Hii! Since my poster couldn’t fit more text in it without it getting way too small to read, I’ll try to expand on some points here.
Firstly, yes, Chip Tolentino is canonically Filipino and there are several aspects we can look at to confirm this. The first being most obvious, that, Charlito Tolentino (his full name) is, in fact, a Filipino name.
Not only this but it also makes sense as, while the spellers all had core characteristics written out for them, William Finn DID write the scripts with their actors in mind, and their characters and stories were expanded on based off of childhood experiences and personal identities of the actors; Jose Llana is Filipino himself, and it seems Chip is based off of the common experience of boyscoutting many in the Philippines consider a staple of their culture.
And if that somehow isn’t enough for you, in the 2005 Dirty Bee (or Parent Teacher Conference,) an official production run by the cast as a 16+ extension of the OBC, Rona says, and I quote, “Charlito ‘Chip’ Tolentino is proud to carry on the Filipino custom of boy scouting.”
Boy Scouts are a core memory for many people who are Filipino, which is why keeping that part of him is so important.
Especially since, as you know if you’ve seen a few productions, Chip is SO often casted as white—which is messed up, again, especially considering similar prospects being taken with Maybe Happy Ending and other shows which are still facing racial inequities.
I’m not saying this is offensive and the biggest deal in the world, but I am saying it is absolutely apart of a MUCH larger issue; The ignorance of culture and people of color in theater spaces is not something to be ignore. We should care about this, you know? This isn’t just about Chip Tolentino, though I care a LOT about him, this is about theater roles in general, especially with how the world is burning now.
Theater is art; art is movement; art is life; art is what can strive us to rebel; it is more powerful than many of you know. Please do not let this be forgotten, I know quite a few people who cherish Chip and what he represents.
Thank you for reading, and, please, give credit to my friend, Noel, who informed me on this particular topic. Love you all.
