Bindlestiff Studio presents
Inay Dalisay’s World Famous Lechon
By Oliver Saria
Directed by Aureen Almario
Cast
(in order of appearance)
Giancarlo Cariola as Senior Cheep
Faye Lacinilao as Perla
Aaron Orpilla as Jun
Sunshine Roque as Aunty Emy / Lil Datu
Golda Sargento as Ange
Reg Clay as Harris
Nic Feliciano as “The Food”
See the Glossary of Terms used in the Play.
Design and Production Team
Choreographer: Agpalo Ting-Alongi Makinta
Set Designer: Tracy Nguyen
Music/Sound Design: Rachel Lastimosa
Lighting Designer: Dave Ragaza
Sound Engineers: Tara Lopez and Tonilyn Sideco
AV/Tech: Darius Muñoz
Costume Designer: Ciriaco "Cir" Sayoc
Makeup: Alexis Dayers
Stage Manager / Props Master: Kim, Hyunji
House Manager: Ed Mabasa / Joe Cascasan
Backstage Assistant: Lindsay Ordesta
Production Photographer: Paciano Triunfo
Production Video Director & Editor: Paulo Asuncion
Graphic Designer: Vee Caragay aka Little Honey Vee
Producer: Marissa L. Ampon
Marketing: Laura Paule
Website & Digital Program: Conrad Panganiban
Playwright’s Message
I wrote this play during the pandemic as the central project for my Individual Artist Commission from SFAC. At the time, Bindestiff volunteers/staff were helping distribute food for vulnerable seniors and families with our community partners - United Playaz, West Bay, Bayanihan Equity Center, SOMCAN, and Kultivate Labs. (Cheers to Aureen Almario and David Ragaza, who coordinated the drivers.) Simultaneously, we shifted all of our programming to the virtual world, offering a full slate of workshops, readings, and performances. In response to the pandemic, we did our best to nourish our community literally and artistically.
In many ways, that fretful period contributed to the writing of this play because I was able to channel the general anxiety, as well the sense of hope and community, into the characters. In the midst of a global health crisis, it felt therapeutic to work on an optimistic, humorous, health-related play. The characters were loosely based on people I’ve known throughout my life, and in a sense, I was able to spend time with family and friends at a time when we were forced to be apart.
It means the world to me that Aureen chose this play as Bindlestiff’s first main stage production since before the pandemic. I feel tremendously blessed to watch reflections of my real family portrayed by my Bindlestiff family. It is my hope that this play sparks an important dialogue and inspires real change within your own families.
The complex problems of food injustice, unequal access to quality healthcare, and the effects of systemic racism on individual health certainly need more attention than this play offers. I hope that we not only work towards a better self, but also healthier, more just systems. To that end, I’d like to uplift groups like SOMCAN, Mabuhay Health Center, and People’s Kitchen Collective doing the hard work of addressing these issues. This play is just the amuse-bouche, and a broader movement is the main course. As Filipinos love to say, “Kain na!”
Bios
Giancarlo Cariola (Senior Cheep)
Giancarlo Cariola (he/him/his) is an Actor at Bindlestiff Studio. He has been with The Theater since 2015-2016. Follow him on IG @giantheart415420. He would like to thank The Ramaytush Ohlone, Yelamu Tribe and all of the other Ohlone Tribes of The Bay Area. Everything I do and love is on occupied Ramaytush Ohlone Land. Thank you Ancestors for your sacrifices. He would also like to thank ALL of The Bindlestiff Family and ALL of his Family Family. I Love U ALL and Miss U ALL!!! Thank u all for your consistent and uplifting support!!!
Faye Lacinilao (Perla)
Faye was born and raised in Quezon City, Philippines, but spent her teen years in the hyphy-and-mighty town of Vallejo, CA. She moved to San Francisco nearly 15 years ago and has not left (refuses to leave) since. She has been a part of various Bindlestiff productions since 2013, including The Bakla Show 3, Stories High XV, The Love Edition: Time After Time, Tagalog 2017 & 2019 and The FOB Show 2020. Faye is honored to be a part of Inay Dalisay and is excited to be performing alongside this incredibly talented cast.
