SINAG-TALA BULLETIN #08-13

Hello, everyone. Welcome to the newest members of the Sinag-tala Family, who are joining our Bulletin readership for the first time. We look forward to an exciting time with you aboard. As you’ll see below, we’ve got quite a few things to share with everyone.

1. THE PRODUCTION MEETING HAS BEEN MOVED. We hope everyone concerned gets this bulletin in time. The ST2008 production meeting scheduled for this evening (July 20) has been moved to Tuesday, July 22 at 7:00PM, at the Sinag-tala Studio. We apologize for the short notice and the inconvenience, and do look forward to seeing everyone there, including the Picnic Team.

2. MORE PICNIC DETAILS. For the few who haven’t heard yet, the Sinag-ala Kick-off and Alumni Reunion Picnic is coming up quickly – July 26 at the Elk Grove Park, 9950 Elk Grove-Florin Rd. Elk Grove, CA 95624. It’s going to be a truly special gathering of newcomers (those who auditioned this year, the new volunteers, and their families), returning company members (those associated with past Sinag-tala productions who are re-joining this year’s company) and alumni (those who haven’t been with us for a while). Registration starts at 10:30AM. Everyone is requested to wear a bright, solid-colored top – any style, any choice of color as long as it’s BRIGHT. It’s a potluck, so bring enough to feed the group coming with you, if any, plus a little extra to share with others. SFTPAA will provide barbecued pork, rice, punch, ice and all the necessary paper products, cups and utensils. Bottled water will be available for sale but you may bring your own or a favorite beverage to share. We recommend you use the Elk Grove-Florin Rd. entrance instead of the Stockton Blvd. entrance. Admission to the park is expected to be free, but since the annual Strauss Festival will be taking place in the park later that evening, it’s possible that during the late afternoon the gatekeepers will being collecting an admission fee. Be prepared in any case. Free parking outside the entrance is available. We’ve tentatively selected a spot that can be easily spotted towards your left as you enter. But if in doubt, look for the Sinag-tala banner, Philippine flags and signs that we’ll be putting up, if not a crowd of noisy Pinoys. Oh – another thing – if you have any, bring a lawn or camping chair or two. Expect to have a lot of fun – be there!

3. AWWW, MISSED THE AUDITIONS? Don’t fret. You haven’t missed the boat. The doors are still open for anyone who’s interested. There will be makeup auditions for all ages (must be 4 years or older) at 1:30PM on Saturday, August 2. Be prepared to sing any song of your choice. Remember that all performers – dancers, actors and musicians included – must go through the singing auditions before attending the dance or acting auditions, which will be announced later. There is no guarantee that any more makeup auditions will be offered, so those who are interested should do their best not to miss this one. Sinag-tala volunteers who are available to staff the audition are needed and should contact me in advance.

4. TEACHING/CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS ARE NEEDED. Sinag-tala is all about training. So if you’ve had training or experience in choreography, acting, vocal performance, choral instruction, musical arranging, instrumental performance, theatrical writing, technical theater, directing or any related theater or performance art and are willing to donate your time or original work to help fill a void in arts programming in the Filipino American community, we’d really like to hear from you. An interest in the study and interpretation of Philippine and Filipino works of all genres is desired but not required. There’s a bunch of eager and motivated young and old community members who are not reached by mainstream arts programs and therefore very, very eager to learn from you. Depending on our funding situation, there is some hope but no guarantee that modest stipends for qualified artists will be available. If you’re interested, please contact us immediately.

