Bio

USA wanted a new bio, so here's mine:

Conrad A. Panganiban
Conrad has been active in the Arts for the last 20 years. Beginning with Music, he has played the trumpet in front of a sold out stadium with the UC, Berkeley Bear Band, with the Northern California Youth Symphony in Stockton, CA, and the Monterery Jazz Festival's Youth Orchestra. He has also been honored to have played with the California Central Coast Section's High School Honors Concert Band for three consecutive years. In 1995, Conrad released a compilation CD of his orginal compositions where he sings vocals and plays all the instruments including piano and guitar.

He has also had his artwork displayed for the Filipino Community in Vallejo as well as in Maganda Magazine published in Berkeley, CA.

He began his artistic endeavors in Theater when he began college in 1990. As an actor, Conrad has appeared on stage with the Sinag-tala Filipino Theater and Performing Arts Association (SFTPAA) of Sacramento, with San Jose State University's Akbayan Club's Pilipino Culture Night, with Inter-ACT in Peter Mellencamp's STRUGGLING TRUTHS, Sacramento City College's production of Jeannie Barroga's WALLS. He has also filled the director's chair with CSU, Sacramento's Samahang Pilipino 1994 Pilipino Culture Night and Academy of Art University's Pinoy And Pinay Artists. He has also been honored to have directed segments for the Sinag-tala Theatrical Revue. As a playwright, Conrad has written for Samahang Pilipino of CSUS Pilipino Culture Night, Bindlestiff Studio of San Francisco's STORIES HIGH PRODUCTION OF ONE ACTS, and again for the Sinag-tala Theatrical Revue. Using his technical savvy, he has also worked as the Digital Visual Designer for Sinag-tala, Parlance Production's SEPIA RESERVATIONS, and most recently with the Visual Theater Troupe of San Francisco.

Recently, he was found on stage as one of the lead characters as a puppeteer with Bindlestiff Studio's Visual Theater Troupe's production of PROGRESS IN WORK/WORK IN PROGRESS. His next production will be found behind the scenes controlling puppets and projections with the Filipino-American troupe of perfomance artists called The Movement. He plans to produce and direct a collection of his plays in Sacramento and in San Francisco in 2008.

While not creating artwork for the stage, Conrad spends his day as the Sr. Technical Designer for Gap.com in San Francisco, CA. He also works as the Webmaster and Designer for www.sinagtala.org.

A Poem for Lola

I'm off to the library to work on my play again, but before i go, I wanted to put this up. I never knew both of my Grandmothers but I felt compelled to write this based on the events of last week. This is a shorter version because I didn't weigh down LISA's dialogue and rhythm within the scene. Also, I'm not a poet. I actually gave up writing poetry since one of my poems got rejected by Maganda Magazine. All wasn't a loss since one of my artworks got published.

Dedicated to my lolas, to LeRoid and xLe's grandma who recently passed (I pulled some of these lines from the eulogies heard), to my Smokey Joe Sister's Granny whom i never met, but I know how much of an impact she made on her, to Francisca Balderama, the closest lola that I've ever had without the blood relation, thank you. And all the lola's who've made a difference to their grandchildren.

R.J.
You can't just jump in and say that there's something wrong with what I wrote and not give tell me how I can fix it.

LISA
I guess that wouldn't be right, would it? Alright… let me get this straight, Jasen's grandmother is on her death bed, right?

R.J.
Right... his Lola, just in case you didn't...

LISA
Riiight. And he's trying to tell her how much she means to him?

R.J.
Right. Also, can you add in the dancing stuff since he's in the Modern Dance segment and he really wanted that in his monologue?

LISA
You're not making it easy on me, are you?

R.J.
Nope.

LISA
Okay...

