Stories High XXVI- The Program
From The Producing Team:
Welcome to another Stories High production—Bindlestiff Studio’s oldest page-to-stage program. Every year we offer accessible theater workshops to the general public in playwriting, acting and directing which culminates to a show. This is the 26th iteration and we are excited to share the stories with you.
The poster design is by Joyce Yin and she intentionally chose images to symbolize each play. Like a box of chocolates, you’ll never know what your going to get. This year’s line-up will take you on a journey to the past, present, mythical to space. Sit back and we hope you enjoy the ride!
Aureen, Lo, Patrick
Stories High Producer Team
Plays
(in order of appearance)
Benedicta Knows Jack
Written by Amy L. Pabalan
Directed by Sophia Bobadilla
Featuring: Angeli Goff, Archie Lacanilao, Jo Bazouzi, Michelle Carroll
Lelang Buwaya: a horrow
Written by Joan Legaspi
Directed by Bella Chavez
Featuring:
CATHEDRALS
Written by
Directed by
Featuring:
- Intermission -
per aspera ad astra
Written by
Directed by
Featuring:
Sagittarius I
Written by Edu Ibazeta
Directed by allen mark aranas
Featuring: Angeli Goff, Cat Caneda, Michelle Carroll
Today, we dance
Written by
Directed by
Featuring:
Production and Design Teams
Producers: Aureen Almario, Lindsay Ordesta aka LO, Patrick Silvestre
Stage Manager: Ed Mabasa
Board Operator: Arianne
Dance Choreographer:
Fight Choreographer:
Intimacy Choreographer: Gwynn Cristobal
Photographer: Willis Lai
Graphic Design: Joyce Yin
Artistic Director: Aureen Almario
Managing Director: Oliver Saria
Technical Director: Dave Ragaza
The Production would like to thank Our Sponsors:
SOMA Pilipinas, PAWA Inc, Manuel and Penélope Flores Scholarship Fund, Asian American Arts Alliance,
Asian Pacific Fund, Sentro Filipino, San Francisco Grants for the Arts, San Francisco Arts Commission
Bios
allen mark aranas
Director of Sagittarius I
Bay Area writer, performer, tabletop game master, tank main, and now: stage director.
Grateful for a production like Stories High to allow me to further spread my creative wings. Huge shoutout to my cast Michelle, Cat, and Angeli; Edu and your incredible writing; the production and tech teams LO, Au, Patrick, Dave, and Arianne for the immense support as a first time director.
It is an incredible honor to work on Sagittarius I. We do it for those whom we’ve lost, for those who have fought, and for all of us that continue to fight.
“I die without seeing the dawn brighten over my native land! You, who have it to see, welcome it—and forget not those who have fallen during the night.” -Elias, Noli Me Tangere by Jose Rizal.
Amy Pabalan
Writer of Benedicta Knows Jack
Angeli Goff
Daisy in Benedicta Knows Jack & Charito in Sagittarius I
Archie Lacanilao
Emerson in Benedicta Knows Jack, and Son in Lelang Buwaya
This is Archie's 4th Stories High. He is a Bindle loyalist still expanding his artistic repertoire, and seeking "good busy" in this emotionally turbulent timeline. Some day, he would like to be an "albularyo". For now, he wants to bring these characters to life and show the audience that human art is irreplaceable.
Arianne Omila
Board Operator
Arianne is an artist and designer who stumbled their way onto their first theater production as an A/V Technician on Stories High XXVI.
They would love to give their thanks to Melanie Elvena, Aureen Almario, and Dave Ragaza for their guidance, and to the rest of the cast and crew for their warm welcome.
Aureen Almario
Producer
Bella Chavez
Bella Chavez is a Bay Area-based playwright, freelance writer, and theater director. They live with their wife and several cats in Ashland, CA. Their other interests include film, museums, music, mythology, the Beats. science fiction, comics and graphic novels, and collecting library cards. They would like to thank emerging playwright Joan for her beautiful play and their wonderful cast, Sharleen, Terrence, Lony, Jamie, and Archie for their hard work, penetrating insights, and collaborative spirit.
