Calendar of Events

High school is hard enough, but when you have a power hungry 17-year-old threatening to overthrow anyone in his way to becoming junior class President, it can be downright murderous. Richard is the king of insults and after alienating the only friend he has, he relies on himself to snatch the crown while securing the heart of the ex-girlfriend of the popular high school quarterback. As Richard struggles to keep all of his plots from going awry, he gains an ally in the most unlikeliest of suspects. Touchingly hilarious, Teenage Dick is the modern comedic re-telling of Shakespeare’s Richard III, and ponders if it is better to be loved or feared.

• Awards for Mike Lew: PEN/Laura Pels International Foundation Theatre Award

The Infinite Love Party, an intentional barefoot potluck dinner party, dance party, and sleepover is brought to you by award-winning actor / singer-songwriter / theater-maker / performing artist Diana Oh ({my lingerie play}) and co-creative director Kevin Hourigan. This new creation heralds the next level of Diana’s trademark “glitter bomb [of] a friendly, feel-good celebration of human beings sharing a space where it’s safe for them to be themselves.”– New York Times.

The Infinite Love Party is where love is forged. A celebration of soul awakening. It’s where play breeds change. It’s where queer magic can do its healing. For All People. A celebration of the outskirts. A celebration of Queerness and our Allies. A celebration of POC and our Allies. A space for bare humanity to exist- where we will leave kinder and more open, more connected to our purpose, our bodies, and our hearts. A celebration of liberated selves. A celebration of liberated love. AN INFINITE LOVE PARTY!

When an American basketball team travels to Beijing for an exhibition game in 1989, the drama goes deeper than the strain between countries. For two men with a past and one teen with a future, the game is a chance to stake their moment in history and claim personal victories off the court. Tensions rise right up to the final buzzer as history collides with the action in the stadium. Rapid-fire comedy meets poignant reflection in this perceptive new play, inspired by the life of playwright Lauren Yee’s father.

Directed by Morgan Gould

Proudly developed during award-winning playwright LEAH NANAKO WINKLER’s tenure as part of the Primary Stages Dorothy Strelsin New American Writers Group, God Said This is a provocative and surprisingly funny new drama about five Kentuckians facing mortality in very different ways. With her mom undergoing chemotherapy, Hiro, a NYC transplant, returns home to Kentucky after years away, struggling to let go of the demons she inherited. Sophie, her born-again Christian sister, confronts her faith while tackling inevitable adversity. James, their recovering alcoholic father, wants to repair his fractured relationship with his daughters. And John, an old classmate and thirty-something single dad, worries about leaving a lasting legacy for his only son. Wry and bittersweet, God Said This is a portrait of five Godless and God-loving people finding that their struggles bring them together in unexpected ways.

(Show Dates approximate)

January 17-February 17, 2019

Drama

James F. O’Connell, America’s first Tattooed Man, headlined P. T. Barnum’s freak show, proudly displaying his head-to-foot tattoos. Shipwrecked on the Caroline Islands in the first half of the 19^th century, O’Connell saved himself from death by performing Irish jigs—and so began the slow process of his assimilation into Ponapean culture. Based on a true story, this poetic one-man show recounts a compelling narrative of physical appropriation.

An unapologetic and savage new comedy

When the Donnellys gather to divide their belongings after the sale of their oceanfront mansion, both metaphorical and literal storms start brewing. As this completely messy Caucasian family comes together with their POC personal assistant, Charlotte, some really, really complicated and totally unique secrets are revealed while white wine spills. “Two Mile Hollow” explores the age old genre of plays about affluent white families retreating to their waterfront homes to battle it out with brutality, awe and compassion. Only this time, precisely none of the white characters are played by white actors.

“…blistering…unrelentingly hilarious.” – Chicago Tribune

January 23^rd to February 17^th, 2019
by Carla Ching
World Premiere

Hidden in plain sight in sunny suburban California, Alix lives in a tiny motel room with her mother and two brothers, scrambling to pay weekly rent. Mason lives alone in a grand, empty house while his father runs jobs for the Hong Kong mafia. When their support systems disappear, these two teenagers develop an unlikely friendship. As they struggle to outrun the mistakes of their parents, perhaps they can help each other navigate the road ahead.

January 24 – February 17, 2019

By David Henry Hwang

When we build fantasies to hide the truth, what happens when it all comes tumbling down? Clever parallels to the famous opera Madame Butterfly abound in this fearless play about a French diplomat who falls for a Chinese opera star: the ideal, exotic woman in his mind, but in reality, a man with a secret mission. Rich with deeper themes, M. Butterfly confronts the perception of Eastern culture by the West and the persistent romanticism that clouds it.

