A displaced God walks a foreign and unfamiliar land, looking for liberation beyond the Empire of the Sun.

But what is beyond the horizon, and who has walked this path before?

APOLAKI: OPERA OF THE SCORCHED EARTH is a new experimental opera by Filipino-American composer Micaela Tobin in collaboration with installation designer Carlo Maghirang and dancer/choreographer Jay Carlon. Continuing her celebration of the pre-colonial mythologies of the Philippines, Tobin’s new work tells the story of Apolaki, the precolonial God of Sun and War, who finds themself lost in a foreign and unfamiliar land (present day Tongva Land/Los Angeles) after being displaced from the Philippines by Spanish colonizers. This opera is a radical meditation on the complex relationships between settler colonialism, migration, and diaspora, and invites the audience to join Apolaki in this immersive pilgrimage, which premiered at the historic and storied Zorthian Ranch overlooking the Los Angeles Basin. 

This piece is the sequel to Tobin’s previous opera-film, “BAKUNAWA: Opera of the Seven Moons” which premiered at REDCAT in May 2021. Incorporating her signature combination of noise, drone, and opera, for this premiere Tobin recruited experimental percussionist M.A. Harms and electric bass/guitarist Stephen McNeely to create a dramatic and disruptive soundscape which drew Apolaki and the audience into a portal for Filipinx Liberation in the form of a  large walking-labyrinth, designed by Carlo Maghirang.

For an in depth look at the process and meaning behind the work, watch the artist talk here.

APOLAKI is a National Performance Network (NPN) Creation & Development Fund Project co-commissioned by Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions in partnership with OUTsider Festival, and NPN. The Creation & Development Fund is supported by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, the Mellon Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts (a federal agency). For more information, visit www.npnweb.org. Additional support is provided by the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts and the MAP Fund, supported by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Installation Design—Carlo Maghirang 

Apolaki & Bakunawa Costume Design: Vinta Gallery 

Lighting Design—Ric Zimmerman

Lighting Assistant—Derek jones

Lighting Programmer—Macus Mathews

Sound Design—Josephine Shetty 

Audio Engineer—Cordey López @babyaspirindvd 

Stylist and Associate Costume Design—Patria 

Technical Direction—Preston Productions

Stage Manager—Lanae Wilks 

Producer—Brian Sea

Credits:

Director & Composer/Bakunawa—Micaela Tobin 

Choreographer/Apolaki—Jay Carlon

Percussion—M.A. Harms 

Electric Bass & Guitar—Stephen McNeely

Elder Chorus—Rhea Salta-Amador, Willie Lopez, Naila Lapus, Miguel DeGuzman, Ginny DeGuzman, Lorna Jean, Chip Aquino

Elder Liaison— Mango Gwen

LACE Team:

Executive Director—Sarah Russin

Deputy Director and Interim Curator—Fiona Ball

Assistant Director of Programming—Juan Silverio

Communications Coordinator—Camille Wong

Getty MUI Interns—Theresa Kim, Corey Solorio Luduca