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 | Cal State L.A. Student Play is Regional Finalist in Los Angeles, CA- Dahil Sa Iyo (Because of You), a play with original music, written and acted by students of California State University, Los Angeles and directed by Professor of Theatre Arts José Cruz Gonzales, was a John Cauble Short Plays category winner in the Region VIII Festival of the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KC / ACTF). With this distinction, Cal State L.A. earned the opportunity to present the play in Fresno, CA at the end of Feb. 2001 as part of the KC/ACTF national competition. Cal State L.A. Theatre Arts majors acting in the Fresno production of Dahil Sa Iyo were Lorely Trinidad, Leslie G. Baloy, Sheila Han, Arman Ahangarzadeh, and Jooyoung Song (pianist). Other Cal State L.A. students involved the production were Javier Arjona (composer), Alysia Robbins (stage manager), and Lawrence Melendez (scenic designer), who was also recognized as regional finalist for Scenic Design. In addition, five Cal State L.A. students were honored as Irene Ryan regional nominees for their acting accomplishments. These were: Beth Geiger, Arwen Hernandez, Hector Muñoz, Gloria Newton, Norma Perez, and Victor Rodriguez, Jr. Dahil Sa Iyo, written by student Lorely Trinidad, was reviewed by KC/ACTF judges during its Spring 2000 presentation in the John Lion New Works Festival held on the Cal State L.A. campus. The musical play follows a young Filipina woman as she recalls her warm visits with her aunt and the dark past she must face. Trinidad explained, "Dahil Sa Iyo was first performed as a monologue in 1999. The following summer was my fourth visit to the Philippines where I spent time with Lila-Pilipina (a support organization of former sex slaves to the Japanese military in the Philippines during World War II). Looking into the eyes of these lolas (grandmothers), there was no way I could leave the country without bringing their stories with me. This journey has been a profound one, but nothing in comparison to that of the victims whose experience is revealed in this piece." KC/ACTF is a national theater education program whose aims are to identify and promote quality in college-level theater production. Last year, more than 1,000 productions and 19,000 students participated in the ACTF nationwide.
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