World Premiere Play MIDDLETON HEIGHTS Examines AAPI Experience And The American Dream

In the world premiere of an original play commissioned by The Umbrella Stage Company, Hortense Gerardo's Middleton Heights unravels a wry, charming and honest tale that follows Meena and her Filipino family as they assimilate to life in a fictional Midwestern suburb of Cleveland, Ohio.

The play traces historical events from 1967 to 2014, examining transformative social moments from the Hough riots to the Robert Kennedy and MLK assassinations to the protests in the aftermath of the killing of Tamir Rice, refracted through the intersectional lens of the Asian American Pacific Islander immigrant experience and the pursuit of the American Dream.

A writer, choreographer, filmmaker, and anthropologist, Gerardo is a member of the Dramatists Guild of America and The International Center for Women Playwrights, and Director of the Anthropology, Performance and Technology Program UC San Diego. From 2018-2020, she served as the Metropolitan Area Planning Council's artist-in-residence, promoting creative placemaking and community resilience through art throughout MAPC's 101 cities and towns.

This production is directed by Michelle Aguillon, who has helmed several Popular Productions for The Umbrella Stage, including Kate Hamill's Dracula: A Feminist Revenge Fantasy, Really, August Wilson's Fences, The Joy Luck Club, To Kill a Mockingbird and True West. Aguillon and Gerardo have collaborated frequently on recent pandemic projects, including Incantation for The Umbrella Stage @Home New Works series, Scensation for the Boston Theater Marathon XXIII, and multiple programs for the Boston Asian American Playwrights Collective.

Running March 31-April 2023, 2023 (press opening April 2, 3PM), this world premiere features Steve Bermundo, Justin Budinoff, Cheryl Daro*, Lisa Fermin-Granada, Jenine Florence Jacinto and Jude Torres. Special community engagements include moderated talkbacks, a Kid Care-option performance, and Filipino dance and music demonstrations by community partner school, Iskwelahang Pilipino of Boston.

Situated in the heart of historic Concord Center Cultural District, The Umbrella is ADA accessible, a proud partner in the Massachusetts Cultural Council's EBT Card-to-Culture program, and provides free parking and free admission to its visual arts galleries.

• Friday, March 31 Iskwelahang Pilipino (IP) Rondalla Ensemble performs pre-show
• Sunday, April 2 Trish Fontanilla (BosFilipinos) Post-show Talk Back with Playwright and Director
• Saturday, April 15 Iskwelahang Pilipino (IP) Student Dance Group performs pre-show
• Sunday, April 16 Kid-Care Performance*, Post-show Talk Back with the cast, moderated by WPTZ NBC5 Morning Anchor Lauren Granada
• Sunday, April 23 Iskwelahang Pilipino (IP) Tinikling Dance Group performs pre-show