Calendar of events, Asian American Theatre 2nd quarter 2014

Signature Theatre (New York, NY)
Kung Fu
By David Henry Hwang
Directed by Leigh Silverman
February 4 to ~~March 16, 2014~~
extended to March 30
extended to April 6
Residency: Residency One
Venue: The Irene Diamond Stage

A young martial artist comes to American from Hong Kong in the 1960's with dreams of becoming the biggest movie star in the world, and struggles to overcome the West's view of Asian men as less than truly masculine.

Ensemble Studio Theatre and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation present in partnership with Ma-Yi Theater (New York, NY)
Fast Company
by Carla Ching
Directed by Robert Ross Parker
March 12 to April 6, 2014

But her mother, the legendary Mable Kwan, cut her out of the family business. Mable said Blue lacked "the gift of the grift." So Blue went to college. Took a class in game theory. Made herself into a new kind of con artist. Now Blue is staring down the barrel of the score of the decade, and everything is going wrong. She has to call her family for help. And now they'll find out who's the greatest grifter of them all.

Playwrights Arena (Los Angeles, CA)
in association with Greenway Arts Alliance presents
Cinnamon Girl
Book & Lyrics by Velina Hasu Houston
Music by Nathan Wang
March 13 to April 6, 2014

A mother’s mysterious death and a cinnamon plantation owner’s violent abuse of power causes a young cinnamon peeler to flee the plantation and begin an odyssey on which she discovers life — and herself. A stirring world premiere musical set in 1937 Ceylon.

CIRCAPintig (Chicago, IL)
Migrant Diaries: Two One Acts
March 21 to April 6, 2014

This production features a new play by Chicago-based playwright Lani Montreal called Looking for Darna. It is a family story of three women from three generations who find strength as they relate to the symbolic power of Darna, the popular Filipino comic book wonder woman hero. The play is directed by Daisy Castro. Twinbilled with this playis Allos written by Giovanni Ortega and directed by Louie Pascasio. Allos is an autobiographical sketch of Carlos Bulosan, the Filipino farm worker who came to the US in the 1930s who became a labor organizer and eventually transformed into a great writer and poet known for his novel America is in the Heart.

Shunya (Houston, TX)
A Widow Of No Importance
by Shane Sakhrani
March 28 to April 3, 2014

Recently widowed Deepa¹s only desire is to see her free spirited daughter Tara married so that she can die in peace. Tara, however, is determined to follow her heart to a creative writing program in America. All seems hopeless for Deepa until she begins a relationship that could almost certainly destroy her family and public image or help her find happiness instead.

Artists at Play (Los Angeles, CA)
presents two staged readings
Marabella
by Boni Alvarez
She Kills Monsters
by Qui Nguyen
April 6, 2014

Where:
Women's Club of South Pasadena
1424 Fremont Ave., South Pasadena, CA 91030

Kumu Kahua Theatre (Honolulu, HI)
Cockadoodledoo
A world premiere by Eric Yokomori
March 27 to April 27, 2014

Pan Asian Repertory Theatre, New York, NY
Fishing for Wives
by Edward Sakamoto
directed by Ron Nakahara
New York Premiere
April 5 to April 27, 2014

Clurman Theatre at Theatre Row Tickets now on sale
A COMIC BATTLE OF THE SEXES set in Hawaii, 1913

“Excellent! Ed Sakamoto has written plays on many different subjects over the years…his newest work, Fishing for Wives reminds us that he has a masterful command of comedy.” - Honolulu Pulse

SIS Productions (Seattle, WA)
Impenetrable
by Mia McCullough
April 11 to May 3, 2015

Inspired by true events, Impenetrable explores society's obsession with beauty in a deeply compelling and funny way. In 2007, a billboard image of a gorgeous, bikini-clad young woman appears superimposed with arrows pointing to “problem areas” that a local spa can fix. Even an ideal woman, the ad proclaims, can benefit from physical improvement. The community boycotts, but who is the outrage against? The spa owner for tapping into women's fears? Or an entire society that values women for their looks more than their personal achievements? This smart and revealing play delves into the impossible expectations of female beauty, especially the ones women place on themselves.

