Yun Theatre Presents Passage A Look at the Intricacy of Friendship in Political Cacophony
Seattle, WA — September 12-28 2024, 12th Ave Arts — Yun Theatre, a multilingual theatre company, proudly presents our third and last show this season – “Passage” by Christopher Chen. This enchanting political fantasia, inspired by E.M. Forster’s A Passage to India, unfolds in the fictional realm of Country X, under the shadow of its neocolonial ruler, Country Y.
Who: Yun Theatre, www.yun-theatre.com
What: Passage by Christopher Chen
When: September 12-15, 18-19, 21-22, 26-28, Workdays and Saturdays at 7:30 PM, Sundays at 2:00 PM
Where: 12th Ave Arts Studio Theatre (1620 12th Ave #101, Seattle 98122)
Ticket Info: link ($25 – $50)
Synopsis: B, a local country X doctor, and F, an expat country Y teacher, begin to forge a friendship that is challenged after a fateful trip to a local attraction. The play is a meditation on how power imbalances affect personal and interpersonal dynamics across a spectrum of situations.
Can there be true friendship between people of different positions of power? Christopher Chen’s direct yet poetic language calls us to gather at the theatre and embark on a journey to Country X together. “Passage” serves as a profound medium in line with Yun Theatre’s mission—to ignite conversations on social issues and delve into the intersections of identity, power, and perception while confronting our deep ocean of wounds from generations. Featuring a diverse ensemble of multilingual artists, this production uniquely explores how the English language perpetuates oppression within colonial systems, adding a layer of critical discourse to the narrative.
Previous Reviews:
“…a real and affecting drama…PASSAGE dares to raise questions that make the audience profoundly uncomfortable, but simultaneously creates a welcoming space to which everyone is invited. Unashamedly political yet deeply humane, it’s a difficult journey that is well worth the trouble.” —Time Out New York.
“Christopher Chen’s tense, fascinating PASSAGE is a delicate walk through a field of landmines… To Chen’s great credit, PASSAGE struggles not to prescribe… It tries to stay true to its title, fashioning itself as a long dark corridor through which we’re all stepping together—tentatively, fearfully, hopefully—without a light or a door yet in sight.” — New York Magazine
Directors’ Quote:
“In the politically charged atmosphere in 2024, we find ourselves deeply entrenched in a discourse shaped by ideological differences. Colonialism, often perceived as a distant systemic issue, encroaches on our interpersonal spaces. The personal has always been political, but how can we see the heart and soul of a person beyond the identities we perceive?” – Christie
Community Events
September 15-17, 2024: Brother Brother Brothers, New Play Staged Reading and Talkback – In a hypothetical near future, as tensions between Taiwan, China, and the U.S. rise, a Taiwanese-American family and a Chinese- American family collide in an ice cream shop in a small town of Michigan. Come see how they come together despite differences, to share one story of resilience, loss, and love.
September 8, 2024: Documentary Screening and Talkback with Director – Watch ‘Xiaodi’, a documentary that tells the story of a transgender Chinese woman who survives and frees herself from the violence in a “conversion therapy” institution in Chongqing.
September 15/22/27, 2024: Talkback – Engage directly with the creative team to talk about the play and beyond. This session will last approximately 45 minutes.
Cast:
Eloisa Cardona (G)
Tina Deng (H)
Zoe Ding (M, Gecko)
Josh Erme (R)
Montse Garza (Q)
Jen-Ai Clinton (F)
Levin Kim (B)
Van Lang Pham (J)
Dan Ruiz Salvatura (D, Mosquito, S)
Creative Team:
Director – Christie Zhao
Production Manager – Garcia Leal Pardo
Dramaturg – Edward Mast
Stage Manager – Patrick Kang
Assistant Stage Manager – Sihan (Samantha) Yang
Scenic Designer – Duma Du
Sound Designer & Composer – Josh Valdez
Assistant Composer – Yuelan
Lighting Designer – Albert Chen
Costume Designer – Tianxing Yan
Electrician & Assistant Costume Designer – Anna Shih
Assistant Costume Designer – Lilah Foster
Audience Experience Designer – Rebecca Chen
Graphic Designer – Linziyu Lu
Technical Director – Albert Chen
Assistant Technical Director – Sihan (Samantha) Yang
Movement Director – Olga Kravtsova
Marketing Staff – Leon Chan, Yiyi Deng, Hazel Zhu
Producer – Zoe Ding, Harvey Yang
Assistant Producer – Yun Liu
PR/Outreach/Linguistic Consultant – Eddy Xin
About Playwright: Christopher Chen
Christopher Chen is an Obie award-winning playwright whose full-length works have been produced and developed across the United States and abroad. [His] plays examine the hidden patterns beneath complex systems: socio-political systems, psychological systems, systems of power. He combines naturalism with the absurd within maximalist kaleidoscopic structures. A Bay Area native, Chris is a graduate of U.C. Berkeley and holds an M.F.A. in Playwriting from S.F. State. More info:http://www.christopherchen.org/
About Yun Theatre
Yun Theatre is a bicultural and multilingual theater company. It challenges traditional norms and confronts social and political issues affecting marginalized communities. Our productions, reflecting the intersection of Chinese and American ideologies, aim to spark dialogue and contribute to both positive change and social justice. More info: https://yun-theatre.com
For additional information, press materials, or to request an interview, please contact Eddy Xin at jiuxi@yun-theatre.com
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