(Left photo) 2026 Evie Abat, Joy Regullano, Sandy Velasco, Giovanni Ortiga and Bianca Ibarra. Poster for 10th anniversary reading of ‘Criers for Hire’ at Curtis Theatre. CONTRIBUTED
LOS ANGELES – Get ready to cry and laugh again.
Ten years since his “Criers for Hire” premiered in a staged production in Los Angeles, Giovanni Ortega is bringing back his play, ostensibly about professional funeral mourners but, at its core, a dramedy on Filipino immigrant life in the United States or anywhere in the world.
This time, the paid Filipina criers at funeral
Set in the early 1990s, “Criers for Hire” follows three paid weepers and Ligaya, the teen daughter of one of the women, a fresh immigrant from the Philippines.
The ‘Criers for Hire’ poster celebrates playwright Giovanni Palma and director Mara Palma. CONTRIBUTED
Filipino immigrant experience
When I saw the play in 2016, I wrote in my piece on Inquirer.net: “Although the East West Players (EWP) production, solidly directed by Jon Lawrence Rivera, mines the humor in the Chinese tradition of hiring professional mourners at funeral parlors, it’s first and foremost a spot-on, hilarious illumination of the Filipino immigrant experience in America.”
This time, the no-intermission 90-minute reading celebrating the play’s 10th anniversary is directed by Mara Palma and stars Joy Regullano (Ligaya), Sandy Velasco (Baby), Bianca Ibarra (Henny), Evie Abat (Meding) and Pablo Cuen (Narciso).
In an email interview, Giovanni, a prolific Filipino American playwright, artistic director and educator, recounted why it was personally important for him to write “Criers for Hire” more than a decade ago.
“Tim Dang, East West Players Artistic Director Emeritus, originally tasked me with writing five treatments of ‘Chinese Criers,’ as part of a commission for their 50th anniversary and his final season,” he recalled. “The version that was produced was the story I wanted to tell.”
“The genesis of our play is my arrival in the United States as an immigrant and being raised by a single mother. From a literary standpoint, it is my origin story.
Giovanni Ortega | CONTRIBUTED
“The best way to investigate that was to write from the perspective of a young girl navigating a world she thought would be one thing, but found a world far deeper than she could ever imagine through tears and laughter.
“In addition, it was also important to share my own Tsinoy identity. Most of all, this play was a tribute to Lola Baby, who raised me while my mother was working abroad from the time I was born.
“Alongside her were many sisters, Tita Henny and Tita Meding, just to name a few, who were around to support and elevate our childhood and created a vast understanding of various standpoints.
“As artists and writers, we have the opportunity to immortalize humanity through our creations, and this was and remains the inception of the play.”
A story of mothers, strong women
When I asked Giovanni, currently the artistic director of FilAm Arts Teatro and a professor of the AMDA College of the Performing Arts and the Art of Acting Studio in LA, why his play has universal appeal, he replied, “Everyone has a mother, regardless of one’s relationship with them, albeit nurturing, toxic, inspiring or traumatic. We all came from this being we define as mother.
“Although this play is coined as my origin story, through Tim’s dramaturgical guidance, I realized that it was really about understanding why mothers sacrifice themselves for their own children.
“In addition, the complexities of these Pinays are multi-layered and generationally, mentally and culturally, audience members can find a shared experience with one or more of the characters.
“Coming from a matriarchal lineage, I was raised with these powerful Pinays, women who held three jobs, raised their children and still found time for each other, or rather ensured to find time to be with each other for their own joy, for their own ligaya. Powerful women, some educated and some not, are the beating heart of this play.
“‘I don’t have time for sorry, I only have time for solutions,’ Baby would always tell Ligaya throughout the play, and this statement stems from the incessant tenacity of the Filipina women that we are surrounded by. Such is a universal appeal to witness from the theatre.”
1990s immigrant story
The holder of a Master of Fine Arts in Theater degree from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Theater, Film and Television clarified that since “Criers for Hire” is set in the 1990s, he didn’t need to update it to reflect the increasingly draconian implementation of immigration policies by the Trump administration.
“Since this is a period play set within a yearlong span in 1990, the political aspect of immigration and enforcement is not prevalent in the play,” he stressed. “Without giving too much away, it does remain an inciting incident that forces the teenager Ligaya to become one of the criers.
“The play opened in February 2016, which brought us the same administration that is currently in power. As a mirror to 2016 but more importantly, 1990, the political ramifications of the times actually brought us the Immigration Act signed by President Bush later that year, which overhauled the system that raised the caps of immigrants/expats to our country.
“In addition, employment visas doubled and diversity programs were ‘lotterized.’ From a personal narrative, I arrived as a 12-year-old in Chicago around this time. The play’s modality is to reflect upon humanity from a visceral standpoint as opposed to a political one. Unfortunately, our very being is often politicized for cultural hegemony.”
Original ‘Criers for Hire’
2016 – Nicole Barredo, Samantha Cutaran, Giselle Tongi, Joan Almedilla, Jon Lawrence Rivera, Giovanni Ortega and Rudy Martinez. CONTRIBUTED
Giovanni, who is also a multidisciplinary artist and facilitator in over 140 college campuses and an international collaborator, still cherishes the original 2016 “Criers for Hire,” mounted by EWP at the David Henry Hwang Theater in LA’s Little Tokyo.
“The camaraderie of the cast and creative team, which continues until today,” he cited. “Furthermore, Sandy and Joy reprising their roles from the premiere staged presentation is quite a ‘regalito’ for all of us.
“It was also heartwarming to learn that ‘Criers’ was the highest-grossing original play at East West Players at the time. Seeing people come back to bring their Nanay, Tita and Lola was deeply moving and memorable.”
