Seattle Repertory Theatre
Sugar Plum Fairy
by Sandra Tsing Loh
November 25, 2002 to January 12, 2003
The Rep will offer the world premiere of Tsing Loh's Sugar Plum Fairy, a one-woman show about an ungainly 12-year-old girl who longs to dance the role of Clara in The Nutcracker.
The Queue (SF)
January 10 and 11, 2003
@ Bindlestiff Studio, 185 6th Street@Howard
ShowTime: 8pm
"Rebuilt Tranny",
Written and Directed by Wernher Goff
Produced by Ted Jocson/Woak Studios.
"Christine 3:16",
Directed by Greg Manalo.
Produced and Written by Oliver Saria.
For more info: 415.974-1167
Markmarking@yahoo.com
www.bindlestiffstudio.org
The Queue started as a group of artists from Bindlestiff Studio, the epicenter of Filipino/American arts based in San Francisco, that wanted to get together to educate themselves in the arena of filmmaking. Folks are encouraged to take on different roles and responsibilities, both in front of and behind the camera, to teach and learn from their experiences through the producing of six targeted films for the Queue fiscal year. Their goal is to become a professional talent pool of filmmakers that can produce films as individuals or as a team of Filipino Americans creating quality films. The Queue is made up of a diverse group of filmmakers, producers, directors, writers, actors, editors, graphic artists, etc. all from Bindlestiff studio. This is their training ground.
Fire Rose Productions (LA)
Teahouse of the August Moon
December 6, 2002 to January 19, 2003
At the Secret Rose Theatre
11246 Magnolia Blvd. In North Hollywood
NOHO Theatre & Arts District
(1.5 Blocks West of Lankershim Blvd.)
RESERVATIONS & TICKETS
===========================
Reservations and Information - 818.623.4291
$18 GENERAL ADMISSION (Senior, Student and Group rates available*)
Mention this email for $3 off general admission! (*may not be combined with other discounts)
Bring a new, unwrapped toy for the North Hollywood Police Dept. Christmas Toy Drive and receive an add'l $2 off general admission!
THE STORY
===========================
Taking place after the end of World War II, in Okinawa, "The Teahouse of the August Moon" follows the efforts of Army of Occupation officer Captain Fisby stationed in a remote village. His assignment is to teach Democracy to the natives by following and strictly enforcing the manual of Colonel Purdy, his commanding officer, called "Plan B". His task proves difficult, as the young officer is unprepared for the deeply rooted traditions and ingenious charm of these village people. Fisby finds himself in possession of a first class geisha and succumbs to the will of the majority by using the materials sent to him to build a school to build a teahouse instead. In an effort to improve the economy of the village, Fisby convinces the people to begin brewing their village's specialty, sweet potato brandy, which he sells to all of the officers clubs on the island. Trouble is on the horizon as Colonel Purdy begins to suspect that Captain Fisby is not following "Plan B" to the letter.
www.fireroseproductions.com
15 Minutes of Fem (LA, CA)
Saturday, January 18, 2003 @ 11pm:
Jane Zingale
Kira Soltanovich
Kristina Sheryl Wong
Greta Enszer
Kristina Sheryl Wong performs Auction-- a live auction of items from her history that carry confusing memories or baggage. Everything is up for grabs in this auction for monetary or symbolic bids!
There are four performances a night, each are 15 minutes. You get to vote who your favorite is at the end.
All shows at The Egyptian Arena Theatre, 1625 N. Las Palmas Ave. in Hollywood -
All shows STILL JUST TEN BUCKS!!
Community Asian Theatre of the Sierra (Nevada City, CA)
THE LOVE SUICIDES AT SONEZAKI
Written by Chikamatsu Monzaemon
Translated by Donald Keene
Directed by Amber Jo Manuel
January 12 to February 9, 2003
Love suicides at Sonezaki
… no one is there to tell the tale, but the wind that blows through Sonezaki
a Japanese story of eternal love …
WHEN: January 17, 2003 to February 8, 2003
Friday and Saturday evenings at 8:00 pm.
Matinees on Saturdays, Jan. 25 and Feb. 1, at 2:00 pm.
WHERE: Nevada Theatre, 401 Broad St, Nevada City, CA
WHY: The Love Suicides at Sonezaki is a masterpiece. A classic tragedy of eternal love, incorporating the essence of traditional Japanese theatre, including Kabuki, Noh, and Butoh. Actors will create an intercultual experience, a fusion of techniques and a fusion of space and time. The production will integrate the influences of these theatre forms in its set, costumes, hair, makeup, sound, music and movement. 2003 marks the 300th anniversary of this play and the 10th anniversary of the Community Asian Theatre of the Sierra (CATS).
