SLANT (NYC)
wetSpot
January 2 to 17, 1999

SLANT presents a new theatrical gem- wetSpot.

In this sparkling new theatrical adventure two speeding motorcycle riders collide with a man walking his pug, and all end up in karaoke purgatory, in a place called the "wetSpot." Come and experience this death-defying SLANT theatrical tapestry that takes place in a giant aquarium with comedic shadowpuppetry, live goldfish, live original amplified and acoustic music, underwater choreography, poignant solo & group songs, minimalist sprechstime monologue, spoken word, and dramatic satire. Among other questions of life, SLANT dares to ask- "Are you still Asian when you're dead?

wetSpot world premieres January 2-17, 1999 at the La Mama Experimental Theater, 74-A East 4th Street@2nd Avenue, New York City. Showtimes are Thursday through Sunday at 8:00 PM and Sunday matinees at 2:30 PM. Tickets are $12. For reservations please call the box office at (212) 475-7710. For SLANT general information please email slantgroup@webtv.net or call (212) 714-7189. See you at the wetSpot!

(SLANT is a resident company of the La Mama Experimental Theater Club)

Asian American Theater Company (SF)
Suzie Wong is Dead!
January 15, 16, 22, 1999

See News article on these two new one-acts!

East West Players (LA)
w/ Robey Theatre Company
Yohen
by Philip Kan Gotanda
January 13 to January 31, 1999

Starring Danny Glover (yea!) and Nobu McCarthy (double yea!), this is a story of an elderly African American/Japanese couple struggling to maintain their marriage.

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A GOOD FACE
by JEANNIE BARROGA
STANFORD UNIVERSITY
January 28, 1999

On Thursday, January 28, 1999 at 7:30pm, playwright Jeannie Barroga will again perform her one-woman show A GOOD FACE for the Asian American Activities Center Performing Arts Series. Under the auspices of Stanford University, AAAC invited Barroga for a one-time free performance to students and faculty and the general public. This play, which was developed over a period of years, has been performed in San Francisco's 450 Geary Studio, in Los Angeles for the Mark Taper Forum, again in San Francisco at the New Langton Arts Gallery, and last September at Ft. Bragg's Warehouse Repertory. Barroga is pleased to perform A GOOD FACE once again to the Bay Area.

Previous programs read: The Search for Peter Pan, the Muse, and the Perfect Typeface. With that description of this semi-autobiographical piece, Barroga takes on various characters who have affected her writing career: an Irish Girl Scout matron, a city cabdriver, a nightclub dancer, and her own parents. Not only do these characters reflect strong influences in a blossoming artist's choices, but also the challenges presented for one person of color and her dealings in a multiethnic setting.

Barroga has had numerous productions of other plays as well as four publications. She has been also the Literary Manager for TheatreWorks in Menlo Park since 1986 and was briefly the Literary Manager for the Oakland Ensemble Theatre. She has served on grants panels from Boston to the West Coast, has conducted short seminars and workshops throughout the Bay Area, and also teaches Playwrighting in San Francisco and twice at Colorado College. She was awarded the Maverick Award in 1996 by the Los Angeles' Women's Festival.

This performance was directed by Kathleen Woods and stage managed by Beverly Grant Rowe. Both have been active in previous TheatreWorks' productions. A GOOD FACE brings together their teamwork with Barroga. The playwright thanks all of those people who encouraged her to continue this project: ACT, Il Teatro; TheatreWorks; Warehouse Repertory; New Langton Arts, Mark Taper Forum, Theatre Yugen, and Stanford University.

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Theater Mu (Minneapolis)
New Eyes Festival
February 3 to 7, 1999

Staged readings and workshop performances of new works by Asian American writers.

Friday, February 7, 7 pm
Tales of the Starfruit Tree
by R. A. Shiomi and Thien-bao Thuc Phi

Saturday, February 6, 3 pm
The Tale of the Dancing Crane
by R. A. Shiomi
a traditional Japanese folktale set in modern Minnesota, and set to be in the 1999-2000 season

Saturday, February 6, 7 pm
Night Flights
an evening of performance pieces by Theater Mu artists

Sunday, February 7, 7 pm
Pocketful of Dust
by Veena Deo in collaboration with Zaraawar Mistry
scenes for an Indian American play

The Pipa Player
by Guo Hong, Zaraawar Mistry and R. A. Shiomi
readings from a famous Chinese poem, to be adapted for the 1999-2000 season.

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East West Players (LA)
Days of Rest
by Radmar Jao
February 4, 1999

East West Players and the Japanese American National Museum present: Felix Racelis' DAYS OF REST, directed by Radmar Jao

DAYS OF REST will be read at 7:30 in the Legacies Gallery of the Japanese American National Museum at 369 E. 1st Street (@ Central) on Thursday, February 4. Reading is free, but please call (213) 625-0414 for reservations.

