Cowgirl Katarungan's Recipe for Adobo

by AJ Layague

COWGIRL KATARUNGAN (“Justice”) narrates a recipe and a story in rhyming verse: set in 1890s Philippines, under Spanish rule, Filipino sugar barons LACSON and ARANETA enjoy wealth. But rebellion is brewing, and they are compelled to consider their roles in the brutal rule by the Europeans and the subjugation of the working class Filipinos, including their servant PRESSIE. When the cruel local Spanish ruler...

COWGIRL KATARUNGAN (“Justice”) narrates a recipe and a story in rhyming verse: set in 1890s Philippines, under Spanish rule, Filipino sugar barons LACSON and ARANETA enjoy wealth. But rebellion is brewing, and they are compelled to consider their roles in the brutal rule by the Europeans and the subjugation of the working class Filipinos, including their servant PRESSIE. When the cruel local Spanish ruler, GOVERNOR, gets wind of their revolutionary plot he responds fully with tragic and surprising consequences.

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Cowgirl Katarungan's Recipe for Adobo

Recommended by

  • Suzi Elnaggar: Cowgirl Katarungan's Recipe for Adobo by AJ Layague
    “

    Cowgirl is one to watch. A complex narrative about colonization in the Philippines told through a adobo recipe and Justice (Katarungan). This play is layered, situated, and authentic. This needs to be produced yesterday.

    Cowgirl is one to watch. A complex narrative about colonization in the Philippines told through a adobo recipe and Justice (Katarungan). This play is layered, situated, and authentic. This needs to be produced yesterday.

    ”
  • Ally Varitek: Cowgirl Katarungan's Recipe for Adobo by AJ Layague
    “

    The nontraditional, atemporal structure utilizing an adobo recipe as a framing device was deliciously innovative. I felt like I was in a decolonizing version of Cooking Mama! The playwright knits each ingredient to both tone and contents of the following scenes in a way that made talking about big ideas like colonization and miscegenation carry this wry, sardonic wit with dollops of energy. This will be a delightful chance for designers and puppetry to add their own zest alongside performance.

    The nontraditional, atemporal structure utilizing an adobo recipe as a framing device was deliciously innovative. I felt like I was in a decolonizing version of Cooking Mama! The playwright knits each ingredient to both tone and contents of the following scenes in a way that made talking about big ideas like colonization and miscegenation carry this wry, sardonic wit with dollops of energy. This will be a delightful chance for designers and puppetry to add their own zest alongside performance.

    ”

Character Information

  • Cowgirl Katarungan
    Any Age
    Asian -- Filipino
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s,
      40s,
      50s,
      60s,
      70s+
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Asian, Pacific Islander, or Asian American
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Woman
  • Aquilino Lacson
    28-45
    Asian -- Filipino
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s,
      40s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Asian, Pacific Islander, or Asian American
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Man
  • Leandro Araneta
    28-45
    Asian -- Filipino
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s,
      40s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Asian, Pacific Islander, or Asian American
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Man
  • Pressie Bagbayan
    17-25
    Asian -- Filipino
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      Teens,
      20s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Asian, Pacific Islander, or Asian American
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Woman
  • Governor-General Castro
    Any adult age
    Any
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s,
      40s,
      50s,
      60s,
      70s+
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Man

Development History

  • Reading, The Larking House Theatre Company, 2023
  • Workshop, The Skeleton Rep(resents), 2021-2022

Awards

  • Erica Bennett Playwriting Prize
    Orange County Playwrights Alliance
    2025
  • Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Literary Festival
    Semi-Finalist
    2024
  • SheNYC Festival
    Semi-Finalist
    2024
  • Eugene O'Neill Playwrights Conference
    Semi-Finalist
    2024
  • Judith Royer Excellence in Playwriting Award
    Finalist
    2024
  • Sokary Chau Playwriting Fellowship
    Finalist
    2024
  • LiveArts Waterworks Festival
    Finalist
    2024
  • Amphibian Stage SparkFest
    Finalist
    2024
  • FMM Fellowship for Works in Heightened Language
    Synecdoche Works
    Finalist
    2022