Luis Francia’s ‘The strange case of citizen de la Cruz’ on Bindlestiff Studio

Bindlestiff Studio has added two additional performances to its run of the World premiere of Luis H. Francia’s The Strange Case of Citizen de la Cruz, at 185 Sixth Street, at the corner of Howard, in San Francisco’s South of Market district. Originally scheduled to close Saturday, October 13, 2012, the production will continue into another weekend with two performances slated for Friday and Saturday, October 19 and 20, both at 8:00 pm. Directed by Jeffrey Lo, the cast includes Tasi Alabastro, Rose Almario, Percival Arcibal, Christine Jugueta, Ryan Morales, Jed Parsario, Lee Robin Salazar, and Patrick Silvestre.

Luis Francia’s The Strange Case of Citizen de la Cruz is a two-act political thriller that follows the evolution of the protagonist from mild-mannered husband with a sexual dysfunction to a risk-taking government agent whose virility is awakened by his missions under a martial law regime. With measured amounts of satire, Luis Francia’s play speaks on issues of radical nationalism–its effects and its outcome–with characters and situations that take aim at the manners and mores of Philippine politics that have resulted from the Marcos Regime. With the current events surrounding the Philippine’s anti-cybercrime law, The Strange Case of Citizen de la Cruz states its case regarding themes of compromised human rights under an oppressive militant government . For mature audiences only. Not for children.

About Bindlestiff Studio

Established in 1989, Bindlestiff Studio is the only permanent, community-based performing arts venue in the nation dedicated to showcasing emerging Filipino American and Pilipino artists. Bindlestiff Studio provides the often under-served Filipino American community access to diverse offerings in theatrical productions, music and film festivals, workshops in directing, production, acting, stand-up comedy, and writing, as well as a children and youth theater program.

The launch of the Mainstage program signals a new era that focuses on full-length works that introduce bold Filipino and Filipino American voices to the San Francisco Bay Area theater community.

About Luis H. Francia

Luis H. Francia teaches literature at Hunter College, language at New York University, and creative writing at the City University of Hong Kong. His memoir Eye of the Fish: A Personal Archipelago won both the PEN Open Book Award and the Asian American Writers award. He is in the Library of America’s Four Centuries of Immigrant Writing. Among his poetry collections are The Arctic Archipelago and Other Poems, Museum of Absences and The Beauty of Ghosts. His poems have been included in numerous anthologies, including Language for a New Century and Love Rise Up! His A History of the Philippines: From Indios Bravos to Filipinos was published in 2010. He is the editor of Brown River, White Ocean: A Twentieth Century Anthology of Philippine Literature in English, and co-editor of Flippin’: Filipinos on America and Vestiges of War: The Philippine-American War and the Aftermath of an Imperial Dream, 1899-1999. He writes an online column, “The Artist Abroad,” for Manila’s Philippine Daily Inquirer. He and his wife Midori Yamamura are proud members of the 99 percent, and live in Queens. The Strange Case of Citizen de la Cruz is his first full-length play.

To arrange a phone or live interview with the playwright or director, please contact Alan s. Quismorio at [email protected].