The mission of the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) is to promote understanding, education, enlightenment, appreciation, and enrichment through the identification, gathering, preservation and dissemination of the history and culture of Filipino Americans in the United States. Founded in 1982 by the late Dr. Fred Cordova and Dr. Dorothy Laigo Cordova, the Filipino American National Historical Society is truly a community-based organization whose mission is “...to preserve, document, and present Filipino American history and to support scholarly research and artistic works which reflect that rich past…” Filipino American History Month is nationally recognized and celebrated annually in October.
The virtual comedy show extravaganza event will benefit FANHS Sonoma County Chapter’s Katherine Baguio Scholarship Program. The program was created to promote and support continuing education among local youth, while honoring the memory of the late "Manang Kay" and her many contribution to the community. Each year FANHS Sonoma awards a scholarship to a qualified college-bound student. 2021 marks the twelfth anniversary of the scholarship program.
Virtual admission $28 per household
Invite friends for a Watch Party! Post your watch party selfies via Facebook : : @thelaughcellar : :
#fanhscomedyevent
We want to make sure that everyone who would like to attend is able to. While you're purchasing your virtual pass, think about buying a donation ticket virtual pass well. We'll make sure someone who does not have the funds to join us for a night of laughs, can! Thank you!!
Save the Date!
Thursday, October 28 from 7:00 to 8:00PM PST.
The show is presented by Lisa Pidge, Founder of the Sonoma Valley based wine country comedy production, The Laugh Cellar. Event Chair Grace Villafuerte active member of FANHS Sonoma County will present a brief history of the non-profit organization before the show!
Meet the Comedians::
ALEC MAPA
With uproarious live performances and groundbreaking television roles, actor and comedian Alec Mapa has entertained audiences worldwide in every imaginable medium. He got his first professional break when he was cast to replace B.D. Wong for the role of Song Liling in the Broadway production of M. Butterfly. He gained recognition for roles such as Adam Benet on Half & Half, Suzuki St. Pierre on Ugly Betty and Vern on Desperate Housewives. He recurred as Renzo on Switched at Birth. In 2013, he debuted in his one-man show, Alec Mapa: Baby Daddy, which was made into a concert film and premiered on Showtime. You may have seen Alec in his recurring role as Animal Vegetable Mineral Man on the hit series Doom Patrol now streaming on DC Universe. He also stars opposite Danny Trejo in Grand Daddy Day Care and he co-stars with Ellen Burstyn in the film Welcome to Pine Grove. Ellen Degeneres has called him “smart, hilarious and funny.” Variety magazine has said, “Alec Mapa is a freak. No one should be this talented.”
KEVIN CAMIA
Kevin Camia is a Los Angeles based stand-up comedian. He is a member of The Dress Up Gang, the show was selected for the 2019 Sundance Film Festival as part of the indie episodic series. Kevin toured the country opening for Ali Wong. He's been on Comedy Central's Live at Gotham and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. He was selected as a Comic's Comic on Esquire.com. His first CD Kindness was voted Top 10 Comedy Albums of 2010 on iTunes. His most recent credit is Lumpia with a Vengeance, an action comedy (2020). Kevin has headlined at Just For Laughs Toronto, and The Cat Laughs Comedy Festival in Kilkenny, Ireland to name a couple. He has written for MTV's Ridiculousness, and the The Funny Drop with Frankie Quinones, a web-based channel Mas Major produced by Broadway Video and NBC Universal.
NINA GOSIENGFIAO
Nina Gosiengfiao is a Los Angeles based stand-up comedian, actress and singer. She has appeared on NBC’s This Is Us, HBO’s Silicon Valley, Showtimes’s L-Word: Generation Q and ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy. She also created a topical sketch comedy series called Pinoy News Update that features news surrounding the Filipino-American experience in the style of SNL’s Weekend Update. Nina is a SAG-AFTRA Actress.
CHRIS THIGPEN
Chris Thigpen is an actor, filmmaker, writer & comedian. He has worked with Reno Improv. Chris has also worked on several short film projects with the Reno Film Collective. He performs stand-up comedy across Nevada and the San Francisco Bay Area. He was born in Olongopo, Philippines and moved to the United States when he was four years old. He was later nationalized as a United States citizen with the help of his military father. He later joined the Navy to serve his country and is a US Navy Veteran. With his partner Kirt, Chris is co-founder and owner of Ace Studios. The company is a multi-media marketing and design agency based in Reno, Nevada.
