Last weekend of the show.  The playwright is coming tonight to check out how we've staged it.  It's not too often that you hear of that happening.  Hopefully we haven't butchered his vision of his play.  Not only that, I hope that my volatile cough won't attack during any of the shows this weekend.  I'll just keep my fingers crossed and do that best I can.

I found a script that I wrote a couple of years back.  I think I'm going to do a major rewrite.  Anyone want to proofread for me?

I'm having a hard time believing it myself, but flu season generally lasts from late fall through early spring.  I happen to have caught one of those robust virii that has withstood the test of the season.  Lucky me.  I have this constant ambient noise in my head, like a constant drawn out bad chord played on an electric guitar.  It's not irritating, aside from the fact that it's hard to hear others speaking to me.  I refuse to take any sick days in order for me to meet my deadlines at work.  I have community work that is just too important for me to let sit idle.

There are good points in all of this.  I'm feeling a little better.  I hope I don't regress.  I'm also logging massive hours of beauty sleep, although it's more out of me being fatigued and weak than me just wanting slumber.  Tagalog class is over, which is honestly a whole mixed bag of tricks because it was a place where I felt I could really use Tagalog freely and openly.  It was an open environment.  Now I have to find other outlets.

I'm thinking about going to BASH.  Anyone want to go with me?

Anyone wonder how secure the internet is?  Well I got this message at work today from our Information Technology Department. 

"If you have a PC at home that is named VIRGIL and you use Comcast for Internet services, please contact the Client Services Support Help Desk at 445-5683 or e-mail Techsup1 because your PC is infected with a virus and keeps trying to connect to the Department's Internet e-mail gateways.  This is also a reminder that all home PCs that connect to the network or use WebAccess must have anti-virus software installed, and the definitions must be kept current."

I find that crazy.  They know the name of this computer, the internet service this person is using, and who knows what else?

Anyone else catch the Bush speech yesterday?  He's a terrible public speaker.  He's monotone, lacks charisma, and can't even enunciate.  Bush pronounced Abu Ghraib as "ah-boo gah-rab" when ever other news anchor and United States officials have been and are still calling it "ah-boo gray-b."  They can't all be wrong and he's right. 

It speaks volumes of his intelligence.  He is a nitwit.  He is an oil tycoon, and wants to use up all other oil stores before we tap America's, also known as his.  Remember when America went to help Mexico stabilize their peso?  Was it just a coincidence that they found a natural store of oil off the Mexican coast soon after?  Who knows that the Philippines has stores of oil off of it's northern and eastern coastlines?  It's probably part of the big reason America wanted to make an "investment" of the Philippines.  However, maybe the nitwits are those of us that buy into the idea that everyone will win from this situation and lack that will to make a change for the better.

Flu symptoms are usually more severe than cold symptoms and tend to come on suddenly (Thursday, May 20, 2004), and include weakness (check), fatigue (check), muscle aches (check), headache (check), fever (101 degrees F), chills (check), coughs (check) and sometimes sneezing (check), and a stuffy or runny nose (check and check). 

I have the perfect influenza virus.

How you say something is just as important as what you say.  For example, the director of "Struggling Truths," Sonny Alforque came up to me and said, "You know, if you plan to act in more plays, which I think you should, you should take some acting classes."  Imagine if he hadn't put in the "which I think you should."  It would've come out as "You know, if you plan to act in more plays, you should take some acting classes."  Or worse yet, what if he left out the "if you plan to act in more plays part and just said, "You know, you should take some acting classes."  Ouch.

Again, let me reiterate:  How you say something is just as important as what you say.

And on to other things.  There were elections for Pilipino Youth Coalition Sacramento yesterday.  I ran to be advisor.  That didn't happen.  Oh well, what can you do?  I have a lot going on already, but I know that I can handle whatever is thrown my way.  Even as hesitant as I was about stepping up for the position, especially knowing how busy I am, I was sort of hurt not getting it...for about 2 minutes.  Then I moved on. 

The day before that, I actually was able to go enjoy some brotherhood/social time at the Ka-Luau, an event put on by the women of Kappa Psi Epsilon.  It was good seeing them and the brothers too.  Phil Tadena, XPO #107, a Marine stationed in Missouri was there and it was really cool catching up with him.  He's in the state only for a week to receive the Asian American Meritorious Service Award.

