Reclaiming Life: Silencing Stigma Playbill

S p e c i a l

T h a n k s

The University of Illinois at Chicago’s Asian American Studies Program proudly presents

Asian American Studies Program 490: “Mental Health, Asian Americans, and Community Engagement”

A collection of true stories dramatizing the mental health issues of Asian American and Middle Eastern storytellers.

UIC James Stukel Towers 718 West Rochford Street Chicago, Illinois 60607 Thursday, April 16, 2015 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm

A Just Harvest-Spice & Rice Catering

This event is made possible by the UIC Asian American Studies Program and the UIC AANAPISI Initiative, which is fully funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions Program.

S p o n s o r s • • •

UIC Asian American Studies Program (ASAM) The UIC Asian American and Native American Pacific IslanderServing Institutions (AANAPISI) Initiative UIC Disability Resource Center (DRC)

This event is made possible by the UIC Asian American Studies Program and the UIC AANAPISI Initiative, which is fully funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions Program.

C o - S p o n s o r s • • •

Asian American Public Health Student Organization (AAPHSO) Asian American Students in Alliance (AASIA) Mental Health and Disability Alliance (MHDA)

Pe r f o r m e r ’s

B i o s

Kai Kai Mascarenas (Anne’s story) is a community organizer with the Alliance of Filipinos for Immigrant Rights and Empowerment and a graduate student in student affairs at the University of Maryland. When she isn't holding workshops with students, you'll find her having a one song dance party in her room or cuddling with her cat, Mango.

Loreen Targos (Young-Sook’s story and voice of Chesa’s friends) is a graduate student at the UIC School of Public Health, an actor, and improviser.

Join her this June in celebrating her theater company, StirFriday Night's, 20th anniversary! You can follow her on twitter @LoTargos and see pictures of her cute dog on instagram @loskic.

Shoma Webster (voice of Noora’s therapist, voice of Chesa’s friends, and Young Sook’s friends) is a senior at UIC studying psychology. She currently works on various research projects pertaining to Asian Americans, war and memory as well as mental health. Her love for theatre was inspired by her theatre performances both in high school and in her acting class at UIC. She is originally from South America (Guyana) and loves traveling in her spare time. Her dream is to one day appear on screen or on stage to further fuel her passion for the arts.

Manako Yabe (Jessica’s story) is a Ph.D. candidate in UIC’s Disability Studies program who participated in Professor Rooshey Hasnain’s ASAM 490/SOC 455 course titled “Mental Health, Asian Americans, and Community Engagement) in Fall, 2014. She collected, wrote, and is performing her storyteller (Jessica’s) story tonight. She is also UIC's Communication Access Consultant at Disability Resource Center and the ASL Social Club Coordinator. She is an international student and originally comes from Japan. This is her first acting debut.

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Pe r f o r m e r

B i o s

Maria Brenda (Noora’s story and Chesa’s mother) is a trained actor and model. She’s been modeling for over 10 years and just recently getting back into acting. She has been singing and dancing since she was a little girl. She’s done a few theater shows in the past and featured extra work in a few major TV series and on film. She’s been cast in a few webseries, short films, independent films, improv shows, scripted reality TV, commercials.

Being an actress has always a dream of hers. She’s hoping to land a role of a lifetime on the big screen one day.

Raymond Hui (Chesa’s father and Young Sook’s friends) is a comedian and writer. He performs with Asian-American comedy troupe StirFriday Night and improvises with Throttle Aristotle. @raysirramon Brian Kung (Chesa’s husband, voice of Noora’s brother, and Young Sook’s friends) is a 2nd generation Chinese American guy who stores food in an interdimensional pocket. When he's not trying to eat himself to death, he enjoys adventurous, physically demanding activities like napping and hitting refresh on Facebook. You can read more about him on the internet. Actually, you can probably read too much about him on the internet. Please don't.

Ramona Kywe (Chesa’s story and Jung Hee in Young Sook’s story) is thrilled and grateful to be working in her a second production of Silencing Stigma. She graduated from Columbia College with a BA in Theater.

