Lecture: a no birdbrainer

Guess What Readers?

I was walking down the hallway when I saw a poster announcing that Fil-Am playwright Linda Faigao-Hall was going to give a talk on "How to write plays about Filipino Americans and still remain sane."  Because I like writing and because I like the Play form ( especially its' performative and condense/haiku-ish yet jam-packed aspect ) I went.

According to the Dean of the Fine Arts, Fil-Am playwrights and their plays are unexplored here in the Philippines ( meaning plenty of room for exploration ).  Fil-Am's distance ( perhaps their liminal status ) gives them insights on certain Global issues.  OMG, hearing the Dean lists Faigao-Hall's credentials is quite inspiring.

Some of her published plays include, "Sparrow" [ which was previewed and read during the lecture, grabe, deep shizzle talaga ], "God, Sex, and Blue Water", and "The 'A' Word".  She'd been published in the 'Best 10 Minutes Play 2008 Anthology', and she's currently working in a Writing Center in Mercy College (NY?), while spearheading a revival of Cebuano art form involving extemporaneous poetry jamming, singing, and dancing ( a 'Native' musical ;).

Faigao-Hall was already published in the Philippines before she migrated to the U.S., but it took her 13 years living abroad before she had the courage to submit her play to "Equity Players Inc." (?). Having "beginner's luck" her 1st play submission was produced.  Then she talked about rejections, rewrites, CSI writers as "failed" playwrights, public readings, contracts [ once written can't change the words ], the difference between Off-Off Broadway/Off Broadway/Broadway.  She had a 9 to 5 job during the day, and she wrote her plays during the night ( starting at 10pm ).

According to her, her biggest obstacle is IGNORANCE.  She's constantly dealing with Asian stereotypes, and Filipino/Fil-Am viewers are often skeptical of her work; anything they deemed "local" is thus inferior.  They also don't like watching what they already know.  But the truth of the matter is that they don't know.  Faigao-Hall's mission is to address these stereotypes in the hopes of eliminating them.  In addition to this vision, she explores the theme of Cultural Collision, writes from the Gut ( not thinking consciously about labels: Fil-Am, Filipino, American, et. al. ), and believes that ART gives sustenance and nourishment.