Aaron Orpilla (Jun)
A-ron Orpilla is excited to be back performing on stage and in person! He has been in previous Bindlestiff productions, including Welga and Queer as Fuck. Outside of Bindlestiff, A-ron has workshopped many readings with local writers throughout the pandemic. He has also worked as an assistant stage manager in the Silver Spring Stage production of Yellow Face. He is eager to feel the presence of an audience and is so happy to be working with amazing community artists.
Sunshine Roque (Aunty Emy / Lil Datu)
Sunshine Roque is a procrastinator.
Golda Sargento (Ange)
Rebel Maria Golda Supernova Sargento is a multi-hyphenated artist. Performing original songs solo, or with post-punks - The Soft Stars, Golda’s latest work as playwright and composer of DarkHeart, A Concert Narrative, recently excerpted in literary magazine, Liwanag Vol. 3, will be presented in the Fall at Bindlestiff.
Her most recent stage work at Shotgun Players as THE WRITER in Diana Oh’s My H8 Letter to the Gr8 American Theater featured Sargento’s original songs and arrangements.
Golda is thrilled to play with her esteemed castmates and thanks the crew, Aureen and Oliver for the honor. Bindlestiff, never give up.
Reg Clay (Harris)
Reg Clay is excited to be back with Bindlestiff again, working on Inay Dalisay’s World Famous Lechon. Reg last worked with Bindlestiff for Stories High XIV. A graduate of Duke Ellington School of the Arts and NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, Reg is a playwright, songwriter an actor who has worked with Ray of Light Theatre, The Pear Theatre, Town Hall Theatre, the Douglas Morrison Theatre, Theatre Rhino, and many others. Reg also has a theatre podcast called The Yay - check it out on any podcast app ;)
Nic Feliciano ("The Food")
nic feliciano is a writer, actor, performer, and cook born in manila based in berkeley, ca. when she’s not feeding people in the streets with Sup Streetfood, you can find her writing short plays inspired by the filipino diaspora and acting at Bindlestiff Studios. nic is honored to be part of Bindlestiff's first full length back since the pandemic and would like to dedicate this performance to her incredible cast mates, director and production team. maraming salamat!
Kim, Hyunji (Stage Manager)
Kim, Hyunji is happy to be at Bindlestiff for the first time. Originally from South Korea, she moved to San Francisco in 2016 to attend San Francisco State University where she studied Technical Theatre and achieved her B.A. in Theatre Arts. From there she has worked on the musical Chicago as Assistant Stage Manager and stage managed Top Girls. The most recent credit: stage managing The Misanthrope (Troupe Theatre). Kim would like to thank the entire Inay team for the wonderful time working together and Bindlestiff studio for including her in this production.
Aureen Almario (Director)
Aureen Almario is an educator and artist. Currently the Artistic Director of Bindlestiff Studio, Almario has trained in performing arts, playwriting, puppetry, and comedy since 2004. She is the co-founder of the all-female sketch comedy troupe Granny Cart Gangstas, and a member of Brownout Shadow Collective. As lead facilitator for the Restorative Theater Arts for Seniors program, she pivoted to coordinating volunteers for food deliveries during the COVID-19 shelter-in-place.
Oliver Saria (Playwright)
Oliver Saria is the proud son of immigrant parents from the Philippines. His father served in the US Navy and was stationed at Treasure Island when Oliver was born. The Saria’s moved to Stockton, California, where their father was stationed at Rough & Ready Island Naval Base, and their mother worked as a Cafeteria Manager for the Stockton Unified School District. Oliver has been the Managing Director of Bindlestiff Studio since 2015. A frequent writer/producer/performer at Bindlestiff, Oliver was part of the first wave of Pilipino-American artists to begin programming at Bindlestiff in the late 90s, shortly after earning his BA in Sociology from UC Berkeley. Oliver has also worked as a freelance journalist and was nominated for a New America Media Outstanding Reporting Award. He was also a finalist for the ABC/Walt Disney Writers Fellowship and the CAPE New Writers Award for television writing. In 2018, 2020, and 2022 he received Individual Artist Commissions from SFAC for Theater and Writing. This is his first full-length stage production.