Lola, I know that you can hear my voice between the ever growing silence between each inhale… and exhale you take.
Please listen to my words of praise and thank yous for everything that you have given me.
From the time I first heard the stories of how you hid in the hills with your children in tow
As strangers invaded our land of golden sunsets and fragrant sampaguitas… again
Protector of my mother and uncle when you moved to a new land of velvet fogged-in mornings and cable cars that went up and down California Street
To the one who helped raise me and my brother
to know wrong from wrong and
right from right
to left to right to left
and back again
the dance steps you taught me from the Jitterbug to La Jota to the Tinikling
of bamboo polls that still resonate from my ears to my core
click click clap
click click CLAP!
I snap out of my trance Lola, when I hear your voice call out to me, “Did you eat yet?”
And before I could even get out the words, “I'm fine, Grandma.”
A plate of Rice and Diniguan is placed before me
Which is made with the recipe, of not chocolate meat, which we Should Not try to pass off as a euphemism to ignorant Western palettes
But made with the special ingredient that only YOU can provide - Your Love
Because of you
I know what love is
Because of you
I know what strength is
Because of you, Grandma
I know the importance of taking the time to take in the essence of a rose with a single breath
To take in the essence of life and how to live it
With each Step
I Take
In Dance
In YOUR HONOR
Dahil Sa Iyo, Lola
Alam ko na kung sino ako
Salamat po at
Mahal kita

Sucker!

Sucker!
by conrad panganiban

BIXBY (early 30's) and GRASSHOPPER (early teens) sit at MUNI bus stop. GRASSHOPPER is sucking on a lollipop.

BIXBY: You are not 25!

GRASSHOPPER: I am so.

BIXBY: Then what year were you born?

GRASSHOPPER: Why you want to know?

BIXBY: Cuz you look like your...

GRASSHOPPER: 13. I get that a lot.

BIXBY: So... what year?

GRASSHOPPER: What's your name?

BIXBY: Why you wanna know?

GRASSHOPPER: Cuz, I don't share personal information with strangers.

BIXBY: Bixby.

GRASSHOPPER: 1981

BIXBY calculates the age with his finger in the air on an imaginary chalkboard.

BIXBY: I still don't believe you.

GRASSHOPPER: If I'm lyin', I'm dyin'.

BIXBY: Then what do you do for a living.

GRASSHOPPER: I'm a CPA.

BIXBY: Shut up! You are so not an accountant.

GRASSHOPPER: That I am.

BIXBY: So you go to work dressed like that?

GRASSHOPPER: Duh? Of course not. I just wanted to take a day off. Woke up this morning, looked outside the window, said hello to the sun, "Hi, Sun." and then said to myself, "GrassHopper, take the day off. You deserve it."

BIXBY: Your name is Grass Hopper? I don't know what's harder to believe, your age or your name.

GRASSHOPPER: Better believe it, Buddy.

BIXBY just looks at GRASSHOPPER.

GRASSHOPPER: You're kinda weirding me out, dude.

BIXBY: I'm still trying to comprehend that you're 25. Do you mind if I see your ID or something?

GRASSHOPPER: Yes, I do mind, cuz one, I don't know you, and two, you're gonna see my address and I just don't have time in include a stalker in my already chaotic lifestyle.

BIXBY: Then what if I just ask you some questions that only a 25 year old would know.

GRASSHOPPER: I ain't doing anything else. Shoot.

BIXBY: Where did you go to college?

GRASSHOPPER: Sac State for my undergrad. Then went to Golden Gate University for my MFA.

BIXBY: Who was your favorite boy band in the 90's?

GRASSHOPPER: I can proudly say, Backstreet Boys.

BIXBY: Your favorite 80's movie?

GRASSHOPPER: Back to the Future. Only the first one, I don't count the other 2.

BIXBY: What kind of car do you drive?

GRASSHOPPER: A 2006 Mercedes-Benz S320 CDI.

BIXBY: Ha! Gotcha! You're so lying! If you had a car, then why are you taking the bus?! Ly--errrr! Liar! You're a 13 year old impersonator!

BIXBY does a little jig to celebrate his discovery. As he dances around, GRASSHOPPER takes out the key to her Benzo.

