Ruby Slippers Theatre premieres Abi Padilla's Grandma. Gangsta. Guerrilla., February 6 to 16
Heartwarming, hilarious play is presented in association with the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, Presentation House Theatre, and Blackout Art Society
Abi Padilla in Grandma. Gangsta. Guerrilla. Photo by Emily Cooper
Ruby Slippers Theatre presents the world premiere of Grandma. Gangsta. Guerrilla. by Abi Padilla in association with the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, Presentation House Theatre, and Blackout Art Society from February 6 to 8 and 13 to 16.
Audiences are invited to witness 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 beloved 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, the two find clues that lead to her whereabouts, simultaneously uncovering details about her full-of-beans origin story and the historical turmoil of their motherland. Reminiscing on their immigration stories, Nika and Jun-jun reflect on what it means to maintain family ties in a Western society.
Grandma. Gangsta. Guerrilla. started as a 15-minute solo show created by Padilla while she was a Studio 58 acting-program student at Langara College. It has since evolved into a full-length play directed by Leslie Dos Remedios, with historical elements inspired by both of Padilla’s grandmothers, who were children during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines in the 1940s.
Audiences will get to experience the comfort of everyday laughter and the thrill of juicy gossip in Grandma. Gangsta. Guerrilla., along with such elements as fun fight choreography, rap songs, and culture-infused dark humour. Padilla herself will star in the production alongside cast members Yorlene Bernido, Evelyn Chew, Kevin Nguyen, Vince Sendrijas, Raugi Yu, and Terrence Zhou.
Performances will take place at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts in Burnaby from February 6 to 8 at 7:30 pm and on February 8 at 2 pm, and at Presentation House Theatre in North Vancouver from February 13 to 15 at 7:30 pm and on February 15 & 16 matinees at 2 pm.
Tickets can be purchased through the Shadbolt Centre and Presentation House Theatre. More information is available at Ruby Slippers Theatre.
Post sponsored by Ruby Slippers Theatre.
Related Articles
The show, produced by Theatre Conspiracy in association with Pi Theatre, finds contemporary resonances in Eugène Ionesco’s 20th-century works
Wug, Kravga, and Moog deliver a take on Sophocles’ Greek tragedy that, in addition to copious amounts of crude humour, has its share of chillingly effective moments
Ensemble Theatre Company taps into the humid haze of a Tennessee Williams classic where love and self-deception mingle
Standout performances and design bring infectious energy to Disney’s tale of love and self-discovery
Bold update by Kate Besworth brings mythic figures closer to us while continuing to ask the ancient questions posed by Sophocles
Fierce company transforms characters by committing to the popular musical’s blend of disco, soul, and gospel
Presented by the fest and Boca del Lupo, the multifaceted one-woman show carries long-standing reflections on workout culture and the life-altering effects of a pandemic
Now streaming on Knowledge.ca, John Bolton–helmed movie stars Niall McNeil, Marcus Youssef, Veda Hille, Nathan Kay, and more, in a mix of artists with and without Down syndrome
With live music and innovative touches, a collective of established Vancouver stage artists brings eco-horror play about disappearing bees to life at the Vines Den
Part of Ensemble’s summer festival, Jiehae Park’s play references Macbeth as it takes on the power dynamics of U.S. college admissions
Great performances and impeccable set design and stage management ensure that the comedy about a hapless theatre company is a chaotic mess in all the right ways
In playwright Kate Besworth and director Ming Hudson’s adaptation, contemporary language highlights the continuing relevance of Sophocles’ 5th century BC tragedy
Bold and bloody new take on “the Scottish Play” speaks effectively to an era of intense societal fears, with postapocalyptic atmosphere to burn
The Vancouver performer straps on the platform shoes and readies her powerhouse voice for musical based on the movies she grew up watching
Homage to Eugène Ionesco is presented by Rumble Theatre and produced by Theatre Conspiracy in association with Pi Theatre
In a shamelessly fun update, the comedy’s colourful schemers, lovers, and busybodies are regulars at a Vancouver community centre during World Cup fever
WUG, KRAGVA, and MOOG return to the Shakespeare festival for a hysterical take on the titular Greek tale
The Arts Club director says the smash-hit U.K. show is one of the most technically demanding comedies ever written
At The Cultch’s York Theatre, wonderfully weird characterizations meet gravity-defying feats in a raucously unpretentious banger that has “hit” written all over it
Whether you’re looking for a quick drink and snack, conversation, reflection, or people-watching, these airy meeting places hit their marks
Playwright Kate Besworth and director Ming Hudson team up for a contemporary adaptation of the classical Sophocles tragedy
