Pirate Queen Based on Real Life Ching Shih
Pirate queen clashes with immortal sorceress in a mashup of true history, sword/sorcery and Marvel Comics in Pork Filled Productions’ return to live theatre! Produced in association with Theatre Off Jackson, She Devil of the China Seasis by PFP head Roger W. Tang, directed by Kiefer Harrington, and plays August 11 to 27, 2022 (previews on August 9), at the Theare Off Jackson (409 7th Ave. S. in Seattle’s International District).
Fielding one of the largest Asian American casts in recent Puget Sound history, She Devil is based on the real-life pirate queen, Zhang Tse, history’s most successful pirate. Also known as Ching Shih, Zhang Yi and Ching Yi Saou, she defeated both Imperial Chinese and European fleets in her spectacular career in the 19th Century.
Tse knew one thing: survival. She clawed her way up, using any means possible to aid her injured sister, Hei. But when China’s pirate king, Zhang Ngoi, offers her a chance for more, the sorceress Moh and her dark forces gather to destroy her before she can even accept…and fulfill a destiny from the gods!
She Devil is a world premiere developed in PFP’s Unleashed play development program. Evening shows are at 8 pm, with one Sunday matinee at 2 pm. Tickets are on a Name Your Price scale and are available at http://pork-filled.ticketleap.com/shdevil (note the hyphen!).
“It’s a story I’ve always wanted to see,” says author/producer Roger Tang. “But nobody on this continent has done it. So, I decided to fill the gap myself, and combined it with my love of Marvel Comics, and their Conan and Red Sonja stories.
“Since this our return to live theatre after a two-year pandemic break, we’ve assembled a lot of resources, including a lot of grants and a deal with the Society of American Fight Directors to train more actors in the Asian American community in stage combat.”
The cast includes Kristine Ota, Anna Saephan, Van Lang Phan, Aaron Jin, Eloisa Cardona, Steph Sola, M. Barnett Marcus, Michael Lathem, Alvina Hsiao, Tim Takechi, Dylan Smith, Kaughlin Caver, Jade Yuelan, Andreya Pro & Carol Tagawa
The show is rated PG-12 for stage violence (including gun shots) and discussion of sexual themes. For more information, contact PFP at oink@porkfilled.com, call (206) 486-0375 or go to their website, www.porkfilled.com.
Closed captioning, using audience member’s own phone or tablet, will be available for the Saturday, August 20 and Friday, August 26 performances (at 8pm). Deaf audience members will be provided reading lights and scripts other nights
The Sunday, August 21 performance will be a matinee at 2pm and will feature a sensory relaxed performance to increase access and equity by reducing intensity of lighting and sound to enable more audiences to enjoy the show.
The oldest Asian American theatre group in the Pacific Northwest, Pork Filled Productions centers Asian American and POC artists to imagine fantastical, inclusive and FUN universes. Through the genres of science fiction, noir, fantasy, steampunk and more, we envision a bright universe informed by diverse experiences and perspectives, populated by larger than life characters, where everyone’s story can be told.
PFP’s season is supported by 4Culture, ArtsWA, the Morgan Fund at the Seattle Foundation and the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture.
Pork Filled Productions is fiscally sponsored by Shunpike, the 501(c)(3) non-profit agency that provides independent arts groups in Washington with the services, resources and opportunities they need to forge their own paths to sustainable success.
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