BIXBY: What's that?

GRASSHOPPER: The key to my benz, which is at the home that I own cuz I hate driving in the city with its superfluous amount of bike messengers and its miniscule number of parking spaces.

BIXBY: Oh... I guess you are who you say you are. Sorry.

GRASSHOPPER: Unfortunately, as I said, I get it all the time.

BIXBY: I'm really sorry. I feel like a complete heel. Is there any way that I can make it up to you?

GRASSHOPPER holds out her hand.

GRASSHOPPER: Hi, my name is GrassHopper.

BIXBY: I'm Bixby.

GRASSHOPPER: There. Reset. Start over.

BIXBY: You know, Back to the Future is one of my favorite movies too... One point twenty-one jiggawatts!

GRASSHOPPER: You don't say.

BIXBY: I do, and I'm also saying that the Regal out in Berkeley is having a midnight showing of it on Saturday, and if you weren't doing anything that night, perhaps you wouldn't mind joining me.

GRASSHOPPER: Sounds like a very tempting offer. But, I'm kind of... attached right now.

BIXBY: Right. I should have known that you had a boyfriend.

GRASSHOPPER: Not exactly. A little more than that.

Enter PAPANG, GRASSHOPPER's dad.

PAPANG: Hoy. Where's my keys?

GRASSHOPPER: Right here, Dad.

PAPANG: Let's go. (to BIXBY) I hope that she's not bothering you too much! These 12 year olds are starting to cause too much trouble.

PAPANG exits.

GRASSHOPPER: Thanks for the invite, Mister, but i gotta jet! See ya... sucker!

GRASSHOPPER exits.

BIXBY just stares in awe, and then goes into convulsions of what he just did. Ew!


THE END

Star-Crossed Love

Star-Crossed Love
by conrad panganiban

At a store inside a mall. BREEZE is shopping, sees someone, and pulls JULIP to her side.

BREEZE: Don't look over there!

(JULIP looks)

BREEZE: I said don't look! Did he look over this way?

(JULIP shakes her head, "No.")

BREEZE: Thank goodness. Did I ever tell you about him? I didn't. I swear that I had. Doesn't matter. It was such a long time ago, and I doubt that he even remembers my name. But I'll never forget his - Zenith. Not only does it remind me of the old TV my family had where the knob broke off and we had to use pliers to change the channels, oh no, but Zenith as being the man whom was the pinnacle of all the men I have ever... been with. It was a splendid summer's eve because the air smelled so fresh, and there we were locked in each other's embrace in the garden under the shadow of the State Capitol. The heat of passion burned the fire within my heart... and now to see him standing there. I can still feel the warmth. Can you? Please tell me that you do for those deep brown eyes of his can melt the ice off a penguin's behind. But alas, when he left my arms for the last time, these once happy feet can no longer dance on air as they once did.

(BREEZE looks again and he is no longer there. BREEZE steps toward the spot where he stood.)

BREEZE: He is gone. I breathe in the smell of where he stood. He still wears the cologne I bought him for our anniversary.

JULIP: How long were you together?

BREEZE: It felt like eternity for our love had no time limit. All of three days. But what a glorious three days they were. I could tell by your inquisitive stare you have another question of why we are no longer together. What always happens to the love between two star-crossed lovers... our love faded away. Of course, if you were to ask him what had happened to us, his answer would be as transparent as the waters of a river called, Denial. Instead of saying that our co-existence were like two rafts that drifted apart, his claim would surely be that I was suffocating him with my affection. He would say that I called him every second of the day, but dear, what are phones, emails, text messages, and cameras for? Silly boy for misinterpreting my coyness toward him by strapping his arms and legs to the love posts of our bed. I told him I would return later that night for a special supper, which I did. Who would have known how easily the fibers of rope can burn the skin of wrists and ankles? (laughs) It was all a game I told him. Well him and the judge. A flirtatious game of batting the eyelids, twirling of the hair, a carving into the flesh of a little heart on his bronze pectoral muscle. So many fond memories. (sigh) Alas, all good things must come to an end. And as he stood here, I could still feel the passion of his gaze into my eyes as he proclaimed the words, "I never want to see you again, you crazy woman!" So much fire burned behind his eyes and bore into my soul. Oh, the flames of love. How I long for that feeling again. If only... if only had it not be for a court-ordered restraining document that keeps me 100 feet away from his touch, we would be together. Damn the government and the local enforcements that place these shackles on my heart! I am spent. I need air. Fair thee well, my friend. Fair thee well.

