NO REST FOR THE AWAKE - MINAGAHET CHAMORRO

This image is taken from the play Pågat, written by myself and Victoria Leon Guerrero and directed by Michelle Blas. The play was performed at UOG in the Spring of 2014 and received a great deal of attention from the local community. The choreography for the play came from Master of Chamorro Dance Vince Reyes, who has been touring the world recently as a prominent Chamorro folk artist with his group Inetnon Gefpago. This image in particular comes from what he calls the silhouette dance, which was performed to the tune of "Safe and Sound" by Taylor Swift, except sung in Chamorro. It portrays a Chamorro woman during World War II being beaten and raped by a Japanese soldier. She is able to endure however through the help of other women, who support her. The issue of comfort women and sexual violence on Guam has always been something on the edge of my academic consciousness, as during my oral history research it would also pop up, albeit in vague and impossible to pursue ways.

I've had a Youtube account for many years now, I think 8 or 9, lao ti siguru yu'. I didn't post many videos for a while, and I'm not sure why, perhaps because I got a better camera a few years ago and with the not that great internet in the various apartments I've lived in, it takes several hours to post videos nowadays. I recently started publishing videos again, after starting a number of video projects and being inspired to engage in this media form. My Youtube videos are frequently shaking and suffer from very bad audio and never edited in anyway. But still they can provide an interesting view into certain events on island and elsewhere. Every once in a while I get a message from someone who couldn't be at an event or who was looking for information on something that has happened in Guam and they thank me for my shaky almost avant garde looking movie. Here are some recent videos that I've posted. A video from the 2011 Inachaigen Fino' CHamor

The play Pagat, that I co-wrote with Victoria Leon Guerrero was performed several weeks ago at the UOG Fine Arts Theater and was a huge success. Although it was performed six nights total, the last three nights were not only sold out, but hundreds of people were turned away. It was amazing to see an original local play sell out its tickets within fifteen minutes of opening the box office, and that people started to line up to get tickets two hours before the box office even opened. On the last two nights, the playwrights and the director, we all gave up our seats in order to make room for those who wanted to see the play. I’ve never been so elated to lose my seat before. On three of the nights there were talk backs, or discussions where the audience could ask questions to the crew and the cast. The conversations were very important to me, because I got a sense of what people were seeing and feeling about the play, and how closely or not so closely their inte

Pagat, a play written by Victoria Leon Guerrero and myself, directed by Michelle Blas, with dances by Vince Reyes has completed its run at UOG. I estimate close to 1000 people watched it and due to seating limitations hundreds were turned away for the last three shows. It was an amazing experience, ya gi minagahet ti ha na'malululok yu' i palabras-hu siha pa'go. Este na sinienten minalulok yan minagof sin palabras pa'go. Lao hu gogosa gui' sinembatgo. I will be posting more about the Pagat writing, watching and discussing experience I'm sure. Si Yu'us Ma'ase nu todu nu' muna'posible este na dinana'. Guaha gi i actors yan i crew ma fa'na'an este i bidan-mami ni' "kinalamten." Ya-hu ayu para este i che'cho'-mami. Sa' ti mismo unu na sahnge na chine'gue este, este uma'ayao ginnen meggai ni' manma'pos yan ha kekechalani mo'na meggai ni' manggaige pa'go.

--> A Play Called Pagat Michael Lujan Bevacqua The Marianas Variety 4/16/14 Later this month, the University of Guam will be holding a series of special premiere performances of the locally written and produced play, “Pågat.” This play and these performances are made possible through a collaboration with UOG’s Theater and Chamorro Studies programs and the cultural dance group Inetnon Gefpago. The play will focus on the complexities of contemporary and historical Chamorro identity, through a cast of four modern young adults and the memories of a cast of spirits who share with the audience key moments in the history of the Chamorro people. Full disclosure, I am one of the playwrights for this play and so naturally I am biased in terms of its awesomeness and its potential. This play was originally written by Victoria Leon Guerrero and I for the dance group Inetnon Gefpago. In 2010, their leader Vince Reyes asked Victoria and I to write a play that would celebr

For Immediate Release:                                                        Contact: Michelle Blas April 7, 2014                                                                          mcblas76@yahoo.com   University Theater Presents: Pågat: A locally written and produced play about the Chamoru spirit, culture and identity By Dr. Michael Lujan Bevacqua and Victoria-Lola Leon Guerrero April 24-26 and May 1-3                                                         University Theater closes its 2013-2014 season with the play Pågat, written by local writers Dr. Michael Lujan Bevacqua and Victoria-Lola Leon Guerrero, directed by Michelle Blas, and featuring choreography by Vince Reyes of Inetnon Gef På’go.    Pågat explores the complexities of cultural identity and change through the lives of four modern young adults and the memories of a cast of spirits, who share key moments in the history of the Chamoru people. The play is set in a latte site in the jungles of På

George Takei discusses Gay Rights, "Star Trek" and Being a Comic Book Hero Christopher Rudolph chris.rudolph@huffingtonpost.com Huffington Post 6/29/13 Decades ago George Takei was warping through space aboard the USS Enterprise on the legendary television series "Star Trek." Lately he's been embarking on some new journeys as an LGBT rights activist and the unofficial "King of the Internet."   With over four million fans on Facebook and over 700,000 followers on Twitter, the beloved actor is a social media force to be reckoned with and he uses his magnificent reach to champion lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender causes. In honor of LGBT Pride Month, the Huffington Post caught up with Takei to chat about everything from his time on "Star Trek" to guest starring in a comic book with Archie Comics' first gay character to bringing his new musical to Broadway and more. The Huffington Post: You wrote a blog a

Para bai hu egga' este lamo'na. Gof excited yu' put este na inegga'. Esta apmam ti manegga' yu' play Peter Onedera. Gof malago' yu' sumapotte Si Pedro gi i che'cho'-na, ko'lo'lo'na este na klasi para i kuttura-ta yan i lenguahi-ta. Hu fahan i tiket-hu siha gi este na LINK . Sina un usa Paypal. Ti mappot, gof faset.

Gi i kinalamten-ta, ta hagu'i i hale-ta... The Kutturan Chamoru Performers presents Puengen Minagof - A Night To Remember A Pacific Islander Play/Musical Written and Directed by Shawn Sourgose & Heidi Quenga Musical Score by Joey Quenga at The Muckenthaler Cultural Center in Fullerton, CA on Sunday, April 13, 2008 Shows at 3pm & 7pm For ticket info: http://www.themuck.org/Concerts.htm For more info: (562) 972-0969 kcparts@yahoo.com www.myspace.com/kutturanchamoruperformers