MANILA, Philippines - After playing to full houses in two successful runs at the CCP, Mga Gerilya sa Powell Street moves to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Theater, in Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo, Quezon City, for two performances on March 30, with a matinee at 2 p.m. and a gala show at 7 p.m. Tanghalang Pilipino presents this limited run in cooperation with the Department of National Defense (DND) and the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO). In sponsoring this timely production, DND and PVAO share TP’s goal in increasing public awareness of the plight of these veterans and the cause that they are fighting for.
Mga Gerilya sa Powell Street is an original play adapted by Palanca Award-winning playwright Rody Vera from the novel of the same title by Benjamin Pimentel. Pimentel’s original novel won the highest citation in last year’s National Book Awards. The play is staged under the direction of Chris Millado (director of the mega-hit shows Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah and Insiang). Leading the brilliant cast are seasoned theater/film actors such as Bembol Roco, Lou Veloso, Madeleine Nicolas, Crispin Pineda and other veteran thespians. The ensemble also includes members of the TP Actors’ Company, as well as other talented guest performers.
The critically-acclaimed production of Mga Gerilya sa Powell Street was first presented by CCP’s Tanghalang Pilipino in 2008 as part of its 22nd Theater Season billed as “Identity and Change.” The plot revolves around the diverse stories of Filipino WWII veterans who applied for American citizenship in order to get the long-due benefits promised to them. These veterans brave the cold and loneliness of San Francisco’s Powell Street hoping for the approval of the Equity Bill that they have lobbied for years in the US Congress to pass and that they hope will restore their dignity as defenders of our democracy and freedom.
Call Tanghalang Pilipino at 832-3661 or 832-1125 loc. 1620 or 1621 for information.