As Straw Productions presents the World Premiere of AS STRAW BEFORE THE WIND, a new play that offers a window into the life experience of a Filipina nurse who survives the trauma of World War II, only to discover that her war is not yet over. Written by Felix Racelis, under the direction of Lesley Asistio, the production will be presented for four weekends at the Ruby Theatre at THE COMPLEX, 6476 Santa Monica Boulevard, Hollywood, CA 90038, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. and on Sundays at 3:00 p.m., August 13 - September 4, 2016. Saturday, August 13, 2016 marks the World Premiere Opening Night of the play. A Discounted Preview performance will be given on Friday, August 12, 2016 at 8:00 p.m. To learn more, visit www.strawbeforewind.com.
AS STRAW BEFORE THE WIND stars Tita Pambid (Nene Santos), Muni Zano (Poncing Enrile),Sarnica Lim (Pilita Santos), Anita Borcia (Mildred Novak), Rochelle Lozano (Maria Enrile), Doan Nguyen (Loan Officer, Swing 1) and Gabriel Garcia (
MR. Martinez, Jr., Swing 2).
AS STRAW BEFORE THE WIND recounts the story of Nene Santos, a Filipina nurse and enterprising owner/operator, of a fictionalized San Gabriel Valley convalescent home. Nene has ambitious plans to expand her business, which she intends to leave to her daughter and primary assistant, Pilita, who has her own agenda. So, what will become of the elderly and fragile resident patients of the convalescent home - Poncing Enrile, a retired Filipino American Army Captain, and Mildred Novak, a chain smoking retiree widow with Alzheimer's Disease? Nene confronts a string of setbacks and obstacles in her quest. Flashbacks of the horrendous experience she and her family endured during WWII haunt her psyche and lead to a revelation of a long kept family secret.
"This is a very personal story for me, having grown up with survivors of World War II," notes playwrightFelix Racelis. "The majority of the women in my family, including my mother, were nurses, and one of my mother's best friends was one of the nurses stationed on the island of Corregidor during the Battle of Corregidor in 1942. 'Nene' is a composite character of many of these courageous women who survived the ordeal of the war, and who lived their lives with grace and stoicism. All of them are now departed. Their memories and spirit continue to both haunt and inspire me. As a playwright it's important for me to bring these stories to the stage and to a universal audience."
"What you will see on stage is a series of wars: a war between a mother and a daughter, between a convalescent home owner and a patient, between a loan officer and a potential borrower, and between the past and the present," says director Lesley Asistio. "As we weave through these battles with these characters, struggle after struggle, triumph after triumph, we ponder whether peace and success are truly possible, or whether we are simply tossed about as straw before the wind."
Tickets can be purchased by calling Brown Paper Tickets 24/7 at
1-800-838-3006, or online at
http://strawbefore.brownpapertickets.com. Tickets are $20 per person for General Admission and $12 per person for Students, Seniors and Groups of 10 or more. Discounted Tickets will be sold for $10 per person for a Preview performance of the show on Friday, August 12, 2016 at 8:00 p.m. Street parking is available surrounding the theatre. To learn more about the show, please visit the website,
www.strawbeforewind.com and visit the show's Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/AsStraw1/
@AsStraw1
This show is recommended for mature audiences. Advance reservations are highly encouraged. Tickets will be available for purchase at The Ruby Theatre Box Office at The Complex on performance nights on a cash only basis. The Ruby Theatre Box Office at The Complex will be open one hour prior to show times on performance days only.
Production sponsors include: FilAm Arts, United Bread & Pastry of Silverlake, and the Oriental Medical Center.