Benita Benavides
Benita may be from Manila, but it's always homecoming at Bindlestiff. They thank Kuya Jolo, Chris, Patria, Amy, Edu and Jeanie for listening and giving feedback to the voices in her script. Never give up!
Cat Marpuri-Caneda
LILLI in Sagittarius I and BETA B for Today, we dance
Cat is blessed to be performing at the Bindlestiff Stage as part of Stories High XXVI. Thank you to Bindlestiff community for investing and pouring into the growth and evolution of emerging and aspiring artists like me - this art community makes me feel so at home. Thank you to my family and beloved chosen and soul family for all your love. Thank you fellow heartworkers who continue to honor, uplift, and protect the sacredness in ourselves, each other, and all of our kins. I am grateful for the opportunity to honor our communities legacies and hxtory through storytelling while learning to work together to uplift these stories. I am dedicating this performance to young Cat-Cat, my family, lolas and lolos, my chosen and soul family, our OFWs, seafarers, hard laborers, service workers, farmers, artists, and activists specially those who have been disappeared and targeted 🙏🏽 Here's to honoring our sacred grief, our sacred rage, our sacred play, and our sacred joy! Here's to being each other's best medicine.
Ed Mabasa
Stage Manager
Ed Mabasa is an SF native who has written over a dozen short plays for Bindlestiff, focusing on the occult, 1940’s San Francisco noir, science fiction, and horror. He was seen in Golda’s “Darkheart” as Lab Tech 1 and his short play “The Night Market” was published in the anthology Liwanag Vol 3. His most recent short was “Lady of The Chamber” in Stories High 2025. He is also Bindlestiff’s go to stage manager and house manager.
Edu Ibazeta
Writer of Sagittarius I
Edu joined Bindlestiff in 2018 where he has acted, directed, written and designed for various productions in the space. In a previous life, he was in a band called Halik ni Gringo as the group's "Physical Emotion." Edu would like to express his immense gratitude for the cast and director of Sagittarius I for giving the play life. He would also like to thank his wife Kat and Sylvie, the cutest little bub for all the love and cuddles.
Jamie Legaspi
YOUNG WOMAN and ENSEMBLE/FAMILY in Lelang Buwaya
I am a Filipino-American theater major who studied at Laney College a lonnnnnng time ago. I've since made an extremely long detour into writing urban-fantasy, where Filipino mythology and the aftermath of colonization is a constant theme in my work. I had a blast participating in the recent Stories High acting and writing workshops, and I'm thrilled to finally get back on stage in Lelang Buwaya.
Jo Bazouzi
JACK in Benedicta Knows Jack
Joan Legaspi
Writer of Lelang Buwaya: A Horror
Joe Galang
LITO in CATHEDRALS
Joe is a singer, actor, musician, crossword speed puzzler, cat parent, and dumpling enthusiast who is thrilled to finally be onstage at Bindlestiff! He is a longtime fan, having seen several Stories High, and having been a Productiion Assistant for his cousin SAMMAY's music video for BLOOD (shot partially at Bindlestiff).
Joe was last seen onstage at the Theater of Yugen (where he is an apprentice in the Noh and Kyogen theater forms), and in workshopping the musical Bombahouse at Sentro Filipino last summer with several Bindlestiff alums. He sings with the Free Key Choir, is a founding member and principal arranger for the a cappella octet Ardea Ensemble, leads jam sessions around the Bay, and participates in musical activism with Singing Resistance and East Bay DSA. By day, he works at the company that did surgery on a grape.
To my family, my friends, and Elliott - maraming salamat po!
Kelly Chen
JULEZ in CATHEDRALS, ASTRID in per aspera ad astra
Lindsay Ordesta aka LO
Producer
assistant director / prop / set / costume / gong drummer
Lony Sekona
GRANDSON in Lelang Buwaya, ADEL in per aspera ad astra
Mariel Bartolome
Writer of per aspera ad astra
Mariel was first introduced to playwriting in college, where she co-wrote plays about cultural identity crises for Philippine Culture night. 12 years later...we back babyyyy.