“Here On This Bridge: The Ism Project” directed by Catherine Ming T’ien Duffly, is a 70-minute full production comprised of six short monologues exploring the intersections of race, gender, orientation and nationality, with stories specifically from Pacific Northwest perspectives. The monologues were developed in local workshops curated from a national submission process. All shows will include post-show discussions with audience members to bridge divides and create much-needed empathy, understanding and compassion.

Monologues include tolerance, understanding and bridging divides:
An Iraqi refugee woman reacts to news of shootings and child safety
A Black tradeswoman tries to negotiate complexities of diversity in the workplace,
A Latina recalls the harrowing story of her mother escaping hardship and violence to cross the Rio Grande
A Laotian gay man honors his refugee mother’s strength
An Asian American reflects on family history with Oregon’s exclusion laws
And a Black middle-class woman experiences racial profiling in Oregon.

Cast features: Shareen Jacobs, Sofia Molina, Shelley B. Shelley, Dre Slaman, Samson Syharath, Larry Toda, and Jane Vogel.

All shows are suggested donation and geared to find common ground and community discussions with ages 14 and up.

Set in Antebellum America with an absurd and Brechtian twist, fictitious characters Eleanor—cross-dressing as a white planter—and her husband, Bill—pretending to be her loyal servant—attempt to escape to the free state of Pennsylvania. Their operation is running smoothly until they meet Walsh, a drunk planter and member of the Not All Slavers organization, who steals Bill at a rest stop. Armed with a Glock-19 and her fair skin, Eleanor sets out to rescue him by any means necessary.

Queen tells the story of two female scientists, Sanam and Ariel, who have spent the past seven years researching vanishing bee populations across the globe. Just as they are about to publish a career-defining paper, Sanam stumbles upon an error which could cause catastrophic damage to their reputations, careers, and friendship. Now, both women are confronted with an impossible choice: look the other way and save the bees – or tell the truth and face the consequences?

By Dipika Guha
Directed by Jovanni Sy

February 7 – 16, 2019 • MainStage

Comedy in the Quest for Happiness.

Joan has been hired to stabilize Jojomon, a yoga apparel giant, after its CEO is brought down by a fat-shaming scandal. But just as she finds her footing, more trouble surfaces and the sales freefall. Jojomon needs an image makeover—and fast. Risking everything on a wild plan, Joan and her colleagues are willing to try anything to save face. This hilarious satire asks what it takes to find authenticity in a world determined to sell enlightenment.

Two hours into surgery, Susan’s mother loses oxygen to her brain and the plastic surgeon deliberately does not call 9-1-1 for fourteen minutes. Five days later, while in a coma, she flatlines. The surgeon is charged with medical negligence and her family falls apart; no one talks about what happened. Nineteen years later on her wedding day, Susan’s mother’s seat sits empty and Susan realizes she can no longer ignore what she’s always wanted: to know who her mother was. Sifting through thousands of deposition pages and reaching out to the killer’s family, Susan uncovers the painful truth of her mother, herself, and the impossible ideal of Vietnamese feminine beauty.

Two hours into surgery, Susans mother loses oxygen to her brain and the plastic surgeon deliberately does not call 9-1-1 for fourteen minutes. Five days later, while in a coma, she flatlines. The surgeon is charged with medical negligence and her family falls apart; no one talks about what happened. Nineteen years later on her wedding day, Susan’s mother’s seat sits empty and Susan realizes she can no longer ignore what she’s always wanted: to know who her mother was. Sifting through thousands of deposition pages and reaching out to the killers family, Susan uncovers the painful truth of her mother, herself, and the impossible ideal of Vietnamese feminine beauty.

Written and performed by Susan Lieu, 140 LBS is directed by Sara Porkalob with lighting design by Emily Leong and sound design by Erin Bednarz. Co-produced by Nasus Media and Theatre Off Jackson. Supported with metta by STG and 4Culture.

Minor foul language. Theme discussion of death and body image. 12+

Start time: 7:30pm Door open: 6:30pm House open: 7pm Sunday matinees: 2pm Door open: 1pm House open: 1:30pm

Theatre Off Jackson and the producer strive to be as accessible and inclusive as possible. Please contact us if you have any questions. Our venue is accessible by wheelchair and other mobility devices. Please contact us in advance so we can ensure your experience is as smooth as possible.

Tickets at brownpapertickets.

Artists at Play … at Play! returns with producers Julia, Stefanie, Marie-Reine and Nicholas stepping out from behind the curtain with original short plays created from a place of absolute honesty. And this year, we welcome special guestsTim Chiou and Parvesh Cheena from 2018’s mainstage production of Two Mile Hollow.

FitBit dependency, parenting doubts, pain management—nothing is off-limits in this frank exploration of our lives in-and-out of theatre.