5. CONRAD’S GIFT. Emerging playwright Conrad Panganiban, our Theater Associate Artist whose one-act play Garden of Dreams was featured last year in a memorable SFTPAA-sponsored staged reading, is introducing another short play, The Gift, in the Bindlestiff Studio annual production, Stories High. This production will highlight several short plays by new artists and will run from July 31 through August 16 at the Off Market Theater, 965 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94103. Admission is a sliding scale of $10 to $15, depending on what you can afford. Here are excerpts from the teaser for the production that’s been circulating: After months of rehearsals, readings and rewrites, Bindlestiff Studio is proud to present the 10th Annual Stories High Showcase. Thursday through Saturday, July 31 – Aug. 16. All shows are at the Off Market Theater, 965 Mission Street (between 5th and 6th), San Francisco. Tickets will be sold at a sliding scale, $10-$15. The showcase highlights the achievements of this year’s crop of writing, acting and directing workshop participants and explores a variety of characters, themes and situations. A couple caught in a bitter feud. An insecure English teacher grappling with ghosts from the past. A young woman’s brush with her savior. The power of love, and the fight for it, during a dancing class. A soldier chooses between his family and his perceived country. A murderer commits his last act of violence. A confused boyfriend must decide between fidelity and guilty pleasure. Reservations may be requested by e-mailing Susie@bindlestiffstudio.org . You can also purchase tickets online at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/38741. Conrad is definitely on his way to joining a still relatively untapped community of modern Filipino American writers for the stage. We hope you’ll help him succeed by seeing his work. Break a leg, Conrad!

6. OFF-BROADWAY’S MAGNO RUBIO COMES TO STOCKTON. The great Carlos Bulosan has long been a rich and wonderful source of oral interpretation material for our productions. He has also inspired a good number of professionally staged plays across the U.S. based on his writing. Now, the award-winning Ma-Yi Theater production of Bulosan’s the Romance of Magno Rubio not only has brought a group of highly respected Filipino American theater artists together but is coming all the way from prestigious New York’s off-broadway circuit to Stockton, CA. Under the direction of the distinguished Loy Arcenas, the play stars the 2007 New York cast of Arthur Acuna, Bernardo Bernardo, Ramon de Ocampo, Jojo Gonzales and Paolo Montalban. The show runs from Saturday, October 4 (8PM) to Sunday, October 5 at the Bob Hope Theatre, 242 East Main Street, Stockton. Tickets are $45, $35 and $25, with $5 discounts for students and seniors with ID, youths 81 and under, and groups of 10 or more. On our end, Gladys Imperio-Acosta is organizing a “Sinag-tala contingent” to see the play as a group and take advantage of the discount. More importantly, Elena Mangahas – stockton-based theater director and long-time Sinag-tala supporter who was named last year as one of the 100 Most Influential Filipina Women in America for her tireless work with the Little Manila Foundation – has informed me of plans to offer a lecture/get-together with the Magno Rubio company. So be aware that this is gong to be a rare treat and opportunity – contact Gladys now at just.breathe@ymail.com .

7. OPINION: REALITY TV ISN’T ALL BAD. From the Sinag-tala standpoint, television today offers some pretty interesting and instructive viewing for those who want to learn more about the performing arts. Fox40′s So You Think You Can Dance features brilliant young dancers competing against each other in a wide variety of performances of spectacular and highly challenging choreography by some of the country’s most amazing professional choreographers. The performances range from hiphop to ballet, modern, jazz, Broadway, country and all styles of ballroom that sometimes defy the imagination. The other thing is that the judges give very technical evaluations – not just generalized, ambiguous opinions. On another level, the judging is probably the most notable thing about another show, Nashville Star. For those who may have a bias against country music, this program may be an eye-opener because the judges, each of whom also spends private one-on-one time individually mentoring each contestant, subtly introduce the audience the finer points (and there are actually many) of pursuing a country music career. We don’t know what High School Musical – Be in the Picture, the reality talent show that is soon to air, will be like but it might be worth checking out. TV shows that aren’t reality TV in format but aspiring performing artists shouldn’t underestimate include the children’s show Barney (for the kids), the annual Kennedy Center Honors, the annual Tony Awards and even the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade. If you watch with a technical if not scholarly point of view, you may find that these programs typically give viewers good examples not only of how to perform certain types of material for certain venues and media but actually stimulate the artistic and intellectual senses in ways that Wow-wow-wee and even American Idol don’t. So Sinag-tala trainees, check those TV listings.