"per aspera ad astra" was written a month before her wedding this year, born from a shower thought about Filipinos in space. Big big salamat to Melanie, Kelly, Lony, and Wes for bringing the story to life, Jeanie for leading a dope workshop, and Ian for enabling all of her side quests.
Mayo Arbues
Director of CATHEDRALS
Mayo Arbues is a Queer Filipino Theater Artist born and raised in the Bay. Korsa alum, working artist, and puppeteer; They can be found working on and off stage all around the bay but find a home at Bindlestiff Studio and with the Stories High family.
Melanie Elvena
Director of per aspera ad astra
Melanie Elvena is elated to return for the 3rd time as a director at Bindlestiff Studio, her creative home, where she’s been a theatermaker in many roles on and off stage since 2015. Her directing credits include 23&Mythology (Stories High XXV) and Sounding Heartbeats (Stories High, XVII). You can also find her producing arts events all over San Francisco, baking under the moniker Marahuyo Confections, or singing as the Assistant Director of the San Francisco Soundwave Chorus.
Melanie sends love to the entire cast and crew of Stories High XXVI! She thanks: Michelle Talagrow for their many nuggets of knowledge. Mariel for writing an out of this world play and entrusting her with its story. Kelly, Lony, and Wes for being such an amazing, collaborative cast that always yes-and-ed her antics and put their all into bringing each character to life. Winnie for being the goodest little AD!
Michelle Carroll
BENEDICTA in Benedicta Knows Jack, AMALLIA in Sagittarius I
PATRIA
Writer of CATHEDRALS
Patrick Silvestre
Director of Today, we dance
Here we go SH XXVI!! I feel blessed and honored to be part of another run, thank you for having me. I finally hit BINGO in Stories High with my directorial debut for "Today, we dance". (Shout out to the amazing writer Benita!!) Im lucky to have an amazing cast, y'all are my forever dance crew!! Big shout out to Cat, Terrence, and Vanessa!!! Thanks for the guidance and support to my Jedi master, Joe C!! Special thanks to my BUBU, my stories high love team Laura ❤️!!! Please continue to support our voices, our stories, our movement. Never give up! Isang bagsak!!!
Sam Paguita
MERLE in CATHEDRALS
'May the Soul of this Art become the Heart of Your Soul' - Remy Presas
Sam Paguita is born and raised in San Francisco. Voice Actress, Singer, Arnisedera, and 100% Swagapino. The 2024 Bindlestiff cast that still echos their past laughs through the green room. She closes her eyes and still see Kuya Jordan dancing in the hallways while she makes her way to the walker as her mumu dances in the theatre wind. Sometimes she can still hear the resonance of Kuya Archie going 'Huy Philippines'.
Inspired by Carla Grace Fajardo, Jasmine Tea, Sara Nadreau, Mermaids, Erik Orihuela, and Remy Presas Jr.
Sharlene Ignacio
LELANG in Lelang Buwaya
Sophie Bobadilla
Director of Benedicta Knows Jack
Sophie is a theatre-maker based in San Francisco, where she was born and raised, and she’s excited to be working with Bindlestiff for the first time!
Sophie most recently completed the Stories High Directing Workshop with Michelle Talgarow. Before that, she took classes in directing and script analysis under instructor Mark Ramont while a student at Cal State Fullerton, where she graduated with a BA in Theatre and a BA in Linguistics. Sophie also graduated from the Ruth Asawa School of the Arts Theatre Department, where she gained experience through directing short plays in the department’s annual playwriting showcase.
Outside of directing, Sophie is an actor/performer with around 17 years of experience performing on stage and around a decade of formal theatre training.
Sophie thanks the cast and crew for all their hard work and her friends and family for their support!
Terrence Paschal
BANKER/FAMILY ENSEMBLE in Lelang Buwaya
Special thanks! Maraming Salamat!
Radi Calalang of Sentro Filipino
Raquel Redondiez, Christina Abiba of SOMA Pilipinas
Edwin Lozada, PAWA Inc.,
Manuel and Penelope Flores Scholarship Fund