Fil-Am actress makes off-Broadway debut
MANA. Auspicious month. PHOTO BY LAURA NARIKAWA
LOS ANGELES – We checked with Camille Mana, the Filipino-American actress whom we reported earlier as having bagged the title role in Jesse Eisenberg’s off-Broadway debut as a playwright, “Asuncion.”
“Rehearsals are coming along swimmingly,” Camille wrote via e-mail and expressed her excitement that “Asuncion” begins preview performances on Oct. 12, at the Cherry Lane Theatre in New York. October 27 is set as the opening night of the play, which pits Camille with Jesse, Justin Bartha and Remy Auberjonois, with Kip Fagan directing.
Presence
Jesse and Justin play roommates who take in Asuncion, a Filipina immigrant whose presence in the friends’ lives tests their supposedly liberal outlook. “Jesse wanted the immigrant character to be English-speaking, so Filipino was an apt heritage for her,” Camille explained. “And, the name ‘Asuncion’ was chosen, because in the Tagalog and Spanish translations, it means the ‘Assumption of Mary,’ which is thematically relevant to the play.”
Camille, whose family is from Manila and Pampanga, shared that she’s learning a lot about herself as she rehearses her role. “I’m learning that it isn’t such a stretch for me to delve into this arena, and that Asuncion is just as accessible to me as any of the American characters I’ve played in the past,” said the University of California, Berkeley graduate. “It has been a lot of fun, and I also hope that the Filipino community is supportive of the play. It is rare for any Filipino character to take center stage in a mainstream work, and it’s a great idea to explore!”
The California native moved temporarily to New York to be in the play, which has been described by Jesse as a comedy. “It is such a change of pace to be in New York prepping for the stage, in contrast to film and TV,” Camille enthused. “We have been toiling away six days a week to get the show ready. I haven’t worked this hard on any project in quite some time. Kip Fagan is a tremendously insightful director, and it’s been a treat to work with him. Everyone is on the same page about wanting to tell the story with integrity, and to raise provocative questions, while making everyone laugh throughout.”
Jesse has been polishing the play as rehearsals intensify, according to Camille. “Rewrites and tweaks have been a fundamental part of each work day, as this is a world-premiere play, and everyone wants to get the story right,” she reported. “As is typical in previews, changes to the show will continue until opening night, despite the expected packed house of audience members beginning this Wednesday.”
Camille said of the Oscar – and Golden Globe-nominated actor of “The Social Network,” “The great thing about Jesse is that, while some writers are very rigid about throwing out their sacred ideas, Jesse is very collaborative and fluid in his writing process. That takes a lot of guts!”
Good sign
The actress, first seen on the big screen in Sarah Jessica Parker’s “Smart People,” shared that the rehearsals have been fun. She said, “Jesse, Justin, Remy and I have been having a hard time making it through practice runs without cracking each other up! We hope this is a good sign that audiences will be as tickled as we are with the show!”
Asked what she found surprising in working with Jesse and Justin, who is memorable for his role in the two “The Hangover” comedies, Camille answered, “I was most surprised by their quick wit and intellect. Not all actors are as bright as Jesse and Justin. They are also multidimensional as storytellers, and they both have such a keen grasp of writing and directing. They’re not just actors, they are also multifaceted artists.” More details about “Asuncion” are available on www.cherrylanetheatre.org.
October is proving to be an auspicious month for Camille. “Norman,” an indie dramedy in which she stars with Richard Jenkins, Dan Byrd, Adam Goldberg and Emily VanCamp, opens in the US on October 21.
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