East West Players Announces the World Premiere of CHRISTMAS IN HANOI
East West Players (EWP), the nation's premier Asian American theatre, continues its 47th Anniversary season, themed Spirited Away, with the world premiere of CHRISTMAS IN HANOI, written by Eddie Borey and directed by Jeff Liu. The production features Joseph Daugherty (Brothers & Sisters, Young & The Restless, Days of Our Lives, Voices From Okinawa), Elyse Dinh (Spider-Man 2, Heartland), Michael Krawic (the X-Files, Bloodsport 4, Star Trek), Elizabeth Liang (The West Wing, Crimes of the Heart, The Clean House) and Long Nguyen (Seven Psychopaths, Journey From the Fall, CSI:NY).
"CHRISTMAS IN HANOI explores the multicultural and transnational experience through an Asian American perspective, with universal themes of family and the effects of war," says EWP Producing Artistic Director Tim Dang. "We are very excited to bring Eddie's story to the stage."
CHRISTMAS IN HANOI is about a mixed-race family's return to Vietnam for the first time since the war. One year after the death of their strong-willed mother, siblings Winnie and Lou travel with their Irish Catholic father and Vietnamese grandfather to re-connect with their roots. Whether they embrace that past or reject it, they are haunted by their own family's ghosts and by the phantoms of Vietnam's long history.
CHRISTMAS IN HANOI is the Winner of the East West Players Face of the Future Playwriting Competition, which focused on the exploration of the reality of a multicultural America from an Asian American perspective.
Eddie Borey grew up in a Vietnamese and Irish-American family. For the last five years, Borey has made his living as a screenwriter with his brother Chris as his writing partner, in the horror and science fiction genres. Solo, he has a horror story published on the podcast show Pseudopod, and is working on a series of horror stories set in Los Angeles.
––The Vietnamese American Arts & Letters Association (VAALA) is a Community Partner. Funding for CHRISTMAS IN HANOI is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional funding was provided by City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department, The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission, California Community Foundation, James Irvine Foundation, Ralph M. Parsons (continues)
Foundation, Shubert Foundation, and Southern California Edison.
All performances of CHRISTMAS IN HANOI will be staged at the David Henry Hwang Theater at the Union Center for the Arts at 120 Judge John Aiso St., Los Angeles, CA 90012. Previews run from February 7-9 at 8pm, and February 10th at 2pm. CHRISTMAS IN HANOI opens February 13th and closes on Sunday March 10th. Opening night will be accompanied by a pre-performance cocktail reception and a post-show reception with the cast and creative team. Performances are Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, and Sundays at 2pm. The Pay-What-You-Can Performance will be held Wednesday February 14th at 8 pm. Southern California Edison Community Night will be held on Wednesday, February 20th. The post-show discussion will be held on Sunday, February 24th.
General Tickets range from $26-36. Preview tickets are $21 general admission, $16 for students. Opening night tickets are $60 for all seats. Tickets are currently on sale. For ticket purchases or more information, please call East West Players at (213) 625-7000 or visit www.eastwestplayers.org. Senior, student and group discounts are available. Dates and details are subject to change.
