Ernest Abuba

Ernest Abuba
Born(1947-08-25)August 25, 1947
Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii
DiedJune 21, 2022(2022-06-21) (aged 74)
New York City, U.S.
SpouseTisa Chang (divorced)
Children1
Websitewww.ernestabuba.com

Ernest Abuba (August 25, 1947 – June 21, 2022) was an American actor, playwright, and theatre director of Filipino descent. He appeared on stage and on film, with more than one hundred stage appearances,[1] and was the co-founder of the Pan Asian Repertory Theatre.[2]

Early life

Born in Honolulu to Filipino parents, Abuba was raised in San Diego and Texas.[1][3] He trained at the Actors Studio.[4]

Career

Acting

Abuba was a member of the original Broadway cast of Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman's Pacific Overtures, which opened in 1976. He performed as a samurai, Adams and a noble, and also understudied several roles. His subsequent Broadway credits included Loose Ends in 1979, Zoya's Apartment in 1990, and Shimada in 1992.[5]

In 1983, Abuba received an Obie Award for his performance as Captain Kenji Kadota in Rick Shiomi's Yellow Fever.[6][7]

Abuba returned to Pacific Overtures in 1984, playing the Reciter in an Off-Broadway revival that transferred from the York Theatre Company to the Promenade Theatre.[8][9]

Abuba was closely associated with the Pan Asian Repertory Theatre, which he co-founded with Tisa Chang in 1977 at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club.[10] His work with the company included acting, directing and developing new plays. He played the title role in the original Pan Asian production of Shogun Macbeth and later directed the company's 2008 revival.[11]

In 2014, Abuba appeared in the world premiere of Sarah Ruhl's The Oldest Boy at Lincoln Center Theater. The title character was represented by a Bunraku-style puppet and voiced by Abuba.[12] He also appeared in films including King of New York, Article 99 and 12 Monkeys, and had television roles in series including Kung Fu: The Legend Continues and New York Undercover.[13]

Playwriting and directing

Abuba's work as a playwright developed alongside his acting career. His An American Story was produced by Pan Asian Repertory Theatre and was subsequently selected for a West Coast production by East West Players during its 1984–85 season.[14]

He wrote the book and lyrics for Cambodia Agonistes, with music by Louis Stewart. The work, centered on the experiences of a Cambodian survivor of the Khmer Rouge period, was first produced by Pan Asian Repertory Theatre in 1992 and was revived by the company in 2005.[15] His later play Dojoji: The Man Inside the Bell, based on the Japanese Dōjōji legend, was produced Off-Broadway by Pan Asian Repertory Theatre in 2013.[16]

Abuba was on the theatre faculty at Sarah Lawrence College.[2]

Personal life

Abuba and Tisa Chang married in 1976 and had one son before divorcing.[17] Abuba died in New York City on June 21, 2022.[18]

Filmography

Film

Ernest Abuba film credits
YearTitleRoleNotes
1986 Forever, Lulu Mugger #1
1988 Call Me Boss
1990 King of New York 'King Tito' Salvador
1992 Article 99 Ikiro Tenabe
1995 12 Monkeys Engineer
1997 Hamlet, Prince of Denmark The King
1997 Tuff Luk Klub Red's butler Also associate producer

Television

Ernest Abuba television credits
YearTitleRoleNotes
1976 Pacific Overtures Samurai / Adams / Noble Television film
1986 Adderly Col. Doc Thieu Episode: "Adderly with Eggroll"
1990 The Cosby Show George Parker Episode: "Getting the Story"
1990 Vestige of Honor Thai Official Television film
1991 Counterstrike Chaing Episode: "Night of the Black Moon"
1992 Ghostwriter Karate Instructor Episode: "To Catch a Creep: Part 3"
1993 Kung Fu: The Legend Continues Tan
3 episodes

"Initiation" Parts 1 & 2 (S1.E1-2)
"Challenge" (S1.E8)
1995 New York News Dr. Yamagucci Episode: "A Question of Truth"
1996–97 New York Undercover Sonny Fung 3 episodes

References

  1. 1 2 Rabinowitz, Chloe (2022-06-21). "Pan Asian Repertory Theatre Announces Passing of Founding Member Ernest Abuba". Retrieved 2022-06-21.
  2. 1 2 Ang, Walter (2018-11-08). "Pan Asian Rep honors Fil-Am actor-director-playwright". Retrieved 2022-06-21.
  3. ↑ Hall, Margaret (June 28, 2022). "Pan Asian Repertory Theatre Founder Ernest Abuba Dies at 74". Playbill. Retrieved August 13, 2026.
  4. ↑ "Ernest Abuba's Resume". www.ernestabuba.com. Retrieved 2024-02-29.
  5. ↑ "Ernest Abuba – Broadway Cast & Staff". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Retrieved August 13, 2026.
  6. ↑ "1983 Obie Awards". Obie Awards. American Theatre Wing. Retrieved August 13, 2026.
  7. ↑ "Ernest Abuba to be King of La MaMa's Lier Rex, Sept. 24-Oct. 11". Playbill. 1998-09-24.
  8. ↑ Oliver, Edith (October 29, 1984). "Off Broadway". The New Yorker. Retrieved August 13, 2026.
  9. ↑ "Stages". American Theatre. November 1, 1984. Retrieved August 13, 2026.
  10. ↑ "Remembering Ernest Abuba". La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club. Retrieved August 13, 2026.
  11. ↑ Jones, Kenneth (August 12, 2008). "Shogun Macbeth Makes Pan Asian Rep Return, 20 Years Later". Playbill. Retrieved August 13, 2026.
  12. ↑ "Celia Keenan-Bolger Grows Up: Playing a Mother to Sarah Ruhl's The Oldest Boy". Playbill. November 11, 2014. Retrieved August 13, 2026.
  13. ↑ "Ernest Abuba". TV Guide. Retrieved August 13, 2026.
  14. ↑ "Stages". American Theatre. November 1, 1984. Retrieved August 13, 2026.
  15. ↑ "Cambodia Agonistes". TheaterMania. November 3, 2005. Retrieved August 13, 2026.
  16. ↑ Rocco, Claudia La (2013-05-27). "Now Resurfacing, the Myth of the Serpent Scorned". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-06-21.
  17. ↑ "Tisa Chang Married Here to Ernest Abuba". The New York Times. 1976-01-26. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-07-01.
  18. ↑ "In Memoriam, Summer 2022". SAG-AFTRA. p. 60. Retrieved 11 August 2022.


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