“New Yorker in Tondo”- A Play that Transcends Who We Are

The Cast of "New Yorker in Tondo"

By Fel Anthony Amistad,

The Palanca-award winning play, “New Yorker in Tondo,” written by Marecelino Agana, Jr. was recently staged at the Serramonte Del Rey School Theatre in Daly City under the direction of Jackie Castillejo-Guingona. It is a comedy for everyone because it delivers more value and meaning by transcending the belief that one can take oneself out of the Philippines, but the Philippines cannot be taken out of oneself. One of the more popular Filipino comedy plays, this fantastic version is about Kikay who ia a balikbayan or a newly arrived from New York. Forgetting her roots, Kikay played by Richgail Enriquez appears to forget her true love of Tondo and her previous self when she displayed the acquired style, manner, and culture of New York. Kikay’s values have changed as her mom and friends have noticed her distinct persona. This protagonist tries to get back to being Kikay of Tondo that all her family and friends knew. This comedy play slightly differed from previous versions in that a few popular songs were introduced adding multi-dimensional appeal.

The actors were great in their portrayal of the main characters. Jackie Castillejo-Guingona played Nena, the childhood friend of Kikay who showed her irritation and resentment of the New Yorkish Kikay by imitating her ways in comedic relief. Aling Atang, the mother of Kikay, was portrayed by Cris Gosalvez who carried out her disdain of her daughter’s New Yorkish transformation and tried to convey her feelings and conversations in funny broken English, or Taglish.

Tony, Kikay’s childhood sweetheart, portrayed by Lee Robin Salazar is charming and had a central dramatic pull in the play. Tony visited Kikay to catch up on old stories and the past. However, the plot becomes interesting when his secret engagement to Nena, Kikay’s childhood friend, creates the tense comedic and dramatic scenes that highlight the play. Both English and Tagalog were used perfectly throughout the play to emphasize the dialogue and acting. Another amazing and funny character, Totoy, played by Joji Isla, also known as the Tondo “canto boy, ” is the secret love of Nena. Totoy’s love was revealed when the two female lead roles had a clash. His comedic acting was impressive as the delivery and acting were punctuated by unforgettable grimaces and looks. The audience reacted to every scene with glee and joy.

At the end of this play, the secret love of the characters was revealed with Kikay back to her old self, a simple and kind person who displayed the Alice-like transformation (Wizard of Oz) and love of Tondo culture and values. This is a play that should be seen by everyone, born and raised here in America or in the Philippines. Its acting and fantastic sets were well designed and the script and direction under Jackie Castillejo-Guingona was well executed. With the central meaning of this play, no one will forget what it means to come home again and relive great memories and reconnect with family and friends. This New Yorker in Tondo play should not be missed. It is produced by L3 Dream Productions. Tickets are available by contacting jaxsee@yahoo.com