9 Years of Lola By the Bay and 2022 Year in Review

It all comes down to this. The fanfare of the holiday season is winding down as champagne is slowly but surely being stalked up for the stroke of midnight tonight. Resolutions are being jotted down and vision boards are being crafted together, with the hopes of some of them actually manifesting by this time in a year. 2023 is now less so of a concept and now hours away from becoming our reality.

But before 2022 bows out altogether, I wanted to make sure I had my retrospective for this ninth(?!?!?) year of my website written down and ready to ponder for those who  may have missed any of what happened, or to read and go, “That happened this year?”

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Looking Back on A Decade of Writing (Part 2)

Note: The following is a continuation from last week’s post. To read the first part, check it out here.

Playwright’s Commentary: “Not in Kansas”

I’m thrilled to take part in my third production with Rainy Day Artistic Collective with my new one-act play, “Not in Kansas.” Based on real life experiences of my great aunt, Justita, the story follows two PhD students from the Philippines who’re studying in the United States in the early 1950’s. While on a trip to New Orleans, the two experience the opposite of Southern hospitality at a rest stop in Mississippi.

Coming Next Week: Halfway Historical Festival feat. “Not in Kansas”

I’m excited to reveal that after the past few months of working on this, we are now one week away from my third production with Rainy Day Artistic Collective. This time, I’ve written one of ten plays that will be featured in their Halfway Historical Festival; where all the stories revolve around real-life occurrences.

5 Years of Playwriting

There is a series from PBS called “The First Twenty,” where it explores significant, altering events within the first two decades of the 21st century. One of the episodes, “20 Years of Asian American Playwriting,” interviews playwrights – from David Henry Hwang to Lauren Yee – about how Asian American playwriting has evolved.

Playwright’s Commentary: “The Swan”

Ten months ago, I made my return to the theatre both for the first time since the pandemic began and the first time in a couple of years, when I made my playwright debut with Rainy Day Artistic Collective. My one-act virtual play, “Interview with an Aswang,” was part of the lineup for their inaugural production. It was such a collaborative experience to be a part of and from the sound of what the audience was saying online, it seems like it was well received.

Coming Next Week: Twisted Tales 2021 Digital One Act Festival

Back in February, I made my debut with Rainy Day Artistic Collective when my short play, “Interview with an Aswang,” was featured in their inaugural Winter One Act Festival. 2021 may almost be over, but before it does, I’m excited to reveal my involvement in their upcoming showcase. Next week, Rainy Day Artistic Collective proudly presents their Twisted Tales Digital One Act Festival; where all ten plays re-imagine ten classic tales.

“tick, tick… BOOM!” and How It Parallels This Moment in Time

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.). It’s been over a year since I did an analysis, which was on “Hamilton.” Today, I explore yet another Lin-Manuel Miranda project, only this time with him in the director’s chair. Today, I analyze the Netflix film adaptation of Jonathan Larson’s “tick, tick… BOOM!”

Coming in September: Mixed Asian Media Fest

So something I’ve been working on throughout the year is now a few short weeks away from happening, and in this announcement, there are multiple components to it. Allow me to walk you through them:

Short Film Announcement: “Interview with an Aswang”

After officially announcing it both in my guest appearance on the ShoPowSho podcast as well as on my Instagram, I’m proud to go public with the news here that my one-act play, “Interview with an Aswang,” has been made into a short film and is currently being submitted into the film festival circuit. For those who didn’t catch it when it was featured in Rainy Day Artistic Collective’s Winter Showcase three months ago, it tells the story of a college student who interviews her friend about what her life is like as an aswang for a school assignment. Of course, that’s just the very surface level synopsis of it.