PROGRAM: Learning How to Read by Moonlight

“If I didn’t define myself for myself, I would be crunched into other people’s fantasies for me and eaten alive.”

Audre Lorde

“Citizenship is showing up. Citizenship is using your voice while making sure you hear other people around you. Citizenship is how you live your life. Citizenship is resilience.”

Jose Antonio Vargas

“Knowing that we can be loved exactly as we are gives us all the best opportunity for growing into the healthiest of people.”

Fred Rogers

LEVIATHAN LAB, THE EPISCOPAL ACTORS’ GUILD, AND MIXED ASIAN MEDIA PRESENT

Learning How to Read by Moonlight

WORDS, ORIGINAL MUSIC & LYRICS, AND CHOREOGRAPHY

BY GAVEN D. TRINIDAD

DIRECTED BY MAURCIO T. SALGADO & MARIA CAMIA

FEBRUARY 10-25, 2023

GUILD HALL, EPISCOPAL ACTORS’ GUILD, 1 EAST 29TH STREET, NYC

RUN TIME

ONE HOUR AND FORTY MINUTES, WITH NO INTERMISSION

CAST

PLAYER ONE/EDDIE

PLAYER TWO/JIMMY

PLAYER THREE/NANAY

SERGIO MAURITZ ANG*

VANESSA RAPPA

KRISTIAN ESPIRITU*

PLAYER FOUR/TATAY CLARO DE LOS REYES*

PLAYER FIVE/MISC. PATRICK ELIZALDE

SPECIAL GUEST NARRATORS

IYVON E. (2.10), EVA SANTOS VELOZ (2.11), ROGER Q. MASON (2.16), LIA

CHANG (2.17), SALMA S. ZOHDI (2.18), DANIEL K. ISAAC (2.22), LUIS H. FRANCIA (2.23), VICTOR I. CAZARES (2.24), AND CHING VALDES-ARAN (2.25).

CREATIVE TEAM

SETS & PROJECTIONS

LIGHTS & BOARD OPERATION

SOUND

PUPPETS

LANGUAGE & CULTURE

STAGE MANAGEMENT

BOARD OPERATION

PRODUCTION

LEVIATHAN LAB

EPISCOPAL ACTORS’ GUILD

CINTHIA CHEN

ALEX ALIPIO

JORDAN ROSE BERNSTEIN

MARIA CAMIA

BING MAGTOTO W/ LYDIA GASTON

MARS JUNO BARTOLOME NERI

ARA TANDON

NICK SWENSEN

JENNI OGASIAN

ARIEL ESTRADA

REBECCA LOVETT

THIS WORKSHOP TAKES PLACE ON THE TRADITIONAL UNCEDED LANDS OF THE LENNI-LENAPE PEOPLE NOW KNOWN COLONIALLY AS NEW YORK CITY.

LEVIATHAN LAB RECOGNIZES THE LEGACY OF SLAVERY IN THE U.S. AND THE BLOOD, SWEAT, AND TEARS OF ENSLAVED BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE THAT SOAK THE EARTH BENEATH OUR FEET. THIS LEGACY PERSISTS TODAY AS WE CONTINUE TO WORK TOWARDS RACIAL JUSTICE, EQUITY, COMMUNITY, AND COLLECTIVE LIBERATION

LEVIATHAN LAB’S 2023 ACTIVITIES, ARE MADE POSSIBLE, IN PART, BY THE NEW YORK STATE COUNCIL ON THE ARTS WITH THE SUPPORT OF GOVERNOR KATHY HOCHUL AND THE NEW YORK STATE LEGISLATURE; AND BY PUBLIC FUNDS FROM THE NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY COUNCIL. OPERATING SUPPORT FOR LEVIATHAN LAB IS PROVIDED BY THE MELLON FOUNDATION NEW YORK THEATER PROGRAM IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE ALLIANCE OF RESIDENT THEATRES/NEW YORK. THE EPISCOPAL ACTORS’ GUILD’S OPEN STAGE SPACE GRANT IS SUPPORTED BY THE NEW YORK STATE COUNCIL ON THE ARTS, THE NYC DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS, AND THE TERI BLACK PERFORMANCE FUND.