DAYS OF REST was developed in the David Henry Hwang Writers Institute and was read as part of the "Under Construction" Reading Series last Spring, and as part of this year's FirstStage Reading Series.

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Asian American Theatre Company (SF)
A PACKAGE FOR MR. HARTELA: A TALL TALE IN THREE ACTS
by Noel Benoza
February 8, 1999

See News story.

The Adams Chinese Theater Series (ACTS)
DEAR HUSBAND
a 1924 one-act comedy by Ding Xilin, originally entitled
_Qin'aide zhangfu_, to be performed in English translation
Friday 19 February, 8pm & 9pm
Saturday 20 February, 7pm & 8pm

in the Coolidge Room, Adams House (H-2), Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
[Enter at 26 Plympton Street and ask for directions]

Admission is FREE, with a $1 or $2 suggested donation

This production is made possible by a Timothy S. Mayer grant from the Office for the Arts at Harvard & Radcliffe, with substantial support from the Adams House Drama Society.

"Take Out Productions" has been presenting the Adams Chinese Theater Series since fall 1996. Using student volunteers and university spaces, we've been performing modern Chinese plays in the original mandarin Chinese (with titles) as well as in English translations and adaptations.

Take Out Productions (TOP)
Carsey Yee, Executive Producer
John B. Weinstein, Artistic Director

Seattle Repertory Theatre
Asian American Theatre Co.
The Sisters Matsumoto
by Philip Kan Gotanda
January 11 to February 7, 1999

Seattle Repertory Theatre presents the world premiere of Philip Kan Gotanda's Sisters Matsumoto, at Seattle Repertory Theatre's Leo K Theatre, opening on January 11 at 7:30 P.M. This touching story portrays the strength and survival of a Japanese American family after they return home from the internment camps at the end of World War II. Directed by Seattle Repertory Theatre artistic director Sharon Ott, previews for Sisters Matsumoto begin January 4 and the production will run through February 13. Sisters Matsumoto is a co-production with the San Jose Repertory Theatre and the Asian American Theatre Company, and is made possible through the support of the Mellon Foundation, AT&T, US Bank and the Kreielsheimer Foundation.

San Diego Asian American Repertory Theatre (San Diego)
Cleveland Raining
by Sung Rno
Dir. by Andy Lowe
January 15 to February 7, 1999

Are you ready for this? This comedy focuses on family, connection, desertion, spiritual kimchee ... and a floating Volkswagen.

Second Generation Productions (NYC)
Extended!
January 31 to February 20, 1999
MAKING TRACKS
Taipei Theater, NY
1221 Ave. of the Americas, btwn 48th and 49th St.

For more info, check this News story
or
please email Second Generation Productions at:
info@2g.org

Northwest Asian American Theatre (Seattle)
West Side Story
Book by Arthur Laurents
Music by Leonard Bernstein
Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
January 26 to February 28, 1999

This classic Broadway musical brilliantly portrays a place where one's manhood is protrayed by violence, one's identity is defined by their race and one's community defined by the need to be accepted. This modern retelling pits recent Filipino immigrants as the Sharks against native born Asian Americans as the Jets and asks "Why do Asians in America have a difficult time living with each other, and why do we force onto each other stereotypes that we detest?" Asians in America have a long history of separation and division. Language, distinct cultures and a long standing hatred built from the past have negatively influenced the unification of Asians in America, depsite mainstream America's tendency to classify the diverse ethnic mix of America under one category.

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Katalyst Productions
in conjunction with Hereandnow Theatre Co. and Blacklava
fentor
(a play about a Chinese-American family and their furniture)
by Jason Fong
East Los Angeles College Ingalls Auditorium
1301 Avenida Cesar Chavez
Monterey Park, CA 91754
(one block west of Atlantic & Cesar Chavez)
JANUARY 29 to FEBRUARY 14, 1999

Directed by John Miyasaki

Featuring:

Heidi Ahn Cynthia Gates Fujikawa
Kennedy Kabasares Andrea Lwin
Eddie Mui Ken Narasaki
Kipp Shiotani Eric Tran
Tammy Yamada

Co sponsored by :
East Los Angeles College
The Japanese American National Museum
We Tell Stories



Friday, Saturday, Evening Shows - 8:30 pm
Saturday, Sunday Matinees - 3:00 pm

Opening Reception 1/29
& Closing Celebration 2/14 .........................................$17
All other shows:
General.......................................$12
Student / Senior.........................$9(less than 18 yrs, over 65
yrs)
Groups 10+ (presale)................$10


Call for tickets and info: 310-217-1714

http://blacklava.net/fentor

Pork Filled Players (Seattle)
Won Ton of Love
February 6 to 21, 1998

Damn

They're back. The Pork Filled Players. Seattle's newest multicultural sketch comedy group. And they're tackling love and relationships (or the lack thereof) in their new show, Won Ton of Love, February 6 through February 21, at the Nippon Kan Theatre (627 S. Washington in Seattle).

