Remembering Them
A 10-Minute Play
By Conrad A. Panganiban
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Kat Cruz: 20s, Female, Filipina American
Francisco Almero Sandoval: 50s-70s, Male, Filipino American Nestor: 20s – 30s, Male, Filipino American
Tour Guide: any age, any gender, any ethnicity
Tourist #1
Tourist #2
Tourist #3
SETTING
Interior of the Filipino American History Museum inside a display to look like an old Barber Shop
TIME
Present.
PLAYWRIGHT’S NOTES
- A ‘/’ means that the next line immediately begins to sound like an overlap of words.
- Francisco’s last name is meant to be said with an emphasis over the final ‘a’: Sandovál. Meant to be a flourish with his ‘poetic’ last name, even though he may be the only one to see that.
Lights up on a large object underneath a larger piece of cloth with is set Center Stage. The museum Security Guard, FRANCISCO, is standing next to it. He is wearing a hat and sunglasses.
A group of TOURISTS and KAT CRUZ enter with a TOUR GUIDE. They stare at an object above the house audience’s heads.
TOUR GUIDE
Now if you follow me, you will see one of the rarest artifacts we have in the Filipino American History Museum. Can anyone tell me what that is?
TOURIST #1
It’s a steering wheel.
TOUR GUIDE
What kind of steering wheel?
TOURIST #2
A boat steering wheel!
TOUR GUIDE
Actually, it’s more like a ship’s steering wheel, ladies and gentlemen. And that ship was called the Nuestra Se–ora de Buena Esperanza.
TOURIST #3
The Nuestra Se–ora de Buena Esperanza?!
TOUR GUIDE
The very one. That steering wheel sailed the ship into Morro Bay, California on October 18, 1587 where the First Filipinos landed in America. That’s 33 years before the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock.
TOURISTS
Oooooo…..
All of the TOURISTS begin to take pictures of the steering wheel.
TOUR GUIDE
All right everyone, let’s go into the next wing where we have the very guitar that Lou Diamond Philips played in La Bamba.
TOURISTS
Oooooo….
Exit all of the TOURISTS except for KAT, who stays behind to look at the large covered object set Center Stage.
She see’s FRANCISCO, but as she moves closer to the object, she notices that he’s really asleep… standing up.
As KAT takes this opportunity to life up one of the corners of the cloth covering the object, FRANCISCO wakes up.
FRANCISCO
HOY!
(KAT drops the corner of fabric.)
What are you doing?
KAT
Nothing.
FRANCISCO
I saw that! No touching anything in the museum.
KAT
I wasn’t touching anything.
FRANCISCO takes out a walkie-talkie.
FRANCISCO
(into the Walkie Talkie)
Homebase, this is Francisco.
KAT
Woah! You don’t have to call in the–
FRANCISCO
Homebase. This is Francisco. Come in, homebase.
KAT
What was one little peek gonna hurt?
FRANCISCO grabs Kat’s arm and proceeds to walk her out.
FRANCISCO
Let’s go.
KAT
Hey! Let go of me! I know my rights!
KAT spins around and grabs his walkie-talkie from Francisco and runs to the opposite side of him around the large object.
FRANCISCO
Hoy! Give me that!
KAT
Well then, you’ll have to catch me first.
Both continue a cat and mouse chase around the large object until KAT grabs one corner of the fabric covering that object and tosses it to the ground to reveal a barbershop chair.
FRANCISCO
Now you did it!
KAT
It’s… Beautiful.
FRANCISCO
Beautiful? It’s just a chair..
KAT
It’s not just a chair. It’s a chair that belonged to Faustino Regino.
FRANCISCO
Tino would say it’s just a chair.
KAT
You knew Tino?
FRANCISCO
You kidding me? All the Filipinos in Sacramento knew Tino! When it was time to get a job, you go see Tino. When it was time move to another crop, you go see Tino. And when you want to go on a date–
KAT
You go see Lolo Tino!
