East West Players announces historic 40th Anniversary Season
East West Players celebrates its milestone 40th Anniversary during the 2005-2006 Season. Recognizing that an organization's history provides a foundation for the future, East West Players Producing Artistic Director Tim Dang has planned a season that will revisit two of the theatre‚s most popular shows, STEW RICE by Ed Sakamoto and SWEENEY TODD by Hugh Wheeler and Stephen Sondheim. East West Players will also produce the much sought-after EQUUS by Peter Schaffer and the world premiere of MOTTY-CHON by Perry Miyake.
"East West Players 40th Anniversary celebrates the Asian Pacific American artist ˆ actor, writer, director, dancer, singer, designer, etc. These are the people who have built East West Players into the nation's premier Asian American theatre organization and the longest-operating theatre of color in the United States. It is also a time to look forward to the future of East West Players and our continued mission to produce quality theatre, provide opportunities to Asian American artists and tell the stories of the Asian Pacific American community," Dang said.
The season opener is the Asian American classic Stew Rice by Edward Sakamoto, directed by James Nakamoto. Beginning in Hawaii during 1957 and ending in 1978, the play centers around three young men and their female counterparts, examining what happens to friendship when time and distance have their way. But more importantly, what happens when someone moves away and can no longer relate to "home." East West Players 1988 production of Stew Rice was one of the most successful in the theatre's history.
Stew Rice previews September 1-4, 2005. The play opens September 7, 2005 and runs through October 2, 2005. STEW RICE is a co-production with Ken Takemoto.
Sponsored by the S. Mark Taper Foundation, the second show of East West Players 40th Anniversary Season is the Tony Award-winning Equus by Peter Shaffer, directed by Tim Dang. Equus is an electrifying journey into the mind of a 17-year old boy who senselessly and systematically blinds six horses with a steel spike. As a psychiatrist explores the young boy's tortured psyche, the play becomes a shattering confrontation between the passionate spirit of the life force itself and the distortions forced on the spirit by "civilized" society. East West Players has eagerly awaited the opportunity to produce this Tony Award-winning play which will star veteran Asian American actor George Takei in the lead role of psychiatrist Martin Dysart.
Equus previews will be October 20-23, 2005. The play opens October 16, 2005 and runs through November 20, 2005.
East West Players third production of the 40th Anniversary Season is the Tony Award-winner Sweeney Todd book by Hugh Wheeler, music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and directed by Tim Dang; sponsored by the S. Mark Taper Foundation. The rare instance of a musical thriller, this chilling, suspenseful, heart-pounding masterpiece of murderous barber-ism and culinary crime tells the infamous tale of the unjustly exiled barber who returns to 19th century London seeking revenge against the lecherous judge who framed him and ravaged his young wife. His thirst for blood soon expands to include his unfortunate customers, and the resourceful owner of the pie shop downstairs soon has the people of London lining up in droves for her mysterious new meat pie recipe! East West Players 1994 production of Sweeney Todd earned five Theatre LA Ovation Awards, five Drama-Logue Awards and a LA Weekly Theatre Award.
Sweeney Todd previews will be February 2-5, 2006. The play opens February 8, 2006 and runs through March 5, 2006.
The fourth and final play of the season is the world premiere of Motty-Chon by Perry Miyake, directed by Alberto Isaac. Martin is 48-years old, single, works a dead-end job and lives at home with his aging Nisei parents Mits and Helen. His bachelor status is the perfect target for his meddling parents and their gossip-hungry friends. Then Gina, a white, 24-year old pierced and tattooed punker chick enters Martin's life. What's a parent to do? Motty-Chon is a comedy that shatters stereotypes about parental expectations and the search for love from the playwright of Visitors from Nagasaki and Doughball.
Motty-Chon previews will be May 4-7, 2006. The play opens May 10, 2006 and runs through June 4, 2006.
East West Players will again offer a special non-subscription holiday show The Nisei Widows Club Holiday on Thin Ice directed by Mike Hagiwara and Emily Kuroda. Continuing the holiday tradition, the women of East West Players‚ hit play The Nisei Widows Club return to plan a special holiday variety show for the Little Tokyo community. Join Sumi, Michiko, Taeko, Fumiko, Hana, Masako, Betty, Tomi and other guest stars and community members for the crazy antics, laughter, fun and good tidings of the season.
The Nisei Widows Club Holiday on Thin Ice opens December 9, 2005 and closes December 18, 2005.
All performances for East West Players‚ 40th Anniversary Season are held Thursday-Sunday (with Opening Nights on Wednesdays) at the David Henry Hwang Theater, 120 Judge John Aiso St., Los Angeles, CA 90012 in the Little Tokyo District of Downtown Los Angeles. All plays and dates subject to change.