TICKETS AVAILABLE 12/1/02: $13 Advance; $15 Door
www.PresaleTicketing.com - Online
(805) 692-5548 - Phone Orders Questions: (530) 273-6362
Odyssey Books (Grass Valley)
Golden Flower Trading Co. & Museum (Nevada City)
Nevada City Postal Company
Richmond, Virginia
Gate of Heaven
by Lane Nishikawa and Victor Talmadge
January 15 to February 8, 2003
The year 2003 will see a production of a powerfully moving drama about Tom Brokaw's Greatest Generation, THE GATE OF HEAVEN by Lane Nishikawa and Victor Talmadge. Amid the horrors of war, a Japanese-American army officer carries a Jewish prisoner from the Dachau concentration camp to safety. From this life-saving encounter is born a remarkable life-long bond between two men each searching for respect and a sense of home in the changing cultural landscape of post WW II America. Through a series of dramatic and comic vignettes, former soldier Kiyoshi "Sam" Yamamota and former prisoner Leon Ehrlich discover the miracle of friendship, the importance of family, and the value of personal loyalty. "This is a play about a well-known time, but the story is told through the voices of often overlooked perspectives," says Mr. Ambush. THE GATE OF HEAVEN is an entertaining, sensitive and soul-nourishing theatrical experience about people connecting across cultures and creating family. It will feature the use of techniques from traditional Japanese theater. THE GATE OF HEAVEN, a play that has successfully played in such cities as Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Diego and Washington, DC, will run January 15 through February 8, 2003. Mr. Ambush will direct and Messer's Nishikawa and Talmadge will recreate their award-winning roles."
MAPA MIA!
written and performed by Alec Mapa
January 21 to February 9, 2003
At the Ivy Substation in downtown Culver City, CA
"High octane presence and crisp comic timing," says the San Francisco Chronicle about Alec Mapa. And now he's onstage performing in repertory with himself.
Two rollicking performances from the star of M. Butterfly and Dogeaters. Alec Mapa is a whirling dervish of comedy and pathos who spins unforgettably hilarious tales of coming of age - even when you're older.
I REMEMBER MAPA is the chronicle of a Broadway actor who ends up waiting tables in Encino. DRAMA tells the lurid tales of everyone's worst nightmare - High School Drama Clubs!
Check it out. If you like seeing new work and fresh ideas in a small intimate theatre, don't miss these special events. And at a low low ticket price.
For more info...click on the following link or copy and paste it in your browser
http://www.taperahmanson.com/show.asp?id=205
AATC (SF) and Locus
A Tale of Two Poets
January 22, 2003
Locus and Asian American Theater Company co-present Tales of Two Poets: excerpts from Bay Area playwright MELINDA CORAZON FOLEY's Coconut Masquerade and Pakistani playwright SHAHID NADEEM's Baba Bulleh Shah.
January 22, 2003, 8pm
Locus 1640 Post
Admission: $5
Shahid Nadeem's BABA BULLEH SHAH, directed by Vidhu Singh, deals with the extraordinary life and turbulent times of the 17th century Sufi mystic/poet, Baba Bulleh Shah. It includes episodes such as his interactions with the leader of the new Sikh faith, Banda Singh Bairagi, and learning dance from Muradi Begum, the famous courtesan. The reading will be from an English translation of the original Punjabi/Urdu play.
VIDHU SINGH, a theater director and scholar, earned her doctorate in Asian Theater from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Her dissertation focuses on a vibrant network of experimental theater companies in India that synthesize classical, folk and modern theater forms in their work. Singh's recent production of Mahesh Dattani's On a Muggy Night in Mumbai had sold-out performances in San Francisco. The former Managing Director of the Asian American Theater Company, Singh currently teaches multicultural drama at Foothill College and freelances as a director.
ABOUT MELINDA CORAZON FOLEY'S COCONUT MASQUERADE
STORY DESCRIPTION
A young woman's murder prompts Maya (played by Melinda Corazon Foley*) to confront the family she has shunned for 8 years. Told in stylized verse language, influenced by hip hop and spoken word, The Coconut Masquerade plunges into the depths of one family's hidden shame as they journey towards forgiveness.
The world premiere of Coconut Masquerade, produced by Teatro ng Tanan, played to sold out houses at SF's Bindlestiff Studio in 2002. Developing segments of the project have also reached audiences in cities from NYC to Denmark, London, Chicago, Washington D.C.,and Los Angeles.
Coconut's production coincides with the increasing fusion of Spoken Word and Hip Hop influenced theater, as evidenced by the national success of Youth Speaks, a San Francisco-initiated and now bi-coastal literacy program, as well as by productions ranging from MTV's recent Hip Hopera, a contemporary remake of the 19th century opera, Carmen, to the 1998 Sundance and Cannes Film Festival Winner, "Slam."
