UC Berkeley PCN 2007

This year's Pilipino Cultural Night was a production masterpiece.

Kevin Asuncion and Jade Bradfish (PCN 2007 co-producers) were able to take the formula of Skits + Traditional + Lyrical + Modern and create something that didn't even seem like it had anything to do with skits, dance, or the tradition of Berkeley PCN's. It felt so fresh.

The traditional dances were something else though. This is where I felt this year's PCN really took a step forward. They were able to show an audience that tinikling wasn't just people trying not to get their ankles to' up, but it was a dance that is able to develop along with the growth of Filipino-American identity. Traditional Filipino dances often drew the line in Filipino-American memory to distinctly define what was old and what was new. Although the costumes and the bamboo evoke a I-think-I-can-only-see-in-sepia-and-I-shouldn't-smile-in-photographs kind of feeling, the dance really felt like "Hey, I think I hear a Neptunes beat in that bamboo."

The skits were also great. Saturated with political commentary, it was also sensitive to many filipinos who comprehend "Philippine Politics" in entirely different ways. I like that. Owen Javellana's skit was fire. It was basically a thought experiment of a moon colony with a population that can barely fill a bus, and yet still have to deal with identity politics. Genius!

Well, I'm tired, hung over, and tired. Thank you PCN 2007 for a great show!