CHINESE AMERICAN STORIES PRESENTED IN LOS ANGELES CHINATOWN
Stories gathered in playwright Henry Ong’s writing/oral history grant workshop
Chinese American Stories—community, family and personal memories and narratives—will be presented in the Multipurpose Room at Castelar Elementary School, 840 Yale Street in Los Angeles Chinatown on January 9 at 7 p.m. These stories were developed and collected in an eight-session writing/oral history workshop conducted by playwright Henry Ong. The presentation is free and open to the public.
The workshop and the presentation are made possible, in part, by a grant from the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs. Participants of the workshops include Andrea Apuy, Denesa Chan, Albert Chang, Carin Chea, Linda Chong, Lin Duong, Edward Gunawan, Anna Gee, Mark Jue, Ann Lau, Sutoyo Lim, Joyce F. Liu, Jack Ong, Elizabeth Pan, Judy Soo Hoo, Marshall Wong, and Pamela Wu.
The workshop is also sponsored by the Chinese Historical Society of Southern California. Eugene Moy, Program Director, said, “We were pleasantly surprised at the number of people who wanted to enroll in the workshop, so much so we had to limit the number of participants. The Society is gratified that we were able to provide a forum for Chinese Americans to tell their diverse stories.”
Ong, a ten-time DCA grants recipient, is an internationally-produced playwright, whose signature play, “Madame Mao's Memories,” based on the life of Chairman Mao's widow, was performed in Singapore, London and Edinburgh, as well as many U.S. cities, including San Diego at the Old Globe Theatre. Ong has conducted many oral history projects, including one conducted last year in the Filipino American community, resulting in a similar presentation entitled “Pinoy Stories” at the Eagle Rock City Hall. Other works include “People Like Me,” “Fabric, ” and “Sweet Karma.” Additional information on Ong can be obtained from his Web site (www.henryong.freeola.com).
For more information, please call (323) 665-7612 or (818) 634-8464.