*Excerpt cast: Ruth Virata, Mariel Flores Vinalon, Michael Dorado, Michelle Ferrer, Siwaraya Rochanahusdin, and Melinda Corazon Foley. Select music production by Soleil and Reynaldo Timosa Novicio, Jr.
Locus is an all-volunteer organization of Asian American artists and arts supporters dedicated to promoting community and consciousness through the arts. We are currently incorporated and under the fiscal sponsorship of Asian Improv aRts.
Locus 1640 Post is a venue space that showcases the music, theatre, performing, literary and visual arts of the Asian Pacific American community. We believe in: pan APA artists and inclusive audiences, a community supporting artists and the artists supporting a community, a vital Japantown, a physical space for creative collaboration and face-to-face connection.
Locus 1640 Post seeks to nuture and cultivate young emerging APA artists by providing a physical space to develop, rehearse, perform and display their works.
For more information on our co-sponsor, Locus, please visit www.locusarts.org.
Theater Mu (Minneapolis)
Falling Flowers
by Jeany Park
January 24 to February 8, 2003
Sun Hee is an elderly Korean woman with a powerful story to tell about her own experience as a comfort woman during the pre-WWII period. Her memories bring to life both the innocence of the women victimized and the horror of their fate. Haunted by the spirits of the women she knew and those who came before her, Sun Hee gives voice to a generation of Korean women.
Asian American Writers' Workshop (NYC)
Frozen Lemonade
January 24-25, 2003 at 7 PM
Freshly twisted from the minds of the country's most timely Asian American playwrights. Enjoy a tall cool drink of 10-minute plays and excerpts ranging from a Hawaiian take on the Bard to a science fair gone fantastically awry. Featuring the writing talents of Dan Bacalzo, Sourabh Chatterjee, Carla Ching, Dustin Chin, Celena Cipriaso, Michael Hidalgo, Euijoon Kim, Fitz Mangubat, Sung Rno and Lloyd Suh. Cosponsored by LCC Productions.
The Asian American Writers' Workshop, 16 West 32nd Street, Suite 10A, New York City (between 5th Avenue and Broadway). $5 suggested donation. Free for members. For more information, call 212-494-0061 or visit http://www.aaww.org.
Featured Works:
True Friction by Euijoon Kim
Directed by Dustin Chinn
Featuring U-Shin Kim and Rodney To
Left (excerpt) by Sourabh Chatterjee
Director & Cast TBA
Pidgin Romeo & Juliet (excerpt) by Fitz Mangubat
Directed by Dustin Chinn and Keo Woolford
Featuring Rolando Garcia, Keo Woolford, Tess Rillo, and Raplee Nobori
Chinadoll Overdrive written and directed by Michael Hidalgo
Featuring Sam Kim, Thai-Hoa Le, Claire Tsai, and Adeel Akhtar
Lilly Lee's Science Fair Project by Lloyd Suh
Directed by Ed Lin
Featuring Cindy Cheung, James Saito, Gita Reddy, and Deborah Craig
Sexual Diary of a Virgin (excerpt) by Celena Cipriaso
Directed by Dustin Chinn
Featuring Eileen Rivera, Mia Katigbak, Tess Rillo, and Debargo Sanyal
Cracked Up by Carla Ching
Directed by Carla Ching and Michael Hidalgo
Featuring Adeel Akhtar and Monica Hong
Egads by Dustin Chinn
Directed by Ed Lin
Featuring Deborah Craig, Cindy Cheung, Ed Lin, and James Saito
Infinitude by Sung Rno
Directed by Michael Hidalgo
Featuring Keo Woolford, Thai-Hoa Le, Adeel Akhtar, Claire Tsai, Monica Hong, and Sam Kim
Say Something (excerpt) by Dan Bacalzo
Directed by Dustin Chinn
Featuring Rodney To and Anthony Rapp
Great Leap (LA)
January 25, 2003
In conjunction with the exhibition, Boyle Heights: The Power of Place, Great Leap and the Japanese American National Museum will present nine performances of “To All Relations: Memories of Boyle Heights,” a poetic fusion of stories, music and dance drawn from the lives of the people of Boyle Heights, beginning on Saturday, January 25 at 2 pm.
These performances culminate Great Leap’s “To All Relations” residency project, which began in October 2002 with free community workshops at the Japanese American National Museum. For the past several months, participants have been hard at work during weekly sessions with Great Leap artists and guest musicians to craft their personal stories into short performance pieces that capture the spirit and energy of LA’s oldest multicultural neighborhood. In addition to Japanese American, African American, Latino, and Jewish community participants, performers include singer/performer Nobuko Miyamoto, performance artist Dan Kwong, dancer/ choreographer June Watanabe, Eastside musician Ruben Guevara, and Taiko drummer Maceo Hernandez. The performances will be held in the gallery of Boyle Heights: The Power of Place at the National Museum.