8. CALLING TOURING ENSEMBLE PERFORMERS. Members of the Sinag-tala Theater Ensemble who are interested in performing at the State Fair on August 17 must let us know about their availability right away so we can make the necessary casting, programming and rehearsal scheduling decisions. We are inviting those who recently attended auditions to let us know if they are interested. We are unable to guarantee slots on the roster at this time but there is always a possibility that newcomers may be accommodated in the cast. Much of it depends on whether or not the regular touring performers are available, and the casting requirements of the numbers that we decide to perform. Regular company members who do not contact me by August 26 will be presumed to be not available and substitutes are likely to be assigned to their slots.

9. THE ST2007 DVD. Those who have not yet picked up their orders for the ST2007 DVD, or who’d like to purchase a copy, may drop by the Studio or contact Helena Piamonte. Please give us a heads-up first to make sure we’re around to serve you. You may e-mail me at salforque@aol.com or Helena at baguio_hpia@sbcglobal.net .

And that’s it for this round. Thanks as always for your support. Keep an eye open for the next bulletin. And remember – if you didn’t see any typos here, you may have to read all over again.

Sonny Alforque
CEO & Artistic Director

SINAG-TALA BULLETIN #08-12

Hello, everyone. Belated Happy July 4th! Here’s the latest from the Sinag-tala Department of Current Events.

1. PAIN-FREE AUDITIONS COMING UP. The Sinag-tala auditions are the big deal right now. Please spread the word – applicants four years of age and older have a choice of two singing audition dates: Thursday, July 10 and Friday, July 11 at the Sinag-tala Studio, 8275 Florin Road, Suite 180, Sacramento (2 blocks east of Power Inn Road), at 7:00PM. Except for parents, grandparents and current members of the touring ensemble, the singing auditions are mandatory for ALL performers, including dancers, musicians and actors. Now many first-timers are understandably a little apprehensive about attending the singing auditions. But our auditions are the friendliest and most supportive in town, and hardly the nerve-wracking, judgmental process that auditions are by tradition. During the singing audition, we will get a sense of your vocal range, the type of training that might be most suitable for you if any, your musical preferences, your interests, etc. No one gets criticized or placed in an embarrassing position, no one is ever rejected, and it’s usually over before you know it. So don’t worry. Just be there.

The dance auditions – for applicants 12 years and older – are on Saturday, July 12 starting at 1:30PM. Be on time. Look up the guidelines for attire and footwear. The acting auditions, for all those interested in acting, are on Sunday, July 13 at 1:30PM. Actors must bring a 2-minute literary piece to read aloud. For details about the auditions, see the attached pdf file or visit our website, www.sinagtala.org. Please share this information with everyone you know.

2. THE PICNIC (THE OTHER BIG DEAL). We just want to make sure no one forgets that our ST2008 Kick-off and Alumni Reunion Picnic is coming up on Saturday, July 26 at Elk Grove Park, with registration beginning at 10:30AM. All newcomers and alumni, and their families, are invited. Our definitions of newcomers and alumni? A newcomer is anyone who is getting involved with the revue for the first time in 2008. An alumnus is anyone who has ever supported, or performed in, any past production of the Sinag-tala Theatrical Revue between 1990 and 2006. In either case, we hope you’ll understand that for planning purposes we must get a good head count. So please let Raul Bernaldez at raulbernaldez@aol.com know ASAP whether you plan to attend or not, and how many people you intend to bring with you. We also need help locating and contacting alumni.

3. THE PICNIC THEME AND OTHER PRELIMINARY DETAILS. In keeping with Sinag-tala costuming tradition, we’re adopting a ‘BAHAGHARI” theme. No, this doesn’t have anything to do with Cordilleran loin cloths (bahag) or kings (hari). As many of you know, bahaghari is the Tagalog word for rainbow. So everyone is being asked to wear a shirt, blouse, t-shirt, tank top or dress in any cheerfully bright, solid, Sinag-tala-worthy color. That means nothing faded and no pastels, prints, stripes or designs. Just any color that’s normally too bright for casual wear and yet perfect under stage lighting. Each person will be given a ribbon to wear to signify his or her Sinag-tala “class” – i.e., the first year he or she became associated with Sinag-tala. Also, each alumnus is encouraged to bring two personal “before” and “after” photos: one taken of himself or herself during a past Theatrical Revue production, the other taken as recently as possible. The photos will be displayed anonymously (at first) on a community board. There will be lots of food, awards, entertainment, icebreakers and competitive, age-appropriate, fun-filled teamwork games that will test the class spirit of each “class.” We’re still honing certain details, so all suggestions as to how we can make this picnic meaningful and enjoyable for you are welcome. Volunteer help from all classes is of course needed and always very welcome. If you’d like to help out, please don’t hesitate to contact Raul Bernaldez (raulbernaldez@aol.com) . Many thanks to the kind alumni who have already rsvp’d. Meanwhile, keep checking your inbox for announcements.

