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
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
Heartwarming, hilarious play is presented in association with the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, Presentation House Theatre, and Blackout Art Society
Production by L’eau du bain theatre company follows the friendship of two young girls in an endless Norwegian winter
Based on the 1844 novel by Alexandre Dumas, Arts Club Theatre Company and Citadel Theatre coproduction is full of heroism, passion, and adventure
Tagalog play translated, adapted, and performed by Carmela Sison investigates the effects of global imperialism on food preparation
Neworld Theatre’s one-woman production mixes stand-up comedy and storytelling in an unapologetic dissection of fatphobia
Steffanie Davis returns to the stage as Isabelle, a millennial reimagining of hopeless romantic Cyrano de Bergerac
Random scenes and songs that stood out across music, theatre, opera, and dance
At the Little Mountain Gallery, improvisers draw on Shakespeare plays to craft an all-new tragedy
Pantos, waltzes, and stage musicals are just a few of the ways for culture vultures to ring in 2025
The UBC Masters alumnus and Philippines stage leader helmed the Arts Club’s Million Dollar Quartet, Beneath Springhill, and Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol
Chaotic farce by Canada’s most-produced playwright follows a furniture-store owner caught in a compromising position
A smart revolving set and some smashing choreography keep this family musical moving
Metro Theatre’s holiday production brims with over-the-top moments and laugh-out-loud humour
The production proves why pantomime is such a popular artform in the U.K.
Earlier this year, a successful 40th anniversary fundraiser helped pull the organization out of financial uncertainty
Kate Braidwood and Andrew Phoenix’s holiday favourite reinvents the classic Charles Dickens novel as a physical-theatre show
Vancouver Fringe Festival presents the show about Medusa, one of mythology’s most misunderstood figures
The organization had been raising funds and awareness for those living with HIV/AIDS since 1991
Timeless adaptation of Charles Dickens novel follows a young orphan who dreams of finding a family
Playwright-actor Camille Paré-Poirier uses recordings of the pair’s conversations in her new play coming to Théâtre la Seizième
“Jingle Bell Rock”, “Holly Jolly Christmas”, and “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” are among the festive tunes the crooners crank out