* DENOTES AN EQUITY MEMBER APPEARING WITH PERMISSION OF ACTORS’ EQUITY ASSOCIATION WITHOUT BENEFIT OF AN EQUITY CONTRACT IN THIS OFF-OFF-BROADWAY/INDIE THEATER PRODUCTION. LEARNING HOW TO READ BY MOONLIGHT IS AN EQUITY-APPROVED SHOWCASE PRODUCTION.

PLAYWRIGHT’S NOTE

I wrote this play at the very end of November 2019. I was inspired by an image of a 6-year-old boy named Eddie, who didn’t have the tools to navigate his anger and anxiety. As I was trying to understand Eddie’s feelings, U.S. President Trump’s anti-immigrant policies and Filipino President Duterte’s War on Drugs flooded the news. I was witness to how these global politics affected and threatened the lives of my friends. This political turmoil became the backdrop to the story of Eddie and his family’s search for sanctuary as newly arrived immigrants in the U.S.

As you will experience tonight, it takes a community to provide space for healing, magic, and love. This workshop production is the first time the play has been physically realized. Co-directors Maurcio Salgado and Maria Camia generously provided space where every single artist could be vulnerable and lean into uncertainty and exploration. Our team of designers and cultural consultants have further helped me imagine the worlds of the play. The cast poured their hearts in the play at every rehearsal, whether we were running lines or line dancing. The guest narrators agreed to join the cast without much knowledge of the script! In addition, the team has come together with Churches United for Fair Housing, a grassroots immigrant run organization, to raise money for immigrant communities throughout the city.

This play is personal for the Moonlight family, many identifying as immigrants or children of immigrants. For some of us, it’s the first time speaking and hearing Tagalog (and some Ilonggo) on stage, languages that we’ve only heard in our households. Some scenes from the play are based on true events from our lives and memories that still sit with us. We’ve even made an altar with objects that remind us of our families, our own immigration stories, and the journeys we’ve all made since we were 6 years old.

Every play, poem, or song I write is an inquiry whether love truly exists in this world of cruelty. Time and time again, I prove to myself that it does. This play has made me believe again in the kindness and the good of humanity. The Moonlight family wants to share this love and generosity with you in this workshop production. We welcome you to this development process whole heartedly. Thank you for helping this play grow. – Gaven

D. Trinidad

CARE ADVISORY

Please note that LEARNING HOW TO READ BY MOONLIGHT explores urgent issues faced by Filipino communities in the United States, as well as mental health, racism, government sanctioned police violence, and xenophobia with a vulnerable and tender heart. Leviathan Lab encourages its audiences to explore these themes as a community, be witness to each other’s humanity, and to lean in with empathy and love so that all may support each other throughout the production.

BIOGRAPHIES

GAVEN TRINIDAD WORDS, MUSIC, & DANCE

Gaven D. Trinidad (they/he/siya) is a first generation queer Fil-Am dramaturg, director, playwright, and educator from NYC. They’ve had the privilege to collaborate with folx in various artistic and administrative positions at The Juilliard Drama Division, Musical Theatre Factory, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, Rattlestick Theatre, Roundabout Theatre Company, 2nd Stage, National Queer Theater, and Ma-Yi Theatre Company. M.F.A. Dramaturgy, UMass Amherst; 2012 TFA Memphis Cohort; TCG 2021 Rising Leader of Color. They are the Community Engagement Associate at New York Theatre Workshop. Living with bipolar disorder, they are an advocate for Mental Health Awareness and Suicide Prevention. www.gaventrinidadtheatre.com

