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Join us for this hilarious and heartwarming tale that is not a traumatizing story about war crimes, dementia, or getting old. On the contrary, Grandma. Gangsta .
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Join us for this hilarious and heartwarming tale that is not a traumatizing story about war crimes, dementia, or getting old. On the contrary, Grandma. Gangsta . Guerrilla. is a sprint down memory lane of a butt-kickin’, bar-spittin’, tough grandma who escapes the care home to be with her family. When our favourite Filipino grandma Lola Basyang goes missing, it’s up to her grandchildren Nika and Jun-jun to bring her back to safety. Using their Lola’s unfinished memoir, they find clues to her whereabouts, her full-of-beans origin story and the historical turmoil of their motherland. Reminiscent of their immigration stories, they reflect on what it means to maintain family ties in a Western society.
Quote from Playwright Abi Padilla
This project started as a 15 minute solo show graduation requirement when I was in the
acting program of Studio 58. Little did I know that this swaggy, scrappy, silly piece would evolve into a heartfelt, hilarious and historical play that tackles the multi-faceted struggles and triumphs of surviving a war, migration, family values and love for our elderly. The creation process of this play means a lot to me for it helped me reflect on the sacrifices of my ancestors to be where I am today, while not letting their historical trauma define me.
Both my grandmothers, who have inspired me to write this, were children during the Japanese occupation in the Philippines in the 1940s. They have been fortunate enough to survive and thrive after that period but many young girls like them have been taken to be “comfort women”. To this day, the surviving comfort women of the Philippines are still seeking justice that may never come. I am also acknowledging the contributions of the female guerrillas like Commander Liwayway who fought for my motherland’s freedom. I recognize that as monumental and theatrical as these experiences are, there is beauty in the mundanity of being a grandmother, sister or a person who has their own dreams.
Take in the everyday laughter, the juicy gossip, the hot soup, and remember the most precious moments you have with your family.
Venues: Presentation House Theatre (North Vancouver), Shadbolt Centre for the Arts (Burnaby)
Showtimes:
Shadbolt Centre for the Arts: Feb. 6-8 at 7:30pm and Feb 8 matinee at 2pm
Presentation House Theatre: Feb 13-16 at 7:30pm and Feb. 15 matinee at 2pm
february 6 (Thursday) – 16 (Sunday)
Multiple Locations across Metro Vancouver