BREEZE exits, as Julip's friend, FARGO enters.

FARGO: Hey Julip. Who's that?

JULIP: I have no idea. I need a mojito. I swear you better not leave me again.

FARGO and JULIP exit.


THE END

A Scene from SHINE - the Musical

A Scene from SHINE (working title) - the Musical
by conrad panganiban

[A song begins and MANDY and CARLOS dance and sing around Juice It. The song has crazy mad beats and it's about making dreams happen.]

As the song ends, a KAREN, enters the store.

CARLOS
Hey, Mandy. Got a customer behind you.

MANDY turns around and freezes.

KAREN
Ate Amanda?

MANDY
Hi Karen.

MANDY goes around the counter and gives her little cousin a hug.

KAREN
How are you doing? I haven't seen you in so long.

MANDY
I know. Since the funeral. Um, so, how's everybody doing down south?

KAREN
We're all doing fine. JB graduated last year and working at Cedar Sinai as a cardiac nurse now.

MANDY
From UCLA, right?

KAREN
Yeah. I'm sorry that you couldn't make it to his graduation.

MANDY
Well, I've been here running this store and the others. Plus, we're always short staffed. You know how good employees are hard to find. Soooo… what brings you here to town?

KAREN
Just a short business trip. I'm leaving early tomorrow for New York, then off to Dallas before heading back home. Hey, do you wanna get together for some dinner tonight?

MANDY
I'm not sure if I can get away. I have to do the totals for our regional stores… and…

KAREN
Well, then. Next time, I guess. Since I'm here, I'll give your dad a call, if that's all right.

MANDY
Of course. He'd love to hear from you.

KAREN
You're still at the same number, right?

MANDY
Same one for the last 27 years.

KAREN
Perfect. If you get off early, give me a call okay?

KAREN reaches into her purse and pulls out a business card.

KAREN (CONT.)
Or you can email… or text. It's all good.

MANDY
Thanks. Hey, did you wanna order something? On me of course, I own the store.

KAREN
Just some OJ. I saw a 24-Hour Fitness across the street and was headed there when I saw you dancing around in here. It made me think about when we were kids and we'd have those shows in the living room for Lola and Lolo. You taught all your cousins the dopest moves from the Janet Jackson videos.

MANDY
Those were the days.

KAREN
You still dance?

MANDY
Me… no. That was ages ago. And that was a silly dream… and this is real life. Here's your juice.

KAREN
Thanks, Ate. I better jet. Give me a call so we can hang out again.

They hug each other.

KAREN
Love you.

MANDY
Love you too.

KAREN exits as MANDY heads to the door to wave bye. MANDY just stares out there for a while and looks down at Karen's business card.

Enter CARLOS.

CARLOS
Hey, you better not let Dick catch you daydreaming again.

MANDY doesn't say anything or turn around.

CARLOS
Chica, what's wrong? Was it my Dick comment? Listen, you might not like Dick… but I…

MANDY turns around.

MANDY
Carlos!

CARLOS
Got you to turn around! Now tell Carlito what's bothering you.

MANDY
My little cousin just came by.

CARLOS
You have a cousin? I thought that it was just you and your dad.

MANDY
It is… but then there's my rich successful alter-ego family living in SoCal.

MANDY hands CARLOS Karen's business card.

CARLOS
Fancy shmancy. It even smells rich. Bet they treat you like Cinderella, before she got all beautified and shit.