MAURICIO SALGADO DIRECTION

Co-Creative Producer for the Remember2019 Collective; Co-Founder of Arts Ignite; Co-Producer of CRAFT Courses for the CRAFT Institute; Core Faculty with ArtEquity; Associate Chair of the Undergraduate Drama Department at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. Mauricio is currently co-writing a new resource guide for the World Health Organization that focuses on the ethics of artistic engagements in health services. He is also curating the Festival of Voices at NYU - April 21-29, 2023. This years festival is inspired by The Poor People’s Campaign National Call for a Moral Revival and will feature new works by Kirya Traber, Alicia Morales, The Verbatim Theatre Lab, DonkeySaddle Projects and the Arts and Culture Branch of the New York State Chapter of the Poor People’s Campaign. Grateful for Rocio, Carlos, Cynthia, Eliseo, Peggy, George, Ximena, Damian, Castiel, Craig, Karly, Chad, Elaine, Ched; all of my blood and chosen relatives, and all that is mysterious and divine.

www.mauriciotsalgado.com

MARIA CAMIA DIRECTION & PUPPET DESIGN & COACHING

Maria Camia (she/her) is a Filipino American Artist, Fashion Designer, and Introspective Hypnosis Practitioner who creates Spiritual / Sci-Fi Theater with the intention to globally inspire liberation through healing and play. She has performed original work at Chicago’s International Puppet Festival, Dixon Place, La Mama, and Coney Island USA. Her first full-length puppet show, NEW MONY! was commissioned and first presented in NYC by Dixon Place with private funds from the Jim Henson Foundation and The Jerome Foundation. Maria received The Jim Henson Workshop Grant ’20 and ’22 and The Jim Henson Production Grant ‘23. THE HEALING SHIPMENT’s world premiere will be at La Mama’s Puppet Festival November 2-5, 2023. See you there!

www.maricama.com | @themaricama

SERGIO MAURITZ ANG PLAYER 1 / EDDIE

Sergio Mauritz Ang (he/they/siya) is a NYC bred queer creative carebear, actor and teacher originally from Manila, Philippines. A former Undocumented Immigrant and DACA Recipient. New York: Colman Domingo’s THE BROTHER[S] (Out of the Box Theatrics), JOKER (National Queer Theater), ANNA IN THE TROPICS (The Gallery Players), SUMMERTIME (Between Two Boroughs) Select Regional: SONG OF ME (Stages Houston), FROM NUMBER TO NAME (East West Players), YOGA PLAY, THE SKIN OF OUR TEETH, I AM NOT BATMAN, AS YOU LIKE IT, RAGTIME (PlayMakers Rep), FLOWERS OF HAWAII (Chautauqua Theatre Company), BRUISE & THORN (PlayPenn), PETER AND THE STARCATCHER (Kitchen Theatre Company), MAÑANAS DE ABRIL Y MAYO (Connecticut Free Shakespeare). TV: The Other Two (HBOMax). Taos Pusong Pasasalamat: Moonlight Fam, Baks, BWA and CLA Fam, To Queens, my beloved husband, mi and di for bringing us to this Country. For all the Dreamers, Immigrants, Asylum Seekers: This is our home and we are here to stay. MFA: UNC Chapel Hill. BFA: Brooklyn College. @yoizsergyo | www.sergiomauritzang.com

VANESSA RAPPA PLAYER 2 / JIMMY

Vanessa Rappa is an interdisciplinary artist, exploring in and creating for the realms of poetry, music, theater, and movement as a poet, singer/song-writer, actor, and dancer. Their music, plays, and poetry have been presented by Undiscovered Countries, Judson Memorial Church, Loisaida Center, Pioneers Go East Collective, Nuyorican Poets Cafe, CreateART, New York Theater Workshop open mic events, as well as Poetic Theater Productions. In Fall 2021, they performed their first fully produced, original piece SCRIBBLED LINES, presented by Poetic Theater Productions. Notable works of 2022: performed in SPECIALLY PROCESSED AMERICAN ME created by Jaime Sunwoo at Dixon Place with Ping Chong & Company, completed a residency at BRICLab with Pioneers Go East Collective as a musician/performance artist for a work-in-process presentation of MY NAME’SOUND, and performed traditional indigenous dance and ritual with Kinding Sindaw at La Mama. www.vanessarappa.weebly.com/