18 Mighty Mountain Warriors and
Mo'olelo Performing Arts (San Diego, CA)
presents the San Diego Premiere of
The 18 Mighty Mountain Warriors
April 18 to 20, 2014

Don't miss out on the San Diego Premiere of 18 Mighty Mountain Warriors(18MMW). The 18 Mighty Mountain Warriors include the hilarious duo of Michael Chih Ming Hornbuckle and Greg Watanabe (of Mo`olelo's Yellow Face,How I Got That Story and Extraordinary Chambers), who are the Asian American answer to "Key & Peele" and who have performed in cities from New York to Los Angeles, and Hong Kong to Vancouver. Asian Pacific Rim-related culture and news is HOT right now and the Warriors are there with their wicked, no-holds barred comedic commentary and satire! Appearing with the Warriors are special guests Jully Lee and Albert Park. This saucy show includes their "greatest hits" sketches plus new material written just for San Diego audiences.

Asian Arts Initiave (Philadelphia, PA)
The Way Home:
Boni Alvarez’s The Special Education of Miss Lorna Cambonga
April 21, 2014

Asian Arts Initiative (Philadephia, PA)
Asian Arts Initiative's Benefit Banquet and Auction!
April 25, 2014

GENseng (Geneseo, NY)
The Lost Women of Troy
adapted by the Israeli playwright Hanoch Levin from Euripides
Directed by Randy Barbara Kaplan
Alice Austin Theatre, SUNY-Geneseo
April 30 to May 4, 2014

Mu Performing Arts (Minneapolis, MN)
Mu Performing Arts/Jerome Foundation New Performance Program
May 2 to 4, 2014

TOT by Victor Maog
Director and Dramaturg: Eric Ting
Friday, May 2 at 7:30 pm
TOT follows an immigrant boy who travels from the Ferdinand Marcos-ruled Philippines to the San Francisco Bay Area to meet his long lost parents. He journeys from a country full of strife and military rule only to find himself in his lonely American bedroom conjuring a pro wrestling fantasy to escape his new life.

WOMN AND WOMN
by Oskar Ly
Director and Dramaturg: Jennifer Weir
Saturday, May 3 at 1:00 pm
If the spirit is the hunter, the soul is the hunger and the body is the carrier, Body, Spirit and Soul journey through queerness, haircuts, cassette tapes and their intertwined fates hidden in memories and explorations of love affairs with other women. This is their America.

MS. ORIENTAL
by Marisa Marquez
Director and Dramaturg: Elyzabeth Gorman
Saturday, May 3 at 7:30 pm
Miss Oriental looks at the complex legacy of women in Asian history and the narrow lens through which Asian-American women are viewed. It is a comedy of culture and a drama about learning to stand for only oneself.

WHITE PAPER CRANE
by Brooke Newmaster
Sunday, May 4 at 1:00 pm
White Paper Crane explores the Korean adoptees place in their adopted family, society and birth country. This play has very little dialog and uses dance, music and sound scape to convey the action.

Contemporary Asian Theatre of the Sierra (Sierra City, CA)
Miss Saigon
April 10 to May 10, 2014

Community Asian Theatre of the Sierra (CATS) celebrates its 20th Year with the Tony-award winning musical, Miss Saigon, from April 10 to May 10, at the Nevada Theatre in Nevada City. It is a passionate story on love and war. Imbued music from beginning to end, Miss Saigon is truer to an opera than a traditional musical.

From the creators of Les Misérables, Cameron MacKintosh produced Miss Saigon on the stage, with music by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, and lyrics by Boublil and Richard Maltby, Jr. In the turmoil of the Vietnam War in the 1970's, an American soldier and a Vietnamese girl fall in love, only to be separated during the fall of Saigon. Their struggles to find each other over the ensuing years end in tragedy for her and a fighting chance for the child he never knew he had. Miss Saigon is based on Puccini's Madame Butterfly.

