Primrose Madayag Knazan, storyteller at heart

	Award-winning Winnipeg playwright and author, Primrose Madayag Knazan, writes from a distinctly Filipino-Canadian, Jewish, and woman’s perspective. (Photo by Vilai Pinasouc)

by Oscar Pantaleon Jr. 

In early October, Hazel Venzon and Dave Oro e-mailed Primrose Madayag Knazan, Dennis Gupa, and me to see if we could get together while Dave Dagta was in town later that month. Dennis couldn’t make it, but the rest of us gathered for dinner and settled into an evening that unfolded naturally through stories that bounced from theatre to family to music to food.

It was my first time meeting Primrose, and it didn’t take long before she was sharing stories about her Ilocano mom that felt familiar. I speak Ilocano too, and there was that immediate sense of recognition: the expectations, the humour, the love expressed through gentle (and not-so-gentle) pressure. By the end of the night, it felt less like a first meeting and more like a continuation of a shared cultural conversation.

Identity, family, and belonging

Primrose Madayag Knazan is an award-winning Winnipeg playwright and author whose work spans decades. Writing from a Filipino-Canadian, Jewish, and woman’s perspective, her plays have been featured at Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, Winnipeg Jewish Theatre, and festivals across Canada. In 2021, her play Precipice won the Canadian Jewish Playwrights Competition, adding to a long list of acclaimed stage works that explore identity, family, and belonging.

That same year, she published her debut novel, Lessons in Fusion, which landed on McNally Robinson’s Best Seller list and later won the Manitoba Book Award for Young Readers. Whether she’s writing for the theatre or for a book, Primrose often uses non-linear storytelling to challenge assumptions and invite audiences to see familiar experiences from new angles.

Beyond the page and the stage

Primrose’s creativity also lives online. As @pegonaplate on Instagram, she’s a content creator and social media influencer highlighting Manitoba restaurants, artisan products, and culinary events. Food becomes another way she tells stories about culture, memory, and community.

That focus on connection is consistent across everything she does. Just like her writing, her food content is about building bridges and making people feel welcome. It’s an extension of the same generosity that filled the table that October night.

The Glitter Bird

Primrose’s newest play, The Glitter Bird, reimagines the Filipino folk tale Ibong Adarna. As she shared on Facebook, when she first received the story, a voice in her head said, “Well, the bird is definitely going to be played by a drag queen who poops glitter!” From that spark grew a magical story grounded on family dynamics and self-discovery.

“This is a story about the relationship between kids and their parents,” Primrose wrote, and about how children find themselves under the weight of expectations. Directed by Hazel Venzon, with music by Jimuel Dave Dagta, The Glitter Bird promises humour, heart, and a joyful celebration.

From that October dinner table to a stage dusted in glitter, Primrose’s work shows exactly why local theatre matters. It grows out of real conversations and real communities. Support it, celebrate it, and be part of it.

Catch The Glitter Bird on December 22, 23, 28, and 30, featuring Matthew Pagtalunan and Magdaragat Philippines. Info and tickets are at www.unitogether.ca/pamaskotales.

(Erratum: In a previous article, Lorenz Sarrondo’s academic distinction was misstated. He graduated from the University of the Philippines with magna cum laude standing.)