The Journey of a Brown Girl (JoBG) is an Experimental Theatre Movement, that seeks to use the power of narrative and storytelling to engage audiences in deep reflection around the struggles and triumphs of the human spirit through the lens of the Filipina experience. This is a story, that speaks to diverse communities on empowerment of self and community, inspiring audiences and performers to look deep within themselves for truth beyond Master’s Narratives- to speak on their own stories of becoming.

 

The work has been developed through engaging the voices of Filipina Leaders and Elders in the Filipino-American community including DJ Kuttin Kandi, Krishtine DeLeon aka Rocky Rivera, Leny Strobel (The Center for Babaylan Studies), Alleluia Panis (KulArts, San Francisco) and Allyson Tintiangco- Cubales (Pilipino Education Program), and integrating artistic expression and dialogue developed from workshops with Filipina Youth and Wom*n in sisterhood around self inquiry, discovery and healing.

 

The Journey of a Brown Girl is a physical theatre and multimedia production that intertwines spiritual ritual and practice- connected to Filipino Culture with traditional theatre practice. Development of movement in this piece is connected to meditative exploration of each individual performers body and motion and encour- ages each wom*n to discover the connection to their physical movement to mind, spirit and ancestry. Excercises are inspired by techniques from Theatre of the Oppressed, Commedia dell’arte, and activities developed by Jana Lynne Umipig from her For the Movement Theatre curricula developed while working across New York city at detention, rehabiliation, community and cultural arts programs and centers.

 

As important as the arts is to this piece, what truly makes this a movement is the way in which it activates the human spirit for both the performers and audiences. Performers engage in deep self-inquiry through empow- erment work and exposure to texts and media connected to Filipino ancestry and history creating a decolo- nizing ad indiginizing process for all performers. And this practice is shared through community workshops.

 

 

Creator, Director, Producer