Susan Mason is the director with musical direction by Susan Mason and Jeffrey Mason. Jeffrey also serves as the conductor of the orchestra. Miss Saigon has a cast of over 20 local, regional, and Bay Area actors. For ticket information, please visit www.catsweb.org. Tickets are selling fast! For groups of ten or more, there is a 10% discount off the advance rate. Please contact Jeannie Wood at info@catsweb.org for details. The Friday, April 18, 8:00 pm, performance is a Benefit for the Friends of the Nevada County Libraries. Tickets to the Benefit may be purchased by calling 530-265-1407 or by going to any western Nevada County branch. See you at the show!

Eth-Noh-Tec (San Francisco, CA)
Asian American StoryFest
HOST: Robert Kikuchi-Yngojo & Nancy Wang
Friday, May 9 at 8:00 PM to Saturday, May 10 at 10:30 PM

Asian Arts Initiative (Philadelphia, PA)
The Way Home:
An Asian American Play Ring Series
February 10, April 21 at InterAct Theatre;
March 17, May 19 at Asian Arts Initiative

Asian Arts Initiative and InterAct Theatre partner once again to present a new play reading series directed by visiting artist Rick Shiomi, founder of Minneapolis-based Mu Performing Arts, featuring a medley of contemporary works exploring diverse perspectives of what "home" means to Asian Americans.

Mu Performing Arts (Minneapolis, MN)
Starry River of the Sky
by Jeannine Coulombe
an adaptation of the children's book by Newbery Honor-winning author Grace Lin
April 15 to May 18, 2014

The moon is missing from the remote village of Clear Sky, but only a young boy named Rendi seems to notice! Join in the adventure as Mu collaborates with Stages Theatre Company to bring this Chinese tale to life.

Godzilla is coming to Toronto! And Asiansploitation is ready to greet this monster head-on with non-stop comedic action. Come meet our new troupe members as we treat you to an epic encounter! Join us for the most satisfying comedy show this side of Tokyo.

Introducing:
Asiansploitation: OH MY GODZILLA!
An all-new Sketch Comedy Show
May 14-17, 2014!

Written and performed by Aldrin Bundoc, James Cheng, Rjay Garcia, Isabel Kanaan, Tiffany Kwan, Jeff B Santos, with additional writing by Byron Abalos and Patrick Kwok-Choon Directed by Andrew Currie

SHOW DATES:
Wednesday, May 14 - 8 pm (Preview)
Thursday, May 15 - 8 pm (includes a special 10PM Comedy Lab Showcase)
* Friday, May 16 - 8 pm Saturday, May 17 - 8 pm (Closing)

TICKETS: General Admission: $20 Wednesday Preview: $15 All tickets at the door sold in CASH. All sales final. Purchase before APRIL 25th and take advantage of our EARLY-BIRD DISCOUNT! Visit www.asiansploitation.com for more ticket info and to buy your tickets today! * Come to our Thursday, May 15 show and stick around for a bonus post-show set by participants of our Comedy Lab featuring up-and-coming Toronto talent. Hosted by Byron Abalos, Lana Carillo & Andrea James Lui. See you there!

Pan Asian Repertory Theatre (New York, NY)
No-No Boy
by Ken Narasaki
directed by Ron Nakahara
May 14 to 18, 2014
Studio Theatre at Theatre Row

Based on the book by John Okada, and set in the aftermath of WWII the play follows draft resister Ichiro Yamada after he is released from prison and STRUGGLES TO COME TO TERMS WITH HIS CHOICES.

Asian Arts Initiative (Philadelphia, PA)
The Way Home:
Cowboy vs. Samurai
by Michael Golamco
May 19, 2014

Ins Choi’s hilarious and touching debut play set in a Regent Park convenience store was the smash hit of the 2011 Toronto Fringe Festival. Mr. Kim, the store’s Korean owner, grapples with both a changing neighbourhood landscape and the chasm between him and his second-generation offspring. This journey of a fractured but loving family confronting the future and forgiving the past is a Canadian classic in the making.

National Theatre (London, England)
Yellow Face
by David Henry Hwang
May 5 to 25, 2014

Tony award-winner and Pulitzer Prize finalist David Henry Hwang, explores the impact race has had on the East Asian experience in America. Yellow Face straddles the line between reality and fiction, questioning what race really means, looking at how politics and media interact in our society and, ultimately, asking us to reflect on who we really are.