Start times are at 11 pm Friday and Saturdays [after NWAAT’s production of West Side Story], at 4 pm on Sundays [before NWAAT’s West Side Story] plus a special added show February 17 at 8 pm [with NWAAT’s West Side Story nowhere in evidence].

Be afraid. Be very, very afraid.

The Pork Filled Players is a multi-racial/multi-cultural theatre group devoted to promoting the art of sketch comedy through thought provoking original material accessible that’s accessible to diverse audiences. The Players are artists-in-residence at the Northwest Asian American Theatre, performing late nights after mainstage NWAAT shows, as well as playing at Northwest colleges, universities, community groups and companies.

The Players are also bastard offspring of NWAAT’s own 11:07 Late Night and the group OPM, but neither group will admit to the sordid details.

For more information, email gwangung@u.washington.edu.

La Mama (NYC)
Mao Zedong: Jealous Son (An Abstract Portrait)
a multi-media opera by Alvin Eng and Yoav Gal
February 11 to 20, 1999

Mao Zedong: Jealous Son (An Abstract Portrait) is a multi-media opera with concept and libretto by Alvin Eng and music by Yoav Gal. Four singers play Mao at four different stages, "Teenage Mao," "Comrade Mao," "Chairman Mao" and "Dead Mao." The grand scale of opera meets the intimate intensity of a solo as the singers play one Mao at a time. Combining this with multi-media performance art makes a refreshing blend of hybrid aesthetics. Video imagery by Melissa Tonelli and Bill MacIntosh provides a backdrop of scenes from Mao's epic journey, including films of the Long March, Tienenman Square protests and Mao's funeral. The work is co-directed by the authors and performed entirely in English.

Alvin Eng is a socially-conscious dramatist who has previously written more realistic works about the Chinese community in New York. In this project, he adopts the minimalist opera form for the first time (it's also the first "historical" work for composer Gal.) Eng has always been fascinated by Mao and this project grew from his impulse to characterize an epic figure who bestrides the Chinese consciousness like a colossus. Eng studied Mao's writings and noted how Mao the man has been overshadowed by his epic place in history. Certain periods of Mao's life, particularly his youth, are virtually missing from public awareness. He began crafting monologues from Mao's writings and interviews adding a generous measure of his own imagination. He subsequently recruited the postmodernist, Israeli-born composer Yoav Gal, with whom he adapted the monologues into a libretto. Eng had seen Gal's opera, "The Dwarf," at Golden Fleece Opera Co., and thought it to be "communicative and serious at the same time." He recruited Gal into the project aiming, by using music, to bring out nuances of Mao's character in a way that history can't.

Genre-wise, the finished work resembles such postmodern American operas as "Einstein on the Beach," "Death of Klinghoffer" and "Nixon in China." The central motif of the opera is mother vs. father: the mother is embodied by water and "The Pond" and represents the land and soul of China. The father is embodied by Fire and represents Mao's revolution and his will. Composer Gal explains, "Alvin equated China symbolically with Mao's mother and made Mao's father everything he fought against." The score has minimalist influences but is built on melodies that are constructed on a simple harmonic level. The accompaniment is entirely recorded on MIDI but in character, is very orchestral. Because of the revolutionary periods portrayed, there are sections that seem like anthems. In the concept, a voice was selected to characterize the different ages of Mao's life: the soprano voice (Nita Baxani) is Mao as a teenager. The baritone voice is Revolutionary Mao (Byung Woo Kim) and Dead Mao (Mark Lin). The tenor (Frank Kamai) is Icon Mao, much- beloved and at the height of his power. Every section is carried in a solo (which is partly attributable to the piece's genesis from monologues), with the other voices supplying supplementary or choral parts.\

This is the third La MaMa production written by Alvin Eng, a native NYC playwright, lyricist, storyteller and journalist. His musical, The Last Hand Laundry In Chinatown (written with composer John Dunbar), was presented there in '96, and he performed his monologue play, More Stories From The Pagan Pagoda, there in '92. His work has been presented throughout the country and published in "Action: The Nuyorican Poets Cafe Theater Festival," "Aloud: Voices From The Nuyorican Poets Cafe" and American Theatre Magazine, among others. He has received fellowships from the New York Foundation for the Arts, the Corporation For Public Broadcasting and The Harburg Foundation among others. He holds an MFA in Musical Theatre Writing from NYU and was named after the Chipmunk cartoon character.

Yoav Gal's instrumental compositions include two orchestral pieces, "Love Music" and "Sonata for Orchestra," which were both premiered by the Manhattan School Orchestra under the conductor Glen Cortese. His "Piano Piece" and "New Piano" were performed widely by pianist Gila Goldstein and recorded for the Israeli classical radio station. Gal has written a body of chamber composition as well as many songs, mostly to his own lyrics. A native of Israel, he holds a BA in composition from the Manhattan School of Music and an MA from Queens College. He is a student of David Noon, Nils Vigeland and Thea Musgrave. He is also a toy sculptor. His honors include grants from Franklin Furnace Fund for the Performing Arts, Pseudo Programs and Meet the Composer. His music for the short film, "Teref," received the Award for Original Music from Tel Aviv university, as part of the Mograbi Competition of Short Films.