FRANCISCO
Hey, that’s right! Are you Tino’s granddaughter?
KAT
No, actually, I’m his grandniece. His brother was my Lolo. When he retired, he sold the barbershop and moved back to the Philippines to live with my family.
FRANCISCO
Why didn’t he tell anyone? We were lost without him.
KAT
And he was lost without this.
KAT picks up a barber’s smock and puts it on.
FRANCISCO
It looks good on you.
KAT
Sit down.
FRANCISCO
No no. I can’t. This is not supposed to be uncovered. I might get in trouble.
KAT
Someone as handsome as you gets in trouble? Nooo…
FRANCISCO
I am handsome, di ba?
KAT
Come on. I’ll even give you a haircut on the house! I’ll make you look so guapo that every woman in Sacramento will–
KAT & FRANCISCO
–fall in love with you.
FRANCISCO
That’s exactly what Tino would say to everyone who sat in that chair.
KAT
Would you like to sit in this chair?
FRANCISCO
I… I can’t… I’m supposed to be working… not galavanting…
KAT
You’re so guapo when you look confused.
FRANCISCO
I’m not confused!
KAT
How can you be sure that you’re not not confused?
FRANCISCO
I’m sure that I’m not… not… not whatever you said I was not!
KAT
Then sit in this chair to prove how unconfused you really are.
FRANCISCO
Fine! I’ll show you!
KAT
Then sit down.
FRANCISCO
I will!
KAT
Go ahead then!
FRANCISCO
No need to ask twice!
KAT
I already asked four times!
FRANCISCO
Fine!
KAT
Fine!
FRANCISCO sits in the chair and immediately feels relaxed. Like he’s home again.
FRANCISCO
Oh. Oh! Ohhh… it feels like… it feels like…
KAT
Feels like you sat in a memory?
FRANCISCO
It does. Yes.
KAT
Lolo Tino told me this one story, well, he told many stories–
FRANCISCO
He had so many stories to tell–
KAT
One hot summer day outside the barbershop–
FRANCISCO
Sacramento summers are always hot–
KAT
One gentleman came walking in and said that he needed the best haircut in the world because he was in love.
FRANCISCO
Oh, that was many of us during that time. Always in love.
KAT
But Lolo Tino would say,
(KAT turns into TINO as soon as she puts an apron around Francisco’s neck and covers his body.)
“Well, after a haircut from me, she won’t be able to resist you. I’ll make you look so guapo that every woman in Sacramento will fall in love with you!”
FRANCISCO
I only need one woman to fall in love with me!
KAT / TINO
And what’s her name?
FRANCISCO
Her name… her name is Elizabeth Anne Carlson.
KAT / TINO
Talaga, Pare? And why are you so in love with her?
FRANCISCO
Because of her name… Elizabeth. Anne. Carlson.
KAT / TINO
Why does she have three names?
FRANCISCO
Because she’s three times as beautiful, Tino!
KAT / TINO
Okay. Okay. Then what does she do?
FRANCISCO
I don’t know.
KAT / TINO
Where does she work?
FRANCISCO
I don’t know.
KAT / TINO
Where does she live?
FRANCISCO
I don’t know.
KAT / TINO
How can you love someone when you don’t even know anything about her?
FRANCISCO
Because she’s / beautiful.
KAT / TINO
Beautiful.
Of course.
FRANCISCO
I was minding my own business on I Street when she stepped out of the Train Station and her friend yelled out the three most beautiful words I ever heard.
KAT / TINO
Elizabeth. Anne. Carlson?
FRANCISCO
Exactly! And you know what I did next?
KAT / TINO
Tell me you did not give her one of your poems.
FRANCISCO
I gave her one of my poems. You know I have a poem in my pocket for every time I see a beautiful woman. And each poem is signed with my very own signature!
KAT / TINO
But you have 5 or 6 poems in your pocket all the time.
FRANCISCO
You never know when I will meet the One!