(And in a note of irony, the National's Director, Nicholas Hytner, was the original director of Miss Saigon, and directed Jonathan Pryce in the igniting incident that was the seed for Yellow Face).

A-Squared Theatre Workshop (Chicago, IL)
My Asian Mom 2014
May 2 to June 1, 2014

A-Squared Theatre Workshop is pleased to present . . .
My Asian Mom 2014
May 2 June 1, 2014
Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm Sundays at 3 pm

All performances will be held at: Chicago Dramatists 1105 West Chicago Avenue Chicago, IL (enter the theatre from Aberdeen Street at the back of the building) $20 Advance tickets now on sale at: http://myasianmom2014.brownpapertickets.com/

In celebration of Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month and Mother¹s Day, A-Squared Theatre Workshop is pleased to present My Asian Mom 2014, the third installment of its signature show that examines motherhood and family in the context of Asian America¹s varied cultures. This year's production features eight NEW 10-minute plays garnered from submissions by writers from across the country. For more info, visit www.a-stw.org.

Cast: Samantha Garcia, Alexandra Gonzalez, George Infantado, Hope Kim, Ramona Kywe, Ginger Leopoldo, Victoria M. Ng, Pearl Paramadilok, Tea Ro, and Norman Yap

Writers: Celena Cipriaso, Seth Freeman, Julia Izumi, Christine Toy Johnson, Rex McGregor, Timothy Moore, Kristine M. Reyes, and Norman Yap

Directors: Kareem Khubchandani, Jin Kim, Marc Rita, Cary Shoda, Giau Truong, Alex Wu, and Joe Yau

ENERI Communications
GOODMAN THEATRE (Chicago, IL)
The White Snake
by Mary Zimmerman
May 3 to June 8, 2014

Center Theatre Group (Los Angeles, CA)
different words for the same thing
by Kimber Lee
May 4 to June 1, 2014

Under the direction of Neel Keller, who helmed last season’s thriller The Nether, one of the largest casts in KDT history brings three generations of a multi-ethnic middle-America family to unforgettable life.

Kimber Lee, a vibrant new voice in the American theatre and the recipient of the prestigious PoNY fellowship awarded by the Lark Play Development Center, weaves an intricate tapestry of contemporary Americana.

Court Theatre (Chicago, IL)
M. Butterfly
by David Henry Hwang
May 8 to June 8, 2014

Hit

The Los Angeles Theatre Center (Los Angeles, CA)
Hit
by Alice Tuan
May 15 to June 8, 2015

In a play that could only be set in L.A., with a plot that feels ripped out of recent Hollywood headlines, Kim and Mank meet as the result of an ill-fated collision on the freeway (of course). A string of sex, excess, love triangles and Zankou Chicken soon follows in Alice Tuan’s Hit. It’s a psychosexual romp, originally commissioned by the Public Theater, from the CalArts educator and playwright behind Ajax (por nobody), Last of the Suns and Coastline.

Previews May 15, 16 |
Opens May 17 Thursday – Saturday 8pm | Sunday 3pm
General Admission | $40 Students, Seniors, Veterans, Groups 10+ |
$20 $10 Thursdays (Limited number available)
Previews | $20 LATC Members | $20

CIRCAPintig (Chicago, IL)
The Bienvenido Santos Trilogy
by Larry Leopoldo
May 16 to June 8, 2014

Originally mounted by Pintig in 2005, CircaPintig brings back the works of Bienvenido Santos to the stage. Santos’ stories reflect the melancholy, funny and warm experiences of Filipinos in the 1950s and 60s. His characters reveal unspoken feelings about home, identity and friendship seen through the clandestine encounters between Pinoys in an adopted homeland. Adapted for the stage by Chicago-based playwright Larry Leopoldo, the trilogy features Scent of Apples, The Day the Dancers Came and Immigration Blues and will go on stage from May 16 to June 8.

