Playwright’s Commentary: “Interview with an Aswang”

It’s been two and a half years since I last had a play I wrote be produced. Honestly, I thought it would be a good while before something of the sort ever happened again, as I shifted focus towards getting my screenplays out there, as well as work to complete something resembling a draft of the third novel-in-progress. But sometimes, opportunities come along that you just can’t pass up, and it’s because I went for one that eventually led to the creation of my latest one-act play and first play to be performed on a virtual platform, “Interview with an Aswang.”

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Coming Soon: “Interview with an Aswang”

It’s been a long time since I’ve done one of these things; announce a play that I’ve written that is being produced. In fact, the last time this happened was all the way back in 2018, in the midst of all the anticipations that took place that August. I didn’t think I would find myself in such a position like this again for quite a while, but when opportunities arise during such dire times, you go for them.

What Did I Miss?: May 2020

Published Works

Director Alice Wu and Actor Leah Lewis on the Whole Story of Making “The Half of It” – For the Center for Asian American Media, I give a glimpse at the making of Alice Wu’s first film since “Saving Face” and how the lead actor landed and approached the project.

What Did I Miss?: November 2019

Published Works

Doug Jung’s Screenwriting Debut Will Be Available on Disney+ – For The Nerds of Color, I dive into an early work from this “Star Trek” screenwriter, ahead of its availability on Disney’s new streaming service.

‘Jojo Rabbit’ Sends a Timely Message via Satire, Fascism, and War – For The Nerds of Color, I provide my non-spoilery thoughts about the latest feature film from director Taika Waititi.

Review of From Rufio to Zuko by Dante Basco – For Goodreads, I give my input on this informative memoir from someone who’s seen and done a lot in the entertainment industry for over three decades.

The Director and Producer of Pixar’s “Float” Discuss Filipino American Representation and Bringing a Personal Story to Life – For the Center for Asian American Media, I go behind-the-scenes of this groundbreaking short film from Pixar Animation Studio by talking to two of the people that made it what it is today.

Review of Cyber Shogun Revolution by Peter Tieryas – For Goodreads, ahead of its 2020 release, I give a rundown on what I make of this latest entry into the United States of Japan series.

Appearances

About Tita | TFAL Podcast – Over two years after its initial release, an audio essay I did for the This Filipino American Life podcast is now available on their YouTube channel.

What Did I Miss?: October 2019

Published Works

Dante Basco Dives into His Career So Far in ‘From Rufio to Zuko’ – For The Nerds of Color, I speak with this recognizable face and voice from both mainstream pop culture and Asian American independent cinema about the making of his upcoming memoir.

Paola Mardo Gets Ready to Dive Deeper into the Filipino Diaspora in the Second Season of “Long Distance” – For the Center for Asian American Media, I chat with this prolific podcast producer once more about what’s to come of the second season of her documentary podcast series.

Author Rebecca Roanhorse Makes Her ‘Star Wars’ Universe Debut with ‘Resistance Reborn’ – For The Nerds of Color, I spoke with this Nebula Award-winning author about writing her upcoming novel set in the galaxy far, far away.

What Did I Miss?: August 2019

Published Works

The Timing and Timeliness of ‘Hamilton’ – For The Nerds of Color, I dive into my experience of finally getting to see Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony Award-winning musical. (This is an altered cross-post of my post that was originally published here.)

Review of The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang – For Goodreads, I manage to write and present a quick overview of my thoughts on the second novel of this page-turning fantasy trilogy.

From “Greetings from Bury Park” to “Blinded by the Light”: The Making of a British Pakistani’s Cinematic Personal Story – For the Center for Asian American Media, I go in-depth on the making of this feel-good, motivating film, by way of conversation with the writer-director and writer.

The Significance of Iko Uwais in ‘Wu Assassins’ – For The Nerds of Color, I point out something special about the lead character of this fantasy-crime-martial arts Netflix series.

Review of Greetings from Bury Park by Sarfraz Manzoor – For Goodreads, I go over my thoughts about the memoir that served as the inspiration for the film, “Blinded by the Light.”

Other News

Chicago theater: ‘The Band’s Visit,’ ‘The Great Leap’ and more previews, openings Aug. 30-Sept. 5 – My Q&A with playwright Lauren Yee was quoted in this listing for her play, “The Great Leap,” in the Chicago Sun-Times. (To read the full interview with her, you can read it here.)

“Kiki’s Delivery Service”: 30 Years of Soaring Spirit

Every now and then, I expand my dialogue about storytelling by going beyond the boundaries of books and out into the mediums of TV and film. I do so by doing these analysis pieces once in a while about a TV show or film that has reached a significant time in its history (i.e. series premiere, series finale, film release, anniversary of a release, etc.). Previously, I dove into Disney’s iteration of “Tarzan.” Today, in honor of its 30th anniversary, I look to another film from Hayao Miyazaki; one that bares a lot of fond memories for me. Today, I’m talking about the Studio Ghibli film, “Kiki’s Delivery Service.”

On My Radar

It feels like so many trailers and teasers have dropped as of recently of a lot of storytelling that is to come ahead. From TV shows to films, there’s just so much that is on the horizon.

Apart from telling stories of my own, I’m also an adamant consumer of stories, and while I occasionally take the time to address some of what I’m into and am following here on this blog, I figured I take it up a notch and start up a new segment about it. This will be the first of my “On My Radar” listicles;  where I’ll occasionally go over some of the stories that I’m looking forward to that has received a lot of hype in recent time and is on the horizon. Today, I shall be highlighting an upcoming novel from a supernatural fantasy series, the second season of an YouTube Original series, and the beginning of the end for a particularly beloved film saga.

In the Darkness, This is the Light: 20 Years of “So Weird”

A few years ago, I started making the effort to expand my dialogue about storytelling by going beyond the boundaries of books and out into the mediums of TV and film. I do so by doing these analysis pieces once a while about a TV show or film that has reached a significant time in its history (i.e. series premiere, series finale, film release, anniversary of a release, etc.). Previously, I talked at length about my favorite series on Netflix, “Voltron: Legendary Defender.” Today, in honor of its 20th anniversary that happened yesterday, I turn my attention to the Disney Channel, to reflect on a show that they might pretend to have forgotten about, but quite a few of us haven’t. Today, I’m talking about the Disney Channel Original Series, “So Weird.”

“Enlightenment” Blog Tour: Getting to Know Author Reno Ursal

I used to post interviews I’ve done with fellow writers, but it’s been a while since I last did one for this blog; about four years actually. I’m thinking of bringing that back in the new year to some extent, and it begins with my participation in the blog tour for Reno Ursal’s upcoming novel, Enlightenment; a coming-of-age story that fuses the paths of two people, by way of Filipino folklore.

Reno is a fellow Bay Area-based Filipino American author.  He is an alumnus of the University of Michigan where he received his B.A. in English. While he has had work published in the past, Enlightenment is his debut novel and the first of his Bathala series. I now turn it to him on what Enlightenment is all about, how he got his start as a writer, his influences, etc.