The Romance of Magno Rubio

The Romance of Magno Rubio, directed and designed by award-winning Broadway artist Loy Arcenas in his Chicago directing debut, is the 2003/04 season finale at Chicago’s Victory Gardens Theater.

Lonnie Carter’s play (based on a story by Carlos Bulosan) tells the hard luck tale of Magno, a simple Filipino immigrant farm laborer in 1930’s California who won’t let hardship or heartbreak mar his hopeful spirit. When our hero, only 4 feet 6 inches tall, “meets” Clarabelle through a lonelyhearts ad, his fellow workers try to temper his irrational, long distance love affair. But Magno insists on paying one of his co-workers to pen long, heartfelt love letters to Clarabelle. After sending letter after letter, and larger and larger gifts, Magno finally proposes, and Clarabelle accepts – if he’ll wire a large sum of cash for her long trip from Arkansas. Through clever word play, rhymes, rhythms, even songs sung in Tagalog by Magno and his bunkhouse mates, Carter’s adaptation of The Romance of Magno Rubio reveals the lives of Filipino migrant workers, their struggles and dreams, and their longings for home and a better life.

Previews are May 28-June 6: Tuesday through Saturday at 8 p.m.;
Sunday at 3 p.m. Press opening is Monday, June 7 at 7:30 p.m.

There is a 2 p.m. matinee on Wednesday, June 23. There are no shows
Tuesday, June 8; or Tuesday, June 22.