Dreamland Arts

Dreamland Arts (Minneapolis, MN)
Message from an Unknown Chinese Mother
May 30 to June 1, 2014

Thousands of baby girls have been adopted internationally because of a perfect storm of traditional values and governmental policies that forced Chinese women to give up or do away with their babies. Xinran brings both deep compassion and critical insight to the plight of these women and her work is on the leading edge of change in China today.

Sara Ochs is a longtime performer at Mu Performing Arts, playing lead characters in musicals Into The Woods, Flower Drum Song (David Hwang Revision) and Little Shop of Horrors.

Jeannie Lander has performed in Yellow Fever, Into The Woods and Kung Fu Zombies Versus Cannibals at Mu Performing Arts.

Saikong Yang has performed in WTF by Katie Ka Vang and The Tiger Among Us by Lauren Yee. He has been in several independent films and has worked on projects in the Hmong American community.

Gregory Yang recently graduated from Polk State College and has relocated to the Twin Cities where he has already performed with the Actors Theatre of Minnesota and Nimbus.

Vivian Ngo just graduated from the BFA program at the University of MN where she performed in a number of productions including The Gods by John Barton, Macbeth and Pericles.

National Asian Artists Project (New York, NY)
Oliver
book, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart
June 5 to 7, 2014

See News story

LABFEST: Summer 2014
New Play Readings from the Ma-Yi Writers Lab
June 2 and 8, 2014

MONDAY, JUNE 2ND @ 7PM
PILLOWTALK
by Kyoung H. Park

featuring post-show discussion, "Queering Gay Marriage"
moderated by Stephanie Hsu.

SUNDAY, JUNE 8TH @ 3PM
NAVA JEEVAN (New Life)
by Mrinalini Kamath

Mutt

Ferocious Lotus Theatre
Impact Theatre (San Francisco, CA)
Mutt
by Christopher Chen
May 1 to June 15, 2014

This hilarious new commissioned work explores what it means to be Hapa, or part-Asian, in the U.S. The Republican Party finally —finally! — realizes it has a problem with race. So it decides its best chance for success in the 2016 presidential election is to back a candidate who's hapa — of mixed Asian descent. They think they've found their man in Nick, a promising Congressmember. But when Nick doesn't conform to their expectations of who he should be, they turn to Len, a multiracial war hero who can check off every single box — and maybe a couple more boxes no one knows about. A blisteringly funny satire that skewers not only the elephants in the room but the donkeys too, MUTT burns down the entire house of racial cards.

East West Players (Los Angeles, CA)
Beijing Spring
lyrics by Tim Dang and music by Joel Iwataki.
May 15 to June 15, 2013

Beijing Spring is a sung-through musical commemorating the events of the Tiananmen Square Uprising in Beijing, 1989. For weeks, the world’s eyes were on China as the youth fought for democracy against the hardliners of the Chinese Communist Party. This will mark the 25th Anniversary of the uprising. Beijing Spring is a compelling reminder that the battle for freedom and human rights has yet to be won for many. Beijing Spring will be presented with generous support from the S. Mark Taper Foundation Endowment for East West Players.

Mutt

Ferocious Lotus Theatre
Impact Theatre (San Francisco, CA)
Mutt
by Christopher Chen
May 1 to June 15, 2014

East West Players (Los Angeles, CA)
Beijing Spring
lyrics by Tim Dang and music by Joel Iwataki.
May 15 to June 15, 2013

Pan Asian Repertory Theatre (New York, NY)
Nu Works 2 Nites Only Series
June 10 to 15, 2014,
Studio Theatre at Theatre Row

Pan Asian Rep welcomes the next generation of artists with Solo works /Plays/ Musicales in flight.

NuWorks presents a wide range of new work from emerging artists exploring different genres and techniques. Three artists presented per evening:
Schedule (artists listed below):
June 10 at 7:30- program A
June 11 at 7:30- program B
June 12 at 7:30- program C
June 13 at 7:30- program A
June 14 at 7:30- program B
June 15 at 2:30- program C

Early Bird Tickets: $20*- thru 6/9 only use code TREarly at www.broadwayoffers.com or by calling 212/947-8844 *not available at the box office

Regular Tickets: $25 telecharge.com | 212/239-6200 or in person at the box office

PROGRAM A: June 10th and 13th at 7:30pm
LIGHT, SHADOW and WIND
choreographed and performed by Mana Hashimoto
A solo dance performance about light, shadow and wind, which is constantly around us.