For those of you that don't know, I have been involved with a competition called National History Day since I was an eighth grader at Samuel Jackman Middle School, in various capacities.  When I first started, it was because I could get out of class and work with a video camera and video editing equipment.  The following years, it became a mission of mine to not only win, but to show the world of academia that a person like me, an only child of a single mother, in a financially lower class immigrant family, has a place among the ranks of the "intellectuals."

It was with that sort of chip on my shoulder that I did compete, that I went to college, and currently urge students "with the odds stacked against them" to get that higher education and to expect more for themselves.

In any case, this year, I saw several unique projects at the state level of competition.  One performance was done by a group of Hmong students, about their history.  It was great.  I learned a lot about a culture not known to me, their traditions and customs, and how they deal with their ever changing culture here as Hmong Americans.  Why isn't this taught in schools?

One project was about Emmitt Till, and his murder.  It was great, because here was a group of guys, of mixed ethnicity, teaching me about this man, whose death sparked the civil rights movement, and whose case is going to be opened up again to convict the men that killed him.  Why isn't this taught in schools?

The final project was done by two female Korean students, on the Japanese invasion of Korea during World War II.  It was a part of the war that you never hear about.  We know about Pearl Harbor.  We know a little bit about the invasion of the Philippines.  The students even analyzed how the same event is perceived by Koreans, by Japanese, and by Americans, putting text books side by side from those respective countries.  It was really good.  That's probably why they are going to the national competition in Washington DC.  Oh and here's a cool wrinkle:  They arrived in America as foreign exchange students nine months ago.

So keep pushing, to be better, to get better, to reach enlightenment and nirvana.

A mother is someone who can take anyone's place, but whose place nobody else can take.  I visited the cemetery yesterday, then spent the rest of the day with lola, except for when I had to leave for the show.

Mother's Day.  In my opinion, it's one of those holidays that shouldn't really be a holiday, because we should be expressing our appreciation for our mothers and fathers and family and friends every day.  Why do we need a holiday to remind us to do that?  I can see the value of picking a certain day to go above and beyond our normal daily routines, but if we were to do that more frequently, think of the progress we'd make as people.  If we would just push ourselves to do more, to be better, more frequently than we do now.  A few people have done, or do that.  Hopefully more people will do that in the future.

I was exposed to another sign of the times.  A cast member, Brian, was talking about a statement he heard from someone that went like this:

I don't think I could ever marry a black guy and have kids with him because I can't imagine having that black thing come out of me.

And my blood pressure rose and I grit and ground my teeth, before I completely went off on how people need to learn something.  So to all the prejudiced, the racist, the sexist, the whatever-ist folks out there, let this be a warning that I have this desire, this need, to teach you something, and it's burning me up.  I hope you learn, for your sake, for mine, for everyone's sake.

Opening night.  It was cool.  The cast hit points and levels that they haven't hit before.  As a whole the cast was more inspired.  Must be all that William Hung music flying around the room.  We have three more shows this weekend.  Even professionals don't do four shows in a row.  At least I've never heard of it.  This leads me to the conclusion that we are hyper-professional.  That's a good thing, unless it's not.

I ran across a really cool article that I would like to circulate here.  Before I post it, I'd like to ask where Miss Mel has been all my life, or if you share the same feelings as Miss Mel, well by all means introduce yourself to me.

Ode to Smart, Strong and Sexy Asian American Men

By Miss Mel
Special to ModelMinority.com
May 5, 2004

I'm tired of hearing people diss on my smart, strong and sexy Asian American brothers out there. And I there are enough people who complain or write about it. There are not enough, however, who pay homage to these extraordinary men. So here I profess my love to them. No Long Duk Donging or Fu Manchuing allowed here!

It must be hard, my Asian American brother, being told that to be a "real man" you must be big, brawny, and not too booksmart (as streetsmarts are infinitely sexier). Every time you go to the movies or turn on the television, the leading men, the heroes: none of them look like you. And when you do see someone who looks like you, you see Long Duk Dong or Fu Manchu. You cannot speak English, but if you do, your tongue must be a little warped at all times, as you hardly ever speak sans accent, even if you, the actor, have lived in America and spoken English all your life. You are the stingy and racist Korean grocer, the stingy and racist Indian 7-11 owner, the nerdy and sexless egghead, the horny foreign exchange student who wants nothing but White American girl ass, the cold and heartless killer from the Hong Kong Triad, the kickass but goofy (and totally unsexy) cop (who must be teamed with a "real American" because he cannot possibly be American with that accent of his!), the good guy master martial artist (who still never gets to kiss the girl in the end).