KRISTIAN ESPIRITU PLAYER 3 / NANAY

Kristian Espiritu (she/they/siya) is a queer Brooklyn-based storyteller and Filipinx creative. Selected theater: INTERSTATE (East West Players), SCHOOL OF ROCK (1st Nat’l), HERE LIES LOVE (The Public), THE RISE AND FALL OF HOLLY FUDGE (Merrimack Rep). TV: Love Life (HBO Max), Hunters (Amazon Prime), Younger (TV Land). Kristian is also a fiber artist and owner of How Bout Knot, creating macrame goods and art. For Nanay and Kuya. RISE. www.kristianespiritu.com | IG: @kriscendo @howboutknot

CLARO DE LOS REYES PLAYER 4 /TATAY

Claro de los Reyes (he/him/his) is an actor, theatre & film storyteller, and an educator of the Filipino diaspora. He has performed with NY theater companies that include NAATCO, Pan Asian Rep, Leviathan Lab, and International WOW. Claro was last seen on stage in THE STRANGE CASE OF CITIZEN DE LA CRUZ at Ice Factory festival 2022 / New Ohio Theatre. You can catch him on screen in the recently released Plane (Lionsgate) starring Gerard Butler and Micheal Colter. Claro is the founder and director of Atlantic Pacific Theatre, an indie theater company committed to exploring cross cultural exchange, pluralism, and decolonized creative practices. Maraming Salamat to the cast and crew for the passion and creative energy spent making theatre magic together as a community. IG: @clarodelosreyes

PATRICK ELIZALDE PLAYER 5 / MISCELLANEOUS

Patrick Elizalde is a New York-based actor. Recent theatrical credits include Der Ring Gott Farblonjet (Columbia University), Cowboy vs Samurai (Bristol Valley Theater), Ti Mangyuna (UC San Diego), South Pacific (Plaza Broadway Long Island), The Catamite (Broadway Bound Theatre Festival), and Jar of Fat (Brown University). Patrick is very excited to be part of such a talented and generous group of artists and feels so lucky to have found community among them. Special thanks to Lydia Gaston for her friendship and guidance, Bing Magtoto for her help with his undergrad thesis, written about Filipino political theater made under the Marcos regime, and extra special thanks to Gaven Trinidad for writing such a beautiful, open-hearted piece and trusting Patrick to help bring it to the stage. www.backstage.com/u/patrick-elizalde/

BING MAGTOTO LANGUAGE & CULTURE CONSULTANCY

Agnes (Bing) Magtoto is a New Yorkbased Filipino actor-educator. Bing is currently an Adjunct Professor teaching Filipino language and culture at NYU and a faculty for Tagalog for Adults courses at the Filipino School of New York and New Jersey. Originally from Manila, she was a resident theater artist of the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) for 18 years. She has acted in over 50 stage, television, and film productions both commercial and independent in the Philippines and US. She has done voice-over work with NPR and more recently with the Queens Memory podcast project of the Queens Public library. Bing continues to work with various cultural groups and community organizations as well as with immigrant resource centers, developing curricula and programs that integrate theater with activism and leadership development. In 2014, Bing was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Filipino American National Historical SocietyMetro New York Chapter.

LYDIA GASTON LANGUAGE & CULTURE CONSULTANCY

Broadway credits: Jerome Robbins’ Broadway, MISS SAIGON, THE KING AND I (1996, Lady Thiang u/s; Lincoln Center 2015 revival), SHOGUN and THE RED SHOES. Off-Bway productions with: Ma-Yi Theatre Group, National AsianAmerican Theatre (NAATCO), Pan Asian Rep, and The Public Theatre. TV credits: The Blacklist, The Path, Late Night With Seth Meyers, The Sopranos. Film: Easter Sunday (starring as Tita Susan). MA in Applied Theater, School of Professional Studies CUNY. www.lydiagaston.com