Asian American Writers Workshop (NYC)
Flipsiders
by Cliff Rivera
February 7, 2003
Act One Productions
Presents...
*fLiPsIdErS*
A special reading of a new play by Cliff Rivera
Featuring a cast that includes Art Acuna, Brian Buno, Liza DeOcampo, Joseph Pe and Basilio Valdehuesa with music selections by Stacy Santiago of electro-rock band Cookie Galore
16 West 32nd Street (btwn 5th Avenue & Broadway), Suite 10A, NYC
Sponsored by Bamboo Girl/Pinay Power Productions
Admission: $5
Proceeds go toward Sumisibol, a NJ-based non-profit organization dedicated to enriching the lives of Filipino/American youth
The bookstore will be open for purchases before the reading, as well as during the post-reception. Choose from over 2,000 titles of Asian American literature.
A special Valentine's Day raffle of prizes will follow Reading.
DESCRIPTION
Flipsiders are outsiders daydreaming invisible. Call Benjamin a Flip and he'll "stab you with exclamation points." His girlfriend, Angelica, is no angel. Tito, or Uncle, "is not a dishwasher no more." He is "a propessional shoper." Tom-Boy smokes and sells manna. Boss only dresses the part of a cop. Jojo lives in a Balikbayan Box. They are all American, thoroughly Filipino.
After a long respite in the Philippines, Jojo returns to America, only to find his childhood friends beat down, but far from beaten. During a Halloween weekend laden with debauchery and Vicks, we witness five Flipsiders reconcile the past with an uncertain future, culminating in holiday jeer: nevertheless hopeful.
First Annual Starbucks-Young Playwrights Festival Reading Series (Seattle)
February 7th - 7 to 8:30 PM
FREE
at Columbia City Starbucks
(4824 Rainier Avenue South -- corner of Rainier Avenue S. & Edmunds St.)
Call 206-725-7169 for more information
Featuring works by:
* Olga Sanchez and Kathleen Alcala
* Todd Jefferson Moore
* Nancy Calos-Nakano
* DJ Hamilton
Nancy Calos-Nakano, along with local actors, will read scenes from her recent
play, The Carabao Cries Too. This play was produced by Rainier Valley Youth
Theatre as the SummerSTAGE 2002 teen production.
AATC (SF)
February 7 and 8, 2003
AATC Lunar New Year Festival:
Winners of Script Competition and
Special Performance by VIENNA TENG
Friday, February 7 8PM - Saturday, February 8 1AM
Romeo 5: 1581 Webster St, Suite 210, San Francisco
Theater Enthusiasts, Members, Prospective Members and Friends,
Come celebrate the Lunar New Year at the annual Asian American Theater Company (AATC) Lunar New Year Festival on Friday, 2/7, 8PM at Romeo 5 in San Francisco.
We have lined up two amazing programs for the night:
VIENNA TENG, renowned singer, songwriter and pianist recently featured on the Late Show with David Letterman and National Public Radio, will be performing selected pieces from her full length debut album, Waking Hour. Released in November 2002 under Virt Records. Waking Hour was recently as high as #5 on Amazon.com. AsianWeek draws comparisons to Sarah McLachlan and Tori Amos, "with her piano creating hypnotic melodies for smart and insightful lyrics." http://www.viennateng.com
IN ADDITION, winners of our annual Lunar New Year 12-min script competition will be reading their original and unproduced works relating to the theme of the Lunar New Year.
Following the programs, join us for a VIP reception and mingling for friends and performers.
This event is FREE for current AATC members.
$15 general admission, $10 students.
Lunar New Year Membership Special: $20 for a one-year AATC membership and entrance to the Lunar New Year Festival ($50 value). If you haven't joined AATC yet, here's your special chance.
Memberships available at the door.
All are welcome. Reservations accepted by emailing info@asianamericantheater.org.
Early or late, just come on in! To catch all the performers, please arrive early.
21 old + only. Casual Dress.
All proceeds from this event benefit upcoming AATC productions.
Repertory Actors Theatre (Seattle)
Joy Luck Club
by Amy Tan
adapted by David Hsieh
January 9 to February 9, 2003
Extended! To February 14 and 15!
A new adaption of the Chinese American best seller, featuring damn near everybody in the Seattle Asian American theatre community.
Prospect Theatre Co. (NYC)
Love Bites
February 13, 16 and 17, 2003
CELEBRATE THE MONTH OF AMOUR WITH LOVE!
