Imagine what would happen if every Filipino person disappeared from the Earth.
This is the concept of a new play called “Everything Has Disappeared,” a project by Hazel Venzon and Darren O’Donnell. It was inspired when the two creators realized just how many overseas Filipino workers had come to Hong Kong.
“All these questions started to generate and that’s what kicked off our research. I’m a theatre practitioner, I make theatre, but I’ve always been interested in my own identity. What does it mean to be Filipina and Canadian? What is my story now that my mother has brought our lineage to Canada? And so I’ve always been really curious about the ways in which we are spread out around the world,” said co-writer and director, Hazel Venzon.
Venzon and O’Donnell went on to explore Germany and Norway, researching the contributions of the Filipino community. Their goal: to learn how the Filipino diaspora touched and contributed to communities around the globe.
“We discovered even more places in the economy where Filipinos were crucial. Most people are aware of the role that Filipinos play in health care and child care, but there truly is a lot more to uncover and to realize,” said Venzon.
Their findings uncovered the true impact of Filipinos around the world, highlighting the economic and societal impacts of their absence from the pages of history.
The play seeks to show how much the Filipino community has impacted the international economy but also uncovers stories about the local Filipino community and their contributions to their countries.
“We outline the extent of Filipino international economic involvement and we include six specific case studies from the Filipino community here in Winnipeg. We also intend to incorporate local stories wherever we go, so it’s a component to our actual show. And so that we can, when we’re presenting it, the people locally can also reflect on how they’re being impacted on a much more personal level.”
Venzon also hopes to bring this play to different parts of the world.
“I really hope that the engagement that happens in our show spirals into a deeper understanding of who we are in general as a people.”
“Everything Has Disappeared” premieres at the Prairie Theatre Exchange in Winnipeg, on Thursday, February 1 until Sunday, February 4.
