PCN, or Pilipinx Cultural Night, is a student-run theatrical production hosted by UC Berkeley's Pilipinx American Alliance, or PAA. When PCN first began, it was not a complete theatrical play with complex transitions, integrations, and multiple creative components, but a humble community dinner held at the YWCA on Bancroft and Bowditch in Berkeley, CA. There, students performed cultural dances, ate, socialized, and created a space dedication to celebrating themselves as Pilipinx in the diaspora. The, now fully theatrical, production allows participants to explore their Pilipinx identity through creative mediums such as cultural and modern dance, acting, and music

PCN blends Pilipinx cultural art and the unique Pilipinx-American experience on stage. PCN seeks awareness of social and political issues faced by Pilipinxs in the Philippines and abroad, uplifting the voices of Pilipinx creatives, and allowing our Pilipinx students to connect with and carry on our stories, art forms, and practices for generations. This year we are placing emphasis on environmentalism, how practicing sustainability brings us closer to our homeland and our communities that tend to it. Attempting to shift the narrative surrounding sustainable practices in Filipino communities from something seen as “outdated” to radical environmentalism that educates our community about land-back movements and how to best support those that tend to the land as well.

PCN is the legacy of the Third World Liberation Front, our families, friends, and memories. Our unbending willpower to maintain our cultural connections and communities continues to inform the platform that is PCN and most importantly, our relationships with one another.

Synopsis of the Show

On Friday the 13th, four high school students are assigned a group project for their AP Environmental Science class before spring break. With seemingly incompatible personalities — Virtue is extremely passionate, Eri is soft-spoken, Junior is an obnoxious over-achiever, and Nate is someone who couldn’t care less — the group is constantly clashing heads. Among the chaos, superstitious activities, and sparks of friendship, these high schoolers discover how to connect their unique ideas, care for their communities, and nurture their local green spaces.