Juggling, Acrobatics, Life Threatening Stunts? Thatís nothing compared to one powerful overarching theme-Le Luv! Come join us as we tackle an age-old topic with a brand new blend of comedy and physicality.
There will be one performance on Thursday, February 13 at 8:00pm at The Palace of Variety. It is located at 125 W.42nd St (bítwn 6th Ave and Broadway) Subway Lines: Times Sq/42nd St Stops. Ticket prices are $5.00. Reservations 1-877-246-3537.
But we have 2 more shows Feb 16 & 17 at 8:00pm
Where: The West End Theater in the Church of St.Paul & St. Andrew. 263 W. 86th Street (near Broadway, take the 1,2, or 9 subway to 86th st)
Cost: $5.00.
OPM (LA)
Love Gone Wong
The Flight Theatre @ The Complex, 6472 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood
January 30 - February 22, 2003
Thurs.-Sat., 8pm, with extra 10pm show on Sat.
Tickets $10.
Prospect Theatre Co. (NYC)
Revolutionary Chickens
February 12 and 20, 2003
A Tale of the Chinese Cultural Revolution
Back by popular demand! Last Two Shows before The Palace of Variety closes on Times Square!
New York, NY: Chashama and Bindlestiff Family Variety Arts, Inc. are proud to present REVOLUTIONARY CHICKENS. Rob Lok uses puppetry, mask, clowning, and circus arts to illustrate a daring escape from Communist China. Drawn from Robís own family experiences, this is a desperate tale of lost freedoms, conformity, mass hysteria and a voyage to a better life.
There will be performances on February 12 and 20 (Wed-Thur) at 8:00pm. It will be at the Palace of Variety located at 125 W.42nd St. (b'twn 6th Ave. and Broadway) Subway Lines ( 42nd St/ Times Square Stops) Ticket Prices are $5.00. Reservations 1-877-246-3537.
East West Players
LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS
Book and lyrics by Howard Ashman
music by Alan Menken,
based on the film by Roger Corman and screenplay by Charles Griffith
February 5 to March 2, 2003
Now extended to March 9!
A down-and out skid row floral assistant becomes an overnight sensation when he discovers an exotic plant with a mysterious craving for fresh blood. Soon Audrey II grows into an ill-tempered, foul-mouthed, R&B-singing carnivore that offers him fame and fortune in exchange for feeding its growing appetite, finally revealing itself to be an alien creature poised for global domination!
See News story
Highways Performing Space (LA)
Big Head
by Denise Uyehara
February 21 to March 2, 2003
Denise Uyehara's performance "Big Head", which links the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II and those perceived as "the enemy" now, opens at Highways Performance Space on Friday, February 21, 2003. Show runs for two weekends. "Big Head" is inspired by interviews that dramaturge Tamadhur Al-Aqeel and Uyehara conducted with members of the Muslim American, Arab American and Japanese American communities. Unfortunately, given recent INS roundups, this is a very timely show.
Denise Uyehara's "Big Head"
at Highways Performance Space
Fri.-Sat. February 21, 22 and Fri.-Sun. February 28 - March 2, 2003,
8:30 p.m., Sunday matinee only at 2 p.m.
$15 general admission, $13 students/seniors. Group discounts available.
Highways is located at 1651 18th Street (1/2 block north of Olympic Blvd.), Santa Monica, CA 90404.
Reservations (310) 315-1459,
information (310) 453-1755,
or go to www.highwaysperformance.org or deniseuyehara.com
Lodestone Theatre (LA)
THE PAGE CAGE
by Ovation Award Nominee Matt Pelfrey (FREAK STORM, TERMINUS AMERICANA)
directed by Alicia Carretero
February 27, 2003
Featuring Nelson Eusebio, Tina Kim, Russ Riggins, Jae Suh, Leonard Wu, DC
Wolfe
THE PAGE CAGE is the story of a group of studio pages coping with the
proximity of fame, and the distance of success.
FREE ADMISSION (but donations gladly accepted and encouraged)
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 23rd, 3:00 PM.
The Victory Theatre (Little Theatre)
3324 West Victory Blvd, Burbank 91505
Please park on Victory or the library parking lot across the street from the
theatre. Please do not park on the side residential streets.
East West Players Writer's Gallery
Japanese American National Museum presents a staged reading of:
PRINCE OF DELHI PALACE
by Ravi Kapoor
Directed by Shishir Kurup
February 27, 2003
The story of Hamlet set in a curry house.
Following a fathers demise by a poisoned pickle and a mothers remarriage to the fathers twin, a son searches for one good memory of the dead man's worth amongst the turmeric stained dishes, the pungent losses and the salted scars he left behind. But in the process can he remain true to his own values or will he just become "...his father's little monster. The offspring of his stain?"
