Skip to content
Conrad A. Panganiban

Conrad A. Panganiban

playwright | conradap@gmail.com

Menu
  • Home
  • Scripts
    • Full-Lengths
    • One-Acts
    • 10-Minute Plays
    • Sketches
    • Monologues
  • Resume
    • Credits
  • Journal
  • Videos
  • Press
  • NPX
  • About
    • About Conrad
    • Contact
    • Terms of Use
Menu
flower fighting for life

Why I titled my book, WELGA?

Posted on 03/29/202503/29/2025 by Conrad

Image by Danny See Chuan Seng from Pixabay

The full name of my book is WELGA: A Filipino American Playwright’s Journey. I initially had this as a placeholder until I could think of something more clever. It’s like when I did the 31 plays / 31 days challenge and almost every play’s title started as UNTITLED. But the more I wrote the memoir of my playwriting journey, the title just started to feel right to me and this long, winding, and tiring road where I never even thought I’d last this long.

WELGA is the title of the full-length play I developed at SFSU as my Senior Project. I’m sure I’ve written this before, but it was written as because I felt compelled to. But, it was a struggle. In all honesty, I really go back and forth with that play. I mean, I liked it. It satisfied my needs of writing a coming-of-age play with young fil-am as the lead. Something that’s not common. So I was more than happy to provide that opportunity the the ones that have played Johnny. I was truly honored to write and do research on the Delano Grape Strike and the importance of the Filipinos who started that labor movement. I was excited to hear the laughter of the many audiences who got my “eighties” high school movie tropes, as self-serving as they were. I’m incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to write a song for the piece and have amazing groups interpret the song in sharing it with different audiences. I should be happy with it.

But the dark side of it was knowing that it just wasn’t good enough for some people. I feel stupid for believing that some didn’t get it. Or some had issues with the music. Or that maybe the play didn’t live up to the legacy of Larry Itliong and the other farm workers. I feel so vulnerable writing this, but I really wished that I had the props from 2 people. Out of respect, I won’t name them. And I feel so dumb for wanting their “approval”… but I did. I knew they watched the show as they posted pictures from before it started. But haven’t really said much since them. I’m literally shaking my head at this feeling of inadequacy.

Over time, that “not good enough” feeling has subsided a bit. I mean, I’ve gotten the chance to have had at least 5-6? different audiences experience the play. It still feels like the first time when the laughs just right. Or when I hear some sniffles after a certain scene. And I really appreciate all of the good vibes post show. One great memory that stands out was when an “elder” community activist talked to the high school cast telling them about the pride she and her comadres had while watching them.

Post-show community share at Cosumnes Oaks High School. Photo courtesy of Megan Sapigao.

Although WELGA technically is the Tagalog word for Strike! (as in labor strike), in writing this book, I was reminded of all the struggles I came up against: self-doubt, defining what success is, not able to make a living as a playwright, nobody showing up at an open casting call, and not feeling recognized by a greater community of theatre-makers as a legit playwright (yeah… hella feeling that), I get reminded often by all the good that has come out of my journey. I’m glad that I’ve stuck it out this long. But as I told others, I just don’t know how to stop. I’m proud of my resilience, curiosity, belief in CRAFT, and not wanting to give up with the hope of receiving everything that I’ve given. To feel like I’ve earned my place through continuous work, despite the times of feeling alone, and knowing that someone found value in what I have to say.

Keep going. WELGA!

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Related

  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • Tumblr
Headshot of Conrad A. Panganiban

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), the MaArte Theatre Collective, and CATS (Contemporary Asian Theatre Scene) . 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

Copyright Notice

Scripts on this website are copyright protected and may not be reproduced, distributed, disseminated, altered or performed without the author’s prior written permission. conradap@gmail.com

Creative Commons License
The work on conradpanganiban.com is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Pixabay.com

Some of the images used on this site, especially for the featured pictures, are from https://pixabay.com/

Archives

  • April 2025
  • March 2025
  • December 2024
  • October 2024
  • September 2024
  • August 2024
  • July 2024
  • June 2024
  • May 2024
  • February 2024
  • January 2024
  • December 2023
  • November 2023
  • October 2023
  • August 2023
  • July 2023
  • June 2023
  • May 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • August 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • January 2022
  • November 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • May 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • February 2019
  • March 2018
  • January 2018
  • October 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • August 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • August 2014
  • June 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • September 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010
  • September 2010
  • August 2010
  • April 2009
  • August 2008
  • July 2008
  • June 2008
  • May 2008
  • March 2008
  • February 2008
  • January 2008
  • November 2007
  • October 2007
  • September 2007
  • August 2007
  • July 2007
  • May 2007
  • March 2007
  • January 2007
  • December 2006
  • September 2005
  • May 1995
Mastodon
©2025 Conrad A. Panganiban | Built using WordPress and Responsive Blogily theme by Superb
 

Loading Comments...