See below for 2006 playwriting contest details &
registration for Kumu classes
Opens November 9th!
Who the Fil-Am I?
Or Never Judge a Buk-Buk by Its Cover-Cover
By Troy Apostol
November 9 - December 10
All photos by Brad Goda
Three Filipino-Americans from Hawai`i, all in their mid-twenties, take a
trip to the Philippines. Malcom has been there before, as an Ivy League
college student teaching English to high school kids, and hes the only one
of the three who speaks Tagalog. Ronald, his cousin, is a surfer without
much desire to experience the world outside of Hawai`i until this trip.
Tomas, Ronald's best friend, appears at first to be little more than a
jive-talking, beer-guzzling party animal. Personalities clash and tempers
flare as the priorities of the trip are heatedly debated. Their odyssey
gives theatergoers a taste of life in the Philippines, as it takes the
trio from Manila and Makati to Baguio and the sacred caves of Sagada, and
from a descent into the underworld to a new level of enlightenment and
understanding of themselves and one another.
Performances run from November 9 to December 10, and are at 8pm
Thursday through Saturday, and at 2pm on Sunday afternoons. Tickets can
be purchased with a credit card by calling 536-4441, or by visiting our
Box Office between 11am and 3pm Monday through Friday. Ticket prices
range from $16 to $5. Tickets go on sale Monday, October 23.
The playwright, Troy Apostol, will also direct the production, with
choreography by Gabbi Angeles, set design by Alexia Hsin Chen, costume
design by Alvin Chan, light design by Daniel Anteau, and sound design by
Stu Hirayama. The cast features Kumu veterans M.J. Gonzalvo and
Jaedee-Kae Vergara. Cheyne Gallarde, Reno David, K.C. Odell, and Kiana
Rivera will make their Kumu debuts with Who the Fil-Am I?
Clockwise from left: Stu Hirayama, Cheyne Gallarde, Reno David, M.J.
Gonzalvo, Kiana Rivera, K.C. Odell, Jaedee-Kae Vergara
Two Public Events in Conjuction with Who the Fil-Am I?
As part of the celebration of the centennial for Filipino immigration to
Hawai'i, Kumu Kahua Theatre is sponsoring two evenings devoted to
examining some of the historical events, cultural legacies, and artistic
issues that arise in Troy Apostol's Who the Fil-Am I?: Or, Never Judge
a Buk-Buk By Its Cover-Cover. These free events are funded by the
Hawai`i Council for the Humanities, and co-sponsored by the Chaminade
University, the University of Hawai`i at Manoa's Center for Biographical
Research, the Ilocano and Philippine Drama and Film Program, and the
Departments of English and of Theatre and Dance.
Event #I: Who the Fil-Am I?: Filipino Americans and Filipino
Theatre in Hawai`i
Tuesday, November 14, 2006, at 7:30 p.m.
Korean Studies Center Auditorium, University of Hawai`i at Manoa
This event will be devoted to exploring how Filipino Americans in Hawai`i
have historically and artistically understood their individual identities
and their communities, as they made the transition over time from
immigrant labor, to citizenship, and to participation in Hawai`i's
ethnically and culturally diverse community. Dean Alegado will talk about
the Filipino immigrant experience, focusing on what features were retained
from the homeland, which ones were given up, and which ones became
modified by the lived experience here over time. Precy Espiritu will talk
about how the American Filipino has been represented in dramatic works,
and how these works draw from or relate to Philippine dramatic and
theatrical genres. As the playwright, Troy Apostol will talk about his
own experience as a Filipino American and dramatic artist-first his own
assumptions about his Filipino identity, and what happened to these
assumptions after his travel within his cultural homeland, then his
process of writing the play that reflects these mediations. As the
director, Apostol will describe how he has brought his dramatic text onto
the stage, and discuss the challenges of production. A scene from the
current production of Who the Fil-Am I? with special relevance for
the evening's discussion will also be presented. Questions and discussion
will follow.
Event #II: Who the Fil-Am I?: Filipino Americans and the
Philippines
Tuesday, November 21, 2006, at 7:30 p.m.
Black Box Theater, Freitas Hall, Chaminade University
On this evening, the relationship between Filipinos who left and those who
remained "behind" will be the topic of discussion. Drawing on her work on
intercultural communications, Eva Lindstrom will discuss the dynamics of
interchanges between Filipinos and Filipino Americans -- a central theme
of Who the Fil-Am I? Aurelio Agcaoili will then discuss the play
within the context of his own work on migration studies and the literature
of exiles. Director Troy Apostol will talk about the dramatic dynamics of
encounters and even conflicts between his Filipino American characters and
their Philippine counterparts, and also, how these engagements can be the
material of interesting and powerful theatre. A scene from the current
production of Who the Fil-Am I? with special relevance for the
evening's discussion will also be presented. Questions and discussion
will follow.
Kumu Kahua's 100-seat playhouse puts you at the heart of the drama. And
with well over 100 plays to our credit, our reputation attracts some of
Hawaii's most talented actors, directors, playwrights, designers and other
theater artists and technicians.
Three Filipino-Americans from Hawai`i, all in their mid-twenties, take a
trip to the Philippines. Malcom has been there before, as an Ivy League
college student teaching English to high school kids, and hes the only one
of the three who speaks Tagalog. Ronald, his cousin, is a surfer without
much desire to experience the world outside of Hawai`i until this trip.
Tomas, Ronald's best friend, appears at first to be little more than a
jive-talking, beer-guzzling party animal. Personalities clash and tempers
flare as the priorities of the trip are heatedly debated. Their odyssey
gives theatergoers a taste of life in the Philippines, as it takes the
trio from Manila and Makati to Baguio and the sacred caves of Sagada, and
from a descent into the underworld to a new level of enlightenment and
understanding of themselves and one another. 