WHERE:
JAPANESE AMERICAN NATIONAL MUSEUM
Manabi & Sumi Hirasaki Theater Gallery of the Historic Building
369 East First Street, Los Angeles, California 90012
phone: (213) 625-0414
WHEN:
Thursday, February 27th 2003
7:30 PM
ADMISSION IS FREE
Mark Taper (LA)
NEW PLAYS, NEW VOICES
A Celebration of Asian American Female Playwrights
March 1 and 2, 2003
Five exciting staged readings by five Asian American playwrights: Naomi
Iizuka, Julia Cho, Alice Tuan, Jodi Long, and Susanne Lee.
This Saturday, March 1st and Sunday, March 2nd ONLY!
Tickets just $5.00 each and festival pass at $15.00.
At the IVY SUBSTATION in Culver City
9070 Venice Boulevard (at Culver Boulevard)
Culver City, CA 90232
Located in downtown Culver City just a few blocks south of the I-10 freeway
in a small park at the intersection of Culver and Venice Boulevards. Dozens
of restaurants, covered parking garades and generous street parking are
available in the surrounding area.
Lincoln Center Festival (Broadway, NYC)
Flower Drum Song
revised book by David Henry Hwang
music by Richard Rodgers
lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein
based on the novel by C. Y. Lee
previews begin September 23, 2002
October 17, 2002 to March 16, 2003
Check out the latest word at www.flowerdrumsong.com
See the Revue's review....
The Lower East Side Tenement Museum
Desipina & Company (NYC)
7 /Eleven Convenience Theatre
February 27 to March 16, 2003
Seven Writers. Given 11 Minutes. And a Convenience Store.
Join Desipina & Company for the production of a unique collection of 11-minute plays weaved together to create stimulating and entertaining works that challenge, defy and redefine the South and East Asian/ Pacific American experience. Director Ashok Sinha deftly handles a melee of talented writers, actors, and designers, in order to 'conveniently' present quickies for the personal enjoyment of a multi-tasking, channel-clicking, web-surfing, mp3 consuming, attention deficient modern day audience that would appreciate the world of theatre from the other end of a cherry flavored Slurpee's straw.
Location: The Lower East Side Tenement Museum Theatre, 97 ORCHARD STREET (F Train to Delancey)
Dates: February 27th - March 16th, 2003, Thursday - Saturday 8PM; Sunday Matinee at 3PM.
Tix: $11 adults, $7 students and seniors, $4 Museum Members
Reservations: Call (212)431-0233 x440. For more info: visit www.desipina.org.
NOW SERVING: What Flavor is Your Slurpee by Paul Knox, Midnight Quickie by Rehana Mirza, When I'm God by Michael Hidalgo, The Only Surviving Heir of A Once Great Maharaja by Sarovar Banka, Dissipating Heat by Carla Ching, No French S'Il Vous Plait by Sandeep Parikh, LotusMart Ohio by Deepa Purohit
produced by: Rohi Mirza directed by: Ashok Sinha
designed by: Julie Sandy sound by: Jared Coseglia
with: Suzie Cho*, Inga Hyatt, Kayhan Irani, Amit A. Patel, Tyler Pierce, Gita Reddy, Nandita Shenoy*
* Denotes Equity Actors.
** This production is made possible in part with public funds from the Fund for Creative Communities/New York State Council on the Arts Decentralization Program, administered by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council.
Theatreworks (Palo Alto, CA)
THE LEGACY CODES
by Cherylene Lee
March 5 to April 6, 2003
Lucie Stern Theatre in Palo Alto, CA
Inspired by the stunning saga of nuclear physicist Wen Ho Lee, this fascinating new drama is as hot as today's headlines. Underscored by a brilliant fusion of Chinese, jazz, and hip-hop music, it weaves our era's mystifying codes of law, culture, computers, and romance into a masterful family drama, the tantalizing tale of a Taiwanese-born scientist accused of compromising America's national security.
New Conservatory Theatre Co. (Bay Area)
Mysterious Skin
by Prince Gomolvilas
March, 2003
THE 2003 FULL FRONTAL READING SERIES
NEW WORKS FROM THE DAVID HENRY HWANG WRITERS INSTITUTE at East West Players
March 2003
SUNDAY, MARCH 16th, 6 p.m.
V
By Anh Lottman
A Vietnamese-American family battles to vanquish the vampiric shadows from their past in this surreal acapella musical.
Oedipus Lights a Match
By Rodney Hom
Should you kill your father tonight? Weigh the possibilities in this psychological retelling of a classic thriller. It is as our anti-hero, Edison, confesses, "Death isn't what you think it is."
