Musical play 'Piketlayn Cantata' tackles OFW issues

Filipina poet and playwright Joi Barrios tackles the concerns of overseas Filipino workers in a musical play entitled “Piketlayn Cantata: A Worker’s Song Cycle," which will be shown in the United States on April 30 and May 1. Barrios presents how workers in different parts of the world fight for their rights while striving hard to provide for their families. A teacher at UC Berkeley while serving as Literary Manager of Ma-Yi Theater Company, Barrios is also Palanca awardee for her plays "Damas de Noche," and "Gabriela: Isang Oratoryo." "Piketlayn Cantata" specifically features the problems that caregivers in Bay Area, San Francisco in the US, along with workers’ struggle in the southern Philippines because of militarization. Barrios touches on issues about workers' rights and other labor issues through characters Juan, an overseas caregiver, his wife Biyang, a factory worker in South Cotabato, and the people surrounding them who are trapped in the same condition. Narrated by three jesters, the story that tackles serious problems turns into a humorous musical that aims to give the audience an informative entertainment. Directed by John Caldon of Guerilla Rep, a theatre company in San Francisco, "Piketlayn Cantata" will be staged on April 30 (8 p.m.) and May 1 (6 p.m.) at Bayanihan Community Center (1010 Mission St @ 6th St. San Francisco, CA 94103) For ticket inquiries, log on to www.brownpapertickets.com or call (800) 838-3006. - Suzette Dalumpines, VVP, GMA News