The production has audio design by Timothy Cramer, costume design by Linda Keller.

PEELING THE BANANA
PERFORMS IN PHILADELPHIA!!
Friday, February 19, 1999

What do golden body oil, skinny dipping with the guys, and Velveeta have in common?

Asian American identity. Of course.

If you'll be near Philadelphia this Friday, catch Peeling the Banana, New York's ever-popular Asian American performance group!

Philly's Asian Arts Initiative (with the Balch Institute for Ethnic Studies), as part of their ongoing Rap Series, will host "Masala Mela," a fun and funky showcase of South Asian artists. Check out Peeling members Hugo Mahabir, Gita Reddy, Tamina Davar, and Sesh Mudumbai--- performing Peeling's well-known brand of hard-hitting, identity-affirming work!

Other performers include performance poet Chetana Jois, and musicians Branavan Ganesan and Raji Malik.

Peeling the Banana in...
"Masala Mela"
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19
8:00 PM
$3 members, $5 general admission

The Asian Arts Initiative
1315 Cherry Street, 2nd floor
Philadelphia, PA
215-557-0455

The Asian Arts Initiative is a community-based arts center grounded in the belief that the arts can provide an important political and cultural "voice"for the Asian American community in Philadelphia

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Asian American Theatre Co. (SF)
THE CLOUDS, THE OCEAN AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN
a reading of a new play by Michael Premsrirat
February 20, 1999

THE CLOUDS, THE OCEAN AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN is a comedy that's kinda sad, a drama that's kinda funny. It's a declaration of independence from the tyranny of Asian heritage for a new generation of bananas. It's the face of the new America.

The reading, featuring Phil Young, Yato Yoshida and Melinda Corazon Foley, will be held Saturday, February 20, 7:00 p.m., at the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California, 1840 Sutter Street, between Webster and Buchanan in the Japantown neighborhood of San Francisco. The reading is free but a small donation to AATC would be appreciated.

Michael Premsrirat is currently a writer for the 18 Mighty Mountain Warriors, an Asian Pacific Islander American sketch comedy group.

NWAAT (Seattle)
Welcome to the Wongs
by Andy Lew
a staged reading
February 22, 1999

You are invited to the first reading of a new play, Welcome to the Wongs, by Andy W. Lew. It tells the humorous story of three generations of Chinese American/Canadians who gather together for a simple task- finding a nice girl for their only son. Directed by Cyndie Mastel-Rokicki.

Stanford Lively Arts, Stanford University
presents
The Gate of Heaven
Lane Nishikawa & Victor Talmadge
Friday-Saturday, February 26-27, 1999
8:00 p.m.
Dinkelspiel Auditorium

For Tickets Call (650) 725-ARTS

Amid the horrors of war, a Japanese-American army officer carries a Jewish prisoner from the Dachau concentration camp to safety. From this lifesaving encounter is born lifelong friendship between camp survivor Leon Erhlich and soldier Kiyoshi "Sam" Yamamoto. The Gate of Heaven dramatizes a little-known episode of World War II history. Through a series of vignettes and reflections, this moving play explores the deepening relationship between Leon and Sam and their battle to cope with the cultural prejudice of post-war America. The Los Angeles Times praises this uplifting story of friendship and honor as "poignantly alive." Written and acted by Lane Nishikawa and Victor Talmadge, The Gate of Heaven takes us on a powerful journey of the human spirit.

Post-performance discussion:

Both evenings, for those who wish to remain after the performance, Lane Nishikawa and Victor Talmadge will return to the stage for a brief question and answer session.

East West Players (LA)
The Fifth East West Players Network Showcase
Monday, March 1, 1999
Tuesday, March 2, 1999
8:00 PM

There will be 19 actors performing nine five-minute scenes.

Actors who are scheduled to appear are: Stan Abe, Jennifer Aquino, Ray Chang, John Cho, Mia Crowe, Lilia Dominguez, Maria Lazam Hanson, Sachiko Hayashi, Kerri Higuchi, Kennedy Kabasares, Newton Kaneshiro, Jack Lam, Sharline Liu, Randall Mark, Anna Quirino, Kipp Shiotani, Janet Song, James Wong, and Ogie Zulueta.

Directors are: Henry Chan, Francois Chau, Glen Chin, Alberto Isaac, Radmar Agana Jao, Rodney Kageyama, Michael Ordona, Eric Michael Zee, and Ogie Zulueta.

At East West Players David Henry Hwang Theatre
120 North Judge John Aiso St. (formerly San Pedro St.)
in downtown Los Angeles, across the street from the Los Angeles Police Department

Admission is free
Parking is available next to the theatre
Food and refreshments will be served
Please come and bring friends!

