COUCH SURFING AND CULTURAL BAGGAGE
It makes sense that Jeffrey Lo—a Filipino artist who writes, directs, and knows the Peninsula theater scene inside and out—could write a play like Writing Fragments Home. It’s personal without being sentimental, funny without trying too hard, and it lands exactly where it needs to. I was at the near-sold-out opening night at Hillbarn Theatre, and you could feel how much this story mattered—not just to the characters onstage, but to the people in the seats.
Jay (Jomar Tagatac) and Mary Gwen (Jen Cuevas). Photo Mark Kitaoka.
What makes this production work isn’t just the writing—it’s the way Hillbarn handles it. The cast of five keeps things tight, with especially strong performances from Jen Cuevas as Mary Gwen, the no-nonsense mom, and Jomar Tagatac as her son, Jay. Their scenes together are the heart of the show. Cuevas plays Mary with just the right mix of warmth and steel. Tagatac, as Jay, gives us a guy caught between pride and uncertainty without making him a total sad sack.
Jay (Jomar Tagatac), Actress (Brigitte Losey) and Actor (Jamiel St. Rose). Photo Mark Kitaoka.
The story follows Jay, a struggling playwright who’s 40, broke, and back home sleeping on the couch. His mother, a nurse who immigrated to the U.S. from the Philippines with her now-deceased husband Ronaldo (nicely underplayed by Jepoy Ramos), isn’t thrilled. “We did it for you,” she reminds him, again and again. “This is when our story began: when we came to America.” Jay, meanwhile, is wondering if his story ever really got started.
Jomar Tagatac. Photo Mark Kitaoka.
That’s why Mary is so concerned that their only child has spent his life trying to write plays that have not been chosen to be produced. Who chooses art over something steady? “You know what never goes away?” she snaps. “Sickness.” She doesn’t hide her disappointment: “You have a degree in playwriting,” she says. “And now you’ve come back home. Why?” Jay admits that he’s come back to his family home because he’s lost his job and has nowhere else to go. While allowing him to stay (for two months only, she says), he has to sleep on the living room couch so he doesn’t get too comfy.
Ronaldo (Jepoy Ramos) and Jay (Jomar Tagatac). Photo Tracy Martin.
Reed Flores directs with a light touch—he lets the actors do their thing without getting in the way. Christopher Fitzer’s set—the entryway and living and dining room of Mary’s home—feels lived-in and real, just like the characters. The design elements all serve the story: Nolan Miranda’s costumes (especially Mary’s rotation of nurse outfits), Pamila Gray’s lighting, and Alan Chang’s sound design all hit the right tone without trying to be clever.
Actress (Brigitte Losey), Actor (Jamiel St. Rose) and Jay (Jomar Tagatac). Photo Tracy Martin.
Writing Fragments Home isn’t flashy, but it’s full of quiet power. It speaks to anyone who’s ever disappointed their parents, felt stuck, or tried to make art in a world that values stability over storytelling. See it if you can before it closes on Sunday, May 4. It’s honest, moving, and just might make you call your mom.
Jay (Jomar Tagatac) and Mary Gwen (Jen Cuevas). Photo Tracy Martin.
photos by Mark Kitaoka and Tracy Martin
Writing Fragments Home
Hillbarn Theatre
1285 E. Hillsdale Blvd. in Foster City
2 hours with intermission
Fri at 8; Sat at 2 & 8; Sun at 2
ends on May 4, 2025
for tickets, call 650.349.6411 Ext. 2 or visit Hillbarn
