CHinese American wins LA grant (Aug09)

Los Angeles, CA, May 11, 2009—Playwright Henry Ong has received a City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs Artist-in-Residence (AIR) grant for the year 2009-2010. This is his twelfth AIR grant; the grant is for Ong to conduct oral history workshops for blind and visually-impaired people with the goal of helping them document their personal experiences and stories. The workshops will take place every Monday, starting September 14 at the Braille Institute, 741 N. Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles, and will culminate in a presentation that is free to the public on November 30.

For the past few years, Ong has taught similar writing/oral history workshops in various communities to collect and develop community, family and personal narratives. Each workshop project culminates in a public presentation involving the participants telling their stories as developed in class: Pinoy Stories (2006), Chinese American Stories (2008) and Korean American Stories (2009).

Another writing/oral history project involved gay and lesbian youth. Ong’s work at South Gate High School and the David Geffen Center resulted in a play entitled “People Like Me.” The play, produced at Playwrights’ Arena, produced in 1997, won Ong a DramaLogue award for excellence in writing, and was recently published by Norman Maine Publishing.

Ong has worked with deaf students in a collaboration with Marlton School, Los Angeles’ only day school for the deaf. In an effort to introduce the students to Asian folklore, he wrote and produced a series of plays that the students performed in American Sign Language, including “The Golden Flower Princess” (Thai), “The Fire Boy” (Japanese), “Lady White Snake” (Chinese) and “The Wedding of Bolak Sonday” (Filipino).

“I am grateful to Cultural Affairs for giving me the means to work with yet another community—the blind and visually-impaired,” said Ong. “The AIR program has greatly benefitted my development as an artist, while allowing me the opportunity to make meaningful contribution to the community.”

Queens Theatre in the Park, New York, will produce Ong’s “Sweet Karma,” a play based on the life and death of Cambodian actor and activist Haing S. Ngor in December. Next year, Company of Angels, Los Angeles, will debut his play, “Fabric,” based on the Thai garment workers slavery case.

Other works include: “Rachel Ray,” an adaptation of the 19th century Anthony Trollope novel (scheduled for a January workshop production at Pacific Resident Theatre in Los Angeles); “Dream of the Red Chamber,” a six-hour stage adaptation of the Chinese classic; and “Madame Mao’s Memories,” an internationally produced one-person play, based on the life of Chairman Mao Zedong’s widow.

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	Ong wins twelfth department of cultural affairs grant to document stories of the blind and visually-impaired Los Angeles, CA, May 11, 2009—Playwright Henry Ong has received a City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs Artist-in-Residence (AIR) grant for the year 2009-2010. This is his twelfth AIR grant; the grant is for Ong to conduct oral history workshops for blind and visually-impaired people with the goal of helping them document their personal experiences and stories. The workshops will take place every Monday, starting September 14 at the Braille Institute, 741 N. Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles, and will culminate in a presentation that is free to the public on November 30. For the past few years, Ong has taught similar writing/oral history workshops in various communities to collect and develop community, family and personal narratives. Each workshop project culminates in a public presentation involving the participants telling their stories as developed in class: Pinoy Stories (2006), Chinese American Stories (2008) and Korean American Stories (2009). Another writing/oral history project involved gay and lesbian youth. Ong’s work at South Gate High School and the David Geffen Center resulted in a play entitled “People Like Me.” The play, produced at Playwrights’ Arena, produced in 1997, won Ong a DramaLogue award for excellence in writing, and was recently published by Norman Maine Publishing. Ong has worked with deaf students in a collaboration with Marlton School, Los Angeles’ only day school for the deaf. In an effort to introduce the students to Asian folklore, he wrote and produced a series of plays that the students performed in American Sign Language, including “The Golden Flower Princess” (Thai), “The Fire Boy” (Japanese), “Lady White Snake” (Chinese) and “The Wedding of Bolak Sonday” (Filipino). “I am grateful to Cultural Affairs for giving me the means to work with yet another community—the blind and visually-impaired,” said Ong. “The AIR program has greatly benefitted my development as an artist, while allowing me the opportunity to make meaningful contribution to the community.” Queens Theatre in the Park, New York, will produce Ong’s “Sweet Karma,” a play based on the life and death of Cambodian actor and activist Haing S. Ngor in December. Next year, Company of Angels, Los Angeles, will debut his play, “Fabric,” based on the Thai garment workers slavery case. Other works include: “Rachel Ray,” an adaptation of the 19th century Anthony Trollope novel (scheduled for a January workshop production at Pacific Resident Theatre in Los Angeles); “Dream of the Red Chamber,” a six-hour stage adaptation of the Chinese classic; and “Madame Mao’s Memories,” an internationally produced one-person play, based on the life of Chairman Mao Zedong’s widow. For more information, please call Charline Su, (818) 240-1802. Home \| News \| Calendar \| Directory \| Plays \| Library/Storefront \| Timeline Copyright 2009, Roger W. Tang Questions? Email

Ong wins twelfth department of cultural affairs grant to document stories of the blind and visually-impaired