In 2011, four theatre professionals began a collaboration that would lead them to five successful Los Angeles productions, a West Coast premiere, critical acclaim and nominations from both the GLAAD Media Awards and the LA Stage Alliance’s Ovation Awards. Five years later, Artists at Play continues to provide quality programming that aims to tell the stories of diverse communities in Los Angeles theatre. The 2016 season marks a continued growth that includes collaborations with East West Players and Center Theatre Group as well as their first world premiere production.
“Our work over the last five years has shown us that the Los Angeles theatre community is hungry for the work that we do,” said Producing Artistic Leader Stefanie Lau. “We hear from Asian American playwrights and actors of color wanting to present their craft on stage and audience members wanting to see new, fresh stories about the world around them.”
Building upon that success, Artists at Play has already worked with Center Theatre Group this season to present staged readings of English Only by Annette Lee, directed by Alejandra Cisneros, as part of Center Theatre Group’s The Shop program.
For the 2016 Spring Readings, Artists at Play, in conjunction with East West Players, will develop and present two new plays from a pair of emerging playwrights.
“With several L.A. premieres under our belt, Artists at Play looks forward to continued growth and shifting more of our focus to supporting writers—both established and emerging,” said Producing Artistic Leader Julia Cho. “We’re excited to explore new ways in which we can help cultivate young writers of color and consequently contribute to the further diversifying of voices in theatre.”
This year’s contributions include As We Babble On by Nathan Ramos which explores what lengths we are willing to go to realize our dreams, whether morality is tied to upward mobility, and whether boxed wine and soda is an appropriate sangria recipe after the age of 24. Ramos was the winner of East West Players’ “2042: See Change” Playwriting Competition.
A parody coupled with moments of disorienting sincerity, Two Mile Hollow by Leah Nanako Winkler explores the dysfunctional family genre with brutality, awe and compassion. Winkler had two plays featured on The Kilroys’ The List 2015 and has had her works developed at theatres including Page 73, Playwrights Horizon and New York Theatre Workshop.
Both plays will have public readings on March 20 at East West Players.
In late May, Artists at Play will hold their annual Summer Salon which presents an opportunity to incorporate diverse casting for a popular play or musical that does not require but is consistently cast with all white actors. Founding member, Peter J. Kuo, will return from New York to direct this presentation.
Artists at Play’s mainstage fall production will be the world premiere of Carla Ching’s The Two Kids That Blow Shit Up. The play was developed and presented last spring in Artists at Play’s reading series.
“When we had the opportunity to work with Carla Ching in 2015 with her play The Two Kids That Blow Shit Up, we knew it was something special,” said Lau. “Working with a playwright to develop a new play is a lot more work, but it is the next step for Artists at Play to begin using our resources and experience to help shepherd new and diverse stories to American theatre.”
The play follows Diana and Max who meet at 10 years old, the day their parents start having sex. In the ensuing 18 years, their parents break up, get back together, marry and divorce. And they see each other through it all, trying not to make the same mistakes their parents did—only to make their own. August through September performance dates and venue are to be announced.
Carla Ching’s full-length plays have been produced and workshopped by The O’Neill Playwrights Conference, South Coast Repertory, Center Theater Group, Ensemble Studio Theatre, The Lark Play Development Center and Ma-Yi Theatre Company, among others. Carla wrote on season 2 of USA’s “Graceland” and is currently writing on season 2 of AMC’s “Fear the Walking Dead.”
About Artists at Play
Founded in 2011 by Julia Cho, Peter J. Kuo, Stefanie Wong Lau and Marie-Reine Velez, Artists at Play is a collective of Asian American creative professionals who have come together to curate quality theatre in Los Angeles. In 2013, Nicholas Pilapil joined the Artists at Play team as an Associate Producer. Through theatrical productions missing from Los Angeles’ local landscape, Artists at Play tells stories of communities underrepresented in theatre. Past productions include Lauren Yee’s Ching Chong Chinaman, A. Rey Pamatmat’s Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them, Michael Golamco’sCowboy Versus Samurai, playwright Julia Cho’s 99 Histories and most recently the West Coast premiere of In Love and Warcraft by Madhuri Shekar.
Reply