DAUGHTER OF THE MAKAHIYA
written and performed by Nehprii Amenii directed by Martin Balmaceda
Daughter of the Makahiya is a dramatic solo performance of a woman's realization that she has become her father. While coming to terms with the inevitable, she invites you in to witness her own disappearing act.

THREE TWO ONE!
by Rebecca Lee Lerman
directed by Diane Phelan
performed by Rebecca Lee Lerman, Viet Vo, Lynn Craig and Loresa Lanceta
What happens to friendship when Life gets in the way? Three childhood friends struggle through the terrain of sisterhood while on the search for success and stability in New York City.

PROGRAM B: June 11th and 14th at 7:30pm S
PEAKING OF...
conceived and choreographed: Anna Sycamore DeMers
additional collaboration with Chelsea Gregory
performed by: Anna Sycamore DeMers, Sarah Ferreira
A dance performance that investigates the ways we communicate with our bodies, questioning when we absolutely need to speak verbally, and how to communicate that which feels impossible to say.

FAMILY DREAMS-
by Jo Shui
directed by Ernest Abuba
performed by Adelyne Liu and Bea Soong
A mother battling cancer prepares to say good-bye to her child. Through their years, we see their shared family dreams of survival come true.

HOW TO NOT GET TURNED INTO A TREE
written and performed by Daniel Glenn
A solo performance with four characters- a motivational speaker, a Tea Party treasurer, a disgruntled teenage girl and a bibliophile- trying to find their way to decency in a sea of change.

PROGRAM C: June 12th at 7:30pm & June 15th at 2:30pm
GOOGLE, IT'S COMPLICATED!
written and performed by Aizzah Fatima
directed by Kristin Seemel
A true story of one girl’s love affair with Google, ads quality, and doing good.

THE WADING POOL
by Allen Lang
directed by Erin Ortman
performed by Joel Karie and Lorraine Mattox
In the afterlife, two characters meet and befriend each other at a beautiful pool where they share how they lived and how they died.

exHOTic OTHER
created and performed by Una Aya Osato
How many layers must you lose to get to the center of yourself? Join Una Aya Osato and her burlesque alter ego, exHOTic OTHER, as they take on the world and take off their clothes.

Infinity Box

Infinity Box (Seattle, WA)
Though Experiments on the Question of Being Human: Prosthetics and Neural Enhancements
June 15 to 17, 2014

A multi-year project, each year Thought Experiments teams five scientists with five local playwrights who together create short works that pose questions about the human consequences of science and technology. This year our five scientists are all from the Center for Sensorimotor Neuroengineering at the University of Washington.

The plays are:

"Brain Trust" by Rachel Atkins, directed by Dan Morris;
"Closed Loop" by Rose Cano, directed by Nikki Mejia;
"Corner Window" by Vincent Delaney, directed by Jose Amador;
"Calibration" by Elizabeth Hefforn, directed by Paul Budraitis;
"Truth and Lies" by Roger Tang, directed by Sara Porkalob.

Each evening includes staged readings of the plays, followed by a scientist-led conversation, where the audience can explore the questions and issues raised by the plays

Not much to do with Asian American theatre...except one piece features an Asian American female protagonist, who bears a striking resemblance to a character now appearing on network TV (and played by a former Joy Luck Club actress)....and features a technology that would not be out of place on said show....and said piece is being written by...me.

A piece that touches on the surveillance state and delves into the sanctity of the mind, in the form of a hi-tech espionage thriller, pitting thief vs. agent in technological and verbal battle of wits. (I'd actually SAY S.H.I.E.L.D., except I'd get in trouble with lots of lawyers)

A Noise Within Theater Company
in partnership with
East West Players (Los Angeles, CA)
present a staged reading of
HAYAVADANA
By Girish Karnad
Directed by Snehal Desai
June 16, 2014

A Noise Within
3352 E Foothill Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91107

The beautiful Padmini is torn between her love for the brainy poet Devadatta and the brawny wrestler Kapila. An accident switches the heads of the two men and Padmini is faced with the decision of whether to be with the head or the body of her betrothed. Along the way, raising the question of what what defines a person more: the mind or the body.

