This is a play full of mystery, magic, cultural lore, and symbolism as the main character goes on a healing journey. This play is full of theatrical potential as we encounter many tricksters and demons, as Lena searches for answers to her father's side of the family. This play feels satisfying as it weaves together both Filipino and Romanian cultures, and asks if we ultimately need the answer to all the family legacy questions, but are we ready to accept ourselves for who we are now in order to heal and grow?

The community of National Committee readers for the 46th Bay Area Playwrights Festival advanced LENA PASSES BY as a Semi-Finalist at Playwrights Foundation. We were deeply moved by the journey of a strong female protagonist as she goes on an ancestral journey in order to heal and grow to confront her father's family's past. We were engaged by the play's promise as a fairytale with compelling symbolism, lyricism, magic, tricksters, devils, and elemental powers. We hope this play is considered for further development and investigation, and finds dedicated collaborators in this play’s journey towards production. #BAPF46

An absolutely spectacular, fabulistic piece that marries folktale and movement theater with a specific, poignant, funny, and human story. Lena is such a compelling central character, and I was so moved by her journey and the way she explored her betweenness, her connections and lack thereof to various parts of her identity, and her own definitions of family. I will not forget many of the stage images within the piece, and a creative theater company should have a field day bringing this fantastic play to life.