For industry reservations only, email jaquino@earthlink.net or call
213-506-7707
If you would like to help out & volunteer for the event,
please email grace jun at gjun@foxsports.net or call 323-933-3396

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THE ACTOR'S LAB PRESENTS:
MEASURE FOR MEASURE
William Shakespeare
January 31 to March 8, 1999

Having allowed his city to slip into lawless decadence, the Duke of Vienna entrusts his power to his strict deputy, Angelo. Immediately, Angelo bans licentiousness, closes the whorehouses, and condemns unmarried fornicators, such as the young Claudio, to death.  Isabella, Claudio's sister, pleads with Angelo for her brother's life.  Angelo, struck by Isabella's beauty and innocence, decides to relent... if she will sleep with him...

@ The Morgan-Wixson Theater
2627 Pico Blvd, near 26th and Pico Blvd. in Santa Monica
Sat. @ 2 PM, Sun. @ 7:30, Mon. @ 7:30 PM
From Jan. 31st - Mar. 8 (no shows 2/13, 3/1)

$12 General Admission
$10 Students, Seniors and Members of the 4-A Unions
Group Discounts Available
Box for Advance Sales: (310) 828-7519 (3-7 PM Daily)

Directed by David Anthony Smith
Produced by Ming Lo, Tohoru Masamune and Nathan Tang
Given double casting, please call to confirm casting.

Fabric
by Henry Ong
March 4, 1999

"Fabric," a play by Henry Ong based on the sensational real life story of modern day slavery involving Thai nationals in Los Angeles, will be presented in a special benefit performance for the Thai community in the Tom Bradley Theatre, Los Angeles Theatre Center, 514 S. Spring Street in Downtown Los Angeles on Thursday, March 4, at 8:00 p.m.

The play, premiered last year in several workshop productions and, funded by a Cultural Affairs grant, stars Jennifer Paz, best remembered for her role as Kim in Miss Saigon at the Ahmanson and in the national tour. Paz will reprise her role, as will other members of the cast - Louisa Abernathy, Yoshio Be, Cristopher Delius, Dian Kobayashi, Julia Nickson, Jack Ong, Angelo Tiffe, Chuti Tiu and Jae Toyota.

Tickets are $25, and reservations are advised by calling (213) 739-8455. Proceeds from the production will benefit the Thai Community Development Center, a non-profit organization established in 1994 to meet the needs of low-income Thai immigrants in Southern California, that played a critical role in addressing the workers' needs.

The discovery of 72 Thai workers, kept in virtual slavery behind barbed wire in an apartment complex, in some cases, for as many as seven years, caused a media sensation in August 1995 and led to the prosecution of a family of sweatshop operators who have since been sentenced to serve time in a federal prison. The Thai workers who were smuggled into the United States and forced to work 16-hour days sewing for top-name garment manufacturers have since found a productive life in their new home in America.

Ong, who won two other Cultural Affairs grants, is the author of Madame Mao's Memories, the critically acclaimed play that has been produced both nationally and internationally. Memories was last seen at the prestigious Old Globe Theatre in San Diego. He wrote and directed People Like Me, which was produced at Playwrights' Arena and won a DramaLogue writing award.

Ong is very active in the community, having conducted many workshops for youth as well as presenting several one acts on socially relevant topics, including "Voices of Hiroshima," "The Letters of Wei Jingsheng," and " The Rape of Nanking," in community venues.

Constituents of the Thai community are primarily located in the Thirteenth Councilmatic District, represented by Councilmember Jackie Goldberg. The Los Angeles Theatre Center is a facility of the City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department.

Lapu, the Coyote that Cares Theatre Company (LCC)
Skit Happens
Tuesday, March 2, 1999
Wednesday, March 3, 1999
7:30 pm
Northwest Campus Auditorium
University of California, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA

You live. You die. Skit happens. LCC continues its fourth season with light-hearted stories about an immigrant trying to pledge an exclusive Asian American sorority, aliens attempting to make Earth a better place, and idealistic young men imagining the perfect Asian American-friendly world.

Evolving from a small writer's group, Lapu, the Coyote that Cares Theatre Company has since grown to become UCLA's premier Asian American theater company and the largest Asian American college theatre group in the United States. LCC was founded in 1995 by three UCLA students as a means of providing students with the opportunities to write, direct, and act in their own original plays.

Realizing that Asian Americans and other people of color are constantly underrepresented and inaccurately portrayed in mainstream media, LCC has made it a primary goal to perform plays with socio-political statements as well as everyday stories from an Asian American perspective. LCC is currently made up of over 35 dedicated members of various ethnicities, backgrounds, and majors who each create the distinct flavor and style of their stories and performances. All of LCC's work is original because the stories are their own.