Based on the 11th- century Indian fable Kathasaritsagara and Thomas Mann’s development of this story in The Transposed Heads, Hayavadana (meaning, “the one with a horse’s head) is a hilarious and subversive romp with drowsy goddesses, singing horses, curmudgeonly dolls and much more. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to experience this modern Indian classic!

Featuring: Reena Dutt, Anil Kumar Bhardwaj, Karthik Srinivasan, Aly Mawji, Pia Shah, Marc Oka, Marilyn Tokuda, Jeremy Rabb, Jill Hill, and Jack Elliott.

Admission to these events is free. To RSVP, call the Box Office at A Noise Within at (626) 356-3100 or email boxoffice@anoisewithin.org.

Theatre Esprit Asia (Denver, CO)
Animals Out of Paper
by Rajiv Joseph
June 23, 2014

TEA starts its first ACE of the season with a reading of Rajiv Joseph's play ŒAnimals out of Paper . This Indian American playwright is well known on Broadway for his play ŒBengal Tiger at the Bagdad Zoo, A Pulitzer Prize Finalists. Animals Out of Paper received a Lucille Lortel Award nomination for ŒOutstanding Play in April of 2009.

Yangtze Repertory Theatre (New York, NY)
The Story Of Yu-Huan
writen and directed by Dr. Joanna Chan
May 30 to June 22, 2014

Since her death by strangling at age 37, on a slope near the ancient capital of Xian, China, in the year 756 A.D., in the 44th year of the reign of Emperor Xuan Zong of the Tang Dynasty, Yang Yu-Huan has been an undiminished subject of literature and fine arts throughout the following thirteen centuries. Her death marked the end of 130 years of unprecedented prosperity in the Middle Kingdom, and unparalleled brilliance in artistic expressions, a golden era begun by Xuan Zong’s great-grandfather, Lee Shi-Min, who murdered his two brothers for the throne, but went on to become one of China’s best loved and most revered rulers. Under the patronage of succeeding sovereigns, the arts in all its forms – poetry, music, dance, painting – flourished, reaching a perfection against which works of other ages would be judged.

Yang Yu-Huan was born of royal lineage, and trained as an artist as other young women of her station. At age 15, she became the wife of Prince Shou, one of the many sons of Emperor Xuan Zong who, at a chance encounter, fell in love with his daughter-in-law, and took her from her happy household for himself. Unlike many of the women in the royal circle, Yu-Huan harbored no personal ambition, and was submissive to her fate. In the tumultuous and desperate hour of rebellion of An LuShan, a tribal leader from the north, she was, however, made to bear the blunt of the people’s rage, and ordered to take her own life.

This new version of Yu-Huan’s story joins the body of the playwright’s work as an indictment of a cultural tradition not governed by law, where the most basic of all rights falls victim to the whim of a self-appointed few. Its premiere in 1998 in New York City by Yangtze Repertory Theatre also marked another effort of the Company to bring together multi-ethnic artists, and present works not readily seen in this part of the world.

Kumu Kahua Theatre (Honolulu, HI)
Koi, Like the Fish
An Oahu premiere by Keali'iwahine Hokoana
May 29 to June 29, 2014

An ailing man can no longer live alone. But the alternative doesn't make him happy.

American Conservatory Theatre (San Francisco, CA)
The Orphan of Zhao
June 4 to 29, 2014

ACT does it right. With actual Asian actors, without yellowface. Adaption of the classic Chinese tale, with additional music by Byron Au Yong.

Thick House (San Francisco, CA)
Aditi Brennan Kapil's
Brahman/i: A One-Hijra Standup Comedy Show
June 5 to 28, 2014

A stand-up comedy routine that takes on history, mythology, and high school through the lens of a feisty Indian intersex youth named Brahman. Tethered by neither gender nor culture, Brahman examines both with a ferocious wit and a no-holds-barred attitude.