CINTHIA CHEN | SETS & PROJECTIONS

Cinthia Chen is an interdisciplinary artist and director based in Brooklyn and Taiwan. She has created and developed original work through Mabou Mines, Theater Mitu, Fault Line Theater, Corkscrew Theater Festival, Asian American Arts Alliance, and Creators Collective. For her work as a video and projections designer, she was recognized at La MaMa’s Design Fest 2020. Recent design works include: WHERE ARE YOU? (NEW YORK) (Mabou Mines), TAKE SHAPE (ART/New York), SPECIALLY PROCESSED AMERICAN ME (Dixon Place), O - LIFE’S A DRAG (Guling Street Avant-garde Theatre), and AMERICAN (TELE)VISIONS (New York Theater Workshop, assistant designer). Cinthia works as a film editor as well, for independent artists and production companies such as Five Sisters Productions and ARRI China. She also helps run Theater Mitu’s Hybrid Arts Lab program, which supports trans, non-binary, and women artists working at the intersection of performance and technology. www.cinthiachen.com

ALEX ALIPIO | LIGHTS & BOARD OPERATOR

Alex is dedicated to creating and consuming projects that bring joy and celebrate underprivileged, unnoticed, and minority communities. As an artist, he believes in creating art that speaks to individuals in the crowd and focusing his energy on intimate projects that affect the lives of his audience for the better. New York: POSAKA (ALD) at LaMama, Ashley Everhart’s ONLY TIME (LD) at The Tank. Fordham Mainstage: DANCE NATION (Asst. Scenic), FUCKING A (Projection Designer), CONTINUITY (Co-LD). Fordham Studio: DRACULA FILES (Projection Designer), EVEN SO (LD), SMALL MOUTH SOUNDS (LD), CLOUD TECTONICS (LD), MOON AND THE WOLF (LD), GOD OF CARNAGE (LD), ICARUS’ MOTHER (Assoc. LD), DELIRIUM (ME), DARK PLAY OR STORIES FOR BOYS (ALD). www.alexalipio.com

JORDAN ROSE BERNSTEIN | SOUND

Jordan Rose Bernstein is a Filipino-American sound designer based out of the NY/NJ area. She is passionate about telling stories through sound and showing the importance of sound in storytelling. With a close attention to dramaturgy and world building, she supports and uplifts narratives with her design, whether through subtle ambiences or sonic journeys. Jordan greatly values strong collaboration and recognizes the worth of good character in a room. She strives to help create a supportive and empathetic space wherever she goes. Recent credits include WHERE ARE YOU? (Suite/Space; Mabou Mines), BLUE FIRE BURNS THE HOTTEST (The Exponential Festival; The Brick), and BREATHE (NYU/Tisch New Studio on Broadway). BFA

Drama: NYU www.jordanrosesound.com | @jordanrosesound

MARS NERI | Production Stage Manager

Mars Juno Bartolome Neri (they/them) is a Filipino-Japanese-American artist and stage manager dedicated to supporting those who want to tell their personal stories and creating community through social justice oriented art, new plays, or devised works. Their passion lies in community care and the joy that can be found through these collaborative storytelling processes. Most of their work is with the Fordham Theatre program, but they’ve also done work with Signature Theatre DC, the Song Collective, Leviathan Lab, and worked on the Webby Award-winning online fundraiser A GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO LOVE & MURDER (ABRIDGED!) for Stop AAPI Hate. They’re devoted to doing work that brings unheard voices and untold stories to light. Their heart goes out to anyone who needs a reminder that they are loved. www.marsjbneri.com

ARA TANDON | Production Stage Manager

Ara Tandon (they/them) is a stage manager and multidisciplinary artist who values the power of conceptual art in the pursuit of social progress. They are currently studying stage management at Fordham University and recently completed an internship at the historic Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Company in Denver, CO. Last October they stage managed the workshop production of You Don’t Have to Do Anything, written by Ryan Drake and produced through the IRT 3B Development Series and will be production stage managing Fordham Playwriting’s upcoming production of And This Is Where We, written by Iz Gonzalez. They would like to thank Mars, Ariel, and Gaven for entrusting them with this opportunity!

