“I wanted to convey to you tonight while it was still in my memory how brilliant the play Allos was!! I could not stay for the talk back for the play since I have to be out of the house by 8 a.m. tomorrow- but please tell the actors, director/playwright how terrific their work was in Allos. The script was very tight, focussed and the language really created the dynamic of the play and/ story and characters. The use of the stage and the set up was so creative- minimalist theater at its best. Superb direction. The sound track and -music and sound effects really placed the audience in each scene so clearly and made you feel you were right there. And the actors were superb-their characterizations were distinct, completely believeable and emotionally affecting. And their sense of ensemble was electric. The actors vocal and physical body language was excellent and contributed so much to the truth of their characterizations – It was truly a work of art and of the kind of theatre in which you were not only entertained but learned something of the history of the Filpino experience and that of Carlos Bulosan. This is a major piece of theatre. I hope the company continues to do something in keeping it alive!!! I now want to read some of the work of Carlos Bulosan, too. Congratulations! Again, please convey this to the company!”

On Alamat …Some members of Louie Pascasio’s large cast bring great conviction to their roles and, all contribute to the buoyancy of the traditional storytelling scenes.

On Dreamweavers …Director Louie Pascasio has done well harmonizing the cast’s equally variable acting skills and the women portraying the mothers (Ginger Cacnio, Aimee Algas and Ginger Leopoldo) bring conviction and freshness to their interactions.

On Sister Outlaw …with its accessible story, everyone who watchedthe play left with a smile and maybe a new outlook on gender and immigration.

On Nanay Isog and Her Children …because Allan Sargan and the Pintig Actors company pull it off, when Nanay Isog drags her cart into the final sunset, we weep over destroyed beauty and think long and hard about the evil of war, and even about its redeeming possibilities. Brecht would have been proud.

Alien Citizen is an absolutely riveting piece of theater.

On America is in the Heart …what makes it special is that it illuminates the immigrant struggle from the rarely explored viewpoints of Filipinos, who arrived in this country in the great waves in the 1920s and 30s.

On Alamat (Legends) …spring to life with force and beauty. Pintig has produced a show that looks at this cross-cultural story in a fresh and appealing way. And it relates the story with a striking use of music, dance, ritual, design and myth-based storytelling.

On The Bells of Balangiga …it reaches beyond simple agitprop pageantry and emerges as an ambitious, professional production that explores a chapter in history that’s still relevant to mainstream audiences.

Your passion about human rights as global issue, your insights regarding civil liberties and the compelling performance contributed significantly to the panel. Arts, Media and Human Rights: Dignity Without Borders Conference. May 2-7, 2003.