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| Mary Gwen (Jen Cuevas) and son Jay (Jomar Tagatac) celebrate her birthday. (Mark Kitaoka photo) |
Having lost his sense of purpose along with his girlfriend
and his job, an aspiring playwright moves back in with his mother.
So begins Jeffrey Lo’s “Writing Fragments Home,” being
given its world premiere by Hillbarn Theatre & Conservatory.
Jay (Jomar Tagatac) is the son of Filipino immigrants.
His widowed mother, Mary Gwen (Jen Cuevas), is a hard-working nurse with a bad
back. She loves her 40-year-old son, but makes him sleep on the couch and wishes
he would get a real job.
During Jay’s attempts to write a scene in which two
people are attracted to each other, their scene is enacted by actors played by
Brigitte Losey and Jamiel St. Rose, who both play several roles in the play. If
this scene is any indication of Jay’s talents, it’s no wonder his plays haven’t
been produced.
During conversations with his mom, Jay learns more
about his Filipino heritage and why his parents left the Philippines and
settled in the Bay Area: Even though they were doing well in their home
country, they wanted a good life for their son.
In other dream or fantasy scenes, Jay talks with his
father, Ronaldo (Jepoy Ramos), who died when Jay was in his early teens. During
their talks, Jay gains insight into his heritage as well as the obstacles faced
by his Filipino parents.
Although the first act involves arguments between
mother and son, their discussions grow more serious in the second. Still, much
of the drama is amply interspersed with humor.
The second act begins with a celebration of Mary Gwen’s
birthday. When Jay brings out the cake, he sings “Happy Birthday” in Tagalog
and invites the audience to join in. Many do.
Production values are high, thanks to an excellent
cast, direction by Reed Flores, the living room set by Christopher Fitzer, mood
lighting by Pamila Gray, costumes by Nolan Miranda (the audience liked Jay’s Warriors
T-shirt with the number 30 in the second act) and sound by Alan Chang.
Running about two and a half hours with an
intermission, “Writing Fragments Home” will continue through May 4 at Hillbarn
Theatre, 1285 E. Hillsdale Blvd., Foster City.
For tickets and information, call (650) 349-6411 or
visit www.hillbarntheatre.org.
