinag-tala Filipino Theater and Performing Arts Association in Sacramento.

Michelle Talgarow's recent credits include "The Fit" (San Francisco Playhouse), "Vietgone" (Capital Stage), "A Good Neighbor" (Z Space) and "Two Mile Hollow" (Ferocious Lotus).

She has worked with groups such as Bindlestiff Studio, The Ground Floor at Berkeley Rep, Central Works, Impact Theatre, Cutting Ball Theatre and Magic Theatre. Talagrow is a company member of the performance collective Mugwumpin and of Shotgun Players.

"Dance Nation" runs until Nov. 9 at San Francisco Playhouse, 2nd flr., Kensington Park Hotel, 450 Post St., San Francisco. Visit Sfplayhouse.org.

Filipino American father-and-son tension in Boni Alvarez’s new play

By WALTER ANG
Oct. 25, 2019
USA.Inquirer.net
https://usa.inquirer.net/44298/father-and-son-tension-in-boni-alvarezs-new-play

SAN FRANCISCO — Filipino American playwright Boni Alvarez's new play "Driven," to be helmed by director Ely Orquiza, will have its world premiere in a limited three-week engagement by Theatre Rhinoceros in this city.

Earl Alfred Paus (left) plays Danny and Alan Quismorio plays Arnel
in Boni Alvarez's "Driven," directed by Ely Orquiza.
Photo by Vince Thomas

In the play, an out of work, 30-something, queer, Los Angeles-based actor Danny shelves his career and returns home to the Bay Area because he's worried about his father Arnel's drinking and gambling addictions.

Arnel, an immigrant from the Philippines, thinks Danny isn't doing enough to become successful in his career. He's also being nosy about Danny's love life.

What's a son to do when arguments erupt as parent and offspring confront each other over the past and present? To complicate matters, someone from Danny's past reappears.

Playing the father-son pairing are Fil-Am actors Alan Quismorio and Earl Alfred Paus, respectively.

Playwright

Most of Alvarez's plays, such as "America Adjacent," "Bloodletting," "Fixed," "Nicky," "Dallas Non-Stop," among others, have been staged in Los Angeles, where he is based.

Earl Alfred Paus plays Danny, a struggling actor. 

His plays have been produced at Center Theatre Group-Kirk Douglas Theatre, Echo Theater Company, Coeurage Theatre Company, Skylight Theatre Company and Playwrights' Arena.

The character Danny's homecoming to the Bay Area serves as an interesting parallel to the playwright. "Driven" marks the first time one of his plays will be staged in his hometown.

Director

Fil-Am director Ely Orquiza has been involved in productions at Bindlestiff Studio, Campo Santo, American Conservatory Theater, Magic Theatre, among others.

Alan Quismorio plays Arnel, an immigrant from the Philippines. 

"I have been a huge fan of Boni's works, exploring and examining the Filipino diaspora and the Filipino American experience for the American stage!" he says.

"'Driven' is such an important story in the intersection of queerness and the arts, and I am so grateful to be working on this world premiere with a stellar cast and wonderful production team.

"It's so rare to see Filipino American works in the theater, so there's a hunger for these types of stories to be told and represented onstage. It's always so refreshing and empowering to be in a roomful of brown artists collaborating to create theater together. It's so rare to be in that space, so there's something so magical about it: the authentic comfort, the support, and the joy."

Actors

Earl Paus studied theater San Francisco State University's School of Theatre and Dance. Recent performances include productions with Filipino American-led performing arts organizations Bindlestiff Studio and Kularts as well as groups such as Word for Word, San Francisco Mime Troupe, Bay Area Children's Theatre, Left-Hand Theatre Co., Marin Musical Theatre Company and Landmark Musicals.

Alan Quismorio served as was Co-Artistic Director of Asian American Theater Company (2008-10) and Artistic Director of Bindlestiff Studio from (2011-15). He helped create AlchemySF, the emerging playwrights program at the Jon Sims Center.

He has performed extensively in the San Francisco Bay Area with groups such as Magic Theatre, Oakland Public Theatre, Brava! Women in the Arts, Shotgun Players and Word for Word.

Other Fil-Ams involved in the production include stage manager Marissa Ampon and student assistant director Vince Marie Cuison.

Founded in 1977, Theatre Rhinoceros is the longest running LGBT theater in the US. The group's emphasis is on new works, works about under-represented members of the larger queer community and revivals of lesser known queer classics. 

"Driven" runs Oct. 31-Nov. 17, Spark Arts Gallery, 4229 18th St., San Francisco. Visit TheRhino.org.