You are more than a stereotype! Where are my sexy Asian American ER doctors, my powerful and witty Asian American Practice lawyers, my funny and attractive Asian American Friends? Smart, strong and sexy ones, you must thank your lucky stars for Bruce Lee, who took on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and fought with fists of fury, but even he could not win the battle against Hollywood. 

So rare is the occasion that I see you, my smart, strong and sexy Asian American man, that sometimes I forget you exist. But you do, you do! I swear, you do! But when I think of the hero, the first image that pops into my head is that of a white man, probably of Eastern European descent, muscles rippling with every step as he strides towards me from the big screen, a little bloody after having killed off a hundred bad guys in order to rescue me. The white, Eastern European guy is interchangeable with a Wesley Snipes or Denzel Washington type, or even Will Smith. You bet your bottoms they get at least a kiss at the end. But when the incredibly sexy and incredibly sweet Jet Li gets Aaliyah to be his Juliet, he can't even get so much as a smooch. What's up with that? 

Fret not, the movies lie! They forget to show images of your honeyed skin, toasted to a deep bronze by the hot sun, droplets of sweat glistening upon your furrowed brow, as you moved from field to field, using sophisticated Japanese irrigation techniques so that your crops and harvest would be lush and bountiful. You worked day and night, night and day, saving up your money to send for your wives and children, but you had to have patience because you were lured here by false promises of freedom, equality, opportunity, and wealth so it took longer than you expected. Still you persevered.  They forget how you toiled in the sweltering heat and the freezing cold, laying down the railroad tracks, always assigned the most dangerous jobs because you were brave, you were strong, and they were scared! Your strong arms, your sturdy backs, you helped to build this country! 

Yellow peril, they called you. They were threatened by your diligence, your intelligence, your strength. It was your body, my smart, strong sexy Asian American man, that raised America from dust and dirt to wealth and riches, and even if this country's history is quick to forget you, you remain emblazoned in the hearts and minds of we who choose to remember, we who dare not forget how our fathers and brothers suffered for this country. We do not forget the purple hearts that hang from the tattered uniform you wore when this country forced you to fight two wars, one in Europe against the Enemy and the other at home to prove your American-ness to a government that hated you. Few can fathom the inner turmoil you faced when America herded you and your family to filthy internment camps so you Japs wouldn't be able to instigate a "5th column" uprising. To prove them wrong, you fought valiantly, but still the bravery of the Japanese American 100th Battalion/ 442nd Regimental Combat Team has received little attention. 

How dare they call you weak? I promise you, you are stronger and sexier than anyone gives you credit for. She (or he, I suppose) is a fool who does not find intelligence sexy. Genius makes my temperature rise, so if you are smart, be proud of it! We won't hold it against you any longer. Nerdy or not, I adore you. 

I don't buy into Philip Rushton's racist bullshit about the inverse relationship between brain power and penis size. How, exactly, did he carry out his oh-so-scientific research? It must be annoying to hear people who don't know you (and have most certainly never looked in your pants, and quite possibly never into the pants of any Asian man) comment on the size of your penis. "I heard Asian men have small dicks." Yeah? Well I've heard that Asian men have big dicks. What's it to you? Anti-miscegenation laws tried to keep Asian dicks from White vaginas. They were so scared of your sexiness that they had to create laws to assuage their own foolish fears. And after it became painfully obvious that these laws were racist, these nasty little rumors began to spread about the kind of package you were packing. (We won't even get into the hypersexualized Black man; that's a story for another day.) All sorts of different men have all sorts of different penis sizes, but some people act as though a man's penis size says something about him. Does it make him any more or less of a man? Please. It's not so much the size of the boat as it is the motion of the ocean, and Asian boats are no different in size than any other boats. There are yachts; there are cruisers; and of course, there are some canoes. Stop being so presumptuous. Rule 1: Don't knock it 'till you rock it. Rule 2: Even after you rock it, do remember that a lady/gentleman never kisses and tells. Didn't your momma teach you not to believe everything you hear? 

But hear this: I love my smart, strong and sexy Asian American men, and I will continue to pay homage to them, my friends, my forefathers, my brothers, my lovers.

