Ruby Slippers Theatre
in association with the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts,
Presentation House Theatre, and Blackout Art Society
presents
The World Premiere of Grandma. Gangsta. Guerrilla. by Abi Padilla
Shadbolt Centre for the Arts (Burnaby): Feb 6-8 at 7:30pm and Feb 8 matinee at 2pm
Presentation House Theatre (North Van): Feb 13-16 at 7:30pm and Feb 15 matinee at 2pm
A hilarious and heartwarming sprint down memory lane of a butt-kickin ‘, bar-spittin‘, tough grandma who escapes the care home to be with her family.
https://www.rubyslippers.ca/
Join us for this hilarious and heartwarming tale that is not a traumatizing story about war crimes, dementia, or getting old. On the contrary, Grandma. Gangsta . Guerrilla. is a sprint down memory lane of a butt-kickin‘, bar-spittin‘, tough grandma who escapes the care home to be with her family. When our favourite Filipino grandma Lola Basyang goes missing, it‘s up to her grandchildren Nika and Jun-jun to bring her back to safety. Using their Lola‘s unfinished memoir, they find clues to her whereabouts, her full-of-beans origin story and the historical turmoil of their motherland. Reminiscent of their immigration stories, they reflect on what it means to maintain family ties in a Western society.
Quote from Playwright Abi Padilla
This project started as a 15 minute solo show graduation requirement when I was in the
acting program of Studio 58. Little did I know that this swaggy, scrappy, silly piece would evolve into a heartfelt, hilarious and historical play that tackles the multi-faceted struggles and triumphs of surviving a war, migration, family values and love for our elderly. The creation process of this play means a lot to me for it helped me reflect on the sacrifices of my ancestors to be where I am today, while not letting their historical trauma define me.
Both my grandmothers, who have inspired me to write this, were children during the Japanese occupation in the Philippines in the 1940s. They have been fortunate enough to survive and thrive after that period but many young girls like them have been taken to be “comfort women”. To this day, the surviving comfort women of the Philippines are still seeking justice that may never come. I am also acknowledging the contributions of the female guerrillas like Commander Liwayway who fought for my motherland‘s freedom. I recognize that as monumental and theatrical as these experiences are, there is beauty in the mundanity of being a grandmother, sister or a person who has their own dreams.
Take in the everyday laughter, the juicy gossip, the hot soup, and remember the most precious moments you have with your family.
I hope the audience gets to experience this, while enjoying the added textures of fun
fight choreography, rap songs, and glimpses into the dark humour of my culture.
Directed by Leslie Dos Remedios, Grandma. Gangsta. Guerilla is on at Shadbolt Centre for the Arts in Burnaby from February 6-8 at 7:30pm and a February 8 matinee at 2pm and at the Presentation House Theatre in North Vancouver the following week from February 13-16 at 7:30pm and a February 15 matinee at 2pm.
Box Office: Presentation House Theatre:
https://www.phtheatre.org/grandma-gangsta-guerrilla-feb-2025/
604-990-3474
For More Info: https://www.rubyslippers.ca/
About Abi Padilla, playwright:
Abi was born and raised in the Philippines for the first two decades of her life until her family moved to Vancouver, BC. Since then, she has worked in multiple film and theatre projects as an actor, producer and writer. Recent acting credits include Connie Wong (A Chorus Line, Studio 58), Adella/Ensemble (East Van Panto: The Little Mermaid, Theatre Replacement), Joy (buto/buto: bones are seeds, SEACHS and NPC3), and Thu/Flower Girl (Vietgone, United Players of Vancouver). She is one of the creators of Sapin-Sapin Filipinx Art Festival, which showcases the talents of emerging Filipino writers and performers in the lower mainland. Her first two co-written short plays “The Banyan Tree” and “How to F*ck Up a Funeral premiered in Six of One: New Play Festival. She is excited to be working with Ruby Slippers Theatre for the premiere of her first full length play, Grandma.Gangsta.Guerrilla . Her work is deeply rooted in cultural collaborations and community reconciliation. Special thanks to Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre for helping me develop this piece. Much love to my community and to God be the glory.