Contact: Valerie Cheung (310) 446-5922
OR

lcc@ucla.edu
www.studentgroups.ucla.edu/lcc

San Francisco's Asian American Theater Company presents the third reading of the play by company member, Harold Byun (of the Asian American comedy troupe 18 Mighty Mountain Warriors) entitled The Butcher's Burden.

Byun has film and television credits to his name as well as being one of 18 Mighty's key skit writers. Script-in-hand readings were presented by Asian American Theater Company last January and December of 1998. "The Butcher's Burden" was developed during the Asian American Theater Company's six-week-long Playwrighting Class in December of 1997 Byun's The Butcher's Burden tells the darkly comic story of Ray, a young Korean American, hired by a private investigation firm to research a class of "untouchables". The "untouchables" were butchers whose history is only lightly touched upon in Korean history, and who went into hiding. The appearance of their spirits helps Ray discover a tale of betrayal, condemnation, and his own quest for self-redemption.

Actors participating in this reading of The Butcher's Burden are Noel Benoza, Lane Nishikawa, and Greg Watanabe. For further information, please call 415-440-5545, e-mail aatc@wenet.net or point your browser to http://www.wenet.net/~aatc.

Suggested donations: $50 (Friend); $100 (Benefactor); $150 (Patron);
$500 (Grand Patron); $1,000 (Angel)
Please RSVP by calling (718) 623-1672

From this past summers hit, Falsettoland Director Alan Muraoka and cast members Ann Harada, Christine Toy Johnson, Mimosa, and Welly Yang will be joined by Sekiya Billman, Rich Ceraulo, Cindy Cheung, Richard Eng, Peter Kim, Thomas Kouo, Tom Meglioranza, Marc Oka, Chloe Stewart, Melanie Tojio, Virginia Wing, and Welly Yang in presenting selections from Sheldon Harnicks She Loves Me, Stephen Sondheims Company, and Frank Loessers Pulitzer Prize winning How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.

Silent Auction donors include: A. Magazine, BAM, Brasserie Julien, Cendrillon, Chartwell Booksellers, Chianti, Childrens Television Workshop/Sesame Street Productions, China Institute, Gloria Cabrera, Gay Mens Chorus, The Grand Duchess Bed & Breakfast, Kembali, Lincoln Center, Manhattan Class Company, Mr. Ks, Channel Thirteen, The Public Theatre, Roundabout Theatre, The Vineyard Theatre, and Washington Place Restaurant.

The National Asian-American Theatre Co., Inc. (NATCO) was formed in 1989 to: promote and support Asian American actors, directors, designers, and technicians through the performance of European and American classics; actively develop an Asian American audience and encourage Asian Americans to become a significant part of a more diverse audience in American theatre; cultivate in non-Asian Americans an appreciation of Asian American contributions to the development of theatre arts in America today. The company has presented ONeills Long Days Journey Into Night and Ah, Wilderness!; A Midsummer Night's Dream; The Cherry Orchard; Edward Albee's The American Dream; Our Town; The School for Wives which was one of the winners of the Off Off Broadway Reviews Best Plays of the Season for 1995; Shaws How He Lied to Her Husband and Village Wooing; Lady Gregorys The Gaol Gate and W.B. Yeats Purgatory.

ASIAN AMERICAN THEATER COMPANY (SF)
HAPAning AMERICA!!!
A READING OF WORKS FROM HAPA WRITERS
March 11, 1999

San Francisco-Asian American Theater Company presents HAPAning AMERICA!!! a reading of works from hapa writers. The reading, works by Ken Akinaka, Alison dela Cruz, Kip Fulbeck, Naomi Quinones, Sasha Welland, Emily Zimmerman and others, will be held Thursday, March 11, 7:00 p.m., at the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California, 1840 Sutter Street, between Webster and Buchanan in the Japantown neighborhood of San Francisco. The reading is free but a small donation to AATC would be appreciated.

HAPAning AMERICA!!! explores the impact of mixed-race heritage in America. --- pulled between two worlds, but census takers beware! HAPA defies categorization.

A discussion will follow that will be be co-hosted by HAPA Issues Forum. Please come join us.

Fact Sheet
Written by: various writers
Curated by: Noel Madlansacay
Reading: Thursday, March 11, 1999 7:00 p.m.
Information: 415-440-5545
E-Mail: aatc@wenet.net
Location: JCCCNC
1840 Sutter Street between
Webster and Buchanan
across from the Japan Center

DONATIONS ENCOURAGED $3-5/sliding fee

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SHIFT (SF)
setting landscapes
March 5, 6, 12, 13, 8pm
848 Community Space
848/Divisadero @ McAllister in San Francisco
Cost: $8

Information and Reservations are available by calling (415) 820-3220

Please join us for an exciting evening of dance from the Bay Area&Mac226;s newest and most innovative dance collective, SHIFT. SHIFT&Mac226;s second venture, "Setting Landscapes," features new and favorite works from choreographers in the SF Bay Area, Los Angeles and New York. "Setting Landscapes" will be performed at 848 Community Space on March 5-6 and 12-13 at 8pm. 848 is located at 848 Divisadero at McAllister in San Francisco. For reservations or more information, please call the SHIFT hotline: (415) 820-3220 or email us at shiftsf@yahoo.com