MONDAY, MARCH 17th 7:30 p.m.
Pieces
By Mae Respicio
Emma grew up adopted and abused. She's been estranged from her parents for five years. Now, the only way to face her present is to confront her past.
Blue Lava Staircase
By Edward Goto
Hawaii, 1954
During the tense political power plays of impending statehood, a small time real estate broker is found murdered in the lava beds outside of Honolulu. Beneath the thin veneer of Paradise lies the truth.
Rage
By Viet Le
Family. Felon. Is Tommy Nguyen a good boy or a gang banger?
TUESDAY, MARCH 18th, 7:30 p.m.
Two in L.A.
By Rhiana Yazzie
There are 20,000 Navajos in Southern California. Find out what one of them is doing right now.
1,001 Ways to Enjoy the Missionary Position
By Isaac Ho
Two couples, a government official, and an instruction manual.
Do the math.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19th, 7:30 p.m.
Memorial Day
By Tim Toyama
In World War II, three young Japanese American soldiers discover the meaning of friendship and sacrifice.
Yellow Flight
By David Lin
Interracial sex, Canadian rock music, and ecumenical drug use are the tip of the iceberg in this wretched tale of race, real estate, and college admissions. Guaranteed to generate controversy.
THURSDAY, MARCH 20th, 7:30 p.m.
Whispers
By Miki Nishikawa
Behind every door ... a second chance.
Between every mother and daughter ... discovery.
And in every family ... an Uncle John.
Beyond Gifted
By Kennedy Kabasares
A young woman searches for her gifted brother who desperately wants to fly away. Isolation, reaching out, and paranormal activity intertwine in this modern mythological tale.
The readings are free. (though a $5 donation will help us pay for the lights!) No reservations necessary.
EWP's David Henry Hwang Writers Institute Reading Series and Literary Programs are made possible in part by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the James Irvine Foundation, ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC.
All Readings will be at:
East West Players' David Henry Hwang Theater
120 Judge John Aiso Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
213.625.7000
SIS Productions (Seattle)
Sex in Seattle: Episode 6
Vicious Valentines
at the Richard Hugo House
March 14 to April 5, 2003
Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre
DisS!-OriEnTED: Asian Standup Comedy
March 14 and 15, 2003
DisS!-OriEnTED Standup Comedy Night, we have booked Tina Kim from Seattle, (www.tinakim.com), Phil Nee from Los Angeles, our home grown comic, Tetsuro Shigematsu of Hot Sauce Posse, (www.hotsauceposse.com) and VACT's staple, MC Tom Chin. Two shows nightly at 8pm and 10:30pm, at the Anza Club, 3 West 8th Avenue, Vancouver. Tickets are $15 cash at door or in advance by calling Festival Box Office at 604.257.0366.
East West Players (LA)
Asian Pacific Tales
March 22, 2003
EWP's Theatre for Youth: ASIAN PACIFIC TALES
East West Players will present a free performance of its Theater for Youth program ASIAN PACIFIC TALES at the David Henry Hwang Theater on Saturday, March 22, 2003 at 2 pm thanks to support from Mervyn's/Target Stores, Friends of East West Players and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
ASIAN PACIFIC TALES blends Eastern and Western theatrical techniques with folk tales designed to encourage children to discover other people and understand the diversity of Asian Pacific Islander cultures. Dramatized folk tales are interspersed with song, dance, rhythm and percussion from every region of the Pacific Rim including China, Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines and Polynesia.
To make a reservation for the free performance on March 22 call the Box Office at (213) 625-7000 x20. For more information on ASIAN PACIFIC TALES contact Marilyn Tokuda at (213) 625-7000 x28 or mtokuda@eastwestplayers.org.
MoCA (NYC)
The Flushing Cycle
by Alvin Ing
March 22, 2003
Date/Time: Saturday, March 22, 2003, 2:00 pm &Mac246; 4:00 pm
Place: Queens Borough Public Library, Flushing Branch
International Resource Conference Room
41-17 Main St., Flushing, NY 11355
Fee: Free
Museum of Chinese in the Americas (MoCA) in association with Thirteen/WNET New York & Asian American Writer's Workshop presents Alvin Eng reading excerpts from his hilarious, autobiographical, one-man play about growing up in Flushing, "The Flushing Cycle." With a special preview of "Becoming American: The Chinese Experience," a three-part Bill Moyers special premiering on Thirteen on March 25-27, 9-10:30 pm. A brief Q&A session and reception will follow.
This program is presented in conjunction with the Museum of Chinese in the Americas&Mac226; exhibit Main Street, Flushing, USA, the product of a 3-month photo-documentation project and a visual exploration of the Chinese/Asian American community in Flushing, Queens. The exhibit opens February 26, 2003 and runs through May 24th, 2003 at the Flushing Branch of the Queens Borough Public Library.
