'Theatre is a space of love': The new play highlighting Filipino-Canadian migration stories
The University of Winnipeg’s department of theatre and film is welcoming back in-person audiences with a new play that tells the migration stories from Winnipeg’s history.
The play, called ‘Alunsina’s Love,’ was written by playwright and filmmaker Christopher Gozum. The show is aimed at bridging the western and Filipino culture, and connecting theatre, academics and immigrant communities.
Dennis Gupa, assistant professor and director of the play, said the department commissioned the show from Gozum, who is from the Philippines.
“We had to create this production in which we collaborated with community members from [Winnipeg], particularly the Filipino immigrants who came here in the 1970s,” he said in an interview with CTV Morning Live on Wednesday.
The story weaves together a Philippine creation story about the deity Alunsina and the 1970s garment industry in Winnipeg.
“There’s kind of a juxtaposition of the particular history of Winnipeg here. It’s a re-imagination of a Philippine creation story,” Gupa said.
Gupa added that the play gives a lesson on inter-culturalism, noting that theatre is a “wonderful” place to learn about psychology and history.
“The reason behind it is really cultural bonding, cultural abridging,” Gupa said.
“As a Filipino immigrant, it’s my responsibility and my task, I think, to open a particular history of my lived experience and to share it to our students, so that we can have a dialogue and transition to a more welcoming and inviting process of cultural diplomacy and peace building.”
The show marks the first in-person production the department has put on since the winter of 2020.
The show runs from Dec. 1 to Dec. 3 at the Asper Centre for Theatre and Film. Admission is free, but reservations are recommended.
“I hope that our audience will be inspired to reimagine our lived experiences. In this time it’s very challenging,” Gupa said.
“Theatre is a space of love and courage, and this story tells of love and courage that we can all be a community and we can all transition to a world that we can reimagine together.”
- With files from CTV’s Nicole Dube.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.
Manitoba government tables bill to end ban on homegrown recreational cannabis
Manitoba is planning to lift its ban on the home growing of recreational cannabis.
All Alberta wildfires to date in 2024 believed to be human-caused: province
There are 63 wildfires burning in Alberta's forest protection area as of Wednesday morning and seven mutual aid fires, including one in the Municipal District of Peace.