José Rivera said, “If you’re not prepared to risk your entire reputation every time you write, then it is not worth your audience’s time.” Every play, line, and word I write is a risk– an act of resilience for my younger self who always played it safe. My work is a manifestation of rebellion bottled up inside myself and the generations of Filipina women who came before me.

I’ve found my plays maintain the balance between spectrums— drama and humor, joy and fear, tension and tenderness. It is about encapsulating the honesty of reality no matter how overbearing or painful it may be to watch. I want people who experience my work to walk away satisfied with a surface story, yet, when they think about it further, they find the psychological complexities behind each character’s actions, despite fantastical or stretched historical situations. I adore theatre with not only written layers but sensual layers that can be exploited for detail, and I strive to use these methods of insertion of story into other’s minds for justice on and off the stage.

Censored history, the queer experience, and the Asian-American experience are all themes consistently prevalent in my work, and I seek to use my abilities to tell the stories of people traditionally overlooked in mainstream theatre. I strive to demonstrate the nuances of my cultural communities and showcase them through empowering narratives. As I continue to perform, write, and educate, my belief that fine arts can bring about major social change is only proven and intensified, and I desire to play a part in spearheading a more diverse and inclusive arts industry.