East West Players (LA) and Japanese American Cultural & Community Center
Manzanar: The Story of an American Family
March 30, 2003
MANZANAR: THE STORY OF AN AMERICAN FAMILY
Twelve-year old Margaret has dreams of being a big-band singer, but her hopes are shattered when World War II breaks out. Her parents, Toyo and Masao, struggle to hold the family together as they are relocated from their San Pedro home to the Santa Anita Race Track assembly center, to the Manzanar internment camp near the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Based on real life experiences, the writers conducted 30 years of research and interviews to accurately portray the characters that were relocated during the war. Epic in scope with all original music, MANZANAR: THE STORY OF AN AMERICAN FAMILY illustrates and personalizes the Japanese American experience during World War II in a narrative that is dramatic and sweeping.
Presented by East West Players and Japanese American Cultural & Community Center in association with the Japanese American National Museum and Little Tokyo Service Center
Sunday, March 30 @ 2pm
George & Sakaye Aratani/Japan America Theatre, 244 S. San Pedro St. in Little Tokyo
For tickets call (213) 680-3700
$30 Patron Circle Reserved Section
$18 General Admission
$15 EWP Subscribers & Supporters
$12 Student Rush Day of show
Purchase tickets to both MANZANAR and THE NISEI WIDOWS CLUB for $40. Call (213) 625-7000 for more information.
Jude Narita performs
Stories Waiting To Be Told
March 21, 2003
7 PM
University Theater on Cal Poly Pomona Campus
Cal Poly
3801 West temple Ave
Pomona, Ca 91768
info: 909-869-3895
STORIES WAITING TO BE TOLD
STORIES WAITING TO BE TOLD celebrates Asian and Asian American women, past and present, some of whom are Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and Cambodian, as they redefine themselves within the American dream. The first generation women remember their homeland as they build their new lives in America. Other Asian American women struggle with issues that are not often discussed within their communities or even families. The second- and third-generations deal with contemporary America; the opportunities and the obstacles.
Miyhan, a young Korean woman, goes to high school in America and is befriended by a black girl named Bernice who teaches her about jazz.
A Cambodian woman adjusts to her new life in America, amazed at all the modern conveniences. However, her previous life comes back to haunt her in her dreams.
A young Chinese American, who's always tried to blend in, learns some of the history of Chinese people in America.
A "good wife" tries to understand the violence that permeates her married life.
A woman struggles back from drug addiction, with the hope of seeing her young son again.
A young lesbian learns the true meaning of love and finds peace in being herself.
A Japanese American woman sees for a split second, the pain that remains in her mother from the internment camps. She also sees the strength and life force that comes from it.
The women of STORIES, compelling in their vulnerability, are brought to life compassionately, with honesty, insight, laughter and love. Narita celebrates the differences and illuminates the universal similarities of us all.
BRENDA WONG AOKI’S
TALES OF LOVE AND PASSION
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF WOMEN IN THE ARTS, WASHINGTON, D.C.,
MARCH 15
TOUCHSTONE THEATRE, BETHLEHEM PA, MARCH 19-22
Love and passion is the subject of three tales by one of America’s foremost solo theater artists, Brenda Wong Aoki. Having recently returned from Hong Kong where she premiered Kuan-Yin, the first story in Tales of Love and Passion, Ms. Aoki is eager to bring it to the East Coast.
Trained in modern dance and Noh and Kyogen theater, Ms. Aoki, on a bare stage with only a fan for a prop, skillfully weaves three separate tales involving multiple characters. With the simple arch of an eyebrow and a snap of a fan she can transform herself from a burly Japanese fisherman in love with a beautiful mermaid to his jealous daughter obsessed with youth.
In Kuan-Yin, Ms. Aoki creates an artful collage of poetry and storytelling around a boy who, on his ninth birthday receives the legend of Kuan-Yin, the goddess of compassion, as a present from his grandmother that transforms his life.
Dancing in California is a story about a former ballerina whose passion for dance turns into an obsession that swirls out of control when thrown into the repressive confines of a World War II Japanese internment camp.
The evening ends with Mermaid Meat, which is based on the Japanese belief that eternal youth can be obtained by eating the flesh of a mermaid. A widowed fisherman with a young daughter
catches a mermaid in his net and thus begins a striking tale of erotic love, jealousy, obsession and ultimately, forgiveness.
Shu-Wing Tang directed Ms. Aoki in Kuan-Yin while Jael Weisman directed Dancing in California and Mermaid Meat, with Michael Foster providing the lighting design for all three stories.
Questions? Email gwangung@u.washington.edu