Video of The Romance of Magno Rubio, courtesy of Denny
Hironaga
The Romance of Magno Rubio
by Lonnie Carter
Troy Apostol is Magno Rubio
March 13 - April 13, 2008
Site Editor's Note: If you check out our Kumu archive, you'll see
plenty of great photos going back a good long way. I just want to say, as
the guy who's been launching a lot of these photos for a few years, this
one, for me, is one of the all-time greats. Title: Eskrima. Awesome,
Michael. Mahalo!
All photos by Michael Harada
The Romance of Magno Rubio
by Lonnie Carter
Kumu Kahua presents the Hawai`i premiere of an award-winning play based on
a short story by Carlos Bulosan, a migrant worker in the Depression-era
California canneries who became a respected writer and activist. Magno
Rubio was originally produced by the Ma-Yi Theater Company of New
York. Set in a bunkhouse for migrant Filipino farm workers, the play
tells the story of Magno Rubio, an idealist and dreamer who is both
admired and taunted by his fellow workers. Nick, the resident
intellectual, narrates Magno's long-distance courtship (via letters) of
Clarabelle, an Arkansas woman he meets via a lonely hearts magazine. He
sends her jewelry and money. Has Magno Rubio found true love? How do we
define happiness or measure love? The play poses these questions while
also dealing with the larger political issues of stoop labor and racism.
Parts of Magno Rubio are written in rhyming verse and set to music.
Kati Kuroda will direct the production, with set design by Elizabeth
Harwood, lighting design by Abel Coelho, costume design by Dusty Behner,
sound design by Stu Hirayama, and Lynne Nohara is the stage manager. The
cast features Kumu veterans Troy Apostol, Lito Capina, Cheyne Gallarde ,
MJ Gonzalvo, and Kumu newcomer Wayland Quintero.
The men of Magno Rubio, left to right: Lito Capina, Cheyne
Gallarde, M.J. Gonzalvo, Troy Apostol, Wayland Quintero
Extended for two performances: Friday 4/18 and Saturday 4/19 at 8:00
p.m.
As an added bonus, Kumu Kahua will be offering student tickets for the
April 18th and 19th performances for ONLY $5! Students simply present
their student I.D. when they pick up their tickets -- it's that simple!
Regular run dates are: Thursday, Friday & Saturday 8pm: March 13, 14, 15,
20, 21, 22, 27, 28, 29; April 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 2008
Sundays 2pm: March 16, 30; April 6, *13, 2008
*American Sign Language Interpretation performance
The Romance of Magno Rubio: Histories and Perspectives
Two public humanities events will be held in conjunction with The
Romance of Magno Rubio, by Lonnie Carter. These free events allow the
audience to discuss the play's issues and to ask questions of the people
involved in the production on a night other than a performance night
Event #1: Philippine Immigration, Philippine Culture
Monday, March 17, 7:30 pm, Chaminade University, the Black Box Theatre,
Freitas Hall, 3140 Wai`alae Avenue
The Romance of Magno Rubio represents the plantation and working
experience of Filipino immigrants in the early 20th century. On this
evening, scholars will discuss the nature of this experience: living
conditions, relations with employers and other workers, efforts at
cultural preservation and/or assimilation. But The Romance of Magno
Rubio features music, and the evening will also raise the issue of
music in the immigrant experience, and its role in representing the
aspirations and the bitter observations of the immigrant community.
Scholars Ricardo D. Trimillos, Professor of Ethnomusicology and Chair,
Asian Studies, UH Mānoa and Eva Washburn-Repollo, scholar of
communications at Chaminade University, will speak on the historical,
cultural, social, and artistic dimensions of the play. Kati Kuroda,
the play's director, will talk about how this production of the play
has been brought to the stage, and the cast will perform scenes from
the current production.
Event #2: Philippine Drama, Philippine Literature
Tuesday, April 1 @ 7:30 pm, Kumu Kahua Theatre, 46 Merchant Street
Dramatic representation of Philippine history and culture in America is
part of a larger literary and artistic outpouring of the past thirty
years. The Romance of Magno Rubio joins such works previously
produced by Kumu Kahua Theatre as Chris Millado's PeregriNasyon,
Ralph Pena's Flipzoids, and Troy Apostol's Who the Fil-Am I?
in exploring the Filipino immigrant experience. This evening will be
devoted to a discussion of the writing, publishing, and producing of
Philippine American literature and music, and how it reflects the
conditions of Filipinos in America from the earliest days of
immigration.
Scholars Aurelio Agcaoili, Ilocano Coordinator in the Department of
Hawaiian and Indo-Pacific Languages and Literatures at UH at Mānoa,
and Theodore S. Gonzalves, Department of American Studies, UH Mānoa
will speak on the artistic and cultural dimensions of the play. Kati
Kuroda, the play's director, will talk about how this production of the
play has been brought to the stage, and scenes from The Romance of
Magno Rubio will be presented and discussed.
These events are supported by the Hawai`i Council for the Humanities, and
co-sponsored by the University of Hawai`i at Mānoa's Center for
Biographical Research, and Departments of English, Theatre and Dance, and
Ilocano and Philippine Drama and Film Program, and Chaminade University.
For more information, contact Kumu Kahua Theatre @ 536-4222.