Rebecca Bryant examines notions of physical beauty in the premiere of "A Poem (variation)." Manuelito Biag directs the premiere of "Blind(sighted) Intentions," which explores the "unintended harms that occur in the process of unreciprocated attraction." LA choeographer Rande Dorn is showing the provacative "Licking Blue." Cynthia Yang and Rebecca Bryant will be performing a new duet choreographed by New York choreographer, Grace Shinhae Jun. Also featuring „The Process‰ by Adrienne Haufler, "Another" by Beth Calarco, "Taking, Leaving, Taking" by Manuelito Biag and the "over here" by Genevieve Lee.

SHIFT formed in 1998, and features up and coming dancers and choreographers. The members of SHIFT include: Manuelito Biag, Rebecca Bryant, Beth Calarco, Rande Dorn, Adrienne Haufler, Grace Shinhae Jun, Genevieve Lee, Brian Null, and Cynthia Yang.

See News story.

Tsunami Theatre (Washington, DC)
Sound of a Voice
The House of Sleeping Beauties
by David Henry Hwang
March 5 to 20, 1999

Washington DC's newest group makes their debut with their production of David Henry Hwang's classic one acts. See News for more details.

Seattle Fringe Festival
March 13, 11 pm
March 14, 4:30 pm
March 19, 10 pm
March 20, 3 pm
March 21, 7 pm
Northwest Actors' Studio
1100 E. Pike
Seattle, WA

Seattle's second newest multicultural sketch comedy group crashes the party where 75 other fringe theatres showcase their work, with some new (and old) work to bedevil and harass their so-called fans!

Repertory Actors Theatre (Seattle)
All in the Timing
by David Ives
Bringing it All Back Home
by Terrence McNally
Seattle Fringe Fest
Richard Hugo House
March 11 to 21, 1999

Adams Chinese Theater Series (ACTS) (Harvard)
presents
two one-act plays by Chen Baichen (1908-1994)
Zheng Hun (Marriage Personal, 1935) &
Yanbuchude Xi (Unplayable Plays, 1936)
To be performed in Mandarin Chinese with English titles in the Adams House Pool Theater, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
(enter at 26 Plympton Street, then follow the signs)
Friday 12 March, 7:30pm & 9:30pm
Saturday 13 March, 7:30pm & 9:30pm
Sunday 14 March, 2:30pm & 4:30pm matinees

This production is made possible by a Timothy S. Mayer grant from the Office for the Arts at Harvard & Radcliffe, with substantial support from the Adams House Drama Society. Further inquiries may be directed to Carsey at <cyee@fas.harvard.edu> 617-493-2140

Since we are using a small theater space, we encourage everyone to order/reserve tickets for a specific performance in advance. For reservations, contact Carsey Yee <cyee@fas.harvard.edu> by email or by telephone 617-493-2140. Please specify the number of tickets needed and the date & time of the performance you
plan to attend. Reserved tickets must be picked up at least 15 minutes before curtain time. Plan to arrive at Adams House early, because the Pool Theater is tricky to find. Also it will be open seating and no one will be admitted to the show after the performance has begun.

You can become a Patron of the show by donating $25. Patrons will be listed in the program and receive two tickets for the performance of their choice (reserved seating) which must be picked up at least 10 minutes before curtain time. Just send a personal check payable to Carsey Yee to: Mr. Carsey Yee, 493 Adams Mail Center, Cambridge, MA 02138. Specify the date & time of the performance you would like to attend as well as how you would like your name to be listed in the program.

JACCC (Los Angeles)
Presents the 9th Annual Fresh Tracks
March 19 to 21, 1999

A weekend of Asian Pacific American performance at its new home at the David Henry Hwang Theatre

Featuring performances by
Sherwood Chen
Bastard Company
Phil Nee
Dawn Akemi Saito
Paula Solano
Jayvee Mai
Erin O Brien
and Ivy Yee

Guest Curated by Denise Uyehara

Fresh Tracks, the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center's annual performance series, celebrates a new home in 1999 at the David Henry Hwang Theater at the Union Center for the Arts with performances on Friday, March 19, 8 pm; Saturday, March 20, 8 pm; and Sunday, March 21, 2 pm. The series continues to cultivate the next generation of fresh new work from the Asian/Pacific American performance community.

"This series is loaded with innovative performance," says guest curator and veteran performance artist Denise Uyehara, "from image-based dreamscapes to funny but edgy, straight-ahead monologues It's time the Asian community takes a good look at its art and push its own boundaries. These artists do just that. It's gonna be a hot weekend."