Brahman/i "goes for the funny bone!" and is "full of sharp observations, heartbreaking truths, hilariously told anecdotes, and entertaining takes on history."

Mu Performing Arts (Minneapolis, MN)
F.O.B.
by David Henry Hwang
June 7 to 29, 2014

Mu Performing Arts proudly presents the Minnesota Chinese Restaurant Tour of FOB by David Henry Hwang (Broadway’s Chinglish, M. Butterfly). The production will tour during weekends in June to four Minnesota communities.

All Performances (Saturdays & Sundays) at 2:00 pm
General Admission: $5.00
Ticket includes a Chinese buffet meal.
(Meal and the performance = a $35 value!)

Three Kingdoms
By Anna Moench Monday,
June 9th at 7pm
A multigenerational drama about the complexities of the Asian American experience. It's summer in the suburbs, and Wendy's father, Han, is arriving on a flight from China. After 40 years of no contact, they have a lot of catching up to do. Wendy has a happy family, a lovely home, and is living the American Dream. But when he arrives, everyone quickly realizes that picking up where they left off won't be easy. Free and open to the public.

Galois
By Sung Rno and Aaron Jones
Monday, June 16th at 7pm

A rock-mathematical-musical expression of the chaotic, brilliant, and all too brief life of Evariste Galois, who discovered a branch of mathematics as a precocious teenager, yet died in 1830's revolutionary Paris at 21 in a duel over a woman's love.

Bindlestiff Studio (San Francisco, CA)
The Bakla Show 3
June 12 to 28, 2014

Bindlestiff Studio 185 6th St. San Francisco, CA
Cost: $10 - $20

The Bakla Show 3 seeks to explore the textured and multidimensional experiences of LGBTQ/GNC F/Pilipin@ youth struggles, hardships and turmoil and to bring to the forefront the celebrations, joy and love. The 2010 production The Bakla Show 2: Myths Retold, Realities Unfold showcased sketches that went on to garner numerous awards and accolades, including: Edgar Poma's "Tude and Gratitude" which, as part of Eat Our Shorts, was recognized with the SOLD OUT! Award for outstanding box office performance at the SF Fringe Festival 2010; and Emmanuel Romero's "Viewer Discretion Advised (Tape 96)" which was adapted by Drew Stephens into a much-lauded short film (Best Fest Short Program LGBT Film Festival, Audience Award San Francisco Scary Cow Film Screening, Best Short Cinema St. Louis Q Fest, nominated Best Short Barcelona Int'l LGBT Film Festival).

CIRCA-Pintig (Chicago, IL)
Scent of Home, a trilogy
by Bienvenido Santos, adapted byLarry Leopoldo
June 13 to 29, 2014
FRIDAYS, SATURDAYS, 7:30PM
SUNDAYS, 4PM

In celebration of the works of Filipino American writers whose poetic language and lyrical prose continue to enrich the community's cultural experience, CIRCA Pintig brings to the stage three of Bienvenido Santos' short stories on Filipino American diaspora, adapted by Chicago-based writer Larry Leopoldo.

The Day the Dancers Came
Filemon and Tony, two Pinoy old timers in Chicago are excited about the coming of visiting dancers from the Philippines giving them hope of reclaiming their lost identities in an adopted homeland. Directed by Mary Ann de la Cruz

Scent of Apples
About a brief encounter between Ben, a visiting Filipino Professor and Fabia, a self-effacing apple farm worker and their spontaneous journey into warm memories of their youthful past. Against the wintry landscape of Kalamazoo, Michigan, the two men strike an instant friendship as they revisit their concept of home. Directed by Daisy Castro

Immigration Blues
Antonietta and Monica make a surprise visit to Alipio, a Manong in his 60s, for an afternoon of nostalgia and camaraderie, or so it seems. The three find instant connection only to be interrupted by a hidden agenda lurking in the minds of the two women. Directed by Giau Truong

PERFORMANCES @ MOOOH DULCE
2602 W FULLERTON AVE CHICAGO
TICKETS: $20 door $15 advanced $10 students/seniors
TO RESERVE: visit: www.circapintig.com or call (312) 451-6974

Nights without you

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