Director

Loy Arcenas

Playwright

Lonnie Carter

Cast

Bernardo Bernardo (Prudencio)
Joseph Anthony Foronda (Nick)
Frederick “Eric” Garcia (Claro)
Narciso Lobo (Clarabelle/Atoy)
Rodney To (Magno)
Chip Payos (Understudy)

Summary

Lonnie Carter’s adaptation of Filipino author Carlos Bulosan’s short story will be designed and directed by internationally acclaimed and Obie Award winning artist, Loy Arcenas. The play tells the tale of Magno Rubio, a barely literate migrant worker in 1930’s California. When our hero “meets” Clarabelle through a personal ad, his fellow workers try to temper his ardor. But Magno sends letter after letter and buys larger and larger gifts. After two years, he finally proposes. Finally, she accepts—if he’ll wire her the cash for the trip from Arkansas. Performed by a chorus of five actors, The Romance of Magno Rubio reveals the lives of migrant workers, their struggles and dreams, and their longings for home and a better life, as one picking season blends into another, and the years pass in an endless blur.

Production Team

Loy Arcenas – Director, Scenic Designer
Todd Hensley – Lighting Designer
Christine Pascual – Costume Designer
Andre Pluess – Sound Designer
Chip Payos – Movement Designer
Ellyn Costello – Stage Manager