Uyehara, an award-winning writer, performance artist, and playwright, is one of many artists who have debuted new work on the Fresh Tracks stage that annually presents music, experimental theater to improvisation comedy, monologue and much more. Other critically acclaimed artists who have appeared in previous seasons include the widely-celebrated Amy Hill, Dennis Dunn, Cold Tofu, and multi-media performance artists Dan Kwong and Rika Ohara.

Since its inception in 1990, Fresh Tracks has supported and presented new and emerging Japanese American and Asian Pacific American artists. The JACCC remains committed to providing opportunities for our community's artists.

Friday (3/19, 8 pm) night's performance features Bastard Company with Bro. K. en Amerika, a multi-media/dance performance that interprets Fyodor Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov with hip-hop and execution funk. Erin O'Brien performs her mixed-media tale The Fantastic and Amazing Adventures of My Mother's Dress which explores lesbian and bisexual identities, as well as daughter's connection to her mother through her mother's dress. Through ritual improvisation and visceral dance, Sherwood Chen, who has performed internationally with acclaimed butoh artist Oguri, explores memory cycles and a contemporary ancestral collective in Shining Forest.

Saturday (3/20, 8 pm) night's performance features acclaimed performance artist Dawn Akemi Saito, in HA, which she presented recently at the Dance Theatre Workshop in NYC, a surrealistic theatre piece combining narrative and butoh in one woman's confrontation of her family's secrets in order to reclaim her voice and Paula Weston Solano in Appearances, lyrically outrageous, political and personal experiences of Asian women in 20th century America. Paula has performed Appearances recently in Mark Taper Forum's Asian Theater Workshop Black Box Series.

In the Sunday (3/21, 2 pm) matinee, veteran comedian/actor Phil Nee presents The Last of the Nees, revealing his journey to find health, happiness, and the reason he can't smile. Ivy Yee performs Are You My Girlfriend? based on the children's story "Are You My Mother?", a playful exploration of girlhood, girl image, and other girl issues. And Jayvee Hiep Mai performs My Mother and Her Children" experimental dance and movement exposing the many different faces of the Vietnamese people.

Fresh Tracks performances will be at the David Henry Hwang Theatre at 120 N. Judge John Aiso St., Little Tokyo, downtown Los Angeles. Friday and Saturday shows are at 8 pm and Sunday's show is at 2 pm. Tickets are $12 general admission, $10 for JACCC Members, and $8 for students and seniors with I.D., and group sales. Tickets are available by calling the Japan America Theatre Box Office at (213) 680-3700, open 12 noon to 5 pm daily.

For more information call Bryan Yamami at (213) 628-2725 or by email at yamami@jaccc.org.

Asian American Theatre Company (SF)
AP101: Immigration to Identity
March 18 to 20, 1999

LOOKING BACK, LOOKING FORWARD

San Francisco-Asian American Theater Company presents API101: Immigration to Identity. API101: Immigration to Identity is a collection of spoken word, poetry, and monologues from established and emerging artists examining contemporary views of the Asian Pacific Islander American experience. Featured artists include Carlos Bulosan, Philip Kan Gotanda, David Hwang, Janice Mirikitani, Noel Benoza, Kim Compoc, Melinda Foley, Norman Jayo, Robert Karimi, Dana Kawaoka, Michael Premsrirat, Naomi Quinones, Carleton Robinson, Kit Rochanahusdin, Fam Linh Saecho, Jora Trang and others. API101: Immigration to Identity runs Thursday through Saturday, March 18-20, 8:00 p.m., at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388 Ninth Street, Suite 290 (between Franklin and Webster), Oakland, CA 94607 (parking available in underground garage). Tickets are priced $12 ($10 for seniors and students). For information and reservations, please call 415.440.5545, e-mail aatc@wenet.net or point your browser to http://www.wenet.net/~aatc.

Asian American Theater Company was founded in 1973 as a playwrights' workshop sponsored by the American Conservatory Theater. The company is dedicated to the production of New American plays by dramatists of Asian Pacific Islander descent. Throughout its history, AATC has served as a home for numerous Asian Pacific Islander American playwrights, directors, actors and designers, including Frank Chin, Margaret Cho, Dennis Dun, David Henry Hwang, Philip Kan Gotanda, Amy Hill, R.A. Shiomi, Wakako Yamauchi, Judi Nihei and the 18 Mighty Mountain Warriors. After more than a quarter of a century of pioneering Asian American theater arts, AATC is poised to chart new directions for Asian Pacific Islander American theater arts into the new millennium.

TICKET PRICES: $12 general admission
$10 students and seniors

INFORMATION: 415.440.5545 or e-mail aatc@wenet.net

RESERVATIONS: 415.440.5545 or e-mail aatc@wenet.net

DIRECTIONS: 510.208.6080

LOCATION: Oakland Asian Cultural Center
388 Ninth Street, Suite 290
(between Franklin and Webster)
Oakland, CA 94607
parking available in underground garage
12th Street BART Station in Oakland.

See News for details!

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