The Production would like to thank:
Robynn Takayama, Tyrus, Mike Dorado, Richgail Enriquez, Raisa Donato, Stephen Minor, Jamie Nallas, Melvign Badiola, Ava Tong, Allan Silva, Mariko Drew, Andrew Mendoza, Lisa Juachon, The Sarias, Ramos’, Huertas, Santos’, Navaros, and the Palmas.
Lolita Kintanar & RETAS, Irene Duller, Natee Galinato, Lily Prijoles & Arkipelago Books, Michael Sigua, Mabuhay Health Center. Jordan McQuade, Dara Del Rosario, Laura Paule, Chef Reina Montenegro, and No Worries Cuisine, Conrad Panganiban, Marissa Ampon, Lindsay Ordesta, Joe Cascasan, Missa Perron, Brian Dela Cruz, Andrew Rogge, and Myla Ablog.
Our Sponsors:
SOMA Pilipinas, SOMCAN, APICC, Conrad A. Panganiban, Sariwa Farm, Mona Lisa Yuchengco, Joyce Juan-Manalo & A. Samson Manalo, Li-Dorado Family (Linda Li and Mike Dorado), Kultivate Labs, SF Grants for the Arts
Glossary of Terms
Anak: child.
Ate: pronounced “ah-teh”. Older sister.
Ay nako: interjection for “Oh my goodness.”
Baboy: pig.
Baka madapa ka: “You might trip!”
Baon: leftover food packed “to-go”.
Barkada: group of friends.
Bibingka: rice flour cake.
Biko: sweet sticky rice cake (with whole rice kernels).
Buko: young coconut.
Bunso: the youngest child.
Butiki: gecko lizard.
Bwisit ka: an interjection conveying annoyance or frustration with someone.
Cascaron: Rice flour donut.
Daga: rat.
Despedida: going away party.
Dinuguan: blood stew.
Dirty kitchen: secondary kitchen, usually separated from the main house where more pungent or larger dishes are prepared.
Ginataang kalabasa at sitaw: ginger coconut stew with squash and green beans.
Hiya: shame. “Nahihiya siya” - she feels ashamed.
Ipis: cockroach.
Ito: here.
Kalamansi: citrus fruit commonly used in Filipino dishes.
Kumusta: “hello, how are you?”
Kuya: Older brother.
Langgam: ants.
Lintik: interjection, “damn it”.
Maarte: fussy, pretentious.
Maligayang Pasko: Merry Christmas.
Mang Tomas: bottled liver dipping sauce for lechon.
Matakaw: greedy for food.
Matapang: Brave. (“strong” when referring to alcohol.)
Mitsado: tomato beef stew (often contains potatoes).
Noche Buena: Christmas Eve.
Paksiw: braised dish which uses vinegar as the main liquid.
Paminsan-minsan lang: “only once in a while”.
Pancit: noodle dish.
Pandan: herbaceous green plant.
Pinakbet: A northern Philippines vegetable dish (often seasoned with salty fermented shrimp and pork).
Puto: steamed rice flour cake.
Relleno (manok): whole roasted chicken stuffed with ground meat (often contains raisins).
Salbahe: naughty.
San Miguel: the most popular beer in the Philippines.
Sarsa: sauce.
Siempre: “of course”.
Sige: “go ahead” or “good bye”.
Sisig: chopped pork with diced onions and peppers.
Sayang: “what a waste”.
Talaga: “really” or “very”.
Tamang-tama ang sinabi: "what was said was correct"
Teleserye: Filipino soap opera.
Tubig: water.
Ube: purple yam.
Wala(ng): “without” or “none”.