Photo Flash: HERE LIES LOVE Cast Engages in Conversation with Filipino Americans

New York, July 25, 2013--Organized by Filipino Mundo-NYC, a meetup group of young professionals and visual/performing artists, and the Filipino American Press Club of New York, The Public Theater's "Here Lies Love" cast members: Ruthie Ann Miles, Jose Llana, George Salazar, Jaygee Macapugay, Debralee Daco, Jeigh Madjus, Renee Albulario, Melody Butiu, Nathaniel P. Claridad, Carol Angeli and Maria-Christina Oliveras engaged in a public conversation about the infamous legacy of former Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos and his wife, Imelda, during a coffee break (kapihan) held at Ugly Kitchen in the East Village Saturday, July 20.

Conceived by David Byrne and Fatboy Slim,"Here Lies Love," a new critically acclaimed immersive musical, where the audience members dance along with the actors at an intimate performance space--currently playing at the Public's 160-seater LuEsther Hall--featuring a 360-degree scenic projection environment, gets its inspiration from Imelda's meteoric rise and subsequent descent into disgrace.

According to Filipino Mundo-NYC curator/organizer Randy Gener, who co-hosted the event with Filipino American actress Liz Casasola, "Debralee Daco offered a powerful insight about how Imelda Marcos, no matter how negative her image has become, nevertheless transformed her environment to shape her own destiny...Ruthie Ann Miles, who's amazing as Imelda Marcos, shared her own story about her Korean mother: her personal story was a reminder that our [Filipinos'] vexed relationship with our own history bears transnational parallels with those of our other Asian counterparts."

Gener continued, "The cast members of 'Here Lies Love' truly wanted to reach out to the Filipino American community here in NYC, especially the second and third generation Filipino Americans. That was why they were so passionate about coming out on a hot Saturday afternoon. They went out of their way to communicate with Filipino Americans in the New York/New Jersey area."

After several performance extensions, "Here Lies Love" closes on Sunday, July 28. However, the Public's Artistic Director Oskar Eustis tells the The New York Times that his team is eyeing "Here Lies Love" to move to a new theatre--given an appropriate performance space.

"It's certainly true that we're looking at conventional theater spaces as well as unconventional spaces," says Eustis. "But wherever we go, we will maintain the actor-audience relationship and interaction, and the space will have to keep the feel and energy of a nightclub."

Photo Credit: Christopher Manuel Esquivel | CMEPhoto.com