Singaw by Allen Baylosis
Performance Studies M.A. Candidate Allen Baylosis will be presenting his performance piece "Singaw" (2020) at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) QGrad: Queer Graduate Conference on May 6-7, and at the International Federation for Theatre Research (IFTR) 2021 Galway Conference on July 12-16.
Title: “Singaw” (2020); “Fume” (2020)
Curated and Directed by Allen Baylosis
Spoken Word Poem Written by Andrew Estacio
Video by Kennan Tapang
Performed by Mrs Tan
Voices by Lance Daniel and Danna Sumalabe
Singaw (Fume) is a 7-minute performance video offering an interpretation of a spoken word poem entitled Dugu-dugong Bahaghari (Bleeding Rainbow) written by Andrew Estacio. The piece is a response to the death of Jennifer Laude, a Filipino trans woman who was murdered by U.S. Marine Joseph Scott Pemberton in 2014. Pemberton was granted an absolute pardon after six years of imprisonment. Hence, this piece serves as a reflection of the flawed justice system in the Philippines, especially towards the Filipino queer community as numerous transgender-related cases are being ignored. The piece highlights a transwoman drag artist taking a bath in the tub along with everyday objects such as flowers, milk, a banana, and a leash—used as representations of the microaggressions, discriminations, and violence experienced by queer victims under a heteropatriarchal society. It offers an alternate representation of Laude's death by taking place in a bathroom where she was found lifeless. The performance puts forward a statement by amplifying voices against the strong transphobia in the country and the dominance of the white male gaze in the global spectrum.