MANDY
No, not even. They're really cool, it's just that I wish I could relate. I wonder what it'd be like to not always be living from paycheck to paycheck. To not feel like I'm lower than them. I mean, she never would make me feel bad. It's just me I guess. It just feels like everyone but me gets the breaks. When is it going to be my turn?

CARLOS
That time will come and soon. You're still going to that audition, right?

MANDY
Oh, shoot! That's right. What time is it?

CARLOS
Time to get a watch.

MANDY
Carlos!

CARLOS
Sorry, baby. You know I can never resist when someone asks me that. It's 4:30 child.

MANDY takes off her apron.

MANDY
Cover for me, 'kay? I gotta get home and change. I can't go there looking like this.

CARLOS
Or smelling like that too. Get going girl… and break a leg.

MANDY gives CARLOS a quick hug and exits.

Burgundy, Cerise, and an Apple

Burgundy, Cerise, and an Apple
by conrad panganiban

BURGUNDY: Cerise, are you ready?

CERISE: I was born ready, Burgundy.

BURGUNDY: Are you sure?

CERISE: I've been practicing.

BURGUNDY: For 2 hours?!

CERISE: What's so hard?

BURGUNDY: Hitting the bull's eye.

CERISE: Piece of cake.

BURGUNDY: What if you miss?

CERISE: Don’t worry.

BURGUNDY: I don't know…

CERISE: Trust me.

BURGUNDY: You said that before.

CERISE: You got out…

BURGUNDY: Two weeks later!

CERISE: Just stand there.

BURGUNDY: Not too hard.

CERISE: Open your eyes.

BURGUNDY: No.

CERISE: OK. I promise.

BURGUNDY: What?

CERISE: Not too hard.

BURGUNDY: Is it sharp?

CERISE: When are knives not?

BURGUNDY: Aim for the apple.

CERISE: Then don't move.

BURGUNDY: Don't plan to.

CERISE: One… two… THREE!

BURGUNDY: (yelp) Agh! Call… 9… 1…

A Scene from GARDEN OF DREAMS

I don't want to let go of the part of me that i really like... and miss. This is from a scene from a play i'm writing called "A Dance in the Garden of Memories" aka "Letting Go" aka some other title that i'll come up with in the next couple of minutes. this is my favorite scene because it includes the LAST song i ever wrote for someone and sang it for... peace and hopefully many more songs to come.

===========


(slow jam music starts to play)

LISA
I can't believe that seven years have gone by already. Thank you.

R.J.
Right back at 'cha. (pause) You know, I just realized that this is how we first met… with us dancing.

(Music fades out)

R.J.
Lisa, I just wanted to let you know that these years with you have been the greatest of my life. We started out as kids in college with no money, and now as adults… still with no money… but we'll get there… and I want to make sure that it's together.

(R.J. sings)
DEAR, DO YOU WONDER
WHAT IT'D BE LIKE TEN YEARS FROM NOW?
CUZ I OFTEN DO

THERE, WE WOULD BE
TOGETHER YOU AND ME
WAKING UP IN EACH OTHER'S ARMS

AND IT WOULD BE THE GREATEST
DREAM COME TRUE FOR ME
IF ONLY YOU'D SAY YES TO

(RYAN gets down on one knee and opens a box with THE RING.)

WILL YOU MARRY ME?

(Speechless, LISA just nods her head “Yes” and he puts the ring on her finger. They kiss and hug.)

RYAN
(Offstage V.O. through the walkie-talkie)
Dude, what'd she say?

(LISA Picks up the walkie-talkie)

LISA
She said, yes!

RYAN AND MOON
(Offstage)
Whoo-hoo! Yes!


MOON
(Offstage)
Ha! You owe me 10 bucks!

(“Celebration” by Kool and the Gang is faded in as the Lights fade out.)

RYAN
(V.O.)
This is for R.J. and Lisa - the newly engaged couple. See ya at the wedding!