SEASON 31 | FEBRUARY 2019

Jason Bayani with a red photo filter, and his eyes covered with the words "locus of control". The background features yellow words on a white background, saying various judgements Jason has recieved, such as strange, intelligent, failure, hero, etc.

locus of control

Written and Performed by Jason Bayani
Presented by The VORTEX
View production photos here.

The VORTEX is proud to present the Austin debut of international touring poet and published author, Jason Bayani with his critically-acclaimed Locus of Control, a compelling mix of poetry, storytelling, music, and media. Directed by award-winning performing artist, Kat Evasco, the show explores the lives of Filipino immigrants in America. Bayani takes us through his hip-hop inspired youth, club-going college days, and turbulent adulthood. Locus of Control navigates his experience dealing with race, mental health, addiction, and his status as the first American-born child in his family. Drawing upon nearly twenty years of work, Bayani, pieces together the story of the latest and most robust wave of migrants to come from the Philippines and contemplates what this identity has become in America and what it will become in the future.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Jason Bayani is a graduate of Saint Mary’s MFA program in Creative Writing. He is a Kundiman fellow and a veteran of the National Poetry Slam scene whose work has been published in World Literature Today, Fourteen Hills, BOAAT, and Muzzle Magazine. As a member of 7 National Poetry Slam teams, he’s been a National Poetry Slam finalist and represented Oakland at the International World Poetry Slam. His first book, Amulet was published in 2013 through Write Bloody Press and his second book, Locus is forthcoming in 2019 from Omnidawn Publishing. He is currently the artistic director for San Francisco’s Kearny Street Workshop (the oldest multi-disciplinary Asian Pacific American multi-disciplinary arts organization in the country).

Kat Evasco is a writer, stand-up comic, and performing artist living and working in San Francisco. She has performed at venues including the Haha Cafe, San Jose Improv, the Purple Onion, Napa Valley Opera House, Logan Center for the Arts, Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, and FringeArts. Evasco is currently touring her autobiographical one­-woman show, Mommy Queerest. This new work chronicles the coming­ out process of a lesbian daughter and a closeted lesbian mother, illustrating how the reclaiming of their sexuality challenges and strengthens their relationship. Evasco currently serves as the Managing Director of Guerrilla Rep, an independent theater company that develops and produces new plays in San Francisco. Evasco is a recipient of the Creative Capacity Fund Quick Grant, NextGen Art Professional Development Grant, and the Zellerbach Family Foundation Grant. She holds a BA in Asian American Studies from San Francisco State University.


Funded and supported in part by Bloomberg Philanthropies, VORTEX Repertory Company, and by the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin Economic Development Department.