LODESTONE THEATRE ENSEMBLE PRESENTS
THE TROJAN WOMEN
Asian Pacific American theater’s take on Euripides’ anti-war classic opens on August 4
LOS ANGELES, CA – Lodestone Theatre Ensemble presents its mainstage production of Kenneth Cavander’s translation of Euripides’ classic play The Trojan Women, running August 4-26, 2007 at the GTC Burbank (1111-B West Olive Ave., Burbank, CA 91506) located inside George Izay Park. The award winning theatre company concludes its eighth season with this special bonus summer production—the first non-world premiere work to be presented on Lodestone’s mainstage. In keeping with the theater’s mission to support and foster Asian Pacific American artists, the play has been cast with Asian Pacific American actors led by veterans Emily Kuroda (The Gilmore Girls) and Kelvin Han Yee (Lucky You).
“A big part of what Lodestone is about is to give our artists an opportunity to do the type of work they may not be able to do elsewhere,” says Co-Artistic Director Philip W. Chung. “Although we’ve done workshops and readings of classic plays, we thought it was time for our company to tackle something like this on the mainstage. Where else would Asian Pacific American actors be allowed play all the parts in a Greek tragedy written twenty-four centuries ago?”
The Trojan Women focuses on the women of Troy as they await their grim fate after their city has been destroyed by war and their men killed in battle. Considered one of the great works of Western dramatic literature, scholar Edith Hamilton considered Euripides’ work “the greatest piece of anti-war literature there is in the world.” Veteran theater director Alberto Isaac, who will helm this production, was initially approached by Chung and asked if there was a play he had always wanted to direct. Isaac chose Euripides’ work because of its relevance to our current history.
“The older I get, the more I question if art can really change the world,” Isaac says. “But I think a play like The Trojan Women still has something to say to our modern society living in a time of war. It’s a play that maybe, in some small way, can still have an impact on a contemporary audience grappling with these similar issues.”
This is Isaac’s second mainstage directorial effort for Lodestone; having previously staged the world premiere of Isaac Ho’s comedy Claim to Fame. Isaac has directed plays for venues such as East West Players and the Los Angeles Theatre Center and has won three Dramalogue awards and one L.A. Drama Critics Circle Award for outstanding direction. Also an accomplished actor, Isaac last appeared on stage at the Kirk Douglas Theater in the Center Theatre Group’s production of Jessica Hagedorn’s Dogeaters. In addition to Kuroda and Yee, the cast also includes Feodor Chin, Elpidio Ebuen, Vincent Gabucan, Junko Goda, Jayne Han, Elaine Kao, Jully Lee, Stephanie Lincoln, Molly Mickelson, Erin Quill, Janet Song, Angie Tsang & Juliet Wong. The Trojan Women is produced by Stephanie Chang and Nic Cha Kim.
Euripides (ca. 480 BC to 406 BC) lived through the rise of Athenian democracy but became disillusioned with the way popular opinion and state policy came to be manipulated in the Assembly. He was also wary of false patriotism and his plays contain thinly-veiled criticisms of the Peloponnesian War which was being waged against Sparta by his fellow Athenians. The war dragged on for the last twenty-five years of Euripides’ life and ended (after his death) with total defeat for Athens. The Trojan Women was written in response to the events happening at the time.
Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m., August 4-26, with special low-priced previews on August 2 and 3 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 for general admission, $13 for students and seniors. Group rates of $11 each are available for reservations of ten or more. Tickets for the August 4 Opening Night Gala with a post-show dessert reception are $20. All Sunday matinees (except August 26 closing night) will be specially discounted pay-what-you-can performances ($1 minimum).
For more information, call the Lodestone Theatre Ensemble hotline at (323) 993-7245 or visit www.lodestonetheatre.org.
Founded in 1999 by Philip W. Chung, Alexandra Chun, Chil Kong and Tim Lounibos, Lodestone is committed to providing a forum for Asian American artists in all aspects of the theatre arts. The Ensemble seeks to challenge limited perceptions of Asian Americans through the creation of original theatrical productions as well as a fresh retelling of established works.
