This ain’t a sob story about war crimes, dementia, nor getting old. It’s a sprint down the memory lane of a butt-kickin’, bar-spittin’, tough grandma who escapes the care home to be with her family. When our favorite Filipino grandma Lola Basyang goes missing, it’s up to her grandchildren Nika and Jun-jun to bring her back to safety. Using their lola’s unfinished memoir, they find clues to her whereabouts, her full-of-beans origin story and the historical turmoils of their motherland. Reminiscent of their immigration stories, they reflect on what it means to maintain family ties in a Western society.
Content Warning:
. Coarse Language
. Brief Mentions and References to Sexual Assault
. Mentions of War
GRANDMA. GANGSTA. GUERRILLA. IS A LOT of things at once—an ambitious but grounded debut from playwright Abi Padilla, a play that navigates historical trauma and familial dysfunction, and a work that finds humour and heart in the treacherous terrain of both. – The Stir
Abi Padilla’s “Grandma. Gangsta. Guerilla.” Offers a Well-Knit Story, Brimming with Action-Packed Levity –The Vancouver Arts Review
Playwright and actor Abi Padilla strives for authentic Filipino cultural, linguistic, and historical vibe in Grandma. Gangsta. Guerrilla.- Charlie Smith, Pancouver
Padilla’s sense of humor and capacity to articulate multiple, coherent storylines is undeniably impressive. –The Vancouver Arts Review.
There is a lot to love about “Grandma. Gangsta. Guerilla.” and it appears poised to make waves with its outstanding production design and talented, all-Asian cast. –The Vancouver Arts Review.
GRANDMA. GANGSTA. GUERRILLA. IS A LOT of things at once—an ambitious but grounded debut from playwright Abi Padilla, a play that navigates historical trauma and familial dysfunction, and a work that finds humour and heart in the treacherous terrain of both. –The Vancouver Arts Review.
A fast-moving mix of wartime recollection, immigrant dramedy, and musical interludes, the Ruby Slippers Theatre premiere (in association with Blackout Art Society, the Shadbolt Centre, and Presentation House Theatre) still keeps its tender moments at its core. –The Vancouver Arts Review.
The production moves fast, with breaking-news interludes weaving together Philippine history and the Vancouver gang subplot. –The Vancouver Arts Review.
it is loud, funny, and full of heart, anchored by a family dynamic that feels real in all its chaos. –The Vancouver Arts Review.
In its complex simplicity, Grandma. Gangsta. Guerrilla. poignantly reminds us that if trauma is passed down, so is resilience. –The Vancouver Arts Review.
Shadbolt Centre for the Arts showtimes:
Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025, at 7:30 pm
Friday, Feb. 7, 2025, at 7:30 pm
Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, at 2 pm
Saturday, Feb 8, 2025, at 7:30 pm
Presentation House Theatre showtimes:
Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025, at 7:30 pm
Friday, Feb. 14, 2025, at 7:30 pm
Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025, at 2 pm
Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025, at 7:30 pm
Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025, at 2 pm
Shadbolt Centre for the Arts
6450 Deer Lake Ave, Burnaby
Box Office Hours
Tuesday-Friday: 12-5 pm
Saturday: 12-4 pm
Sunday and Monday: Closed
Box office opens 1 hour 30 minutes prior to scheduled performances.
Acceptable payment methods: Visa, Mastercard, Amex, cash, debit
Note: Visa and Mastercard debit not accepted.
Presentation House Theatre Box Office:
By Phone
Please call our Box Office at 1-604-990-3474
We accept Visa and MasterCard. There is no booking fee for phone purchases.
Box Office Hours
Our Box Office is open from 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM, Tuesday to Friday, and one hour before show time. Show dates, times and ticket prices vary.
Tickets will not be reserved without payment. We accept VISA, MasterCard, Debit and Cash (American Express is accepted for online sales only). Group pricing is available at a discount. Please contact our Box Office at 1-604-990-3474 for pricing.
Grandma. Gangsta. Guerrilla.
by Abi Padilla
Director: Leslie Dos Remedios
Featuring:
Yorlene Bernido – Nika
Evelyn Chew – Commander Lumen and Ensemble
Kevin Nguyen – Nurse Chaz, Andi Martin and Ensemble
Abigail Padilla – Basyang
Vince Sendrijas – Jun-Jun, Filipino Radio Reporter
Raugi Yu – Boss Mayhem, Pedro
Terrence Zhou – Ken, Captain Manaka
Apprentice Director: Isaac Li
Set Design: Kimira Reddy
Lighting Design: Jonathan Kim
Projection Design: Andie Lloyd
Sound Design: Riley Hardwick
Music Director and Composer: Argel Monte de Ramos
Projection Co-Designers: Ronnie Cheng and June Hsu
Fight Directors and Intimacy Choreographers: Nathania Bernabe and Jackie T. Hanlin, Affair of Honor
Fight Captain: Terrence Zhou
Music Captain: Vince Sendrijas
Props Design: Heidi Wilkinson
Costume Design: Sarah Sosick
TD/PM: Nico Dicecco
Stage Manager: Jennifer Wilson
Apprentice Stage Manager: Vicki Santos
phone: 604-764-1817
our address:
1398 Cartwright Street
2nd floor
Vancouver, BC
V6H 3R8
EMAIL: info@rubyslippers.ca
RST acknowledges that we are uninvited guests on the stolen lands of the Coast Salish People, the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwxwú7mesh (Squamish) and səl̓ílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) First Nations. We are committed to working in solidarity with people who identify as Black, Indigenous, and person of colour as accomplices in transforming the white colonial patriarchy into something more compassionate and equitable.
We at RST acknowledge the findings of the TRC and support their 94 calls to action.