3. THE AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION AT ST. MARY’S. There may have been 125 people in the audience, tops. But the parishioners and guests at the Sto. Nino Filipino Fiesta last June 29 at St. Mary’s Episcopalian Church in Elk Grove shouted out the most robust “niyogs” and “in-in-outs” that the touring ensemble’s Da Coconut Nut and Tinikling performers have heard in quite a long time. Our cast was of course headlined by Ana Maria DeYoung, who also managed to dance with yet another company despite a physically exhausting day coordinating the event for the church. Her husband, Norm DeYoung, emceed the event. The other Sinag-tala performers were Adie Andrion, Jennifer Domingo, Edison Dominguez, Kristalyn Fong, Krystle Jong, Kenny Kaulupali, Edith and Monica Montemayor, Edmond and Noeh Nazareno, Isabel Nisay, Alexia and Nicole Sanchez, Martin Sinlao and Cece Torrralba. The staff included Frances Andrion, Josie Domingo, Dick Mazon, Leonard Nisay, and Jackie and Frank Sanchez. Well done, everyone and thanks to the members of the St. Mary’s Episcopalian Church.

4. THE DVD SHOWING AND THE FIGHT THAT FOLLOWED. By all indications, everyone had a great if not boisterous time watching the ST2007 DVD last June 3 at the Domingo residence. If there was a down side at all, it was that the owner of the company reproducing the DVD had unfortunately been injured in a work accident just days before the showing, so he was able to ship only a portion of the order. But Josie Domingo is arranging to get the remaining copies as soon as possible, so those who placed orders but have not yet received their copies will be hearing from us. Our thanks to Josie for all her efforts to make the DVD a reality, and to her family for their hospitality; the use of their party room, swimming pool and DVD equipment; the pancit; and for entertaining the cleanup crew until 1:00AM as they watched the Manny Pacquiao world lightweight championship match (and a couple of TFC variety shows) over boiled peanuts. Thanks also to Sandi Corpuz for the buffalo wings and to Raul Bernaldez, Dick Mazon and Helena Piamonte for helping with the planning and logistics.

5. FLOWER DRUM SONG AUDITIONS. Community Asian Theatre of the Sierra (CATS) has announced Auditions for David Henry Hwang’s updated version of the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic, “Flower Drum Song.” Some of you may recall that this version of the show came to Sacramento a few years ago with Filipino Broadway stars Lea Salonga and Jose Llana heading up the cast. The auditions will be held on Sunday, July 20 from 1:00PM to 4:00PM and Monday, July 21, from 6:45PM to 9:45PM at St. Joseph’s Cultural Center, 410 South Church Street, Grass Valley 95945. For directions, go to http://www.ncgold.com/JumpPages/z-st-josephs.html . Callbacks (by invitation only) will be held on Tuesday, July 22, from 7:15PM to 10:15PM. Interested individuals must register in advance for the audition by calling 530-265-9435 or via e-mail at chanmoon@pacbell.net . CATS mounts professional productions, one of which featured our own Brian Rivera not long ago. Various principal and supporting roles are available. I’ve been told by CATS Artistic Director that gas stipends will be available for the cast.

