Free Admission | Registration Required

Register

The Museum of Chinese in America proudly supports the creative journey of generative artists in the development of new works. In this spirit, we are honored to present Standing Above Pajaro, a poignant new opera composed by Jeremy Rafal based on the original play by Conrad A. Panganiban. Returning to MOCA with this evocative piece, Rafal delves into a turbulent chapter of American history, offering a narrative that resonates deeply with contemporary issues of immigration, identity, and the human capacity for empathy.

Set against the backdrop of 1930s Watsonville, California, Standing Above Pajaro unfolds on a desperate early morning when Celestino Tobera, a Filipino farm worker, seeks refuge in a general store, fleeing an enraged mob intent on eradicating the Filipino community. The store’s owner, Melissa Anne Crawley, is faced with a heart-wrenching decision: protect Celestino or align with her son, who leads the violent mob.

Through powerful music and compelling storytelling, Standing Above Pajaro explores the collision between anti-Asian violence and the pursuit of the American Dream. It challenges audiences to reflect on the question: “What will it take to create empathy for immigrants seeking better opportunities and the willingness to help them?”

This program is supported by Museum of Chinese in America’s Creative Space Initiative.

STANDING ABOVE PAJARO

A Filipino-American Imagined Opera Inspired by the 1930 Watsonville Riots

Original Story and Libretto by Conrad A. Panganiban

Music by Jeremy Rafal

Produced by Joachim Luis

ABOUT the Artists

JEREMY RAFAL, Music

Jeremy Rafal has worked on several projects with MOCA as an actor-musician and is thrilled to return as the composer for Standing Above Pajaro. He was born in the Philippines, raised in Hawaii, and is now an archetypal multi-hyphenate New York based artist: actor-musician-composer-writer-filmmaker-director-educator. As a musician, he received his Doctor of Music in Piano Performance degree from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music under the tutelage of the late Dr. Karen Shaw. He is a prizewinner in several piano and composition competitions and has performed around the world both as a soloist and collaborative pianist in Europe, Asia, and all over the United States. As an actor, he has appeared in several theater productions, film, TV, and commercials. Outside the arts, he is also into linguistics, jump roping, and CrossFit as a certified CF-L1 trainer. Jeremy is very excited to work on his first collaboration with Conrad and Joachim to bring this important Filipino-American story to life. IG: @thatonepinoyguy

CONRAD A. PANGANIBAN, Original Story/Libretto

Conrad A. Panganiban (he/him/his) is an award-winning Filipino American playwright representing the San Francisco Bay Area. His plays include DARYO’S ALL-AMERICAN DINER, WELGA, and RIVER’S MESSAGE. Conrad’s work has been produced by Bindlestiff Studio, The Chikahan Company, CIRCA Pintig (IL), and the MaArte Theatre Collective. Awards include: Best Play of 2023, DARYO’S ALL-AMERICAN DINER (BroadwayWorldAwards Chicago), Best New Play, DARYO’S ALL-AMERICAN DINER (Chicago Reader, Best of 2023), Susan Fairbrook Playwright Fund Awardee (TheatreWorks Silicon Valley), 2023 New Voices in Comedy Writing Fellowship (Killing My Lobster), James Milton Highsmith Award Winner (SFSU), National Ten-Minute Play Festival Finalist (Actors Theatre of Louisville), and Bay Area Playwrights Festival Semi-Finalist (Playwrights Foundation). Resident Artist: Bindlestiff Studio. Member: Dramatist Guild of America, and Theatre Bay Area. MFA, San Francisco State University. @consplayspace

JOACHIM LUIS, Producer

Tenor Joachim Luis is a 3rd Generation Filipino American from the San Francisco Bay Area. He was last seen on stage in March 2023 in West Edge Opera’s Snapshot Concert. Past roles include: Ernesto (Don Pasquale), Ferrando (Così fan tutte), Count Almaviva (Il barbiere di Siviglia), Don Basilio/Don Curzio (Le nozze di Figaro), Prince Ramiro (Cenerentola), Jack (Into the Woods), and Big Deal (West Side Story). He is an AGMA regular tenor with the San Francisco Symphony Chorus and an extra chorister with the San Francisco Opera.

Joachim received a Bachelor of Music Education from San Francisco State University in 2007, and a Master of Music in Classical Voice at the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University in 2009. 

Joachim‘s first degree is a B.A. in Asian American Studies from San Francisco State University in 2001. He is proud to collaborate with Conrad Panganiban and Jeremy Rafal in highlighting the lives of the Filipino Manong Generation, an overlooked yet crucial part of California and US history.