It’s a fulfilment of a long-time dream. Manny G. Asuncion, one of the founders of Dulaang Bayan Melbourne Inc (DBMI) and a critically-acclaimed playwright, is set to launch his first book called Seasons: An Anthology of Filipino Australian Plays Down Under on 30 August 2014, 1 to 4pm at the Blue Room, 501 Reception in Barkley Street, West Footscray.
Seasons is a compilation of seven of the best plays he wrote and directed in Melbourne from 1990 to 2009. Some of the stories pay tribute to the country’s climate patterns, such as Winter’s Chill, Autumn Sonata, Ikalawang Tag-Sibol ni Mang Forante and Summer Butterflies. Other titles include Mga Eksena sa Airport at Iba Pa and Kesehoda.
While all these plays have their respective colourful stories and approaches, from the comedic Kesehoda to the monologues of Mga Eksena, they have one central element: they all dwell around the lives of the Filipino migrants in Australia, focusing primarily on the dreams, hopes and aspirations of these Filipino families. In fact, Seasons is the first book of its kind to be published in Australia.
“Now I have peace of mind”
For more than 20 years, Asuncion has been very active in the Melbourne theatre scene, working with DBMI, which he co-founded, and Adarna Productions, which staged Winter’s Chill. He normally gets his inspiration for the stories from regular observations of Filipinos usually in public places such as airports and overheard conservations from friends and strangers.
However, it has also been his lifelong dream to gather all his stories and compile them into a book. Due to his other pressing commitments like further studies, he wasn’t able to follow through until today. In a recent interview with The Philippine Times, Asuncion expressed his deep sigh of relief after completing Seasons. “Now I can say that I have fulfiled my dream and have peace of mind. For all these years, there’s always a little nagging voice whispering in my ears telling me, ‘Have your book written! Have your book written!’ Now I’m vindicated.” He also feels elated and honoured for having contributed to the growth of Filipino literature in Australia.
Dedicated to Filipinos
Asuncion believes that Seasons is perfect for the Filipino-Australian communities. He specifically points out the Filipino Australian youth, saying, “I encourage them to read the book because it delineates the pains and struggles of their parents in settling here in Australia… and not to forget their ancestral and cultural heritage.” It can also be a good reference material for other playwrights, writers, researchers and drama students.
After his book launch, Asuncion plans to revive DBMI and work on compiling his other writings such as poems, essays and short stories.
For tickets to his book launch, call Manny Asuncion on 0407 928 187 or (03) 9741 4016.
