SAN FRANCISCO – A new play by a Filipino American playwright is gaining notice among theatergoers in Southern California.

“As Straw Before the Wind,” by Felix Racelis, depicts the life of a Filipina nurse and owner/operator of a San Gabriel Valley convalescent home. As the nurse, Nene Santos, tries to expand her business, which she plans to leave to her daughter, she recalls turning points in her life, including a harrowing experience during World War II that led to a family secret.

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The play, which premiered at the Ruby Theatre in Hollywood and runs until Sept. 4, is directed by Lesley Asistio and stars Tita Pambid, Muni Zano, Sarnica Lim, Anita Borcia, Rochelle Lozano, Doan Nguyen and Gabriel Garcia.

Racelis said the play is a tribute to Filipinos who immigrated to the United States. He lamented that he had not seen a single Filipino nurse in American TV soap operas despite the large presence of Filipinos in the health care industry.

He said Nene Santos is a composite of strong Filipino women he knew, including his piano teacher, his mother and many women in his family who were nurses.

Racelis said he remembered a story a friend of her mother told him when he was young. She broke down in tears, he said, as she recalled how Japanese soldiers during World War II seized their home and made her and her siblings watch as the soldiers killed their parents. The play, he said, is one way of releasing this haunting story from his memory.

When: 8 p.m. through Sept. 4.

Where: Ruby Theatre at The Complex, 6476 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood.

Tickets: $20 adults and $12 seniors and students.

Information: 800-838-3006, www.strawbeforewind.com.

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