As to what the original cast – Joan Almedilla (Baby), Giselle Tongi (Meding), Samantha Cutaran (Henny), Nicole Barredo (Ligaya or Gaya) and Rudy Martinez (Narciso) – and director Jon Lawrence Rivera brought to his play, Giovanni answered, “A deep understanding of the Filipino and Fil-Am perspective.
“Joan brought depth to Baby and an understanding of what it’s like to leave home and start a new life elsewhere as a performer. Ang bigat talaga is the only way I can put it. Joan carries an ancestral knowledge of what it is to be Pinay.
“Giselle is, by and large, an entrepreneurial leader and unstoppable in her endeavor to pursue this business. Nicole connected to Ligaya as a wide-eyed young ingénue trying to understand what it is to finally live with her mother and the complexities of such an absence during a developmental stage of her life.
“Sam unlocked Henny in a way that I could never have understood because of my own standpoint of growing up in Manila as a child with people who look like me. Samantha provided not only the cultural context of being Filipino American but also an educational understanding of how one is perceived as ‘othered’ even if they were born here.
“Rudy and Nicole’s chemistry was on point. Their scenes also exemplified the interconnectedness of Pinoy and Latino identities.
“Jon was and remains integral in my growth as an artist. He helped shape the play into what it is today. From a larger scope of artistic intellectuality, Jon is the babaylan I also confer with regarding questions I may have.
New cast brings fresh life to story
“The new company of actors and creative team is the most exciting part of this process. East West Players Associate Artistic Director Annie Jin Wang recommended Mara Palma, who was the directing fellow for ‘Flower Drum Song.’
“Mara and I have met up several times, and I am truly humbled by her creative expertise and nurturing approach to the text. Furthermore, spending a day with the four Filipinas during Jannelle So’s TV segment is a testament to the fact that our shared experiences connect us altogether instantaneously.
“Bringing Sandy and Joy back together after 10 years is something I didn’t know we’d been waiting for. In addition, Bianca and Evie will bring a new ‘cariño’ to the story. These Pinays are fierce, talaga! Lastly, Pablo Cuen as Narciso will enhance the Latinidad connection to our Pinoy brethren.”
While paid funeral criers exist in some countries, from China to India, Kenya to Taiwan, and even in the United Kingdom, there are no paid mourners in California.
“It is true that keeners, rudaalis or wailers exist globally and throughout history,” Giovanni pointed out. “Based on my dramaturgical and cultural research, I have not been made aware of mourners in California.” He quipped, “Pero pwede laging umpisahan!”
Bringing stories to a wider audience
On Curtis Theatre hosting the special anniversary reading, presented in association with EWP, Giovanni explained, “I applied and submitted for Curtis Theatre’s Amplify Program in January. Two other plays were in mind (‘ALLOS: The Carlos Bulosan Story’ and ‘The Butterfly of Chula Vista’) when the application was fast approaching. It felt apropos to submit ‘Criers for Hire’ since it was the 10th anniversary.
“The Amplify Program is an initiative to address the inequality in performing arts programming. This program aims to provide a platform and outlet for performing artists of all kinds while broadening the inclusivity and outreach of the Curtis Theatre to a diverse artistic community.
“To my understanding, after a few deliberations and adjudication by their advisory board as jury members, ‘Criers’ was one of three chosen to be presented at Curtis Theatre.”
As for why it is important to keep writing and presenting plays like “Criers for Hire” that examine cultural identity, generational differences and immigrant experiences, Giovanni answered, “Write to be read. Speak up to be heard. Stand out to be seen.
“From a pedagogical perspective and adhering to cultural alliance structures, one must continue to write and present theatrical narratives about the Filipino immigrant experience to enhance awareness of our place in society, not only in Los Angeles but elsewhere.
“‘Criers for Hire’ was presented virtually at Bindlestiff in San Francisco during the pandemic, and is going to be presented at the Chicago Filipino American Theatre Festival in September.
A call for greater representation
“The immigrant experience is global as well. The response was as visceral when we presented it at Blacktown Arts in Sydney, Australia. We must continue to create so that we are represented, remembering those who came before us and showing those who come after that we existed.”
In parting, Giovanni shared his hopes for theater, especially in Southern California, in terms of presenting more diverse plays and tapping multiethnic talents:
“Dr. Maya Angelou said, ‘We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike.’ This is a discourse that we have to investigate, engage with and identify, then implement courses of action.
“I think it’s imperative for every presentation to have a colloquy, to give space for the audience, the cast, as well as the creatives to have a communal conversation. Tim Dang always practiced ‘due diligence’ in the stories we tell and who is involved in creating them.
“Representation was definitely lacking in 1990, and still not enough in 2016, but ten years later, we are making strides through programs such as Amplify by Curtis Theatre. I hope that we continue collaborating with communities that elevate our shared experiences in various capacities.
“Nurturing our intersectional ‘cuentos’ or stories is key to bridging the greatness of our past and the continuance of a cultural lineage, whether it be here in Los Angeles, in the U.S., back home sa Pinas, or through the diaspora where we celebrate OFWs and acknowledge that our resilience is stronger than our pain.”
Curtis Theatre is located at 1 Civic Center Circle, Brea, CA 92821. Tickets and more information about “Criers for Hire” are available online.
Ruben V. Nepales is an LA-based journalist whose honors include nine first prizes from the National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards and the Los Angeles Press Club’s Southern California Journalism Awards. He authored “Through a Writer’s Lens,” which won first prize in nonfiction at the 2020-2021 National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards. In 2004, he became the first Filipino voter of the Golden Globe Awards. He is a member of the Golden Globe Foundation, one of Hollywood’s biggest philanthropic organizations.
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