JENNI OGASIAN | Producer

Jenni Ogasian (she/her/hers) is a Filipino-American activist and theatrical producer working out of New York City. She graduated from Fordham University in 2021 with a B.A. in Theatre (Playwriting), where she produced three developmental workshops of her plays. She is a strong advocate for AAPI representation in theatre, and in 2020 founded and led the Fordham Theatre AAPI Affinity Group. That year, she also worked as Project Manager for #RacismIsAVirus and Unapologetically Asian, two social media brands who seek to uplift Asian American voices. In addition to her work as Producer for Leviathan, Jenni is also a member of Collaborazian, a collective of AAPI theatre artists and producers. They most recently produced an abridged concert of A GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER to raise money for Stop AAPI Hate. She is currently the Project Manager at The Pekoe Group.

ARIEL ESTRADA | Producing Artistic Director

Ariel Estrada (he/him/his) is Webby Award-winning producer, actor, writer, and advocate for Asian American Pacific Islander performing artists. As

an actor, he has performed on television, film, commercials, digital media, and Off-, and Off-Off-Broadway. As a producer, Ariel is the Founder and Producing Artistic Director for Leviathan Lab, a nonprofit creative studio for Asian American performing artists. As an arts administrator, he is the Associate Director of the Theatre Program at Fordham University; the Marketing & Membership Director for the Consortium of Asian American Theaters and Artists; and sits on the board of New York Theatre Barn. His leadership has been recognized by artEquity, New York Foundation for the Arts, and Theatre Communications Group. www.arielestrada.com | www. leviathanlab.org | LI: /arielestrada | IG: @arielestrada1

ABOUT LEVIATHAN LAB

Founded in 2009, Leviathan Lab is an award-winning not-for-profit creative studio whose mission is the advancement of Asian and Asian American (A/AA) performing artists and their work. Through the speaking of A/ AA artists’ words, and the presentation of A/AA bodies, presence, and gestures, Leviathan works to open spaces that promote social justice, bridge communities, and assert the power of art to change the world. We function as a lab where artists can be courageous, experiment, and thrive, even as they create works that captivate the audiences we serve. www.leviathanlab.org

ABOUT EPISCOPAL ACTORS’ GUILD

Founded in 1923, EAG is a nonsectarian 501(c)(3) charitable organization whose mission is to provide emergency aid and support to professional performers of all faiths and none who are undergoing financial crisis. EAG is also dedicated to helping emerging artists advance their careers through scholarships, awards, and performance opportunities. EAG is also a membership organization that welcomes the participation of all those who are interested in celebrating the talent and dedication needed to sustain a career in the performing arts, and holds several events each month with all proceeds being used to support performers in need. www.actorsguild.org

ABOUT CHURCHES UNITED FOR FAIR HOUSING

Churches United for Fair Housing (CUFFH) is a grassroots organization that works to achieve community empowerment through community organizing, youth engagement, and by providing sophisticated social services. CUFFH believes that housing is a human right, that housing justice is racial justice, and that all New Yorkers regardless of their income level, race or immigration status deserve to live in a home that is safe, affordable and permanent. www.cuffh.org

ABOUT ACTORS’ EQUITY ASSOCIATION

Actors’ Equity Association (“Equity”) is the labor union representing American actors and stage managers in the theatre. Founded in 1913, Equity represents more than 51,000 professional Actors and Stage Managers nationwide. Equity seeks to foster the art of live theatre as an essential component of society and advances the careers of its members by negotiating wages, improving working conditions and providing a wide range of benefits, including health and pension plans. Actors’ Equity is a member of the AFL-CIO and is affiliated with FIA, an international organization of performing arts unions. www.actorsequity.org

ABOUT HUMANITIX

Humanitix is the not-for-profit ticketing platform that gives events impact, putting booking fees toward closing the education gap. Humanitix’s programs include meals for disadvantaged school kids, education programs for girls and scholarships for indigenous students. Learn more about Humanitix at www.humanitix.com/us

ABOUT CHURCHES UNITED FOR FAIR HOUSING

Churches United for Fair Housing (CUFFH) is a grassroots advocacy organization rooted in faith and community spaces that provides affordable housing services and integrated social resources. CUFFH organizes our working-class BIPOC communities around issues of housing, immigration, social, and economic justice to generate power and harness true liberation. Learn more about their work at www.cuffh.org.