East West Players Announces 48th Anniversary Season, Making Light
East West Players (EWP), the nation’s largest producing organization of Asian American artistic work and the longest-running professional theater of color in the country, announces its 48th Anniversary Season, Making Light. The season includes the classic Steel Magnolias by Robert Harling, the world premiere of The Nisei Widows Club: How Tomi Got Her Groove Back by Betty Tokudani, the world premiere of A Nice Indian Boy by Madhuri Shekar, and the musical Beijing Spring, lyrics by Tim Dang and music by Joel Iwataki. The third installation of the EVOKE New Works Festival will focus on Southeast Asian emerging artists.
“We wanted our season to be filled with a momentum that moves all of us forward, something that drives us toward a common goal, a reason to get up in the morning, ” said Tim Dang, Producing Artistic Director of East West Players. “What is that joy in our life or the passion in our heart? It is the hope, the light that we create. We make light that inspires us to see the end of the tunnel. I am looking forward to a season with strong women’s roles and social justice matters vital to our diverse mission.”
Steel Magnolias is the classic comedy-drama play that later became a popular film about the bond among a group of Southern women. The action centers on Truvy's beauty parlour and the women who regularly gather there. Runs September 5 – October 6, 2013.
The Nisei Widows Club: How Tomi Got Her Groove Back is the third installment of a comic trilogy following the lives of a group of widowed Nisei women who only have each other in the face of loss and the search for love in their golden years. Tomi loses her only son to a heart attack at the early age of 45 and the other widows gather around her during this time of grief. Hilarity ensues when they embark on an unforgettable trip to Hawaii unleashing the cougar in all of them at a hula retreat. Runs November 7 – December 8, 2013.
A Nice Indian Boy is the second place winner of EWP’s Face of the Future Playwriting Competition. As gay marriage is being debated by the Supreme Court, this play is timely in continuing the discussion. Naveen Gavaskar meets Keshav Kurundkar, and they share all things Indian - from the Hindi language to the difficulty of being gay in Hindi culture. They agree to meet in person to find that one is South Asian and the other (Keshav) is a Caucasian, adopted by Hindi parents and speaks fluent Hindi. A Nice Indian Boy will be presented with generous support from the S. Mark Taper Foundation Endowment for East West Players. Runs February 20 – March 23, 2014.
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. Runs May 15 – June 15, 2014.
The EVOKE New Works Festival nurtures artists and new performance works that expand the dialogue about the Asian Pacific American experiences. The 2014 installment will present the vivid reality and imagination of Southeast Asian artists. Plays January 16 – 20, 2014.
All performances 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. Season Subscriptions are available with General Subscriptions starting at $135. Wednesday, Thursday, Student, and Senior Subscriptions are discounted to $120. Preview Subscriptions are $89. Opening Night subscriptions include pre-show cocktails and a post-show reception and are $210. Season Subscription purchases and additional information can be found at www.EastWestPlayers.org or by calling 213-625-7000. All plays and dates subject to change.