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B a c k g r o u n d Reclaiming Life: Silencing Stigma was created by CIRCA Pintig in collaboration with students who were enrolled in a Fall 2014 course titled Mental Health, Asian Americans, and Community Engagement based at University of Illinois at Chicago’s Asian American Studies Program. The production weaves together the social, emotional, and psychological complexities of the Asian American experience as they relate to issues of race, gender, class, and mental health. These are stories of survival, about finding the meaning of life in a culture fragmented by ambition, and about finding strength in family and in community.

A b o u t

A S A M

The Asian American Studies (ASAM) program and the Minor began in 2010 after the tireless, dedicated, and selfless efforts of students, staff, and faculty since 1991. We are a vibrant community of scholars, teachers, and activists who seek to advance a critical understanding of contemporary issues through the interdisciplinary study of Asian American histories and experiences while engaging with various communities of color in the United States and Asian diasporas globally. It is a field that has continually expanded and transformed in relation to new immigration patterns and historical shifts in U.S. racial formations, including, most recently, phenomena such as Islamaphobia, new Orientalisms, and anti-Arab/South Asian/Muslim racisms.

For more information about UIC ASAM, please visit: http://www.asam.uic.edu/

A b o u t

C I R C A

P i n t i g

Pintig which means pulse in Filipino, was founded in April 1991, with a mission to serve as a voice of the Filipino American community by engaging in active cultural work – using art as a means to celebrate the community’s rich history and culture. CIRCA was a non-profit arts organization that was founded in December 2001 by members of the PINTIG Cultural Group. CIRCA and Pintig merged in 2006 to form CIRCA Pintig, a community theater company and community education and outreach organization. For more information about CIRCA Pintig, please visit: http://www.circapintig.com/

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P r o g ra m Introductory Remarks:

Dr. Anna Guevarra and Maggie Mui

Welcome:

John Capua and Ernestina Perez

The Stories: •Anne’s Story – Part 1: an empowering story at a conference as Anne, Kai Kai Mascarenas •

Jessica‘s Story – Part 1 – Thanksgiving: a deaf Korean-American woman shares her feelings and frustrations about family, loneliness, and communication as Jessica, Manako Yabe

•A Physician’s Story: a Muslim woman’s struggle and courage as Noora, Maria Brenda as Noora’s brother, voice of Brian Kung as therapist, voice of Shoma Webster •

Jessica’s Story – Part 2 - Loneliness

•Chesa’s Story: a glimpse into the lives of a Filipino-American family through the experience of a young woman coping with depression, abuse, and loss as Chesa, Ramona Kywe as Chesa’s father, Raymond Hui as Chesa’s mother, Maria Brenda as Joe, Chesa’s husband, Brian Kung as Chesa’s friends, voices of Loreen Targos & Shoma Webster •

Jessica’s Story – Part 3 - Shut up!

•Korean Sisters Story: a woman’s journey to embracing herself and America as Young Sook, Loreen Targos as Jung Hee, Young Sook’s sister, Ramona Kywe as Young Sook’s friends, Maria Brenda, Raymond Hui, Brian Kung, Shoma Webster

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Jessica’s Story – Part 4 - Please don’t give up

•Anne’s Story – Part 2

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Talk-Back Session:

Moderated By: Ginger Leopoldo

Closing Remarks:

Dr. Rooshey Hasnain and Sheewin Pananookooln

Light reception to follow

C r e d i t s

Directors: Ginger Leopoldo and Levi Aliposa CIRCA Pintig’s Artist-Teachers: Dr. Angela Mascarenas, Larry Leopoldo and Ginger Leopoldo UIC ASAM Faculty/ASAM 490 Course Lecturer: Dr. Rooshey Hasnain ASAM Research Assistant: Sheewin Pananookooln Stories Adapted by ASAM 490 Students: Eunita Carter, Raveena Kingra, Ashley Neal, Gabriela Santillanes and Manako Yabe Performers: Maria Brenda, Raymond Hui, Brian Kung, Ramona Kywe, Kai Kai Mascarenas, Loreen Targos, and Manako Yabe Interpreters: Suzanne Stafford and Elisabeth Treger Captioner: Tina Dillion Lighting/Sound Designer: Dean Diaz Graphics Designer: Rachelle Johnson Stage Managers and Photographers: Muzamil Arby, John Capua, and Ina Liko Student Volunteer Interpreter: Columbia College Violet Doyle

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