Asian Story Theater

The Last Census

How American are you? The government wants to know. Check out outrageous tales of censuses past and, hopefully, future. Comic episodes from some of the most creative writers in town in this musical-comical-video mashup from Asian Story Theater, Teatro Máscara Mágica, and Umoja Theatre.

BECOMING AMERICAN is a dynamic hybrid of online and live performance,
recording with new mobile studio equipment in partner venues in Valencia Park, City Heights, and Lincoln Park. This pilot project is intended for distribution via free and paid subscription regionally and nationally on the independent TV model (Duplass Brothers, et al.).

Music and recurring characters build on material developed over last 2 years working around census, with all talent and material developed in THE LAST CENSUS projects 1-6 (see below) eligible for inclusion.

Coming this June:
BECOMING AMERICAN
(the Last Last Census show--#7)

Original art by Tony Washington Art

Overview

Home base for all projects created and planned in conjunction with this initiative, developed through 6 different programs.

#1 is AUDITION/SHOWTIME (https://youtu.be/B5s8MKME4DA and linked videos). A national call for short scripts by BIPOC writers elicited more than 70 submissions. Multiple readers evaluated these and a top 10 were identified. Each of these 10 writers is being awarded a $100 honorarium. In coordination with this process, a city-wide open audition was conducted on Saturday, May 4 at the Southeast Live Well Center, focusing on opportunities and roles for BIPOC characters. Our trio of partner companies (AST, TMM, and SDBET) were joined by representatives from 8 other theaters to review materials gathered, and simple video recordings made of each performer participating. From this (long) day of auditions, a number of the actors were invited back that same evening to read the top 10 scripts. These selected actors were each paid a $50 honorarium for the same-day readings.

#2 is CENSUS & CENSIBILITY. API writers in San Diego met over a month, working with AST’s Director Gingerlily Lowe to generate new Census-related scripts. The best of these were pulled out into a 90-minute program of public, free, lightly staged readings. Presented at 3 different venues (2 in Promise Zone), June 4-11. See the full event PROGRAM, and a short summary wrap-up. Archival video of first public reading is online here.

#3 is THAT DON’T MAKE NO CENSUS. Produced and directed by SDBET (possibly renaming as UMOJA) Artistic Director Rhys Greene, a medley of short AND one longer-format script. Archival video of first public reading is online here.

#4 is KNOCK KNOCK, WHO’S THERE? a short, all-new original musical about census issues in Latino and Native American communities, produced and directed by TMM’s Artistic Director, Bill Virchis. August 29-30-31 at El Salon Theatre in San Ysidro. Archival video of the first public staging is here.

#5 is 3&1, presented as part of the Old Globe Theatre's 360 Project on April 11-13, 2025. Our programs #2-4 were each restaged one day at the Old Globe's White Theatre. A fourth program (the &1 of the title) was a public reading of the first draft of THE LAST CENSUS script--at the time, very much a work in progress. Details are included below, as project #6.

#6 is a larger, longer stage production titled THE LAST CENSUS. This includes material developed in projects 2, 3, or 4, as well as with writers contacted through the initial open call for writers. Public performances are scheduled for June 13-22 at the LMEC Theater, 28th and Logan in Logan Heights. The rehearsal/production schedule is posted at the bottom of this page; actors are required, and writers are welcome. (Confirm with the company at [email protected] the day prior as to what will be rehearsed any given day.)

First key art for THE LAST CENSUS, created by Anthony Washington.

2026 Performances

Preview/promo video

Highlights

Complete show (fixed camera)

Program

W O R D S / M U S I C / V I D E O

Carlos Morton, Earl W. Hamilton Jr., Gill Sotu,

Gingerlily Lowe, Herb Siguenza, Hortense Gerardo,

Kalani Queypo, Kent Brisby, Miguel Melo, Sasha Foo,

Stu Shames

C A S T

Belle Ramos

Byron LaDue

Gingerlily Lowe
Patrick Mayuyu

Rhys Green

Santiago Gordillo

Victoria Ortiz

P R O D U C T I O N

Directed by Kent Brisby

Production Stage Manager ~ Suanne Pauley

Technical Production Director ~ Jay Newington

Marketing Director ~ Dennis-Michael Broussard

Assistant Director Kalí Kamaria

Costuming ~ Cheryl Lindley-Lopez

Projections Design & Programming ~ Kevin Anthenill

Key Art ~ Anthony Washington

Online Media Coordinator ~ Sultana Saritas

Event support ~ Vietca Do

Story support ~ Don Victor
Lighting Consultant ~ Eusevio Córdoba

SCENES BY AUTHOR

Mind Boggling ~ Earl Hamilton Jr.