KAT / TINO
Or two… or three…
FRANCISCO
So I gave her the poem.
KAT / TINO
And then what did she do?
FRANCISCO
She laughed.
KAT / TINO
Did she laugh with you or at you?
FRANCISCO
What difference does it make? She smiled the most beautiful smile in the world.
KAT / TINO
And then what did she do?
FRANCISCO
She turned on K Street with her friend and disappeared into a crowd. I chased after her but to no avail. But I’m going to find her, Tino. So you have to give me the best haircut to make Elizabeth Anne Carlson fall in love with Francisco Almero Sandoval.
KAT / TINO
Okay, okay. Sit back and prepare to fall in love.
Enter NESTOR. He’s mad and carries a piece of paper in his hand.
NESTOR
Tino! Tino!
KAT / TINO
Nestor. You can’t yell like that! Can’t you see that I have a customer here?
NESTOR
I’m looking for somebody!
KAT / TINO
If you lower your voice then I can help you.
NESTOR
You know everybody in Sacramento, right?!
KAT / TINO
Calm down.
NESTOR
How can I calm down when someone named…
(Reads the paper in his hand)
Francisco Almero Sandoval is trying to steal my girlfriend!
FRANCISCO tries to sit up, but KAT/TINO pushes him back down and throws a towel over Francisco’s face.
KAT / TINO
Francis…
NESTOR
Francisco Almero Sandoval! When I find him, I’m going to take his arms and I’m going to do this with them.
FRANCISCO
Owweee…
NESTOR
And then I’m going to take his legs and make them do this!
FRANCISCO
Arghhhhh….!!!
NESTOR
And then I’m going to take his head and I’m going to do this with it!
FRANCISCO
Arayyyyyy!!!
NESTOR
Is he okay?
KAT / TINO
No! Yes! No… That’s not Francisco Almero Sandoval underneath that towel!
NESTOR
Good! But if either of you see Francisco Almero Sandoval, tell him that I’m looking for him.
KAT / TINO
You got it boss!
FRANCISCO gives him a thumbs up.
NESTOR exits.
FRANCISCO
Whew! That was a close one!
As soon as KAT / TINO removes the smock and takes the apron off of Francisco and she turns back into KAT.
KAT
No, that was a great story!
FRANCISCO
Of course it was! Allow me to introduce myself,
(FRANCISCO gets out of the barber chair and with a flourish.)
Francisco Almero Sandoval.
KAT
No. Way! I wasn’t sure if that story was real or if he was making it up.
So, did you ever find Elizabeth Anne Carlson?
FRANCISCO
Your Lolo Tino never told you that part of the story?
KAT
There’s another part to the story?!
FRANCISCO
There’s always other parts to a story.
But remember, these are parts of stories that can only come out of a Sacramento barbershop on 4th and J Streets–
KAT
Or from other places in San Francisco’s Manilatown–
FRANCISCO
On Kearny Street intersecting the times and lives on Jackson and Washington Streets.
KAT
And across to Highway 99. From Isleton, to Lodi, to Stockton…
FRANCISCO
To Fresno, to Delano, to Coachella–
KAT
And from Illocos Norte, Pangasinan, and Ilo Ilo–
FRANCISCO
To Hawaii and Alaska and Seattle–
KAT
In every heart that beat for every mile of those who kept chasing–
FRANCISCO
Chasing the American Dream and calling out to each other–
KAT
Pare… Kuya…
FRANCISCO
Manong… Kumusta po!
If this chair could talk.
KAT
I think, it already has.
All the Manongs who sat in this chair carried so many dreams, stories, hopes–
FRANCISCO
And heartbreaks.
KAT
Yes, and heartbreaks.
Like Lolo Tino had when he had to leave this chair behind as the he saw many of his brothers and their stories fade away.
FRANCISCO
But this chair will forever be here for everyone to see…
KAT
For everyone to remember him…
FRANCISCO
And for everyone to remember them.
Blackout.
END OF PLAY