*Disclaimer* If you are offended by my ode, take an Asian American studies class, an anthro class, or a media studies class and arm yourself with some knowledge, and then be prepared to have an intelligent, civil, and thought-provoking conversation. Do have some substance with which to back up any foul language you might toss my way. Thanks in advance. Need help getting started? Read the Asian American History Timeline here and you'll be well on your way; just google your little heart out. Learn about yellowface in American cinema. Familiarize yourself with Hollywood portrayals of Asian and Asian American male sexuality.

I am an aspiring thespian, and a large part of becoming a better thespian is to observe other thespians in the craft.  So I went to "History Day in California" and watched students put on their own performances.  Most were good.  Some were great.  What separated performances was their voices and their body language. 

After that, I watched UC Davis' PCN, before I went and had to rehearse in my own show.  PCN was good.  Way better than last year, I felt.  I have to give it up to MK.  I was skeptical about the whole coordinator-by-committee thing.  They made it work though.  Janine did a great job with the actors.  I think the actors were good, but the script could've used some more work.  For example, one glaring thing I noticed was that at the beginning of the show, a statement was made that the performance would be as accurate as possible.  So why, on the eve of the revolution, the book "America is in the Heart" is out?  That didn't get written until 30 years after.  But that's small stuff, and I'm the historian freakazoid, so I am a little overly critical.

Back to the script.  Character development could've been fleshed out a little more, but that's really a finer point in script writing.  I felt the message was great, in particular that the signs and traits that define our identities are here all along.  The acting was adorable enough to appreciate, especially the comic relief characters played by Ron and Eileen.  The first act seemed solved too simply, in a we're in a 30-minute sitcom sort of way, yet the paradox is that it took two hours to get there.

The conclusion of Act 2 was great, although I felt Muslim suite was sort of anti-climactic and the show should've ended on Alisa's poem and the strength of it's message.  Muslim suite took a while to really get going, but by the end it was quite a spectacle.  The costumes were fresh!

Technical things to worry about.  The stage crew needed to pick up the pace!  Sometimes it felt that the transition was longer than the scene.  Get the relatively few props on and off the stage faster!  Some scenes were prop heavy and theater can use more symbolic methods.  We think too much like in movies where everything has to really be there.

Another finer point is to more effectively use the lighting design.  Also in my opinion, Chip Chop is a fun dance to do, but not a good dance to watch as an audience member.  It may be part of the Filipino American culture, but not highly invigorating to the audience.  I did enjoy the modern rendition of Tinikling though.  Highly creative, and that was one of the better lighting uses during the show.

All of these things I'll have to keep in mind if I write another script and/or direct.

Some say a presidency is made or broken on the success of PCN.  This year it was a success.

The show opens in two days, and I can't wait.  So if you want to see me play five characters in a single play, come on out!  I feel like Eddie Murphy playing multiple characters.  In any case, here's the rundown:

Interactive Asian Contemporary Theatre (InterACT) presents...

Struggling Truths by Peter Melencamp

Directed by Sonny Alforque

Starring:
Brian Rivera, Matt Robinson, Lisa Saeyang, Scott Suwabe, Steve Suwabe, Brian Diaz, Bobby G. Roy, Conrad Panganiban, Phi Nguyen, Tami Higa, and Sonny Alforque.

In Tibet, a young man becomes a Buddhist monk - his siter becomes a Communisty revolutionary - and after following vastly different roads, they must battle each other.  "Struggling Truths" explores the political, ideological, and spiritual conflicts which resulted fromt he collision between Communism and Buddhism during the Chinese invasion of Tibet in the 1950's.  Using an epic-theater style, this story of cataclysmic change to an ancient culture - entrenched for centuries in its religious/political systems - is told through the eyes of a brother and sister who are on opposite sides of the conflict.

Opens Thursday, May 6, 2004 at 8 pm
Fridays and Saturdays May 7, 8, 14, 15, 28 & 29 at 8 pm
Sundays May 9, 16, 23 & 30 at 3 pm
(No performance May 21 and 22)
at Sacramento High School's Mel Lawson Theatre
2315 34th St (corner of Y St and 34th St.)
General admission: $14
Seniors 62 and over / Youth 13 and under: $12
Special pricing can be arranged for groups of ten or more.

For ticket reservations and other information, please call InterACT at (916) 452-6174
Visit us on the web at www.interact-theatre.com

Funded in part by the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission City/County Cultural Awards