Banner Photo: Photo by Prisca Choe, 2021.

MY PLEDGE

​As a first-generation moreno Filipinx American theatre artist, I am dedicated to supporting the development of new work by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, particularly AAPI stories, within spaces of ritualistic healing and high artistic rigor. Originally from New York City, I spent some of my childhood summers in the provinces of Mindanao, Philippines, which has profoundly shaped my perspective on storytelling. I advocate for a nuanced understanding of the complexity within AAPI communities and challenge audiences and artists alike to see these stories as both global and domestic in scope—epic in scale. I ensure that community engagement and civic responsibility are embedded in the DNA of the artistic work I create and lead.

• I STRIVE TO BE...
• I BELIEVE...

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THE ARTIST I STRIVE TO BE...

In November 2018, I was on a panel of sixteen diverse artists. The panelists represented various underrepresented backgrounds, namely LGBTQIA+, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color), women artists, in mainstream theatre. It included Mei Ann Teo, Shakina Nayfack, Jessica Huang, Kate McGee, Natasha Sinha, Molly Marinik, Jeremy Stroller, Robin Sokoloff, Madeline Sayet, Marie Cisco, Alexis Williams, Tonya Pinkins, and myself. In a room in the Playwrights Horizon Downtown rehearsal studios, we decided to write collaboratively a list of things we admire in artists we admire. I've adapted the list for purposes of my artist's manifesto.

The artist who I am actively working to be... (in no particular order)

• is reflective and intentionally makes steps to better themselves;
• is a leader who leads with understanding, kindness, and generosity in and outside of a rehearsal room or theatre;
  
• creates work with the understanding they art has civic responsibility and art is key in creating a fair and democratic society;
• is forever committed to being anti-racist and pro-Black;
• is able to give critical feedback in a way that is considerate of generative artists' heart and soul, always with intention to further help them find the truth in their work;
• is able to make space for others' voices, particularly those whose voices haven't always been heard;
• has the potential to wield the "force" in their work, conscious of a "spiritual dramaturgy";
• is present and radically curious in and outside of the rehearsal room, theater, and performance spaces of the every changing political, social, and cultural now;
• is patient and humble;
• comes from a diversity of artistic interests, experiences, strengths, styles to therefore provide collaborators with new perspectives and offer unique and varied skill sets and thoughts;
• is always open to learning from collaborators, and seeks for people who can challenge them to not only become better artists but also humans;
• knows for whom they're writing, consciously engaging with communities;
• will do their part to create every collaborative team they are part of to be wholly symbiotic;
• is actively willing to open themselves up and be vulnerable in situations when is necessary;
• holds themselves to a certain rigor that they themselves set to reach and go beyond their own artistic goals;
• believes in their own ability to make impactful contributions to their artistic fields;
• is uncompromising to bring the margins of society to the center; and
• thrives within the friction of building creative fire.

WHAT I BELIEVE IN

​earliest version created in April 2017 + last updated Tuesday, 10.25.24
​The document is alive and will be frequently edited. This artist manifesto started as an assignment in a graduate course instructed by Dr. Megan Lewis and then was revisited with a similar assignment by Dr. Harley Erdman.

​*a list in no particular order

• Belief that art and artistic processes must evolve with the ever-changing language around gender, sexuality, politics, cultures, and global citizenship;
• Commitment to continuous self-education and to supporting white and non-Black POC collaborators in creating actively anti-racist, pro-Black, and pro-Indigenous work;
• Dedication to reimagining the role of the artist, advocating meaningfully for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) colleagues on and off the stage;
• Conviction that the performing arts, as a collaborative medium, shapes communities, politics, and the world, and that dramaturgy requires full, embodied immersion across intersecting disciplines in arts, politics, and sciences;
• Belief in the transformative power of the arts, enabling underrepresented communities to imagine inclusive worlds and build bridges of understanding;
• Commitment to creating spaces where artists self-define and shape their identities, exercising autonomy over their artistry and impact;
• Dedication to ensuring that contemporary performing arts resonate beyond the stage, fostering dialogue that continues with audiences and communities long after the production;
• Conviction that performing arts are essential to all education and that art, created by and for people, should be accessible to all and foster community-building;
• Advocacy for increased representation of women, trans artists, artists with disabilities, artists of color, and other marginalized identities in all aspects of the arts, from on stage to administration;
• Belief that audiences are discerning and deserve art that challenges intellectually and emotionally;
• Commitment to open artistic dialogue, supporting collaborators to reach their fullest potential; and
• As a queer feminist POC theatre maker, a pledge to approach the world—and the work—with love, compassion, and understanding, and to seek these qualities in collaborations.