6. ROMAR DE CLARO AND LORRAINE DE ARCO IN BROADWAY REVUE AND MORE. Sinag-tala alumnus Romar De Claro produces an annual musical fundraiser benefiting Habitat for Humanity in which he and our own Lorraine De Arco are featured performers along with other professional talents. This year, the benefit will be staged at 8:00PM on Saturday, August 2 at Acc’sentials’ Courtyard, 520 Main Street, Pleasanton, CA. A minimum $50 donation per person is requested. To reserve seats, call (925) 784-3068 or send an e-mail to Romar@RomarProperties.net. To secure seats, send your check to Coldwell Banker, 5980 Stoneridge Drive, #122, Pleasanton, CA 94588.

7. CAL-EXPO CELEBRATION OF THE BEIJING OLYMPICS. KCRA TV, Cal-Expo and other community sponsors will be presenting a special public program saluting the Beijing Summer Olympics starting at 5:30PM on Friday, August 8 at the Cal-Expo racetrack. The Sinag-tala Theater Ensemble has been invited to appear with other cultural groups at this event. We’ve been specifically requested to perform the tinikling. Touring ensemble dancers should watch for casting and rehearsal announcements.

8. CAST FOR STATE FAIR BOOKING. All those interested in performing with the touring ensemble at 4:00PM on Sunday, August 17 at the California State Fair at Cal-Expo should contact me immediately so that our program selections and casting assignments can be finalized. Please let me know what scheduling conflicts, if any, you anticipate between now and August 17. We will be performing a few new numbers (to be announced) that are likely to be included in ST 2008. In compliance with State Fair guidelines, all company members 18 years and older, including grownups who will be accompanying performers of minor age, must submit the following information to me: birth date, driver’s license number and State of issue, and residence ZIP code. For security purposes, I recommend submitting the information to me in writing and in person, rather than via e-mail. Those who have already provided this information in the past need not submit it again. Since credentials (passes) are limited, current touring ensemble performers and their parents will be given priority in the order that they confirm their availability. Others will be placed on a waiting list, on a first-come-first-served basis. Parents and other accompanying adults are expected to staff the production. Rehearsals will be held daily beginning Monday, July 21 through Saturday, August 16.

9. NEXT PRODUCTION MEETING. The next ST 2008 Production Meeting will be held at 7:00PM on Sunday, July 20 at the Sinag-tala Studio. All volunteers should attend, but all those serving on the Artistic Staff this year are especially urged to attend so that plans regarding programming and other artistic areas can be discussed. As you know, the earlier we begin our work, the less difficult it is for the artists and the better the quality of the show. Artists who have not recently confirmed their interest in supporting the production this year are requested to contact me by July 18 to discuss their availability and possible assignments.

10. POLICY FOR POSTINGS IN BULLETINS. One of the purposes that our bulletins serve is to acknowledge and make public the artistic accomplishments of Sinag-tala Family members. This benefits not only the artists who are recognized, but in more ways than one, the SFTPAA itself. We therefore continue to invite everyone to send us information about artistic projects, awards, activities and similar developments that are consistent with SFTPAA’s efforts to promote the arts within and outside the Filipino community. The basic requirements are that the topic be clearly arts-related, that complete details are given so that no further research or verification is needed, and that a reasonable amount of lead time be given for publishing the information. We truly appreciate everyone who has been kind enough to share their great news with us. We recommend, however, that instead of sending event flyers as attachments all key information be summed up, even if only in bullet format, in an e-mail text. This is because flyers not only must be downloaded and visually browsed but also do not lend themselves easily to cutting and pasting. Any time-saving effort would be greatly appreciated since each bulletin literally takes several hours to compose and edit, even though that may not be obvious to readers.

11. PRESS RELEASE. A press release announcing the Theatrical Revue’s current season is attached for your reading pleasure. Watch out for it, with photos by Rick Garcia (not included in this e-mail), in your favorite local Filipino community paper.

Well, needless to say, there’s a lot of excitement waiting in the wings for us. Be sure not to be left out. Get involved. Thanks to everyone for supporting the SFTPAA. And remember – if you didn’t find any typos in this bulletin, you may not have read closely enough.

Sonny Alforque
CEO & Artistic Director
Sinag-tala Filipino Theater and Performing Arts Association