40+ Theatres Support AAPI Community Through TheatreWorks Benefit Reading of WRITING FRAGMENTS HOME

In a time where the manifestation of prejudice and violence toward the Asian American and Pacific Islander community has reached an extreme high, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley will stream a benefit reading of Writing Fragments Home to raise funds to support and uplift the AAPI community.

Written by Filipino American playwright and TheatreWorks Director of Community Partnerships/ Casting Director Jeffrey Lo, this comedic play is an unapologetically Filipino American story about art, family, and culture, exploring one playwright's journey to rediscover his voice while combatting systemic racism. Co-presented by more than 40 leading theatres and arts organizations in the Bay Area and beyond, this reading will benefit Compassion in Oakland, a nonprofit formed in response to the surge of anti-Asian attacks and dedicated to promoting safety and community in Oakland Chinatown and beyond. Writing Fragments Home will be streamed live 7pm PDT, Saturday, June 5, 2021 (with streaming on-demand access available June 6 at 12pm PDT through June 9 at 7pm PDT).

Viewers can sign up at TheatreWorks.org to receive a link to view Writing Fragments Home without charge, although donations are encouraged to support Compassion in Oakland-donation levels from $10-$100 are available in tiers named for popular Filipino dishes, including Lumpia Platter, Lechon, Pancit, and Adobo. For more information or to reserve streaming access the public may visit TheatreWorks.org.

"One of the big themes in Writing Fragments Home is loneliness and how sharing stories is a way for us to cure loneliness and build empathy in our world," said Jeffrey Lo. "When I think about the tragic rise in hate crimes against the AAPI community, I can't help but think about how scared, anxious and alone our community feels right now. I keep thinking about how these hate crimes were activated from a lack of empathy for people with different backgrounds and identities. My hope is that this project-in addition to financially supporting the incredible work of Compassion in Oakland-can inspire empathy, hope and make the members of the AAPI community feel a little less lonely and a little more understood."

 

Developed in a 2020 reading at TheatreWorks, Writing Fragments Home was a finalist for the Bay Area Playwrights Festival and a semi-finalist for the O'Neill Playwright's Conference. This reading is co-presented by Actor's Reading Collective, American Conservatory Theater, Aurora Theatre Company, Berkeley Playhouse, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, BindleStiff Studio, Brava! For Women in the Arts, Broadway by the Bay, California Shakespeare Festival, Capital Stage, CentralWorks, City Lights Theater Company, Crowded Fire Theatre, Custom Made Theatre Company, Cutting Ball Theatre, Dragon Productions Theatre, EnActe Arts, Ferocious Lotus, Hillbarn Theatre Company, Hypokrit Productions, Juneteenth Theatre Justice Project, Livermore Shakespeare Festival, Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, Los Altos Stage Company, Marin Shakespeare Company, Marin Theatre Company, More Más Marami Arts, New Conservatory Theatre, Oakland Theatre Project, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Our Digital Stories, Palo Alto Players, Playground, Playwrights Foundation, Red Ladder Theatre Company, San Francisco Playhouse, San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, San Jose Stage Company, Shotgun Players, Tabard Theatre, Teatro Visión, Theater Mu, Theatre Bay Area, Yerba Buena Center for Arts, and Z Space.

 

Writing Fragments Home tells the story of Jay, a playwright who is forced to move in with his Filipino immigrant Mom after his girlfriend leaves him and he loses his job. Struggling with writer's block and stuck sleeping on the couch, Jay must finally come face to face with the pressures and dreams of his parents while finding the bravery to fight for his voice as a young artist of color in America.

 

Director Victor Malana Maog leads a stellar cast including Bay Area theatre veteran Jomar Tagatac as Jay and "Gilmore Girls" actor/ theatre mainstay Emily Kuroda as Jay's mother, Mary Gwen. Actors Will Dao, Kausar Mohammed, and Moses Villarama round out the cast for this reading, and Jenny Nguyen Nelson reads the stage directions. Scenic design is by TheatreWorks Properties Master Christopher Fitzer and video production is by TheatreWorks Artistic Digital Production and Operations Manager / Company Manager Stephen Muterspaugh.

 

Formed in response to the surge of anti-Asian attacks in the California Bay Area, Compassion in Oakland strives to provide the Oakland Chinatown Community with a resource for promoting safety and unity. Sparked by Jacob Azevedo, whose offer to escort Asian American elders went viral and led hundreds to join him, Katrina Ramos, Jessica Owyoung, Derek Ko and Darren Lee, were among those who responded and created the new nonprofit coordinating volunteer chaperones to escort those who request assistance, aiming to embrace the often forgotten, underserved, and vulnerable and fostering a more caring and safer Oakland for all. The public may learn more at compassioninoakland.org.