Dark Salvadoran Myth ~ Herb Siguenza

Place Names ~ Carlos Morton

Asian Reindeer Games ~ Hortense Gerardo

Zebra Blouse ~ Kalani Queypo

Buddy & Beau Check the Boxes ~ Sasha Foo

The Chaos in Order ~ Gill Sotu

The NEXT Census ~ Kent Brisby

Door Cam videos ~ Miguel Melo & KL Brisby

Theme & Door-cam music ~ Stu Shames

I Like Rice song ~ Gingerlily Lowe

THANK YOU

JoAnn Fields

Connie Hernandez
Chrysanne Lowe Rafferty

The Murphy Family

Susan Lowe

SPECIAL THANKS

to the pioneering census theater development teams of CENSUS & CENSIBILITY, THAT DON’T MAKE NO CENSUS, and
KNOCK-KNOCK WHO’S THERE? THE LAST CENSUS would not exist without your trailblazing work.

Sponsored in part by City of San Diego IMPACT grant and the Prebys Foundation

About the Company

Annabelle Ramos

Annabelle is an award-winning Filipina actress, playwright, and singer-songwriter based in San Diego. Recognized for her raw performances, evocative lyrics, and innovative storytelling, she is passionate about using art to advocate for education and mental health awareness. Her original one-act play, The Dragon Fruit Empress, explores the challenges of mental illness in military spousal relationships within the Filipinx community. Her recent stage credits include Georgia in MOXIE Theatre’s 10-Minute One Acts, Beatrice in Southwestern College’s Much Ado About Nothing, and Anqa in Asian Story Theatre’s Not Working.

Byron LaDue

Byron LaDue always enjoys working with Kent and Ginger and Asian Story Theatre. His favorite role is that of Paul Gauguin in. “Paul Gauguin, the Musical” and its subsequent incarnation for the Fringe Festival, “Prick.” He also appeared in, ”Tales from the Sun Café”, “The Golden Rule” and “The Coffee Plays.” He would like to dedicate these performances to fellow Piparoo and Longtime friend Biff Wiff.

Gingerlily Lowe

Gingerlily is an actor, director, writer, songwriter, teaching artist and a founding member of Asian Story Theater -formerly Chinese Story Theater. She was a founding member and past president on San Diego’s first Asian American Theater company–Pacific Asian Actors’ Ensemble, and also the Magic Machine. She is proud of the decades of multi-ethnic theater she has been a part of and able to help produce, celebrating Asian American art and culture, and bringing new faces, voices, and stories to the community. She has been a teaching artist with Young Audiences/Arts for Learning, Institute for Arts Education, and currently is on the teaching artist staff for Guitars in the Classroom, and the Education Director for Asian Story Theater.

Patrick Mayuyu

Patrick is...

Rhys Green

Rhys is co-founder and Artistic Director of the San Diego Black Ensemble Theatre. He earned his BFA in acting from the California Institute of The Arts, and has been a teaching artist with the La Jolla Playhouse. He has toured for Disney, National Theatre for Children, Traveling Lantern, and more, and local appearances include BALLAD OF EMMETT TILL at Ion Theatre and FATHER COMES HOME FROM THE WAR with Intrepid. Mr. Greene is an Associate Artist with the Asian Story Theater and is on the board of Chronos Theatre and Teatro Máscara Mágica. He is the proud owner of Mr. Green’s Coffee Beans, a small coffee roasting business bringing custom roasted coffee beans from around the world (mrgreenscoffeebeans.com).